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I couldn’t waitto get home to my girls once the parade of press was finally over this afternoon. They’re a necessary evil if we want this event to be a success and to raise as much as we can for vets trying to return to civilian life. Not everyone has the support system I came home to or even the one we try to provide with the program at Crucible. And some kind of a support system can make all the difference for these men and women.
As of right now, we’re already on track for our biggest year yet.
Imogen’s done a great job getting everything set up. Now we just have to show up and put on a great show. I’m excited to share this with Scarlet. She’s never seen me fight. Never seen what my gym is capable of, not from this perspective.
Scarlet is used to being at the top of the food chain in her world.
But this isn’t her world. It’s mine.
Being with a Kingston could be intimidating for a lesser man.
But I’m no lesser man.
And I’ve got plenty to be proud of in my business and my life.
When I walk into the house, the only noise is the dull hum of the air conditioner. The family room and kitchen are both empty. Brynlee’s blanket from this morning sits in a ball on the couch.
Where are they?
I take the stairs two at a time, following the light flickering through my open bedroom door. And there they are. My whole heart tangled together in the center of my bed.
As I push the door open further, Scarlet’s head shoots up. She places a finger to her lips, letting me know to be quiet, then looks down at a sleeping Brynlee before carefully attempting to extricate herself without waking my daughter. She’s in the same soft gray, cotton shorts from this morning, showing off her long, lean legs, and one of my ribbed, white Crucible tanks that would normally be too big for her, but instead snugly hugs her growing belly. Her wild, dark hair is down around her shoulders, and her skin glows with a pretty pink flush.
She’s stunning.
And she’s mine.
She tiptoes over to me and pushes me through the door before closing it behind us.
My hands grip her face as my lips devour hers. “You are so beautiful.” I back her against the wall, my hands trailing down her sides.
“Cade,” she mewls against my lips as her fingers grip the front of my shirt, then push back. “Wait...” she pants, as a concerned look ghosts across her face.
“What’s wrong?” I rest a hand against her stomach. “Is it the baby? Brynlee?”
Scarlet takes my hand and leads me away from the bedroom door. “It’s Daria. She was here earlier. She knocked on the door and demanded to see Brynlee. But there was no way that was happening. I meant to call you but got distracted.”
“What the fuck?” Adrenaline courses through my body. Daria’s gone too far this time. “When?”
“A few hours ago. She knocked on the door while Brynlee was napping on the couch. I went outside so Brynn had no idea anyone was here, let alone who it was. Daria insisted she needed to see her, and when I told her no, she seemed more angry that I was here and with you than she was that she couldn’t see Brynlee. The whole thing was bizarre. It felt off. Forced. I think she may have been on something. I knew you’d be home soon, so I just locked us inside the house and armed the alarm. It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle, so I didn’t see a need for you to stop what you were doing and run home.”
“Scarlet...” I reach up and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You shouldn’t have to handle her.”
Soft fingers skim along my shoulders. “I’ve dealt with much worse than your ex, Cade. Handling people is my job.”
“Not anymore, it’s not. Not when it’s her. Not when it’s my daughter. Let me deal with it.” I pull her into my arms, tucking her against my chest. My protective instincts want to put her and the girls in nice little bubbles forever. But Scarlet would hate that.
“I’m fine, Cade.” She kisses the underside of my jaw, soothing me. “Brynlee and the baby are fine. When I came back inside, Brynn asked to watch television in your room, and I couldn’t tell her no. Then we had our own version of an intense conversation, and we’ve been lost in Beauty and the Beast since.” She lifts my hand to her lips and presses them against me. “Well, I’ve been watching. She’s been snoring. But I think her fever broke. She’s a sweaty little mess in there.”
I tug her behind me down the stairs and sit her on the couch so she can tell me exactly what Daria said before I leave a message with my attorney. “I want a restraining order. She signed away her rights. If she wants them back, she can take me to court and fight me for them. I will not let her come in and out of Brynlee’s life on a whim, confusing her. That woman may have given birth to her, but she is not her mother.”
Scarlet grabs my hand and places it against her stomach, just as our daughter rolls.
Not a kick, but what feels like a full-body Imanari roll. A classic MMA move I’ve used to take down more than one opponent. And she’s using it on her mother. I shove her tank up and kiss her belly.
Her nails scratch gently along my scalp. “Tonight, Brynlee asked me where her sister and I were going to live.”
“Did she?” It’s not really surprising. Brynlee is firmly planted in the team Scarlet column. She put herself there after the very first time she fell asleep in Scarlet’s arms and has dug her feet in deep ever since.
