Losing Kyler (The Kennedy Boys Book 2) Read online

  “Here.” He thrusts a towel at me. “I grabbed an extra one.”

  “Thanks.” I flick my hair over and scrub it with the towel before straightening up. Brad is bent at the waist, drying his legs, and I take the opportunity to study him on the sly. His wide shoulders are broad, tapering down to a well-defined back, slim hips, and toned, muscular legs. He has the same sporty physique as Ky, and he’s equally as nice to look at.

  He straightens up, catching me watching him, and he smiles as my cheeks flare up. I drag my towel back and forth across my back, arching my chest in the process. Brad’s eyes latch onto my bust, and my nipples pebble under his keen attention. Lightning-fast, I secure the towel across my front, wrapping it around my back and tucking it in under my arms before he notices. When Brad’s gaze meets mine, there’s no denying the interest there. Something indecipherable wafts through the air, and my skin prickles with uneasiness. Lines are starting to blur, and I don’t know which side of the fence I’m on. I’m becoming far too aware of him, and I don’t want that.

  A loud throat clearing snaps me out of my haze. Ky is glaring at Brad from the open doorway. I hurry toward the exit, brushing past Ky without even acknowledging him.

  I flop down on my bed, groaning into my pillow. Why is everything so complicated? Is it too much to wish for boring and normal? As I strip off my suit and step into the shower, I reluctantly acknowledge the fact that I’d hate boring and normal, but some happy medium would be nice.

  I’ve just shoved the lasagna into the oven when Alex wanders into the kitchen, yawning. “Something smells delicious.”

  “I hope you like lasagna?” I ask, putting the finishing touches on the accompanying salad.

  “I do.” She hovers uncertainly while I set the table and fill the water jug. “Thank you, Faye. I appreciate all you’re doing to help.” She flops down onto a stool. “I’m finding it so difficult to function at present.”

  I’ll say. I lean my elbows on the island unit. “I understand, and I’m happy to help out where I can.” I pause, contemplating my next words carefully. “Is Courtney still at Kennedy Apparel? Is that why you’re reluctant to return to the office?” A pained expression appears on her face as she nods. I frown. “Why don’t you fire her skanky ass?”

  That raises a small smile. “I wish I could.” She sighs heavily. “I can’t stand to be around that calculating bitch, but unfortunately, having an affair with your boss’s husband isn’t grounds for dismissal. Her employment contract is watertight.” She jumps up too quickly from the stool, stumbling and almost losing her balance. I rush to her side, but she has righted herself by the time I reach her. She puts out a hand. “I’m okay. I feel a headache coming on, and I think I’ll just go lie down.”

  The diner is packed as it is most Friday nights, and I’m rushed off my feet from the second I step foot in the place. I’m typing an order into the system when Rose approaches. “The guy at table seven is asking for you to serve him.”

  “Fine,” I reply, not even looking up. Taking long strides toward the table, I extract my pad and pen from my pocket as I make my approach. “What can I get you?” I ask, lifting my head up. Curious blue eyes meet mine as his lips pull into a smile. “Oh, hello again.” My guard is instantly up as I recognize the man from his previous visit.

  “Hello, Faye.” He scans my name badge as he hurriedly tidies up a bunch of photos and papers in front of him.

  My eyes flit subconsciously to the table, and he quickly flips the documents over. My cheeks stain with my embarrassment. “Have you decided what you’d like to order?”

  “I was going to have the fish and chips again, but I thought I should try something different this time, so I’ll have the Works Burger with all the trimmings and ice water, please.”

  I quickly jot it down. “I’ll place the order. Thanks.” I turn to leave.

  “Wait, Faye, ah”—he runs a hand through his dark hair—“I was hoping you might have time to talk for a few minutes.”

  My eyes narrow suspiciously. “About what?”

  “The other waitress said you are new to town. I’m considering moving here, and I was, ah, wondering if you had any insight to offer? Is it a nice place to live?”

  I shrug. “I guess.”

  “So, you’re happy here?”

  I purse my lips as I ponder his question. On the surface, it appears straightforward, but it’s way more complicated than a simple yes or no reply. “Mostly.” I aim for honesty.

  His intelligent eyes probe mine and all the tiny hairs on the back of my neck lift. There is something about this guy that isn’t on the level. I think my initial instincts were correct. He must be a hack and he’s trying to befriend me in the hope I’ll divulge Kennedy family secrets. Well, he can think again. I plant my best sweet and innocent smile on my face. “I’d love to chat with you …” I let my words die off as I quirk a brow.

  “Mark!” he blurts out, looking a little flustered. “The name’s Mark.” He holds out his hand, and I reluctantly shake it.

  “Well, Mark. It was nice talking to you, but I’ve got to get back to work. It’s crazy busy, as you can see, and I don’t want to give my boss any excuse to fire me. I’ll input your order, and then I’ll be back with your drink.”

  “What was all that about?” Rose asks when I return to the counter.

  “I think he’s a reporter fishing for dirt on the Kennedys.”

  “Get out!”

  “I could be wrong, but there’s something about that guy.” My brow wrinkles as I tap in his order. “Would you serve him? I’d rather steer clear.”

  “No sweat.”

  David calls me into his office a little while later. Being summoned by the boss never fails to spark a burst of anxiety, and I’m the first to assume it’s because I’ve done something wrong. “Have a seat.” He waves at the two chairs in front of his desk, and I sit down stiffly in one.

  “Relax, Faye.” He gives me a yellow-toothed grin. “Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to check in with you and see how you’re doing. I know you’ve had a lot of stress this week, and it can’t be easy with reporters breathing down your neck all the time.”

  “Is this about my bodyguard, Lenny? Because he stays out in the car, and I’m confident I can get my uncle to renege on the need for his presence soon.”

  David flaps his hands in the air. “Breathe, Faye. There’s no need to get all worked up. I won’t deny that it’d be nice not to see his face at all, but I can’t complain. Trade is brisk. In fact”—he sends me a semi-apologetic look—“business is up by twenty-five percent thanks to the influx of visitors to the town.”

  “Oh, well, that’s good.” At least someone is benefitting. My knee jerks up and down as I wait for him to get to the point.

  He taps his pen slowly off the top of his desk. He leans back in his chair, and his gray shirt is stretched over his protruding gut, the buttons looking like they’re about to pop. His eyes roam my face in a way that makes me ill at ease. He offers up another toothy grin, and I squirm in my seat. “If there is ever anything I can do to help, you know you can come to me?” he says, and I nod weakly. “And if you ever need to switch or cancel shifts because of external factors, then please speak to me. I know this must be difficult for you, being so new to town and all, and if I can help in any way, I’d be happy to.”

  His eyes are kind, and my trepidation ebbs. I’m not sure why I’m edgy around him, and I think I’ve misjudged him, because this isn’t the first time that he’s extended an olive branch, and he seems to genuinely care about his staff, which is damned rare to find. The manager of the restaurant I worked in back home in Dublin was a right cow, and she never made concessions for anyone, no matter what was going on at home. “Thank you, David. I appreciate you saying that, and I’ll bear it in mind.”

  He beams at me like a proud father. “Very well, Faye. I’ll let you
get back. It’s a busy one tonight.”

  The rest of the shift passes uneventfully and I don’t see or speak to Mark the rest of the night.

  When I arrive back at the house later, I make a quick call to James letting him know that someone was asking questions at the diner. He made me promise to tell him if anything like this happened, and I’m happy for him to deal with the situation. Hopefully, that’s the last I’ll see of Mark.

  I’m woken early the next morning by a continuous pelting of rain against my window. Scrubbing the sleep from my eyes, I lift the curtain and groan. Heavy sheets of rain are tumbling in angry waves from the sky, slapping noisily off the ground outside. Rolls of dull, smoky, gray clouds crowd the sky, casting a layer of drabness over the land below. It perfectly matches my mood. I tap out a short message to Brad, wondering if he’s awake yet. He responds mere seconds later, and we agree to meet in the kitchen.

  I grab a quick shower and dress warmly in my favorite pair of jeans, combat boots, and a gray and pink hoodie. Brad is whistling to himself as he stirs eggs on the stove. “Morning,” I say in an overly exuberant tone of voice that is clearly fake.

  Brad chuckles. “That bad, huh?” I stick my tongue out at him, and he laughs again. “I made enough for two.” He gestures at the pan.

  “Great, thanks.” I drop some bread in the toaster and busy myself making coffee while he plates up our food. I carry the mugs to the table, sliding onto the bench as Brad places a steaming plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of me. We tuck in, eating silently and amicably.

  “What’s the plan?” he asks, when he’s finished eating.

  “I got the address of Kaden and Keven’s apartment on campus from Keaton last night, so we’ll head there and hope they’re in.” I take a sip of my coffee. “And if they’re not, I’ll ring them and find out when they’ll be back, and we can find someplace to hang out until then.”

  “Cool. You wanna make tracks soon?”

  I catch sight of Ky approaching out of the corner of my eye. “Yeah, and if he asks, I’m going shopping and you’re keeping me company,” I whisper urgently.

  Brad swivels on the bench. “Hey, man. You heading to the track?” Ky’s routine is pretty regimented so it’s a safe bet he’s heading to the Middleborough motocross training facility this morning.

  “Yep.” He moves about the kitchen, opening and shutting presses. With a bowl in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other, he sits down beside Brad, completely ignoring me as he starts eating.

  “Will you let May and Rick know I’m living here now and tell them I’ll drop in during the week.”

  “Sure.” He looks at his bowl as he eats, still refusing to meet my eyes.

  “How are the renovations coming along?” Brad asks, trying his best to alleviate the awkward tension in the room.

  “Good.”

  Ky has mastered the art of one-word replies. Trying to have a conversation with him when he’s in a mood is like spending a continuous twenty-four hours in the dentist chair. Air flees my lungs and I can scarcely breathe. This reminds me so much of the early days, when Ky acted like I didn’t even exist. How can things have gone so awry in only one day?

  I don’t need anyone else to answer that question.

  I already know the reason.

  Addison.

  This stinks of her in spades.

  Ky may be content to let her walk all over him again but I’m done being a doormat.

  I’m going to play her at her own game, and I’m going to thoroughly enjoy it too.

  Chapter Thirteen

  With renewed determination, I swing my legs over the bench and snatch Brad’s dirty dishes up along with mine. I walk to the dishwasher and stack our things before cleaning the pan and wiping the counter clean. Brad and Ky are whispering with their heads bent, and I hate the fact that I’m excluded from the conversation.

  “I’ll meet you in the lobby in fifteen, Brad,” I shout, and he gives me a swift thumbs-up. I exit the room without any acknowledgment of Ky. I’m not speaking to him until he apologizes for the way he treated me yesterday.

  “Okay, so, here’s the plan,” I tell Brad when he enters the lobby a little while later. “We need to ditch Lenny ’cause I don’t want anyone knowing what we’re up to. You don’t have a tail, so you can drive out the front gate and meet me at the old side entrance. I’ll wait for the guard to finish his rounds of the back garden, and then I’ll slip out my window and escape through the forest.”

  Brad high-fives me. “Sneaky. I approve.” He winks and I give him a playful shove. “Go. I’ll see you in a bit.”

  The plan works beautifully, and twenty minutes later, we are free as birds on the open road. I flick through the list of music on Brad’s phone until I find something I like. He groans when the rhythmic beats pump out and I tap my fingers in time to the music. “Your taste in music is diabolical.”

  “If you hate Katy Perry so much, why’d you have her on your playlist?”

  His lips tug down, and his teasing expression fades. “My sister put it on there.”

  “Oh, sorry. Do you want me to turn it off?”

  He wiggles his nose. “Nah, leave it. It reminds me of her, and that’s not a bad thing.”

  I sing along, uncaring that I’m completely tuneless, and his shoulders shake with laughter. I stick my tongue out at him in between crooning, and that makes him crack up even more. By the time we reach the campus, he’s doubled over as if winded, with tears streaming down his face.

  “I’m not that bad!” I poke him in the ribs.

  “A dying cat would sound better than you!” He shakes with laughter as he swings the car into a parking space.

  “You. Are. Mean.” I mock pout, as he kills the engine and pivots in his seat to face me.

  “Ah, you know I love you.” He playfully messes up my hair. “And I love that you don’t care. Your confidence is very attractive.”

  “Whatever!” I roll my eyes and open my door, suddenly very anxious to end this convo before it veers into treacherous territory. “Come on! Let’s go find my cousins.”

  We stroll past beautiful, stately red-bricked buildings and manicured lawns that look glorious even swathed in a heavy sheet of rain. There’s something magical in the air around here, and it’s clear the campus is steeped in history. My mouth hangs open as I drink it all in. Trees with varying autumnal-colored leaves line the pristine paths as we walk through the college grounds. There is barely a sinner around at this early hour on the weekend, and it only adds to the enchanting quality of the place.

  We stop in front of a well-preserved building that looks like it dates back to the eighteenth century. Brad holds the door open for me, and I step into the lobby of a clean, well-maintained building. We sign in, retrieving directions, and after a few wrong turns, we eventually end up in front of my cousin’s door. I rap decisively a couple of times and step back, shuffling anxiously from foot to foot. I’m not sure what kind of reaction I’ll receive. I’m not close with either Kaden or Keven, and I don’t know what they’ll think when they see me on their doorstep.

  Sounds of muted voices confirm someone is inside, but the longer we stare at the closed door, the less confident I am that they’re planning on opening it.

  Brad twists his cap to the back of his head, slanting an amused look my way. “Maybe our timing sucks,” he suggests with a knowing wink.

  “Oh, shoot!” I exclaim, instantly catching his drift. It’s early on a Saturday morning, and it’s not inconceivable to think one or both of my cousins have female company. “Maybe we should come back later?”

  Brad takes my hand. “Good idea, come on.”

  We have only taken three steps when the door swings open and Kaden pokes his head out. “Faye?” His voice can’t conceal his curiosity.

  I turn around. “Surprise!”

  “
What are you doing here?” he asks. An older woman with smoldering brown eyes appears at his back, clutching a briefcase and a stack of files to her chest.

  “I need to speak to Keven about something, but if this is a bad time …” I smile over his head at the woman.

  “No. It’s fine. Professor Garcia was just leaving.” He moves aside to allow the woman to pass through. Her heels click noisily on the polished hardwood floors.

  “Same time next Saturday, Mr. Kennedy,” she says in a clipped tone of voice, flicking her thick, dark hair over her shoulder. With her voluptuous mouth, sallow skin, and curvy figure, she reminds me of a younger Sophia Vergara. She even has that sexy, sensual quality to her voice.

  “Thank you. I’ll see you then.” Kaden avoids looking at her as he ushers us into the room. I take a quick wander around. The suite is larger than I expected, incorporating two separate double bedrooms and a shared bath. The common room is spacious and expensively furnished with two wide reclining leather couches and a massive wall-mounted flat screen TV. A top-of-the-range gaming system is hooked up to the TV, and the glossy coffee table is cluttered with a multitude of games and related paraphernalia. It’s a bone fide man cave.

  “Scored some private lessons?” Brad teases.

  “She’s one of my professors, asshat! And she’s married.” He closes the door with a bang.

  “She’s clearly very dedicated to turn up so early on a Saturday.” Brad plops down on one of the couches, stretching the length of it as he folds his hands underneath his head.

  “Make yourself at home, Brad,” Kaden drawls sarcastically, “and drop the insinuation. I don’t appreciate it.”

  “Jeez, man, when’d you get so serious? I was only messing about.”

  Kaden ignores him, leaning over the back of the couch as he pins that intense gaze of his on me. “Keven isn’t here, Faye, but he’s due back shortly. Anything I can help with?”