Kross glowered. “Since when do we lie to each other?”
Since Lizzie Reardon showed up at Rumors.
“Start talking.” Kade settled against Lacey’s Mustang with his arms crossed over his chest. “Or I’ll get in that ring, and you’ll be out for days.”
Kade hated to be lied to. Which was ironic since Kade had lied to Lacey in the past. He had his reasons, and I certainly had mine.
Kross jumped out of the ring, took off his gloves, then wiped his face with a towel.
“Well?” Kade asked.
I cursed myself for lying as I followed Kross’s lead. Once I got the sweat off me, I pulled on a T-shirt and sat on the edge of the ring. Kross joined Kade against the car. I swung my gaze between them, trying to think where to start. Both waited with equal expressions of you-better-start-talking-or-I’ll-make-you-talk. I didn’t have much to tell them. Kade was concerned, mostly about our mom. I couldn’t blame him. The last thing I wanted was to bring up the past. My mom was home. She seemed happy, although she still had her moments. When it snowed, she got quiet. Since her time in the mental health facility, she’d come to associate snow with Karen and the angels. She’d always tell us boys that snow was an angel’s blanket.
“Does this have anything to do with Chloe?” Kross asked.
“No,” Kade barked. “Lizzie Reardon.”
Kross gasped. “What the fuck? Lizzie, the girl Kelton sulked over for months after she moved away?” His jaw hung open.
“Yo, I’m right here.” I gripped the base of the cushioned ring. “And I didn’t sulk.” I just lost my fucking heart and mind.
“Like hell you didn’t,” Kade said. “But that’s not the problem. Is it now?” His face reddened.
No, the problem was me. I was still trying to get the image of me almost kissing her out of my head. I itched to taste her, kiss her, and run my hands through her long thick hair. But I wasn’t ready to take the plunge. My heart wasn’t ready. Although if I did those things, maybe I could get rid of the desire to feel her again. To feel what it would be like to kiss her one last time. I mean, to really kiss her.
You’re an idiot. You know one kiss and you would drop to your knees and worship her.
I growled. My insides waged war with pain slicing through my gut. She was in Boston. So close, yet so far. I’d hoped she was in the city searching for me. But it was clear she didn’t want me to recognize her. Even after our encounter on Dillon’s porch she was pushing me away.
“Kel.” Kade raised his voice. “Is it true? Is the girl really Lizzie Reardon?”
Kross hadn’t closed his mouth.
I inhaled the sweaty air. “Yes. So fucking what?”
“Why did you lie, man?” Kade squinted as though the sun was blaring in his face.
Kross shook his head. “We’re not going to castrate you yet.”
“Come near my balls, and—”
“Enough.” Kade scratched the back of his head. “Dillon Hart paid me a visit at the club last night. He doesn’t want you anywhere near Lizzie. And how did you know where he lived?”
“I asked Hunt to find out.” He worked at the Guardian, a company owned by Jeremy Pitt. They did all kinds of security checks when someone hired them as a bodyguard.
A muscle jumped in Kade’s jaw. “I told Dillon you wouldn’t be bothering him or Lizzie again. Right, Kel?”
“I’m sorry I lied.” The pain in my gut eased slightly. “I didn’t know for sure if she was Lizzie. The hall was dark, and she didn’t exactly fess up. I had to see if my instincts were correct. I paid a visit to Dillon’s house yesterday. Yeah, it’s Lizzie Reardon. But don’t worry. I won’t ever bring her up in this house.”
“And what about Dillon? I don’t want to bail you out of jail or find that you’re in a coma in some hospital.”
Big brother was always trying to protect his family. I couldn’t blame him. He’d been through enough when his high school nemesis had ambushed Kody and sent him to the hospital to get revenge against Kade.
“I don’t mess around with other guys’ girls.” I wasn’t completely sure if they were dating. However, they had been kissing when I interrupted them at the club. Regardless, I would hate if the tables were switched. Better yet, I’d kill any dude who came between a girl and me. At least I didn’t have to worry about killing anyone since I didn’t have a steady girl.
“You can’t see her,” Kross said. “We know how fucked up you were when she moved away. And Mom.”
I stood. “You too? I was thirteen. Let’s not forget how ornery you were when you had to leave your girl behind when we left the academy.”
“Still, dude. My girl wasn’t a reminder of what happened.” Kross pushed off the Mustang. “If we have to see Mom return to the mental health facility, I’ll—”
Kade caught his arm. “Easy.”
Kross jerked out of Kade’s hold. “I’m cool.”
I snarled. “You think I’d do anything to hurt Mom?”