Chapter 10

Kin

After spending most of the morning in the studio letting Shane work his magic on my demos, I was exhausted. Forgoing lunch, I went back to my new apartment for a nap, knowing I wouldn’t be able to go out later if I didn’t get some rest.

The sound of slamming doors pulled me out of a deep sleep hours later. Groaning, I searched blindly for my phone. Pulling it close to my face, I saw it was after six.

“Shit,” I groaned as I noticed the many texts on my phone’s screen. I must have turned off the ringer.

Ignoring the few from Jace from a number I didn’t recognize, I shot Lucy a reply, telling her I would meet her at the club Amara and her friend told me about earlier. My stomach was growling hungrily, so I grabbed a shawl to pull over my pajama shorts and tank top before walking out to the kitchen.

Rubbing my grumbling stomach, I walked barefoot through the apartment.

“Holy shit, you mean the new roomie actually exists?” an amused feminine voice asked from my left. “I was seriously starting to think there was a ghost living in Lindsey’s old room. I was cool with that, though. I mean, if the ghost can afford a third of the rent, I don’t mind being haunted.”

A grin teasing at my lips, I ran my eyes over my apparent new roommate. She was small and curvy. Her chic bob was dyed jet black and made her blue eyes even more striking, especially with her golden tan. Her full lips were tilted up in a half smirk as she walked around the kitchen in shorts so tiny the cheeks of her ass half hung out. Her top barely covered her flat, toned stomach. When she turned her back, I saw that the material was shredded, revealing a single peacock feather tattoo inked along the length of her spine.

“Not a ghost,” I assured her as I opened the fridge, pulling out the jug of orange juice. “But sometimes I feel like I’m dying, so don’t be surprised if one day I suddenly start floating through walls.”

“I’m Riley,” she introduced.

“Kin.” Finding the cabinet with glasses, I pulled one out and poured the juice.

“If you’re hungry, I just ordered some pizza. Me and Mar are going out later, but you’re welcome to come with.”

My brain was still fogged with sleep, so it took me a few seconds to put everything together. “Wait…” I groaned and dropped my head, shaking it as a grin lifted my lips. “Of course.”

“What?” Riley asked, twisting the lid off a beer.

“Aunt Emmie,” I told her with a laugh. “You’re Riley.”

She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Uh, yeah. I just said that.”

“No, I mean you are Amara’s Riley. Riles. Yeah, that’s what she calls you.” Shaking my head again, I held out my hand. “I’m Kin Montez.”

Her eyes widened with surprise and maybe a little fear. “I thought you looked familiar. You’ve really been holed up in the backwoods of nowhere with Mar?” I nodded. “Then who the hell has been coming and going the last few months? Someone has been in this apartment.”

“That would be my stepsister, Angie. Aunt Emmie set everything up, but Angie decided to move in with her girlfriend and give me the room,” I explained. “Don’t worry. There wasn’t really a ghost roaming the apartment the last few months.”

Relief flashed in her piercing blue eyes. “Thank fuck for that. Well, it’s good to meet you. Mar has told me about you.”

“Where is she anyway?” I asked, glancing toward the living room.

“Napping. She had a run-in with Cash’s grandmother earlier, and it drained her.”

My lips twisted in sympathy for her. I remembered his grandmother well from the few times I’d met her. Even Angie was a little afraid of the old woman. “Doris Mathias will do that to anyone. Is she okay?”

“Seems to be, just tired.”

“Yeah, she naps a lot.” Back at the cabin, I found her sleeping on the couch in the living room many times. Growing a human seemed to be an exhausting job. “When she wakes up, she’s going to be hungry, though.”

“The pizza will be here soon.”

“No. She always has a craving after a nap.” I set my empty glass on the counter. “Do you have Oreos and pancake mix?”

“Probably. Should be in the pantry.” She pointed to the small door beside the fridge.

“Sriracha?”

“Oreos. Pancakes. Sriracha.” She gave me an odd look. “Do I want to know?”

Laughing, I opened the pantry and pulled out the dry ingredients I needed. “Trust me. When Amara gets up, you’ll be thanking me.”

Washing my hands, I got everything ready to fry the Oreos. By the time I was pulling the last from the oil and sprinkling them with powdered sugar, Amara walked into the kitchen. Her eyes still half closed, she walked right up to the stove and grabbed one of the fried Oreos. “Sriracha,” she mumbled sleepily.

“Here, Mar,” Riley told her, putting the dish of hot sauce in front of her so she could dip her cookie in it.

As she bit into it, she moaned in pleasure. “Perfect,” she said with a sigh as she chewed. “Riles, how did you…” She trailed off as her eyes finally lifted and she spotted me standing by the fridge, fighting the temptation to grab a few of the Oreos for myself. “You stopped by to make these for me?” Then her gaze took in what I was wearing. “And decided to spend the night?”

“I live here apparently,” I told her, finally giving in and snatching a cookie.

“Wait, what?”

“Aunt Emmie set up the apartment for Angie because she didn’t want to live on her own while I was gone. But then Jenna asked Angie to move in with her, so Angie gave the room to me,” I summarized for her. “Riley said you had a run-in with Doris Mathias. You okay?”

Amara took the plate of cookies, stuffing her mouth with one while she contemplated my question. “I don’t know,” she said after swallowing. “She said some things that made me want to bitch slap her a few times. But then I realized she was just looking out for Cash. She isn’t going to be around much longer. I could sense it. I think she’s just trying to make sure he will be okay when she dies.”

“That makes sense,” Riley agreed, eyeing the plate of cookies her friend was hoarding hungrily. “Sounds like everything she’s been doing the last few months was to ensure her grandson has people to love him when she isn’t around to take care of him herself.”

“Yeah. I’m still not particularly happy with how she went about it, though.” Two more cookies disappeared before she pushed them away. “Ugh. I need a shower. We’re still going out, I swear. I just need to get myself sorted.”

“I ordered pizza. We can go after we eat,” Riley assured her.

“Save me a slice,” she ordered, leaving the kitchen.

I watched her go, thankful Aunt Emmie and Angie had set up this new living arrangement for me. I had gotten so used to having Amara around, catering to her pregnancy cravings and enjoying having someone to vent to, I’d been sad to leave the cabin.

Somewhere along the way, Amara became important to me. She was one of my closest friends now. Lucy was my best friend, nothing would ever change that, but Amara had become just as close to me.

--

We all met up out in front of the club Riley chose a few hours later. Angie, Jenna, and Santana surrounded Lucy, with Marcus just feet away when our cab pulled up out front. I helped Amara out then waited for Riley as I took in the others standing with my friends.

Sin’s girlfriend, Roanna, was there with the Blondes, but it was Kassa my eyes locked on. I hadn’t spoken to her since the night Jace and I broke up, and I honestly didn’t know what to do or say to her now. The first time Jace and I broke up, I lost all contact with her. But even though I’d gone months without speaking to her, I didn’t want to lose her friendship this time around.

She was laughing and nodding at something Lucy was saying, sticking close to Santana. My heart ached a little when she glanced over and caught my gaze. She was one of my closest friends. The day she asked me to be her maid-of-honor, I nearly cried. She was close to Santana too, and I knew it was hard for her to decide between the two of us. But we both always thought we would end up sisters-in-law one day, and that was why she picked me over Santana.

Now, we would never end up as sisters of any kind, but I didn’t want her to tell me she no longer wanted me to be a part of her bridal party.

As if she could read my mind, she walked toward me with determination in her blue eyes.

“Kassa,” I began when she drew closer, but her arms wrapped around my waist and she hugged me tight.

“I missed you,” she said with a sigh, squeezing me.

Swallowing hard, I hugged her back. “I missed you too.”

Stepping back, but keeping one arm around me, she called to the others, “Let’s go! I need a drink so I can shake my ass with you bitches.”

Everyone seemed to know each other already, which felt weird to me. I was just meeting Riley, yet she was pulled into the Blondes like she was one of their besties. Amara and Riley met them the same day Jace and I broke up, so it was I who suddenly felt left out, having missed so much the past four months.

That feeling quickly faded as we all got drinks in us—minus the two pregnant women. We had a private corner of the VIP floor to ourselves, roped off with a few extra security guys and Marcus standing over us like we were royalty or some shit. That was the way it was whenever Lucy ever went anywhere without Harris, though, and I knew the extra security was something he must have set up when Lucy told him she was going out with us.

While Lucy and Amara caught up, talking everything baby, I let the others pull me out onto the dance floor. Already three drinks in, I was tipsy and gave the music control of my body, letting myself go. Surrounded by my friends, I felt carefree for the first time in months.

The dance floor quickly filled up, making it crowded and impossible to dance without bumping into the others around us. A chick drunk off her ass bumped hard into Jenna and Angie. Since I was dancing so close to my stepsister, I got pushed back a little and felt myself start to fall.

Strong arms caught me before my ass could hit the floor, righting me. Breathless from the near-miss, I turned around to thank my rescuer and squealed when I saw it was Nate. “What are you doing here?” I asked, throwing my arms around him.

“I’m out with friends. My buddy just got engaged, so I took the night off and came to celebrate with them.” He gave me a brief hug and pulled back, his eyes scanning my friends before pausing on Riley.

Hiding my grin, I watched his eyes eat up the sight of her. Of all of us, Riley was probably the most beautiful, yet I wasn’t the least bit jealous of her. In a dress that barely covered her ass and gave more than an eyeful of her assets, every eye in the club was glued to her.

“What did I say about leaving your apartment dressed like that?”

I nearly choked in surprise at the possessive note in Nate’s voice. He was so nice, so laid-back. Even when he was frustrated at work, I’d never heard him use that tone. It was all growly and full of dark promises.

Riley glared up at him. “You don’t own me, asshole,” she snarled before turning her back on him and flipping him off. Without another word, she stomped over to the bar.

“Ladies, excuse me,” Nate gritted out and followed after her.

“Holy shit,” I said when he was out of earshot, my eyes following him to the bar where he joined Riley. She was ordering, and when she went to pay, he was already placing a few bills in front of her. She turned, her face a mix of hate and lust, as she poked him in the chest while yelling at him. “When did Nate get all alpha? He’s like the sweetest guy on the planet.”

Kassa laughed. “It was about two seconds after Amara and Riley came into First Bass the first time. It was love at first sight, and he’s been all growly ever since.”

“Have they hooked up?”

“Not yet,” Aubree said. “But it’s only a matter of time. Her stubborn ass will give in eventually.”

Even as she was talking, Nate lifted Riley by the waist until she was eye level with him. Her feet kicked back and forth as much as the crowd at the bar would allow before she wrapped her legs around his waist. She snaked her arms around his neck, her fingers thrusting into his hair, and then she was kissing him.

“Well, there goes the first one of the night,” Jenna said with a snort. “Who do you think will be next, babe?” she asked Angie.

“Sin or Gray,” my stepsister predicted. “My money is on Sin, though.”

“Ours too,” the three Blondes chimed in with a laugh, while Roanna blushed and flipped them off.

Sweat running down my back, I told the others I needed to take a bathroom break. Angie and Santana went to sit with Lucy, while Jenna decided to come with me when the others stayed to dance. The line for the bathroom was long, like always, but Jenna was easy to talk to, so the time passed quickly.

“How is Carolina?” she asked as she came out of her stall and joined me at the sink to wash her hands. “Angie hasn’t mentioned her much lately.”

My brows drew together as I thought about my other stepsister. “You know, I haven’t really heard anything from her lately. I guess college is kicking her ass. Thanks for reminding me. I need to call her soon and check in.”

“She likes Virginia Tech?”

I shrugged. “Last time I spoke to her, she seemed to like it.” I pulled a few paper towels from the dispenser and wiped my hands. “Her mom was still giving her a hard time for choosing an East Coast school, though. But Caro is happier away from her and Georgia and my dad. That was why she took all those extra-credit classes so she could graduate a year early.”

“I’m sure Caleb is checking in on her regularly.” Jenna’s brow was puckered as she held the door open for me. “He hasn’t come to visit Angie much the last few months, though. She’s been missing him.”

“He’s been busy with work,” I excused for him, but I wondered if there was another reason my stepbrother hadn’t been making regular trips to the West Coast to visit his twin like he’d done in the past. Normally, he would fly out at least twice a month, more if his work schedule permitted it. But from what Angie had told me recently, he hadn’t been out in more than six weeks.

Instead of going back to the dance floor or returning to our seats, Jenna and I went over to the bar to get another drink. There was no sign of Riley or Nate, so I could only assume they’d left—or were in the alley out back.

The bar had gotten busier, so it took a while before we could even place our order. Jenna ordered for both of us, a beer each for her and Angie and a rum punch for me. As we waited, I people-watched. Friday nights were always crazy busy, no matter how good or bad the club was. The one we were at was one of the more popular ones, but not nearly as upscale as First Bass.

Still, there were plenty of celebrities to watch on the VIP floor with us.

Seeing someone I recognized, I quickly turned away, trying to smother my groan.

“What?” Jenna asked with concern when I attempted to hide my face.

“Five people down,” I muttered, keeping my head turned in case he looked my way. “My dad is here, and he’s not with the stepmonster.”

She snuck a glance the way I was avoiding looking, and I watched her face. The instant she set eyes on him, her brows knitted together. “Oh fuck. Yeah, that is definitely not her. He’s being pretty ballsy, isn’t he? Didn’t his last affair take place on set? This is pretty close to home.”

“From what all the trash mags indicated, yeah. Caro didn’t know the details, and I don’t ever keep up with dear old dad.” Our drinks were finally set in front of us, and I lifted mine to my lips quickly, downing a third of it in one gulp. Thinking about my father always put me on edge. Being in the same club with him was making me want to drink the entire contents of the bar, alcohol poisoning be damned.

It was weird as fuck to be out at the same place as my fiftyish father. Most fathers that age were home in bed by ten on a Friday, not out looking to score pussy in a place where the majority of the patrons were in their twenties.

“Wait, isn’t that the actress he was cheating with?” Jenna squinted, watching them over my shoulder for another minute. “Yeah, that’s her, I’m pretty sure of it.”

I snorted. “I’m not surprised. Jillian is a cold bitch. Pretty sure Scott rarely got laid.”

“He’s looking this way,” Jenna informed me. “Shit, I think he recognizes you. His eyes are all squashed together as if he’s trying to tell if it’s you or not from behind.”

I downed another third of my drink. “Damn, and I was having such a good time too.” I pulled on her shirt. “Come on. Let’s go sit down before he decides to come talk to me.”

But I barely got a few feet away from the bar before my name was being called. “McKinley.”

I tensed up, hating the name he’d forced my mother to give me. They got married because of me and got divorced just as quickly after I was born. Until my mother died when I was seventeen, I hadn’t seen him since I was a toddler other than on magazines and occasionally on TMZ. Even after I moved in with him and his wife, I didn’t see much of him, and what I did only made me glad he was on set most of the time.

Scott Montez was still a good-looking man, but I was forever thankful to have gotten all my looks from my mother, with the exception of my eyes. The gray in his dark hair was a little less noticeable now as he pulled his girlfriend behind him, stopping just a few feet away as I waited reluctantly.

He was probably using one of those shampoos that washed out the gray a little at a time, I figured as he stood before me. “How have you been, sweetheart?”

I nearly laughed. Sweetheart? He’d never called me that a day in his life. What the hell was going on with him?

“What do you want, Scott?” I demanded, getting straight to the point. The quicker this was over with, the better.

The chick beside him, a woman I only knew from her movie roles as Hollywood’s latest “it girl,” gave me a kind smile. I heard she was nice from all the talk about her, and she was definitely better-looking than Jillian. Lean with simple curves and a megawatt smile, she had dark hair that was glossy but untouched by chemicals. It was kind of refreshing to see her so natural in a sea of plastic. Still, she was screwing around with a married man, so there was obviously something wrong with her.

“I saw you and wanted to say hello, McKinley.” He tucked his girlfriend closer to his side, and she looked up at him adoringly. Yeah, there were definitely a few screws loose upstairs if she was so madly in love with a sleazebag like Scott. “I thought maybe we could have dinner together one night soon. Catch up.”

“No thanks.”

He gave me a grim smile. “Jillian is out of the picture, if that’s what you are concerned about, honey.”

I blinked at him, not sure how to take that announcement. I didn’t care one way or the other if he was still with Jillian, but Carolina would be upset. Scott was as close to a father figure as she’d ever had. “You and Jillian are getting a divorce?”

He nodded, and his new girlfriend shoved her hand forward, showing off the huge rock on her finger. It glittered in the lights, nearly blinding me for a second. “The divorce will be final next month. Shannon wants a spring wedding.”

I tried to keep my eyes from widening, but it was virtually impossible. Shannon Stewart was maybe five years older than me. And that was a huge maybe. Yet here was my father, telling me she was going to be replacing my current stepmother. It was one thing for her to be my father’s girlfriend on the side, but it was something completely different to have her as yet another stepmother.

“Wow,” I choked out and tipped my glass up to finish my drink with one last gulp. As soon as it was lowered, Jenna was taking it out of my hands and pushing something else into it. The beer she’d gotten for Angie. “I guess you wanted to lock her down before she realized what a dirtbag you really are, huh, Scott?”

His face tightened. “McKinley—” he started to scold me.

“Kin,” I snapped, cutting off his attempt to lecture me on parental respect. “My fucking name is Kin! I hate McKinley. Something you would have known if you had ever tried to be my goddamn father for five minutes.”

“Maybe we should go,” Shannon murmured, looking uncomfortable. “My brother will be here soon.”

“Perfect. Let’s meet my dear old stepuncle,” I sneered at her, knowing she didn’t deserve my bitchiness but too pissed at Scott to allow her to escape it.

“Kin, let’s go sit down,” Jenna suggested, touching my shoulder.

“No,” I said, shrugging off her touch. “I want to meet my new stepmommy’s brother.”

The beer she’d just pushed into my hands was promptly taken away. “Yeah, okay. I think you’ve reached your limit. Let’s go.”

“I’ll go when I’m ready,” I bit out, and I stood there, arms crossed as I glared my father down.

“You’re just like your mother,” Scott said with amusement in his eyes, but his lips were still pressed in a grim line.

Pain kicked me squarely in the chest at the mention of my mom, and suddenly all the anger drained out of me. Tears burned my eyes, and I turned away…

Only to walk into a mountain of hard muscles.

Gasping, I blinked back my tears to look up at the man whose hands were suddenly on my elbows, keeping me from bouncing back and falling onto the floor. He was beautiful, in a Greek god kind of way. Olive skin, muscles sculpted by Zeus himself, and the most amazing face I’d ever set eyes on. Gray dress slacks were tight over his hard thighs, his baby-blue button-up clinging to his chest and thick arms.

Just looking at him, I couldn’t tell if he was twenty-five or thirty-five, but he could easily have been anywhere in between.

Gulping, I met dark eyes.

“Okay?” he asked in a voice that didn’t go with his body. It was soft, with just a hint of kindness. His eyes latched on to my mouth for a moment, hunger flashing in his gaze and making my stomach tighten, before those dark orbs moved on to the rest of my face.

There was absolutely nothing soft on his body, however. His jaw was sculpted, his cheekbones high and sharp. And I could tell by the set of his shoulders, the rest of his body was like steel. His fingers bit into my flesh, and I felt oddly safe even though I didn’t sense a drop of danger in the air. Concern darkened his handsome face, his eyes scanning over mine and taking in the glassiness from the tears and my tipsiness.

When was the last time someone looked at me like that? I couldn’t remember the last time Jace had, and I realized it was something else our relationship had been missing. Jace knew I could take care of myself, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t wanted him to step in from time to time so I didn’t fucking have to.

Pushing back thoughts of my ex, I opened my mouth but was suddenly tongue-tied and could do nothing more than nod.

“Is Montez bothering you?” he demanded, shooting my dad a glare over the top of my head.

I liked the way he seemed to growl at my dad. It soothed something deep inside me to know someone disliked the man just as much as I did. “No,” I choked out. “I was just leaving.”

“Derrick,” Shannon said, and it took me a second to realize she was speaking to the man still holding me protectively. “This is Scott’s daughter, Mc…er, Kin.”

Realization hit me in the face, and I jerked back. “You’re her brother?”

Oh dear Lord. I had the hots for my future stepuncle.

Gross. Gross. Gross.

But he was so fucking hot.

“You’re his daughter?” he said at the same time, his hands falling to his sides and balling into fists.

“Awkward,” Jenna muttered beside me, and I was thankful she hadn’t abandoned me. “You ready to go now?”

“Definitely,” I assured her, but as we walked away to rejoin Lucy and Angie, I couldn’t help looking back.

And I was rewarded by seeing Derrick’s gaze locked on me, hunger still darkening his chocolate eyes.