I dragged my ass outta bed and made a pot of coffee as I tried to figure out what to do about Kennedy.
“...yeah, honey, no problem,” Olivia said, speaking with someone on the phone. “I have your key, it’s all good. Go, have fun.” She glanced at me. “Lips are sealed. Promise.”
Well, shit.
I raised an eyebrow at my president’s woman and crossed my arms.
“See you when you get back.” She hung up and smiled at me. “Morning.”
“Who were you talking to?”
“Nobody.”
I shook my head. “Jesus, you’re a shit liar.”
She shrugged. “Not really my problem.”
“Everything okay with Kennedy?”
She poured herself a cup of coffee. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Liv, seriously.”
She sighed. “She went skiing.”
“That wasn’t until next week.”
“She left early.”
I sighed. “Right. You checkin’ on her place?”
“Yes.”
“I’d be happy to do it.”
Olivia grinned. “I’m sure you would. But she asked me to do it, so I’m going to do it.”
I nodded “Where’d she go this year?”
“Nope. If she didn’t disclose her location, there’s no way in hell I’m going to.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“Mama!” Doc and Olivia’s toddler, Chloe, came running into the room, followed closed by Doc who was holding her twin brother, Phoenix.
“I was hoping you’d sleep in, baby girl,” Olivia said, picking her up and kissing her neck.
“She woke Nix,” Doc said with a sigh. “I could hear her babbling to him through the monitor.”
“Lord, the two of them together are gonna be hell on wheels when they get older.”
“They’re hell on wheels now,” Doc said.
Olivia smiled. “This is very, very true.”
“I’m gonna head out unless you need me,” I said.
“Go before the mayhem really starts,” Olivia suggested, and I grinned.
“You still plannin’ on being here tonight for family night?” Doc asked.
“I think so.”
He gave me a chin lift, and I made my way back to my room, sending Kennedy a text on my way.
Which she ignored.
In fact, she ignored every text I sent her, and it was beginning to piss me off, so Tuesday afternoon, I did something desperate. I called Remington.
She answered immediately. “How did you hear? Jesus, she didn’t want you to know.”
“Know what?”
“Um. Shit. Nothing,” she stuttered.
“Remington, you need to fuckin’ spit it out,” I hissed.
“Hold on.”
“Mouse?”
Remington had handed her phone to her old man, Finch.
Fuck me.
“Jesus, Finch, how fuckin’ bad is this?” I growled.
“Bad enough that Rem’s been sworn to secrecy.”
I dragged my hand down my face. “What?”
“Kennedy’s been in an accident.”
“What the fuck?” I hissed.
“She broke her leg skiing.”
“Jesus,” I hissed. “When?”
Kennedy was a crazy good skier, and she and a few friends took a trip every year somewhere she could do just that. Last year it was Tahoe, but she hadn’t filled me in on the plan this year, probably because she was trying to break it off with me.
“A couple hours ago,” Finch said. “She was scheduled for surgery this afternoon, but they postponed to tomorrow, because they wanted to wait for the ortho specialist.”
“Where is she?”
“Breckenridge,” he said. “St. Anthony Medical Center.”
“Colorado?”
“Yeah.”
I frowned. “Is her family with her?”
“No. She went alone.”
“What the fuck do you mean she went alone?” I growled.
“Yeah, I hear ya, brother.” He sighed. “Remington just confessed that little nugget of information.”
“Right. I’m gonna let you go,” I said, and hung up, vibrating with rage and fear. I stopped by Doc’s office on my way up to my room to pack. Knocking on the door, he bid me entrance, and I pushed the door open. “I need to head out for a few days.”
“Where and why?” he asked.
“Colorado. Kennedy’s had an accident.”
“Fuck, seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Go, brother. Take all the time you need.”
I nodded and headed up to my room. I found the last redeye and paid, then packed a bag, and made my way downstairs.
“Hey,” Rabbit said, smiling. “Heard you’re heading to Colorado.”
“I am.”
“I’m your ride to the airport,” he said.
“Yeah? Thanks, man.”
“When do you need to be there?” Rabbit asked.
“Flight’s in three hours,” I said. “But if you wanna take me now, that’d be good.”
“Yeah, brother, let’s go.”
I nodded and followed him out to his truck.
* * *
Kennedy
“Close the door, brother,” Mouse said, and Shadow nodded, sliding the door closed.
“Mouse—”
“Shut it,” he growled, cutting me off.
“Oh my god,” I breathed out. “Do not ever talk to me that way. I’m leaving.”
He grabbed my arm gently again to stop me from sliding my butt toward the door. “Lace, I’m about to lose my religion, and you’re not leaving this goddamn van until you hear me out.”
“What?” I snapped.
“Look at me.”
I took a minute to steel myself, then met his eyes.
“No one will ever understand your proclivities like I will,” he said. “No one will ever fulfill those proclivities, while protecting you, body and soul, like I will.
“Mouse—”
“Remember when I tied you to the bed and slid that vibrator into your ass while I fucked your pussy? Remember how safe you felt, and how many goddamn orgasms I gave you?”
I squirmed. Yes, yes, I did remember that. He’d tied my wrists in a manner that gave me the ability to escape if I needed to. It was his way of erasing the Seth tape and replacing it with a good memory. As I recalled, he also attached clothespins to my nipples, and they’d stung in the best of ways. I was wet just thinking about it.
“I love you,” he said, and it was such a shock to my system, I broke a little.
But there was no way in hell I was going to let him see that.
“Take it back,” I rasped.
“No,” he said, smiling gently. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, Kennedy. I love you and I’m in this. Forever.”
“You’re going to make yourself miserable.”
“And that’s my choice.”
I let out a quiet hiss. “You’re choosing to love someone who has no intention of loving you back?”
“Baby, you already love me and I’m willin’ to wait until your brain catches up with your heart.”
“Well, that makes you an idiot,” I retorted.
“Maybe. But I’m willing to take the risk.” He squeezed my hand. “Word of warning, though, baby. You
