Rocking Kin (The Lucy & Harris Novella Series Book 3) (20 page)

“Please be nice,” I told her. “Don’t start trouble in Harris’s club.”

Angie was quiet for so long that I wasn’t sure she was going to answer me or not. Then she blew out another sigh and shot me a smirk. “Not in Harris’s club. Gotcha.”

I couldn’t help but laugh again and it felt like it actually came from my soul. It was so good to be so close to someone I loved more than life itself. I was happier than I’d been in a very long time and it made my heart feel warm in a way it hadn’t since the day I’d known my mother wasn’t going to be with me forever.

Thinking about my mom, I couldn’t help but feel tears sting my eyes. I blinked them back and turned my attention out the passenger window of the powerful sports car, not wanting to be a downer when I should be ecstatic that Angie and Caleb were actually there for me.

The car came to a slow stop and I frowned, noticing that we hadn’t stopped for a light or traffic. “What…?”

Loving arms wrapped around me, shutting off my question. “I miss her too, you know,” Angie whispered. “She was the only mom I really knew and I miss her every damn day, Kin. It’s okay to miss her. It’s okay to cry.”

Pain tightened around my heart and I tried to pull away, but she only tightened her arms, forcing me to stay in the hug. The tears filled my eyes without my permission and suddenly I was sobbing. Sobbing for all the lost time I’d missed out on with my real family. Sobbing for the loss of my mother. Sobbing for the loneliness.

Sobbing for me.

It was the first time I’d let myself really cry since my mom had died. The first time I’d let the tears fall so freely and openly. And even though it hurt to cry so hard, it felt good too. It was cathartic. I’d tried to be so strong for so long, but right then, I needed to be weak and it was okay because I knew Angie could be strong enough for the both of us. If only for a few minutes.

Jace

As soon as I got to First Bass I headed straight up to the VIP floor. Friday nights weren’t as wild as it was on Thursday nights after a Tainted Knights’ show, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t any less full. Especially on the top floor. Everyone who was anyone that wanted to be seen was there, hoping to rub elbows with each other.

I didn’t give two fucks about the celebrities there. All I wanted was to find Kin and hopefully have that damn talk we should have had the night before. Knowing that Lucy liked to stay in the back corner where it was quieter and more private, I headed straight for the couches back there.

Finding Lucy sitting on Harris’s lap while they sat talking to Caleb surprised me. The two guys were laughing and drinking beers while Lucy rested her head on Harris’s shoulder and sipped her usual ginger ale through a straw. She looked sleepy, but her eyes glowed with amusement as she sat on my friend’s lap, listening to the two guys talk.

Marcus was in a chair a good ten feet away. He had a glass of ice water in his hand, but his eyes were ever watchful as he seemed to consider everyone near Lucy as a possible threat, as if they might snatch her at any moment. Shrugging, I headed toward the three.

Harris saw me first and lifted his beer in greeting. “Hey. Didn’t think you were coming tonight, bro.”

“Kin texted me,” I told him as I dropped down on the second couch beside them. My gaze went to Caleb. “Hey, man. How’ve you been?”

Caleb didn’t give me a death glare like I would have expected, but then again I knew he wasn’t the real threat. “Can’t complain. You?”

“I’ll be better when your sisters get here,” I assured him as I glanced around, hoping to see them. “What time did they say they’d be here? Kin told me an hour.” I had gotten there within forty-five minutes, so I knew she still had a little while to go before the time she’d said she would be there, but fuck, I wanted to see her.

“Angie said she was breaking Kin out, so I guess it depends on how that goes.” The big guy’s eyes were full of amusement as he tipped the beer to his lips again. “I wouldn’t be too eager to see them, though. Angie can hold a grudge a hell of a lot longer than Kin.”

I leaned back against the couch, stretching my legs out in front of me. “I’ll take whatever Angie wants to dish out as long as Kin’s here.”

“So that’s where Angie is?” Lucy lifted her head, pushing her curls back from her face. She shifted, but Harris tightened his hand at her waist, as if making sure she didn’t go too far. “Is that what you meant when you said she was dealing with ‘girl things’?”

Caleb grinned. “Yeah. Kin wasn’t kidding about bail money earlier. Angie can be a handful when she gets in one of her moods.”

“Sounds like she’ll fit right in with Lu,” Harris muttered, which got him an elbow to the ribs by the girl on his lap. He laughed and pulled her head back down onto his chest and rested his chin on top of her curls with a look of pure contentment on his face.

Seeing the way his eyes were just as heavy as Lucy’s made me wonder what had happened between the two, but all thoughts of them were suddenly cut off when I heard Angie’s voice calling out for Caleb.

I jumped to my feet, my eyes already searching for Kin. Angie was smaller than her stepsister, but I was able to spot Kin’s red hair easily. I moved forward, needing to see her—touch her. As they came into view I stopped in my tracks when I saw that both she and Angie had bloodshot, puffy eyes.

They’d been crying.

“What’s wrong?” I demanded, moving to take Kin’s hands.

She didn’t pull back immediately. “Nothing,” she assured me with a small smile. “I’m just happy to see my family, that’s all.”

“Oh.” I pulled her toward me and she came closer a few steps. “You’re sure you’re okay? Everything at home all right?”

Her jaw clenched and she pulled her hands away. “That’s not my home.”

“Okay, sure.” I grasped one of her hands and tugged her toward the couch I’d just vacated. “Come on. Let’s sit.” I glanced at Angie over my shoulder. “You gonna kick me in the balls?”

“Not in the club,” Angie told me as she bypassed me and took the spot I’d been in earlier. “Promised Kin I wouldn’t touch you. In the club.”

“Right…” I chanced a glance at Kin, who only smirked. Shaking my head, I took the other end of the couch and pulled her down onto the middle cushion that separated me from Angie. “So as long as I’m in the club I’m safe, huh?”

“Basically,” Kin said with a laugh. “Might want to talk to Harris about putting you a bed downstairs or something.”

“Angie, this is Harris,” Lucy said, introducing them. “Harris, Angie. She’s Caleb’s twin.”

“Good to meet you,” Harris told her, offering his hand.

Angie shook it, but quickly pulled back, looking around for a waitress. “Anyone else thirsty?”

“What’s your poison?” a waitress asked as she approached after Harris had waved her over.

“I’ll have a shot of 151,” Angie told her.

“You planning on fueling up a rocket?” the waitress asked with a lifted brow. “That stuff is powerful.”

“It’s my favorite,” Angie told her with a wink. “I like powerful things.”

“You got ID?” The girl glanced at Harris. “Wouldn’t want the boss to fire me for not checking.”

Angie pulled out her license from her back pocket and handed it over. “Make it a double shot,” she told the girl after she’d checked her birthdate. “And a bottle of water.”

“What d’you want to drink, babe?” I asked, draping my arm across the back of the couch.

“I’ll just have water,” she said with a shrug. “I could really go for something to eat, though. I haven’t had dinner yet.”

Harris pulled out his phone. “Pizza? I’m hungry too.”

“Not me.” Caleb rubbed a hand over his stomach. “I’m still stuffed after what Lucy fed me earlier. Ang, that was the best Mexican food I’ve ever had in my life.”

“Jealous!” Angie pouted. “Kin, we have to go there one day.”

“I’ll take you both,” I told her, letting my fingers skim over Kin’s bare arm.

Angie’s blue gaze shot to me and her eyes became menacing. “Sounds like a plan. Then I can kick your ass
and
have some fried ice cream when I’m done.” When all I did was grin at her, she lifted her brows. “Something happen to you, St. Charles? You get your brain scrambled since you’ve been out here in Cali?”

“Nope. Just happy to be here with Kin. You kicking my ass would be worth it if she’s gonna go out with me.”

Kin’s head snapped up. “I didn’t say I was going to go out with you.”

My grin didn’t drop. “You will.” I could see she was weakening. She’d texted me earlier. She had warned me about Angie being in town and had even told me to meet her at the club. Whether Kin wanted to admit it or not, she was close to giving me a second chance.

And I wasn’t about to fuck that up.

Chapter 16

Kin

Sneaking out of my father’s house had been easy. Sneaking in? Not so much. I had my key, so I got into the house easily enough. Trying to avoid getting caught going up to my room was like trying to break into Fort Knox.

Somehow, I made it all the way into my room.

Only to have Jillian follow me in and demand where I’d been all evening.

Fucking hell.

No use in lying. I told her where I’d been and with whom. She hadn’t taken the news well that my real family was in town and that Carter would be arriving on Monday. I guess she didn’t think that Carter and the twins actually cared enough to change their traditional plans to be with me.

Was I really that unlovable to her?

Probably.

I tried not to dwell on that thought for too long. Since Jillian had caught me coming in, I was basically put on lockdown for the entire weekend. I was barely allowed to leave my bedroom, and when I did get to leave, it was only to go to some stupid Christmas party Jillian had been dying to attend all year.

I spent four solid hours trying to keep a low profile, but Jillian wouldn’t let that happen. She introduced me to everyone she knew, made sure that each person knew I was best friends with Lucy Thornton and that I spent a lot of time at First Bass with the members of the hot new rock band, Tainted Knights.

I was in the spotlight all night long and I hated every second of it. My only saving grace?

Jace had texted me all night. At first I’d been reluctant to text him back, but when my phone had continued to vibrate in my little designer clutch that I’d been forced to carry that matched my over-the-top expensive dress, I’d figured Jace was the lesser of two evils. I could just find a quiet place and text him for the rest of the night.

Of course I didn’t get to find a quiet place, but I did get to amuse myself by telling Jace everything that I was doing that night. When I told him that three different douchebags Jillian had introduced me to kept stalking me around the party, he had demanded I call him.

Instead, I sent him a picture I snapped of two of the three guys standing in the background, looking like the creepers they were.

By the time we all got back to the house that night, I was bone tired, but Jillian was snipping at me about every thing I’d done wrong throughout the entire party. I put in my ear bud and tuned her out as I made myself a sandwich and then climbed the stairs to my room. As I flopped down on my bed with the ham and turkey sandwich already in hand, my phone started going off.

Looking down, I saw it was Jace and waited while I chewed my first big bite before answering. “Hey,” I greeted, forcing my tone to sound bored. “What’s up?”

“Where are you?” he demanded, sounding irritable.

“I’m in my room, eating a big ol’ sandwich. The food at the party wasn’t enough to feed a starving person, let alone me.” I took another bite of my huge sandwich, piled high with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. Jillian had made a face as I’d squeezed on the mayo and mustard earlier so it was drenched in the stuff, but I didn’t care. That was exactly how I liked it.

“I thought you were grounded,” he grumbled. “If I’d known you were going out tonight I would have gone to that damn party too.”

My brows lifted as I turned onto my stomach and kicked off the killer heels I’d been forced to wear all night. I’d been tempted to kick Georgia in the head a few times with them, hoping I would stab her in the eye with the needle-like spiked heels. “I didn’t want to be there, dummy. I told you earlier. I was there because the step-monster and my father made me go. I would’ve been happy to stay locked in this damn room all night, but I have certain benefits that Jillian likes to exploit. Like having celebrity friends and all that bullshit.”

“Harris’s stepmom had an invite to the party you were at. She’d offered it to me and Gray but there was no way I was going to that shit. If I’d known that was where you would be, though, I would’ve taken the fucking thing.” Jace let out a frustrated breath and I could imagine his nostrils flaring with his annoyance.

“I couldn’t imagine you at that party, Jace. It was totally not your scene. A mixture of greedy wealth and snarky dickheads.”

Jace let out a harsh laugh. “I’m used to those kinds of parties, babe. Alicia has forced Kas, Gray and me to attend them most of our lives. That’s what happens when your adoptive mother comes from the kind of money Alicia comes from.”