Unbeautifully Loved (Breathe Again) (45 page)

His head turned in my direction, “Yeah, sorry.” He took his coffee from my hand and sipped.

“You alright? What were you looking at?”

“Just thought I saw someone,” he looked back at the window, sounding distracted. “Actually, I’ll meet you at the truck. Take your time,” He said quickly then kissed my lips in a hurry and walked out.

Okay,
that
wasn’t strange at all.

“Where’s Lukas running off too?” Whitney asked as she came up next to me.

I watched Lukas out the window walking towards someone. “Good question,” I said distracted, wondering what he was up too.

I watched as he approached another guy, someone I didn’t recognize, but who looked somewhat familiar. He stood tall, intimidating, with broad, muscular shoulders. His jeans hung off his narrow hips perfectly, and his black
Slipknot
shirt stretched across his chest tightly. His hair was cut short, the front slightly spiked up and his arms, his tattooed covered arms, were crossed over his chest tightly as he and Lukas, who looked like they were in a showdown, started talking.

It didn’t look like a good conversation to walk into. Both glared at one another with their narrowed eyes, while one talked the other’s jaw stayed firmly closed, no doubt clenched tight; muscle on the side twitching.

“Who
is
that?” I whispered to myself.

The more I looked at him, the more familiar I became with him. Like I had seen him somewhere before but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Who? The guy Lukas is talking to?” Whitney answered.

I nodded. “Yeah,”

“That’s Kane, don’t know his last name though.”

Kane.

As in
Kane
who saved my life and who Lukas wanted me to stay away from.

“Whit, I gotta go. Coffee when Molls is back?” I asked walking towards the door.

“Sure thing Lexie, talk to you later,” she called and I gave her a wave over my shoulder as I made my way out the door and over to Lukas and Kane.

“Archer, would you just hear me out for one goddamn minute,” I heard Lukas growl as I approached them.

Archer?

Like Archer who Lukas grew up with?

Aimee and Archer?

Kane’s eyes swung to me as I came beside Lukas. I looked at him with a small smile. “You cut your hair,” I stated the obvious.

He ran his hand over his head of much shorter hair than he had last time I saw him. “Yeah it had to go. How you doin’ Lexie?”

“Good.
Really
good,” I looked from him to Lukas whose eyes were narrowed on Kane unmoving.

“Good to hear,” His voice was intense but tight, I knew I had interrupted an intense conversation between the two, one I probably would never find out about.

“Thank you,” I blurted out and I could see Lukas’ head turn in my direction but my eyes didn’t move from Kane who was looking at me surprised, “for that night and what you did, I owe you for getting me back to my family.”

“Don’t owe me anything darlin’, was just doin’ my job.” He slid his shades that he was holding in his hand over his emerald green eyes. “Should get going. Lexie,
Gunn
,” he said looking at Lukas once more before walking around us and into Bean’s.

Fuck, you could have cut that tension with a knife.

“So
he’s
Archer? Kane Archer? I thought you guys were friends?”

I watched Kane walk into Bean’s and go straight to the counter where Whitney was working. I watched her expression become nervous as she poured his coffee and handed it to him. They exchanged words then he turned and walked towards the door and she proceeded to watch him go. Her expression… odd.

That was interesting.

“Yeah Peaches, that’s him.” Lukas’ voice sounded unimpressed. “We
were
friends, grew up together like brothers.”

I turned and looked at Lukas, “What do you mean
were
friends? What happened?”

He took a drink from his cup then tossed the rest in the garbage can next to us, contemplating what he was going to say. “You remember what I told you about Aimee and when she died?”

“Yeah of course, car accident but you don’t believe it; you think there’s more to it.”

I didn’t have a good feeling about what he was going to tell me next.

He bobbed his head a few times as he ran his hand over the stubble on his jaw. “Yeah, I said someone killed her.” He looked at me, his grey eyes darkening.

Kane killed Aimee?

I reeled back and tipped my head to the side. “And you think Kane is that someone? That he killed Aimee? I thought they were together?” I said confused by the whole thing.

“Yeah, they were together and Aimee loved him like crazy and vice versa. She put up with a lot of his shit but stood by him through it all.”

“Then why would he kill her and make it look like a car accident?”

“Didn’t say I thought he did, but what I do think is there’s more to what happened and he was into something and it caught up to him and she paid the ultimate price for it.” He answered, his voice laced with sorrow,

I tossed my coffee cup into the trash then moved into Lukas’ embrace. His arms came around my waist and pulled me as close as he could. My arms looped around his neck as I stood on my tippy toes and brushed my lips over his.

“Love you baby,” I said warmly as I pulled back and looked at him, seeing his eyes were bright and full of nothing but love and excitement.

He smiled back at me. “Love you too Lex.”

“Good,” I teased pecking his lips once more. “’Cause you’re stuck with me for a long, long time Mr. Gunn,”

“Wouldn’t want it any other way.” He placed his hand softly on my stomach. “How’s my baby?” he softly asked smiling at me, his smile lighting his eyes and touching his soul.

“We’re good.” I promised. “We’re absolutely perfect.”

And we were.

He tilted his head down and kissed my forehead, his hand still on my stomach. “Good, let’s go get our boy and go home.”

I nodded and we headed towards the truck with our hands entwined tightly.

I was no longer living in a nightmare, but finally fully awake.

Life was good, better than good, it was fucking perfect.

I had everything I, at one time thought, was unattainable.

And it felt fucking beautiful.

Coming Fall 2013

The story of Kane Archer and Whitney Jareau

Please continue on to the next page to read a sneak peek of

book two in the
Breathe Again
series.

May 2011

“Either
you
cooperate or that very beautiful woman of yours will see the bottom of a lake with a bullet through her skull.”

I heard her whimper in pain a few feet away from me. A man stood behind her, his hands gripping the tops of her arms tightly as she struggled against him, looking at me with frantic and pleading eyes.

“
Mr. O’Conner
.” The accented voice snapped out loudly through the speaker that was sitting in the middle of the table.

“I already
fucking
told you,” I said tightly not looking in Aimee’s direction.

“I’m gonna ask you once more
Mr. O’Conner
, or my associate Mr. Hayes will escort Ms. Davidson away,” he said, his voice echoing throughout the warehouse.

“Listen you
fucking piece of shit
, I don’t know who this bitch is so whatever you seem to think you know you’re wrong,” I said through clenched teeth, glaring at the speaker in front of me, hating myself more and more as I could feel Aimee’s eyes burn into me.

I heard his loud laugh ring out through the speaker; it was one that instantly burned into my head forever marking its place and I knew I’d never forget the sound of it for as long as I lived. “I gave you your chances,
Mr. Archer
.” He paused. My eyes closed for an instant as the blood in my veins turned to ice and my body went stiff.

“I don’t –”

“You think you can fuck with
me
, you think you can
kill
my son and get away with it
Kane Archer
, who lives at Two Seventy-Eight Mackenzie Drive with his beautiful girlfriend Aimee Elizabeth Davidson,” he paused and I could almost hear the grin form across his face, “Oh...
my
mistake I mean fiancée as of three days ago,” he said calmly, the tone making my stomach clench tightly. “My condolences,” he bit out. “Mr. Hayes,” he called out, snapping his fingers a few times.

I took a step before the back of my knees were kicked out and I collapsed to the ground, my eyes still glued on the sight of Aimee struggling from the man known as Mr. Hayes’ grasp as he pulled her towards the door that lead outside. She was screaming, yelling my name for me to get up and help her while she kicked and hit him but he didn’t budge, just gripped her tighter and pulled her along with him. I knew I had to do something, anything to get her out of this mess. It was my fucking fault she was here in the first place and if something happened to her I’d never be able to fucking live with it.

“
Son of a bitch,
” I roared out. “Let her go, let her live and I’ll tell you everything you want to know!” I struggled to stand up only to have three pairs of hands hold me down.

Everyone in the room stopped; you could only hear the heavy breathing as we all waited for him to reply. My eyes were locked on her knowing she could see how much I loved her with just a look, the same way I had looked at her from the moment I laid my eyes on her. I’d do anything for her, even if it meant giving up my own fucked up life so she could live ‘cause she was worth it, she’d always be worth it; her life was worth everything over my own.

“Mr. Archer, I don’t think you understood what –”

“No, I don’t think
you
understand you son of a bitch. Let her go and you get what you want,” I growled. “
You get me
.”