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Editing By: Julia at Diamond in the Rough Editing
PROLOGUE
JAXON
Raindrops drench the open wounds on my right hand. Blood spills, drips down my fingers, and washes away in the puddles on the pavement. My body aches. I’m in pain. But I don’t stop. I increase the chest compressions, open her mouth, and breathe air into her lungs, praying I get a pulse. Nothing. Panic slams into me, forcing my heart to beat hard and fast as I press deeper into her chest. “Come on, Summer. Stay with me.”
I glance over at my brother as he kneels beside our sister, checking for a heartbeat. Thunder crackles loudly, and the lightening brightens the sky enough for me to see him clearly. His eyes are filled with despair. “She’s dead!” he yells. I want to run to her side. I want to check for myself to confirm if it’s true, but I don’t. He said she’s gone, and there’s nothing I can do now. We couldn’t save her, so my focus needs to be on Summer right now. I can’t lose them all. “I called for help. They should be here soon.”
I ignore him. Instead, I continue CPR and send a prayer to the heavens. “Please, save them. Please.” I check her pulse again and let out a gasp of relief when I feel one. It’s faint, but it’s there. “That’s it, breathe.” My head rises, and I yell out to my brother, “I’ve got a pulse!”
He jogs over to me just as the ambulance arrives. The paramedics rush over and shove us out of the way. I don’t move too far behind because I need to make sure they do everything in their power to save her and the baby’s life. I take a step forward. “She’s pregnant. Will she and the baby be okay?”
“Sir, I need you to step back,” the paramedic says firmly.
The police arrive, and an officer approaches me. He’s speaking, but I don’t know what he’s saying because I’m in shock. I can’t believe this is happening. The heavy rain clouds my vision as I watch them drape a white sheet over my sister’s body. The wind gusts increase as I watch them carefully lift Summer and carry her to the back of the ambulance. The officer speaks again, this time louder and more sternly. “Sir!” I turn around slowly.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“Are you related to the victims?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“Yeah. This is all my fault.”
CHAPTER 1
KAI
Getting your heart broken is never easy. Sure, it’ll subside over time, but it will never be completely erased. It will always linger, deep in the depths of your entire being. Waiting to creep to the surface anytime something reminds you of him. A song. A movie. A place. Just when you think you’ve gotten over him, one simple thing can drag you right back to the pain.
That is the reason I stay guarded. And that is why I’m still single. I’ve only had my heart broken once, but it was enough to send me spiraling downhill for weeks. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I felt like someone squeezed the life out of me. And I swore that I would never allow myself to feel that way again. I do things my way now. No relationships. Nothing serious. Just casual fun with no strings attached and occasional hookups.
I check for oncoming cars before crossing the busy New York City intersection. I’m jaywalking, but I don’t care. I’m running late, and if I’m not back in the office in time for my meeting, I’ll be forced to explain to my boss. And he’s a dick. I make it to the sidewalk, pushing my way through the crowds of people. I glance at my watch to check the time when I trip over something and slam directly into a hard chest. My purse falls, spilling the contents on the ground. “I’m so sorry. I…” I pause when I see who’s in front of me. “Jaxon?”
“Kai.”
The sound of my name rolling off his tongue makes me moist between my legs. It’s, at least, one hundred degrees outside, yet my nipples grow hard under my bra. I kneel to pick up my things, hoping it’s enough to distract my body from the way it feels. But when he kneels in front of me and places his hand over mine, I almost lie on my back and spreadeagle for him on the crowded sidewalk. “You’re wearing a dress. It’s probably better that you stand. I’ll get your things.”
My cheeks heat. My panties are soaked, and it’s not from sweat. Jaxon is, by far, still the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. It doesn’t matter that he broke my heart into tiny pieces. It doesn’t matter that he destroyed me. And it definitely doesn’t matter that he is the reason I swore to never love again. Right now, despite all the above, my body still reacts at the sight of him. One touch is still enough to make me crumble. I shoot to my feet. Angry that he still has this effect on me. I carefully watch him grab my things as people try their best to walk around us in the middle of the street. When he has everything cradled in his arms, he rises. I open my oversized purse, and he carefully places everything inside. “You look good,” he says when he’s done.
I shift uncomfortably. “Thank you. So do you.”
“How have you been?”
I don’t want to tell him because he doesn’t deserve to know. I want to walk away. But I don’t. “Good.”
My answer is short. Clipped even. I try my best to sound uninterested. Unaffected. But Jesus, it’s hard to do. The blue T-shirt he’s wearing strains against his defined shoulders. The scent of his cologne is enough to make you want to bury your face in it and never come up for air. He gently grabs my arm and guides me out of the way of pedestrians and in front of a coffee shop. “You still live on this side of town?”
“Yes”
My heart twists as memories of his betrayal flood my brain. I’m done with the small talk. I need to remind him that he doesn’t get to ask me questions about my life. Not after what he did to me. “What’s with the questions, Jaxon? The last time we spoke, you made it clear you cared nothing about me.”
His firm jaw tics as his blue eyes pierce mine. “That’s how we’re doing this?”
