Finding Peace Read online

  “Ohhh.” I nod, understanding. “Medicine made you feel better.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Whatchya doing here?” I ask her, glad to have found a friend and settling in for a chat with my girl. If anyone was going to put a smile on my face tonight, this is the girl for the job.

  Before she gets to answer though, since she’s busy running her chubby fingers against the hair on the back of my neck, my whole body freezes, rigid and unmoving when I spot the blonde with the ghostly white face at the entrance between the living room and kitchen.

  She looks like shit. Death warmed up.

  Her hair isn’t the sleek straight that it normally is, instead it’s unbrushed and tangled. She’s wearing old gray sweat pants with white writing down the side and a tank that looks spotted and stained.

  “Sarah?”

  Sarah’s eyes fire up, equal parts pissed and terrified, then she storms toward me, scaring the piss out of me like no woman ever has before.

  “How did you find me here?”

  Only out of pure shock do I let Evie go when Sarah snatches her from me with rough hands, and Evie let’s out a scared squeak.

  I throw my arms out to take her back, to take my girl back from this crazy lady, but Sarah growls at me. Literally.

  “The fuck--”

  “We’re going,” she snaps venomously. “Don’t follow us.”

  Finally collecting my senses I leap forward to grab Evie. “No you’re not.”

  Evie cries out, part pain, part scared as I snatch her back, then Sarah is on me with what could only be described as a battle cry.

  Bobby jumps between us, taking Evie from my tight grasp and I let her go, because I trust my brother. I do not trust the crazy who stood me up and is hurting Evie with her rough hands.

  How the fuck did she find my home? And why is she here and not at the fucking restaurant if she wanted to see me so damn bad?

  “Kit!” Bobby calls out, passing the toddler off as Jon takes Sarah’s arms, tugging her away from me. She doesn’t go easy. Lifted partially in Jons hold, she kicks her bare feet out, connecting with my balls and folding me like a stack of cards.

  I crumple to my knees, wheezing in painful breaths and panting in an attempt to stop the bile rising in my throat. “What the fuck!”

  Why the fuck do I always meet the crazies? Kit almost rumbled with my last date Anja, and now this. And she found where I live. What the fucking hell is wrong with me?

  “Why did you follow us?”

  I look up, cupping my crying balls, confused as she scratches at Jon’s arms and tries to break free. “What do you want with us? Why did you follow us?” She throws her elbow back with perfect precision, connecting with Jon’s jaw and his arms come loose around her waist. She spins in the direction Kit took Evie.

  I don’t fuckin’ think so! I’ll protect that baby like she was my own.

  I jump up, hooking my arm around Sarah’s tiny waist as she screams like a damn banshee, but I block out her noise and drag her to the opposite kitchen entrance and away from Evie.

  I intend to throw her the fuck out. I’ll drag her right to the gates and dump her on the other side. Then I intend to call security and give them her name and picture. She won’t come to our side of the gates again.

  “Aiden. No!” Jack grabs my arm and tries to yank her free, but I shove him off as she continues flailing and kicking at my legs. Despite her size, she’s got some fuckin’ power behind her punch. She doesn’t want to be moved.

  Evie’s arms thrash around, fat tears falling from her eyes as she fights Kit’s hold. “Mommy,” she cries and my blood boils. She wants her mommy and she has to watch this.

  “Take her away,” Sarah screams from my arms, her legs kicking wildly, her screeching taking on a whole new epic level of loud.

  “Tina--”

  “Take her away!”

  “Aiden, put her the fuck down. Now.” Bobby shoves me back, yanking Sarah forward at the same time and she comes loose. Sarah runs to Kit, and Kit just fucking hands Evie to her.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I shout at Kit, terrified for Evie and pissed at all these people for not protecting her.

  “Take her to the living room,” Jon says, speaking over Evie’s loud wails and giving Sarah a small push in that direction. She doesn’t leave.

  “What’s your problem?” Bobby shoves me, dragging my eyes from Sarah and Smalls and instead focusing on his face. His supremely pissed face. “What the hell are you doing?” He shoves me again.

  I shove him back. “Why would you hand her over? She’s crazy!”

  “Tina’s crazy?”

  “No!” I roar, shoving him again, trying to move past to get Evie back. “Sarah’s crazy!”

  “Who the fuck is Sarah?”

  “Oh my god.” Sarah’s quiet, hesitant voice penetrates my rage and my eyes snap to hers. “Oh my god. You’re Aiden.”

  “Yeah, you know my name, Bitch, don’t fuck with me. I also know your name is Sarah.”

  “Oh my god,” she repeats again, tucking a still wailing Evie against her, pressing Smalls’ face into her neck. My hands itch to take her back. “My name is Tina.”

  My whole body is shaking, adrenaline firing through my system to get to that baby. “The fuck it is--”

  “Aiden. What’s your problem?” Kit steps between Bobby and me, drawing my eyes down to hers as my breath comes fast. Oxygenating my body, preparing for battle. “That’s Tina. My friend Tina. I’ve met her a hundred times.”

  “You told me your name was Sarah!” I look over Bobby’s shoulder, accusation in my glare and her face pales even lighter.

  “My name is also Tina, and this is my baby.”

  Jon turns to face her. “Also Tina?”

  “You’re Aiden Kincaid?” she asks me, ignoring Jon and I narrow my eyes. She knows my name. I told her—

  Didn’t I?

  “You’re sexy store guy?” Tink asks, drawing my confused gaze down to her.

  “And you’re the babe who loves Cap’n Crunch,” Bobby adds. “Holy shit.”

  “Holy shit,” Kit whispers.

  “Holy shit!” Iz says, startling us all when she walks in from the other room.

  Four

  Tina

  Holy Shit

  “What the hell did I just walk in on?”

  Izzy places Bean’s car seat on the kitchen floor and stares at Aiden – at Aiden fucking Kincaid – like he were a stranger.

  Then there’s Aiden fucking Kincaid; the guy I stood up tonight, the sexy guy from Jonah’s store, the guy I wanted several one-night stands with. The guy who adores my daughter.

  The guy who is staring at me and my daughter right now, like he’s going to jump forward and take her from me.

  Holy fucking shitballs.

  “What do you mean your name is also Sarah?” Kit asks, forcing my heart to bounce around in my chest.

  They should never have known that about me. I don’t even know why I told Sexy Store guy my real name. It just slipped out at the time.

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “Are you really Tina?” Aiden asks, drawing my attention back to his shadowed face and I feel that ball of disappointment in my stomach grow.

  Not only did I have to cancel my date, but now I’m fairly certain all dates with him, for the rest of time are gone. Dead in the water. DOA.

  He hates me. He tried to throw me the hell out of here.

  “Yes,” I whisper, holding Evie closer, glad that her tears are calming, her hitched breathing slowing down. “I spoke to you today, about having never met you. You said I was ducking.”

  “Holy shit,” he whispers, stepping away from Bobby’s iron grip. “I’m sorry. I thought-- I was just protecting Ev-- I didn’t mean -- did I hurt you?”

  “No.”

  “Why did you even freak out?” Tink asks Aiden accusingly and I feel bad. Technically, I was the first one to freak.

  I saw a random man holding my d
aughter. And I kicked him in the nuts.

  Oh god. I kicked him in the nuts. This couldn’t get any worse.

  “I thought it was another Anja thing,” Aiden answers her. Who’s Anja? “Then she snatched Evie and I … I just wanted to keep her safe.”

  “You were protecting my daughter?”

  “I can’t believe she’s your daughter!”

  “So you guys had a date with each other tonight?” Jack asks with a smile in his voice, loving this new tension in the air, back to being a kid again. But I won’t forget the way he tried to protect me earlier. How they all did.

  These really are my people… except Aiden. But he tried to protect Evie, so he’s her people.

  “And she stood you up?” he finishes and guilt washes through my belly again.

  “Why did you stand me up?” Aiden asks, glaring at me again and I shuffle my feet.

  “Evie was sick.” I risk a glance into his angry eyes, though they soften when I mention Evie. “I didn’t have your number. But that’s why I called here earlier; to cancel Kit’s babysitting.”

  “That’s a really shitty set of miscommunications,” Jon says with laughter in his voice. I’m tempted to kick him in the nuts for obnoxiously stating the obvious.

  “You didn’t tell me you had a kid,” Aiden accuses.

  I struggle to decipher his true thoughts on this. For some men having a kid is a deal breaker. But the Aiden I always hear about is smitten with Evie. Even so, I cock my hip, letting attitude coat my voice. I did nothing wrong here.

  “I don’t tell every guy that asks me on a date about her. That’s dangerous.”

  “You’re right,” he admits quickly and I blink away my confusion. Damn, I think I’ve hung out with the girls too long because no one ever agrees that quick. “You did the right thing.”

  “Mommy,” Evie groans painfully, sitting up in my arms and looking toward Aiden. “I go Biggie?”

  Arms out, she leans toward him, then throwing her weight forward suddenly, causing me to lose my hold on her, he springs forward, catching her before she falls head first into the tile.

  “Evie.” I want her back desperately. I’m still shaking from our altercation moments ago and I’m working to separate this man from the Aiden that I always hear about, and the man I thought was some stalker who just turned up in my kitchen. Well, Kit’s kitchen.

  Evie ignores me though, instead she tucks her face into his neck and he snuggles her in against him, his eyes closing momentarily as he buries his face in her hair.

  Sean never once held her like that. In fact, no man ever, in the history of ever has held her that way.

  That’s probably why she gushes about him. Any girl would gush about a man that held her so sweetly. I would gush about a man that held me like that.

  Stopppp.

  “Are you feeling okay, Smalls?” I hear him whisper to her and I melt as she holds him tight and nods her head.

  “I not sick,” she whispers, squeezing his neck tighter.

  “Are you sure? You look sick.”

  “I okay--” she begins, but then her poor body heaves, her tiny body wracking with a sob as she lets go, power spewing straight down between them, vomit pooling at his chest between their bodies.

  “Oh no.” I jump forward to take her at the same moment Jon and Jack step back, holding their hands over their mouths.

  “It’s okay,” Aiden murmurs, holding her tight against himself. “Get it up, Smalls. I gotcha.” He runs his large hand over her back as she cries and works to catch her breath. “Come on, baby, we’ll--” he stops suddenly, looking back at me as though he forgot my existence. “Umm. I was gonna take her to clean up. You mind?”

  “I don’t mind,” I tell him, but I feel bad. “But you don’t have to. I can do it. I shouldn’t have even brought her out tonight.”

  Kit steps forward, taking towels from Bobby’s hands as he reenters the room. “It’s fine, babe.” She throws one towel over Aiden’s shoulder, tucking it beneath Evie’s pale cheek, then another on the floor beside his feet. “Take her upstairs to the bath and I’ll clean this up.”

  “Please don’t clean it up,” I beg her. “I’ll do it when I get back down.

  “It’s fine, it’ll take me two minutes. Take her up for a warm bath. I’ll bring some water and more Tylenol.”

  “She can’t have Tylenol,” I tell her, mentally calculating today’s doses. “But she can have Advil.”

  “Alright, I’ll bring some of that up soon.”

  “Come on, Smalls. I got you.” Aiden turns on the spot and walks through the kitchen door without another word.

  Bobby gives me a small shove. “Go, hon. We’ll fix this up.”

  “Yeah,” Jack says with a wicked grin. “Go spend some alone time with Aiden.”

  “Dude!” Jon smacks him on the back of the head. “Not cool, bro.”

  “What?”

  “We don’t make it awkward. We’re his bro’s, not his anti-wingmen.”

  “No need for wingmen, guys, relax.” I fight to hide my mortification as I flee the kitchen, ducking my head low when I hear a few manly chuckles floating in the distance. How embarrassing.

  I know this house well enough, I’ve been here a few times already, so I work my way up Kit’s fancy as hell scrolling staircase and I enter the third door on the right. I stop on the threshold, hoping to watch for a minute.

  My stealthy ninja skills are lacking though, or maybe his are honed to perfection, because he looks up from helping Evie with her top, dragging his eyes up my legs then working up to my eyes.

  I shuffle my feet under his close scrutiny because I know how I look right now. The only two times he’s seen me, I was having good hair days and I’d done my makeup. I wore cute outfits and heels.

  Today I look like a damn hobo.

  “Hey, come on in,” he says awkwardly, still crouched down in front of Evie. He reaches across, putting his hand under the running water, testing the temperature, then he flips the taps off and turns back to Evie.

  “So… Tina.”

  “Yeah…”

  “Nice to meetcha,” he says acidly and I die a little inside. He didn’t actually mean the nice in ‘nice to meetcha.’

  “Yeah,” I repeat, fussing, brushing my hair over my shoulder as he lifts Evie and carefully places her in the bath. “Nice to meet you, too.”

  “Why’d you lie to me?”

  My heart is racing painfully. I want to run away. I want to hide under my covers. “What did I lie about?”

  “Did you tell so many lies you can’t keep them straight anymore?”

  I flinch away from his bitter voice, his verbal blow. He nailed it. “No--”

  “So will I call you Tina or Sarah?”

  “Call me Tina.”

  “So you lied…”

  “No. It’s just… it’s a really long story that I can’t tell you.”

  “I don’t like secrets, Peaches. Especially not around my family.”

  My brows furrow. “What… what did you just call me?

  “Peaches?” he asks, sitting up straighter on his bent legs and looking embarrassed. “Oh… ah, I was calling you The A.S.S...” he spells the word and my eyes bug out, “… in my head. ‘Cause you got a good one. But I can’t use a swear in front of Evie. Peaches just fits.”

  “You think I have a nice a.s.s? Wait, no.” I put my hand up to stop him from speaking. “Don’t answer that. You could just call me Tina.”

  “I could,” he says, smiling distractedly at Evie as she splashes in the bath. He grabs down a cloth, passing it to her and she starts washing her tummy, then he leans back, peeling his still vomit covered shirt away from his chest. “Ugh.”

  He stands then pulls the shirt over his head and I have to work to not swallow my tongue. His face screws up as he balls the fabric and throws it on the floor, but I miss the slop sound as it lands because I’m still stuck on stupid, still staring at his chest.

  He’s so… defined. He has
a tiny sprinkle of hair in the middle of his chest and another line of hair leading into his jeans, but other than that, he’s smooth.

  His torso is divided into easily recognizable sections. His pecs, the gap between, the six distinct abdominals. The V pointing straight down.

  Then there are the silver bars, one in each nipple, horizontal bars spearing straight through.

  I’m pretty sure I just came in my panties.

  Holy shit.

  On a scale of one to whore, how inappropriate would it be to touch them without asking? I’ve never seen anything like this in real life and I really, really want to touch.

  Aiden’s eyes pull into a frown when he looks back from his shirt and into my eyes, “but I still don’t like secrets.”

  “Huh?”

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  No. I’m objectifying you. And I don’t regret it at all. But I do refocus on his original question and sigh.

  Leaning against the door jam, I try to ignore the sexy bling staring me down. “I tried to get rid of them… Kit and the other girls. I tried…”

  “Are you bringing danger to my family?” His voice snaps as he steps closer and I swallow, not because I’m scared, but because I want to lick his boobs. Could I be any more inappropriate? No. The answer is no, I can’t. “Because we’ve had plenty of that. My baby brother is still in hospital.”

  This brings me crashing back to reality again and I look back into his sad eyes. “I hope not,” I whisper, meaning it with every fiber of my being. I hope not. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, but mostly I hope Evie and I never get found again.

  I’m terrified of being found again because if I ever am, I’m as good as dead. I won’t leave this world and leave Evie alone. And I especially won’t leave her with him.

  Aiden stares as me a moment longer, then realizing I’m not going to elaborate, he shakes his head and turns back to the bath.

  I clamp my teeth together to keep a groan in. It would be just my damn luck that his back is really friggin pretty too. He has a type of Japanese sunset inked across the right side, leaving his left side completely bare, contrasting that much more with the ink on the right.

  A sun with rays shooting from the back of his ribs, stretching toward his spine, then in the center of the sun is a woman’s face with wispy hair and pretty eyes, like one you would see in a modern video game.