Page 22 of Ruthless

My eyes take in the room, looking for any clues or signs I might have missed. Nothing sticks out. Then I glance up to the far wall and what I find has me seeing red. Kennedy’s picture sticks to the wall. Judging by the clothes, it’s a fairly recent one. Holding it in place is a very familiar knife—the kind we’re given at graduation—an Ontario MK 3.

“We need to get the fuck out of here and get back home now.” I shove Axel toward the front door. There’s no time for a stealthy exit.

Isaac just declared war with that stunt. And now it’s open season on his ass.

CHAPTERNINE

Kennedy

I’m shuffling through the mess of papers on top of the counter. Since yesterday, I’ve been working on them, trying to figure a way out of going to church this weekend. Short of death, there’s no other option. You never tell my father no. A small fit of giggles breaks into my concentration, and when I look up, Lily is sitting in Keegan’s lap in the back corner of the gym. Charlee and Kelsey popped by to visit and check out the gym. Both of my little brothers wasted no time offering to give them a tour.

Both Keegan and Teegan are giving Lily their undivided attention, but she’s more focused on the red feather on Keegan’s Fedora. She clenches it in her tiny fist and tries to bring it to her mouth, but Keegan stops her before she can. Her face pinches into a frown that’s close to the same one her father and her uncle Zane make. She’s worming her way into my family as if she were our own flesh and blood. My hand goes to my stomach as images of my brothers spoiling my child hit me. Things certainly will change, and I’m hoping for the better.

Unable to concentrate any longer, I head to the back of the gym where the boxing ring is. Kelsey and Charlee are sitting in chairs off to the side, watching as my oldest brother Connor and my father’s prodigy, Dalian, are practicing.

Dalian is a few inches shorter than Connor’s six foot three, but what he lacks in height, he makes up for in skill. Ever since he immigrated from Cuba seven years ago, he’s been training here like clockwork. Sweat glistens off his tan skin as he continues to hold his own against my brother.

I slip into the empty seat next to Kelsey and take everything in. Teegan and Keegan are still playing with Lily on the floor. Rory is off with my dad doing other business stuff, and the only reason my dad is okay with that is because I’m here to properly run things again.

“This place is amazing.” Charlee bounces in her seat, but her gaze fixates on the two sweaty bodies inside the ring.

“It really is. We might have to just come with you to work every day.” Kelsey winks at me as she twirls one of her red curls around her finger and stares at Dalian.

I laugh at what she’s implying. “That’s nothing. My brothers had me in that same ring as soon as I could walk.”

“Really?” Charlee’s whole face lights up at the mention of that, and she sits up straighter in her chair.

“Yup. They wanted to make sure I could take care of myself if anything ever happened to them.” I run a hand through my hair as my gaze goes back to Connor and Dalian. Dalian is a Southpaw, but his form is damn near perfect, according to Rory.

“Asher’s showed me a few basic moves, but not much else.” Charlee twists her lips to the side and crosses her arms over her chest. She’s itching to get in the ring.

“Well, I feel cheated. The only moves Axel has shown me takes place in the bedroom.” Kelsey shakes her head before arching her auburn eyebrows in my direction. “Think they’ll show us?”

“I don’t see why not.” I shrug, happy that I have found some type of common ground with them. I’m not sure if it was the phone call with Fiona that put me more at ease or if it’s being back in one of my favorite places, but I’m starting to feel more like the old me again. And if the three of us can bond by kicking ass, that works for me.

We watch Connor and Dalian go at it for a few more rounds before they call it quits. Dalian greets me with a jerk of his chin but stays off to the side as he takes off all of his padding.

Connor climbs out through the ropes and walks over to where the three of us are sitting. His gaze does a quick assessment from head to toe of me before he grabs a nearby towel and wipes at the sheen of sweat beading along his forehead.

“You feeling okay today, Ken?” He cocks his head to the side, studying me.

“I’m good right now.” I nod, hating that the men in my family keep treating me like I’m a piece of glass that’s going to shatter at any moment.

His dark eyebrows pinch together as he works something out in his head. “You three stand up and follow me.” He jerks his head in the direction of the side of the ring.

“What? Why?” My eyes narrow, wondering where he’s going with this.

“What have I always told you, Ken? Dad and the rest of us may not always be around to protect you, and you need to take care of yourself as best you can from any feckers who try to hurt you.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Thoughts of all three Savage brothers finding their women in the ring flash through my mind, and it looks an awful lot like World War three. I don’t have to voice that out loud because Connor already knows why.

“Have I ever given a feck about that?” He crosses his arms over his chest and holds my stare, daring me to argue further. The tattoos that go up the sides of his arms stretch with the movement making him look even more intimidating than I know he is. At least with me, he’s not like that.

“No.” I sigh, knowing it’s pointless to disagree with him. He’s as stubborn as I am when he gets an idea in his head. “You haven’t.”

“Exactly.” He motions with his hand for Kelsey and Charlee to move to the side of the ring where some mats are. “Come on. Let’s go.” His hand reaches out to grip my arm, and he pulls me to my feet. Before I can move to follow the girls, he bends down and whispers in my ear, “Don’t worry. I’ll be extra careful and take it easy on you,deirfiúr.” He purposely uses one of the few words in Gaelic that he does know to convince me, and it works.

“Yes! Let’s do this.” Kelsey claps her hands together and jumps to her feet, skipping the entire way. There’s no hiding her excitement.

---