Give Me Forever Love (Give Me Series Book 3)

by Paige P. Horne

  It’s lightning, and thunder rolls in the distance. The sun has disappeared, and I get soaked running into Mugs & Books because I didn’t look at the weather and left my umbrella at home.

  But I’m not even mad, y’all.

  I’m not even mad.

  Life is beautiful in all its ugly. Time is precious in all its hurry. I’m in love in every way a person can be.

  I swipe my hair from my face, rain dripping from my nose, down my band shirt, between my breasts. My Vans squeak when I walk, and Becca looks at me like I’ve grown two heads because I’m smiling.

  “Are you okay, Kat?” she asks as she refills the sugar packets.

  “Never better,” I reply. I look over at a few college kids on their Macs, sipping on coffee.

  “Good morning,” I say, pulling my shirt away from my skin. One kid looks right at my breasts and I don’t even care. Look all you want, kid. That’s all you’ll be doing.

  “Where’s my best girl?” I ask Becca.

  “She’s in the kitchen.” She nods toward the back. I look over at the new books we got in this morning ready to be shelved. “I’ll get to those in a bit.”

  She nods as she moves on to another table. “We’ve had an increase in thrillers lately. So, I ordered more.”

  “Sounds good. Who doesn’t like a good thriller?” I smile as I head toward the kitchen, thinking I may be living a thriller with everything I’ve been through.

  Pushing open the swinging doors, I turn and see Claire in the fridge. I realize we’ve hardly spoken since the raid at Red. I moved out, Bryce got arrested, and then I stopped living.

  She shuts the door. “Agh!” she says, grabbing her chest and shutting her eyes. “Jesus Christ, Kat. You scared the hell out of me.”

  I laugh. “Sorry. How could you not hear me? My shoes sound like bats in a cave, they’re so squeaky.”

  She chuckles. “Why are you wet?” she asks, placing some ingredients down on the counter. Her hair is piled on top of her head, and she’s wearing big hoop earrings. Black pants and a hot pink double-breasted chef’s coat is her chosen outfit. She looks happy, content. My beautiful friend.

  “I got caught in the rain.” Thunder booms and makes the dishes rattle.

  “Yeah, it’s really coming down out there. I’m going to make some vegetable soup since it’s supposed to rain all day. Figured people would like a little comfort food.”

  “Good idea,” I say. I walk over and check out what she’s got in the oven. Fresh croissants and cinnamon buns have just been placed on the racks and she’s making icing. Always making so many things at once. I fight the urge to dip my finger into it. This isn’t our kitchen at home.

  “I see you,” she says, a piece of hair falling in her face. She blows it out of the way.

  I hold my hands up. “I’m not doing anything.”

  “You better not be. I’ll have to throw the whole thing out.”

  I lean back against the counter, watching her, remembering how she used to cook in the kitchen at our apartment and how I always used to steal a taste. I smile to myself, thinking back on when she interrupted Bryce and me because she wanted me to be her taste tester for Austin’s birthday cake icing.

  “What are you smiling about?” she asks.

  “Memories,” I reply.

  “Care to share?”

  “Just thinking back on how things used to be. You and your cooking.” I sigh. “How are things at home?”

  “Things are good. Austin has basically moved in.”

  I nod. “Good.”

  “What about Bryce?” she asks. “How’s everything going with Red and his arrest?”

  I look down, not sure if I can tell her everything.

  But why?

  She was there when Bones killed Cain just like I was. We made a pact. We all swore we’d never say a word to anyone about it.

  This is my best friend.

  I can tell her anything.

  That’s not changing just because I moved out and she’s got a bun in the oven and Austin’s moving in and Bryce wants to take me to another country.

  I exhale internally. Calm down, girl.

  There’s been so much going on. It’s as if I’ve been on a roller coaster that’s constantly going over hills and I can’t catch my breath before the next plummet.

  “Bryce is out of jail,” I say.

  She looks over at me. “That’s great.” She walks over to a cabinet and pulls out a stockpot. “What happens now?” She places it onto the stove before walking over to grab some olive oil.

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” She turns to me, narrowing her eyes. “He got arrested for a felony, right?” She pours a couple swirls into the pot before turning the heat on. Placing the bottle back where she got it, she grabs an onion and her knife.

  “He did.”

  She tilts her head, something clearly on the tip of her tongue, but she stops herself from saying it as she starts slicing the onion.

  “What?” I ask. I look over at the kitchen doors. No one is around.

  “I just worry, Kat. Sometimes I don’t know what to think about all that’s happened.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She shakes her head. “Look, I don’t want to overstep. I know you love him.”

  “But I love you, too, and I want to know what you’re worried about.”

  “Everything.” She lowers her voice. “Every fucking thing. How does someone get out of a felony like that? He was doing illegal gambling in the basement of the most successful club in downtown Atlanta and not just some small-time gambling. It was major. He was on the news, Kat.” She scrapes the chopped onion into a bowl and walks over to the pot, dumping it in. It sizzles and she stirs it before walking over and grabbing some garlic.

  “I know that,” I say. “I was there.”

  “Exactly. You were there.” She places her knife over the clove and slams her hand down on it. “That’s what I’m worried about. You’re mixed up in all of this.” She waves her hand in the air. “Bryce knows a hit man, for fuck’s sake. He paid someone to…” She stops herself as she quickly chops the garlic before sliding them into the same bowl she used for the onion.

  “Finish your sentence,” I say.

  She looks over at me before walking over to the sink. Lifting a strainer filled with chopped carrots, she also drops those and then looks down at the buns and bread. Grabbing her mitt, she opens the oven door and removes the pan, placing it onto a trivet.

  She turns back to me as I grab the icing bowl and hand it to her.

  She looks down. “Look, I’m grateful Cain is gone. I have no regrets about that. I just… I mean, how deep is Bryce in with those men?”

  “Deep enough that they got him cleared of a twenty-five-year prison sentence.”

  Her eyes grow wide. “You’re kidding me? So, he’s free of that. It’s over?”

  “Yeah. He sold Red for it.”

  She drops the bowl onto the counter. “He sold his club?”

  “Yes,” I say, picking at the skin on the side of my thumb. “That guy who…” I lower my voice, too. “The man who took care of Cain bought Red. He told Bryce if he sold it to him, he’d get him out of this mess, and he did.” I shrug.

  Her eyes dance around my face. “And you’re okay with all of this?”

  I exhale. “Am I okay with all of this?” I look up at the ceiling. “Claire, I’m in too deep now not to be okay.” My eyes jump back to hers. “What the fuck am I supposed to do? Leave him?”

  She doesn’t say anything; she turns and starts putting icing on the buns.

  “You think I should then.” I don’t ask because I know the answer. “Claire?”

  I move to stand beside her. She glances over at me. I stop her hand from working. “You do, don’t you?”

  She winces. “Part of me does, yes.”

  I let go of her hand and she turns to face me. She bites her bottom lip as her chest deflates. “I know you’ve found the one,
Kat. I see it in the way you look at him and, God, the way he looks at you.” She slightly shakes her head. “I want that for you. Trust me. But Bryce comes with things I don’t understand.

  “He comes with shit you only see in the movies. But this isn’t the big screen. It’s your real life. He was about to be sent off to prison. How do you know nothing else like that is going to happen? He has that in him. He could mess up again, and then where will you be?” She walks over to the pot and stirs the onions, carrots, and garlic before adding some salt and pepper.

  There’s this battle going on inside of me. This war waging. My heart is armored up, ready to fight Claire on this, but my mind knows she isn’t wrong.

  My heart wins.

  “Look, I know he isn’t perfect. I get you’re worried and maybe if the situation was switched and you were in my shoes, I’d be saying the same thing to you, but that’s not our reality.

  “Bryce saved you from Cain. He got rid of him so you wouldn’t have to worry about him again. Did he do it legally? No, he didn’t, but sometimes legally doesn’t fix the problem.”

  She lifts her brow. “He didn’t do that for me, Kat.”

  I cross my arms. “He did it for us then,” I say, tossing my hand in the air. “And how am I supposed to know the future? Could Bryce get into some trouble again? Yeah, sure, that could happen. But if I’m being real here, he sold his club so he could be with me. I don’t think he plans on doing anything to jeopardize what we have.”

  She looks down at my crossed arms, biting her inner cheek. I reach over and grab the bowl of icing, not looking at her because I’m still not great with this mess and I need to busy myself while I say what I’m about to say.

  I spread icing over the last bit of cinnamon buns and tell myself to spit it out. “Look, Claire. You’re my family. You and Austin are all I had before Mills came along. I need your approval on this. I need you to like Bryce and accept him as the man I’m choosing.” After I coat the last bun, I steal a glance over at her. She’s watching me with slightly narrowed eyes.

  I put the bowl down, my breathing not one hundred percent as I wait for her to respond. After what feels like an eternity she says, “Okay.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’ll back off, but if he hurts you, I can’t promise I won’t be the one doing something illegal.”

  I chuckle. “Deal.” I know deep down she’s still not cool with Bryce and what he may or may not be involved in, but she’s giving it a chance for me and that’s all I can ask for.

  She turns back to the sautéed vegetables.

  “I’m going to take these out,” I say, grabbing the tongs and placing them onto our white display plates.

  She nods. I grab the plates and head out, glad we cleared the air and hoping we never have to talk about this mess again.

  I just want a normal life with my guy and my family.

  But for some unbeknownst reason, I have a gut feeling it’s not going to be that simple.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Bryce

  I shut the door on my new favorite ride, the Chevy truck, and walk across the street to Mugs & Books. The smell of rain on concrete has me taking in a deep breath. Steam billows up from the black pavement, a sign that the storm we just had cooled it off a bit.

  I’ve spent my morning booking a private jet to take us away from here for a week. I’ve got everything set up for us to go, including Kat’s passport that we had expedited, and the ring I just bought sits in the glove box of the truck. I’m more than ready to spend the rest of my life with the woman I know is inside that building.

  The place looks damn good from where I stand. K did an amazing job with the remodel. A display of books and lights are in the front windows with a bohemian feel to it. The French doors are ready to be open when the weather’s cooler, and there’s a chalkboard out that says today’s special is caramel iced macchiato.

  I walk in, skimming over occupied chairs and filled tables. It smells like fresh bread and cinnamon in here and I know Claire is in the kitchen cooking up something amazing, because there’s an aroma of garlic and onions drifting from the swaying doors.

  College kids have old school headphones on and there’s a study group going on over on the couches. It’s full. Everyone has coffee and small plates with leftover crumbs.

  Mugs & Books is doing well.

  I nod at Becca who’s in front of the computer, and then I look over and see my girl stocking a bookshelf. Tight dark jeans cover her legs and ass. She wears black Vans and a black shirt that I know has Fleetwood Mac on it.

  She turns a bit, concentration on her pretty face. I smirk, remembering back when I first saw her in here behind that counter. She was nervous, and so was I, but I didn’t show it like she did.

  She spilled coffee and I couldn’t help but look at her ass when she bent over to clean it up. Just like I’m doing now.

  Creepy?

  Nah, she’s my woman. I’m allowed to look. I turn back, seeing a boy with thick curly hair doing the same.

  Now he’s not allowed to look.

  His eyes jump to mine, and I tilt my head. “Like what you see?” I ask him.

  “Don’t you?” he replies. “I heard she owns the place.”

  I walk close to him, sitting at the iron table. I lean in so K can’t hear me. “I also heard her boyfriend is a real fucking asshole. If he sees you checking her out like that, he’d probably stop the air from going into your lungs,” I say. “Probably,” I add with a shrug.

  His eyes narrow. “What about you?”

  “Me?” I ask.

  He nods, looking smug.

  I smile. “I’m the boyfriend.”

  His face pales, and I almost laugh. “Relax, kid. I’m having a good day. Keep your fucking eyes to yourself, yeah?”

  He swallows and looks down at his computer. “Yeah,” he says. I ruffle his curly hair like he’s eight and not eighteen. His nose wrinkles, and I almost feel bad.

  I leave him and walk back to Kathrine, clearing my throat. She turns her head to look at me. Her eyes do a once-over, checking me out before jumping back to my face.

  “Can I help you?” she asks with a lifted brow.

  Oh, we’re playing it this way.

  “Yeah,” I say, adjusting the snapback on my head before sliding my hands into my pockets. “I was looking for the owner.”

  “The owner?” she asks. “Is there a problem?”

  “Problem? Nah.” I shake my head. “I’ve been told she’s leaving for a little while, so I wanted to give her something before she took off.”

  “She’s leaving, huh?”

  I nod, loving the way she’s acting like she doesn’t know me. Loving the fact that she’s the only one who really does.

  “And what is it you wanted to give her?” She licks her bottom lip, looking at me with curious eyes.

  I walk closer to her, removing my hands from my pockets. She drops hers to her sides as she looks up at me.

  “What are you doing?” she asks, almost breathlessly.

  I look at her with a sense of wonder I can’t control. It’s amazing how one single person can give your life so much meaning.

  Everything else could fade to black and disappear and life would still be worth living as long as she was still by my side.

  Kat takes my breath away with her beauty. She steals pieces of me every day.

  The way she laughs, the way she smiles.

  The way she loves.

  Kathrine doesn’t do anything half-assed; she means it with her whole heart and gives it her all.

  And I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive because she’s mine and she’s going to have my last name.

  “This,” I say, grabbing her and pressing my mouth to hers. Her hands go to my arms as my tongue slips past her lips. I kiss her with everything in me, until we hear cheers and someone yelling get a room. I pull away from her, still so close but not touching her lips.

  “I once told you when a man loves a woman,
he fights for her. He works his ass off every day to make sure she knows she’s loved.”

  She blinks.

  “I promise you that I will never stop fighting for you. I will always make sure you know how much I love you. In public, in private, I don’t give a shit.”

  She grins.

  “We’re leaving in two days. Get things settled here. I’ve got to move out of the loft above Red.”

  “Okay,” she says, her cheeks slightly pink. I quick-kiss her lips, tap her ass, and turn toward the door. Claire is standing by the kitchen watching us. “Hey,” I say. “You doing okay?”

  She nods, but doesn’t give me a smile.

  I know she’s uneasy about me. She has every right to be. I’m not K’s Prince Charming and I’ve never pretended to be. I’m the knight who rides in on the black horse, ready to fight any motherfucker trying to take my woman. Even Claire if she wants it that way.

  “Tell Austin I said hello.”

  “Will do,” she says.

  I walk by the curly headed boy and grin, giving him a wink before exiting.

  ___________

  I’m parked in front of Red, leaning against the Chevy. The morning has come and gone, and the sun has skipped across the sky casting shadows on Red’s outer shell. Gray clouds float in the atmosphere, promising another round of storms. I look at the building before me, remorse filling my chest. The things I could have done differently?

  I’m not sure there are any.

  I worked hard.

  I had a secluded life even surrounded by hundreds of people every night.

  Women at my feet, ready if I was. My brother by my side. I was on top in my castle above the club. Watching through the two-way mirror at all the people as they danced and drank, knowing below them was an adrenaline rush. The heart of this place.

  I exhale. I’m at a crossroad. I have no idea where to go from here. I have Mugs & Books, but that’s K’s. I have Grant Ranch, but that’s never been my main focus. That’s more of Jace’s thing.

  I’ve always loved the rush of betting. The risk of losing it all or winning everything.

  Maybe I’ll give up this whole city life. Maybe I’ll travel, like Danny suggested.

  Who knows?