Page 9 of Man Possessed

“Your mom does.”

“Yeah, but she thinks everyone is,” he says, and I nod in agreement.

“She’s a bit terrifying, isn’t she?” I ask conspiratorially.

“Oh yeah,” he says. “She threatened my history teacher when she found out he was failing me because she turned him down for a date. She really reamed his ass. In front of the entire class, too.”

“Ian! Come on!” I laugh as we walk from his room. We’re too broad to walk side by side in the hall, so I let him go first.

“She do that a lot?” I ask, and he pushes his brows together. “Yell at your teachers, I mean.”

“Not just the teachers. She’s jumped some parents and kids, too,” he says as we walk through the living room. “She threatened to cut this one kid’s balls off once because he was bullying me.”

“Shit.” I choke out a laugh.

“Yeah, so, where are you from anyway? England?” he asks. I blink at him, then bark out another laugh.

“Nah, mate. I’m from New Zealand. That's why they call me Kiwi.” He makes an O with his mouth, nodding in understanding. We pause when we get to the kitchen, finding Kennedy with her hands on her hips and her brows raised. I smile at her, and her scowl deepens.

“What’s going on here?” She waves her finger between us. “You’re not to be friends with this asshole.”

“Kinda fucked to call your kid an asshole, babe,” I say, and she growls at me.

“Shut it, prick,” she snaps. Her face softens when she looks back at Ian. “I made you pasta if you get hungry later. And you know the rules—no girls, no drugs, no leaving the apartment.”

“Shit. What can he do then?” I scoff, and they both turn to me. “You just listed the three funnest things a boy can do.” I didn’t know it was possible, but she glares harder at me, her jaw tensing so tightly it hurts my teeth.

“I told you to shut it,” she says, pointing at me. I zip my lips and toss her the key, which she doesn’t catch, and looks back at Ian. “Call me if you need anything and I’ll be on my way.”

“I’ll be fine,” he says, shifting uncomfortably. “I always am.” She takes a deep breath.

“Lock the door after us,” she says as she grabs her leather jacket from the couch. “And don’t forget to feed Raspy. And take a shower.”

“I know, Mom,” he groans.

“See you later, kid,” I chuckle as I step onto the porch.

“Love you, bud.” She gives him a quick hug, and he squeezes her before shutting the door. We wait until the lock clicks into place, then she lets out a heavy breath and glances at me before we head down the steps.

Kennedy

Walking into The Crossroads is pure chaos.

Bikers are running around, strapping weapons to their bodies, and yelling at each other. Some of them are arguing, while the Old-Timers sit at tables, ignoring everything happening around them. My heart aches at the sight. My dad should be one of those men, kicking back while the younger men go off to do whatever they’re gearing up for.

Immediately, Kiwi wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me to his side.

"What's going on?" I ask quietly.

"Don't know," he says, his eyes scanning the room. He tightens his hold, and I find myself shuffling closer to him. "Stay by my side."

All his usual good-natured humor has left his body and voice. I don't even recognize him. His eyes take everything in as he pulls his gun from his waistband and half drags me across the floor toward Spencer's office in the back.

I feel myself pressing into his side, feeling safer beside him than with any of the men I've known my entire life. And how fucked is that? I trust this cocky asshole more than the men who were Brothers with my dad.

But the way he's so sure of himself, the tight, secure hold he has on me, the fierce way he's looking around the room like one wrong move and he'll kill everyone, makes me feel safe.

Call me crazy.

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