Everything I Need Read online

  “Okay…aaaaand?” She draws out the word in question. Eyes a little wider than before.

  I look away, over her shoulder, as I continue. “Apparently, he’s a handyman for the Michaels brothers. I had called for an estimate for the roof. You know how it’s got that leak that damaged part of the wall separating the kitchen…” I trail off when I bring my eyes back to hers. Seeing her less impressed at my detailed explanation. She knows I’m holding off.

  She’d be right. I can already hear the squeal she’ll unleash when I tell her what happened. Thank goodness the store is empty still. My ears are already ringing.

  “Well, when he came over, after he took a look around.” I hesitate a second. “Something may have happened.”

  “May have?” She raises a brow as she asks.

  I shrug again. “We may have kissed—”

  “I’m pretty sure you’d know if that beast of a man was kissing you, Keelynn.” She scoffs at the end and crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m two seconds away from beating the words out of you. Spill!”

  “We definitely kissed…and then had kitchen sex.” I rush the last bit out in one harshly whispered breath. My face flaming, I can feel the heat firing off my face. I must be as red as a tomato.

  “Eeeeeek!”

  And there it is. She didn’t let me down.

  I wince at her shrill cry of excitement.

  “Oh em gee, Keelynn Masters! You tell me every little detail right now!” Her last two words are screamed for emphasis. She’s literally bouncing on her toes, hands clasped together under her chin, huge silly grin on her face. “You had sex with Merrick!”

  I gasp at her loudly spoken words. “Will you please keep it down?” I ask as I walk around the counter separating us to get closer to her. I don’t care if the store is empty. I don’t need someone to walk in and see her acting a fool and talking about my personal life. Especially that aspect of it.

  “God, Keelynn! Okay, I’m sorry.” She takes a deep breath, composing herself. “You’re right. But tell—me—everything!” Her face is so serious that if we weren’t discussing this, I’d want to laugh.

  I grasp her hand, check to make sure Toni is milling around, before pulling her toward the backroom so we can have a little more privacy for the rest of this conversation.

  As soon as we step through the threshold, she’s spinning on me and peppering me with questions. “What happened? How did it happen? Did you do it all? Was it amazing? Was he as big as I bet he is?” She waggles her eyebrows dramatically at the last question, smile taking up her whole face.

  My head is spinning from the rapid-fire questions. “Whoa, will you slow down? Sheesh. And I will not be telling you how big he is,” I whisper the last few words harshly. As if reprimanding her.

  “Oh, pfft. I’m your damn sister for crying out loud. I’m entitled to ask. It’s my right.” I roll my eyes at that. “Now, start from the beginning. Tell me.”

  Heaving a deep breath, I recount the events of yesterday—minus the size of his…member. I tell her Merrick showing up was a complete surprise. His assessment of the roof and damage. How the tension between us was stifling and consuming. Then how one second we were standing there, staring at one another, and the next we were kissing a kiss so passionate it made my knees buckle and my heart melt to goo.

  She oohed and ahhed at all the right times. And when I got to us practically mauling each other, then to how he took me right there, she gasped and her eyes widened to saucers. “Right there in the kitchen?”

  I nod my head, my cheeks heating. “Gosh, CamCam. He just…he owned me. Ya know? Every touch, every kiss. His hands and lips, his body. All of him owned every single part of me and for the first time in forever I felt…I felt so free and real.”

  She sighs and gets a dreamy look on her face. “Oh, Keelynn.” Then her soft voice chokes up as her dreamy look turns even softer and tears well in her eyes. “These last two years I’ve seen you fall apart, pick yourself back up, and move on with life as best you can. But despite that smile you wield as armor against the world, I’ve seen the hurt and pain and loss behind it.”

  My breath hitches at her words. Tears of my own welling and falling as she continues.

  “But these last couple of months I’ve seen you blossom and flourish and find pieces of the Keelynn from before you lost Trevor. And I know without a shadow of a doubt it’s because of that man. Merrick…he’s brought you back to life. He’s made your smile brighter, your laugh lighter. I have my sister back, and now I can breathe easy for the first time in two years knowing that you’re back and that you’ll really be okay.”

  I break down as Campbell wraps her arms around me. Murmuring against my head how happy she is for me, to have the real me back, and that no matter what happens with Merrick that she’ll forever be thankful to him for bringing me back.

  I don’t think I’ve cried so much since that night I lost Trevor. It’s as if I’m finally purging every hurt I still harbored since then. Everything I thought I hid from the world, but Campbell could still see. All the pain I thought I let go of, but was really holding onto like a shield.

  A few moments pass before we pull apart. Tears wetting both our cheeks. “It’s so good to have you back, sister.”

  I can only offer a nod in agreement and understanding. My words lodged somewhere between my heart and my throat.

  Campbell is the greatest sister to ever be and I’m so, so lucky to call her mine. She’s always been my protector. Since we were children, discarded by our parents. To when Grampy and Gramma both passed and gave me my first real dose of heartbreak. She dropped everything, stepped out of the world she was creating away from home to come back and make sure mine didn’t change any more than it already had. To the loss of Trevor and the final fracture that splintered my heart in two. Making me wonder if it would ever be possible for me to be whole again. She’s always been there, right by my side. Cheering me on, drying my tears, mending as best she could.

  That’s why, when I have so much to tell her, to say, all I can come up with is, “Thank you.” My hoarse voice choking over the words full of such reverence and gratitude. But it’s enough. Because she knows I don’t just mean for today. I mean for every minute of every thing she’s ever done for me and continues to do.

  Campbell wipes the tears from under her eyes as she nods in understanding before asking, “Okay, now that we got that out of the way. What happened this morning?”

  My shoulders stiffen a touch when my thoughts switch gears and go back to this morning and what I walked up to. Taking another deep breath, I then begin telling her about what happened. The graffiti, Toni scrubbing it off, but I leave out what it said.

  “Damn kids,” she curses. “I’m sorry that happened, KeeKee. But I’m glad that’s all they did. I just hope they don’t try anything again.” Her face and voice fierce with protectiveness and anger.

  I nod in agreement.

  “Do you think you should report it?”

  Funny how that never crossed my mind until she asks. I’m shaking my head before I utter a word. “No, I don’t know who it could be and all they did was spray-paint my windows.”

  “Maybe that’s why you should. In case something else happens.” Worry edges its way in her tone now.

  I wave away her thoughts. “If they wanted to do something else they would have when they were here. It was just kids being kids, causing mayhem. Plus, all the station will do is file a report, noting it happened.”

  She doesn’t look so sure. Unease causing her to wring her hands together. A telltale sign of her worry.

  “Campbell,” I say to get her attention. When she looks up I continue. “I swear. It’s fine, all is good.” I smile reassuringly.

  She releases her hands and nods once. Then a knowing smile creeps along her face. “Of course ‘all is good,’” she replies while tossing up air quotes, quoting me. “After yesterday I’d be hard-pressed to think anything could be wrong ever again.”
/>   She winks.

  I gape.

  Then she laughs, causing me to giggle, before we’re losing it together.

  I press my hands to my heated cheeks with a shake of my head. “Gosh, Campbell…”

  “Keelynn!” Toni calling my name has us both looking to the doorway. With me praying she hasn’t heard one ounce of our conversation from earlier. Because if she did, she’d be worse than my sister.

  “Oh,” she gasps when she enters the room, almost bumping into Campbell and me standing right in the doorway. “There you are.” Her smile is warm and welcoming as always.

  She looks to Campbell briefly, offering a hello, before looking back at me. “There’s someone out front asking for you.”

  Confusion settles over me. Until I see Toni’s knowing smirk and watch her blatantly eye Campbell, trying to convey something without speaking. You know the look—wide eyes, head tilted, nodding toward the door. She’s even waggling her dang eyebrows.

  Subtlety is not her forte.

  Anxiousness and excitement wash away my confusion, leaving my heart to beat and thump in a crazy rhythm. I know exactly who’s out there.

  Walking out of the backroom without saying a word to either of them, I take a handful of deep breaths. Trying to calm my racing heart. Pulling myself together enough to have a conversation. Until I walk around one tall, white bookshelf and my breath leaves me on a whoosh.

  Standing before a shelf of books toward the back of the store, with a book in hand, is the man who completely rocked my world yesterday. The one I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. The one starring in all of my daydreams since last night.

  Like the highlight reel running through my mind right now.

  Merrick looks up when I stop a couple of feet from him. His eyes light with a familiar hint of lust that has me clenching my thighs where I stand.

  He smirks when he sees me fidget then shelves the book and crosses the few steps that separate us. “Hey,” he almost whispers. His voice deep and gruff and delicious as always despite the quiet tone.

  “Hi,” I whisper back. Breathless. Because, hello, this man and all that he is.

  Nothing else is spoken for a minute or two. We both just stand there, less than a foot apart, and look at one another. Both of us content in the silence that surrounds us for the time being. I don’t know what he’s thinking about, but I’m lost in thoughts of yesterday and how amazing it felt to be wanted again.

  Until he finally speaks.

  “Was at the diner grabbing some breakfast and overheard what happened this morning.” His eyebrows are furrowed as they hang heavily over his dark eyes. Worry etched on his face. “You okay?”

  Sheesh, word travels fast around here. I mean, I knew it did, I grew up here after all. But it’s barely been a couple of hours, and Toni and I haven’t left once, yet somehow people already know what happened.

  “I’m fine. It was just a little paint. Nothing some soap and wa—”

  “Someone tagged your business?” he cuts me off, asking harshly.

  Apparently, he hadn’t heard exactly what happened. I fidget for a whole new reason now as he stares at me, expectantly waiting on my reply, any trace of lust from earlier gone. “Uh…yeah.” I clear my throat. “When I came in this morning I walked up to see Toni scrubbing the windows. She got here before me and was able to clean it up.”

  “Jesus Christ.”

  His angered growl has my eyes flying back up to see him running his large, rough hands over his face and back up through his hair before settling on the back of his neck.

  I erase the only space between us and place a gentle hand to his strong bicep. He tenses slightly before relaxing. “Merrick,” I whisper gently. Trying to coax his eyes to mine. When he finally looks down at me I continue. “It’s fine. I’m fine, the store is fine, everything is fine. It was just some spray-painted words.”

  “What did it say?”

  I inhale a sharp breath. If he’s upset now, I really don’t think he’ll appreciate what it said.

  When I pause a moment longer, he gently grasps my upper arm and pulls us behind the bookshelf I walked around to offer us more privacy. “Keelynn, what did it say?” His words as severe as his face.

  I gulp. Not because I’m afraid of him, but because I’m worried about how he could react. “Merrick, please. It was just some kids trying to act like men, putting mean words somewhere they had no business being.”

  My eyes are pleading for him to drop this.

  He doesn’t.

  He growls, low and fierce. “So help me, Keelynn. At least tell me you reported it. Made the police aware so they can be on the lookout for these punks?”

  Afraid to use my words, I shake my head.

  His eyes wind tightly shut as he breathes deeply though his nose. Trying to find a sliver of calm through the ire rippling around him. His eyes open and he speaks, “If you aren’t going to report it, tell me what it said and I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for any talk around town. This cannot go unpunished, Keelynn.”

  “What, are you gonna do the punishing if you hear anything?”

  His eyes widen a fraction at my sass. But settle into slits. “You bet your sweet little ass I fucking will. No one is going to cause you any harm—”

  “But I’m fine,” I stress. “Nothing happened.”

  He growls again, not too keen on being interrupted. “Physical or otherwise,” he spits between clenched teeth. “And not pay the repercussions. They fuck with you, they fuck with me.”

  I swallow harshly at the possessiveness in his tone. While my girlie parts start to tingle and my heart starts to skip to its own beat that’s all him.

  From the corner of my eye I see Campbell strolling toward us. Smile wide across her face. Eyes knowing and almost smug. Like she knows something I don’t.

  I turn slightly to eye her, questions in my eyes. But she just ignores me, going right to Merrick. I’m weary about her look, but thankful for the interruption of where our conversation was going.

  “Hey there, Merrick. Fancy seeing you here.”

  He clears his throat and takes a step back from me. Tension still thick in the set of his broad shoulders. He seems to shake it off as he nods a greeting. “How are you?”

  “I’m doing just fine.” I see her smile brighten and her eyes sparkle. “You?”

  “Doing well.”

  “Oh, I just bet you are.” Her tone anything but innocent.

  I toss her a look of what the heck before turning back to Merrick, apology in my eyes. My face no doubt bright pink from embarrassment.

  A deep chuckle fills the silence around us, causing my eyes to go wide. That sound never ceasing to amaze me, it happens so rarely.

  Feeling as if her work here is done, Campbell offers her good-byes, saying she has her errands to run. Being a stay-at-home mom, when LeeLee’s in school, her days are filled with running errands and cleaning bathrooms and doing laundry.

  A mother’s duty is never done.

  Before she gets two steps away though, she spins around, addressing Merrick. “Oh, Merrick. You should join us for dinner this weekend. We do family dinners once a month, at least, and this weekend is it. We’d love to have you.” This time her smile is genuine and sweet.

  You could hear a pin drop while Merrick shuffles on his feet.

  I go to speak, but can’t even find the words to scold Campbell when I notice a slight flush rise on his face. I’m shocked. He no doubt seems uneasy, but is that…is he blushing at being invited to family dinner? No way.

  Clearing his throat, he looks to me then back to Campbell before he nods. Slightly.

  Hesitant.

  Weary.

  My heart reluctantly soars because he agreed.

  “Great, see you then.” She twiddles her fingers in a wave then spins.

  We watch her walk away. “I am so sorry about her.”

  “Don’t worry about it. She means well,” he replies with a shrug. Hands shoved deep in
to his pockets.

  I’m lucky he understands that. But still, how embarrassing.

  “You’re sure you’re okay?”

  The worried tone of his voice melts my heart even more. Another sliver breaking off and attaching itself to this harshly dark and brooding man. “I’m fine, honest. No need to worry.”

  His lips flatten as he nods curtly. Thankfully, letting it go. He looks as though he wants to say something else, but he doesn’t.

  Instead, he leans in, lifts a large hand to my soft hip, squeezes and pulls me closer. “Can’t stop thinking about yesterday.”

  I lose all my breath while my heart stalls. When it restarts it’s beating triple-time because soft, full, delicious lips are trailing up my cheek toward my ear. Shivers run through me. Wreaking havoc and mayhem and destruction.

  “Been a long damn time since anything has affected me like this. Like you.” His voice almost sounds pained, so raw in its honesty.

  There goes my heart again. Melting and soaring and piecing back together again at his words, his touch, his presence. Oh, this man.

  Placing a light kiss to my cheek, then my forehead, he leans farther down again to brush a feather-light, all-too-brief kiss to my parted lips. Then he squeezes me once more before turning and walking away.

  I admire his backside as he goes. Taking my thoughts and breath and a piece of my heart with him.

  I am in big trouble.

  I PULL UP OUTSIDE OF the warehouse. Out of view, through a cluster of trees separating the main road from the driveway. The massive cement and brick building sits on the outskirts of Hampton Beach, near the port. It’s abandoned and run-down, isolated. Making it the perfect location for their setup.

  Vans and trucks line the front and side of the building. While miscellaneous cars are parked in the lot. A few guys mill around, smoking cigarettes and shooting the shit, but besides that it’s relatively quiet. Which is how it usually is every time I make it out here to keep an eye out and watch for Corsetti himself.

  Plotting and waiting to make my move and take every last one of the fuckers out who had a hand in taking everything away from me.

  He hasn’t arrived yet. His fancy ass Benz nowhere in sight. His underboss, along with an army of soldiers, are here though. And as soon as Corsetti himself steps foot into this state, I’ll know and I’ll be ready to strike.