Her Kind of Man (4 page)

In less than an hour, Allina would be married to the preacher man. And he was sick about it. He'd told his friend of many years that getting married to that man would be the biggest mistake of her life. The argument they'd had a few weeks earlier seemed to have had lasting effects, and he couldn't stop thinking about it. He'd been so furious that he'd told her he wouldn't be there. He wouldn't see one of his best friends walk down the aisle.

Even now, he didn't regret telling her how he felt because she
was
throwing her life away for a man she'd known only for months. Not even a year. She'd already given up her dream of opening a bridal shop, going into business with a friend. For what? The chance to have a church wedding and some dream life with a white picket fence and a gang of kids? That was noble and all, but walking away from everything she'd worked hard for was stupid.

Okay, maybe I was a little harsh
.

He couldn't get the look in her eyes out of his head, how disappointed she'd been when he'd basically called her stupid. He was desperate. In a way he hadn't been in years…or ever. He was a jerk, plain and simple. But she'd known that all along. At least that's what he'd told himself after she left and went back to Ohio.

“Starting early, huh?”

Kent clenched his jaw. “Well, the last time I checked, my father was dead.”

“Ouch,” Morgan said, walking over to the bar where Kent was seated.

Kent watched his brother pull a clean glass from behind the bar and sit down on the barstool beside his.

“I figured you'd be here,” Morgan said, as if Kent hadn't just basically told him to fuck off. “And you'd better be glad I'm feeling too sorry for you to respond to that comment.”

Kent snickered. He probably
shouldn't
have brought their father into it. It had been years since his death. The family hadn't been the same since then, but they'd had each other. Which made it better.

He glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eye. When Morgan's biological parents had been arrested, Kent had convinced his mother and father to take Morgan and Morgan's brother Caden in, and he'd never regretted it. Doing so only proved that biology didn't matter. Kent didn't have siblings, but when he'd met Morgan that day on the playground all those years ago, he'd realized what it was like to have a true brother.

“Syd's been calling her,” Morgan said. “She's a little concerned because she hasn't heard anything. I take it Allina is the reason you're working on a fifth of cognac before noon?”

Kent swallowed. “I guess I was hoping she wouldn't go through with it.”

His brother shrugged. “Well, she has to live her life, Kent. If the minister makes her happy, why shouldn't she go for it?”

“That's just it. She's not happy. She hasn't been for a while.”

“Look, Allina is an adult, capable of making her own decisions. As her friend, you should be there for her even if she falls flat on her face.”

“I guess,” Kent mumbled. Needing a change of subject, he asked, “How's my ladybug doing anyway?” Kent was an uncle. Who knew one tiny baby would be able to wrap him around her finger before she could even utter a word?

“Fever went down and she's not crying so much. We're exhausted. But that goes with the territory.”

Little Brynn had an ear infection. Morgan and his future sister-in-law Sydney were beside themselves trying to navigate parenthood. And both had been terrified when Brynn got sick because they didn't know what was going on. Kent was with them when they rushed the baby to the emergency room, Syd in tears and Morgan trying to comfort her while maintaining his own composure.

“I'm glad she's better.” His mind wandered back to Allina. “So Syd hasn't talked to her?”

Morgan shook his head. “Nope. She talked to her mother, but not Allina. Cali hasn't talked to her either.”

In hindsight, Kent thought he should have put his own feelings aside to support his friend. After all, it must have been hard to find out none of her friends could attend the wedding. Syd had planned to go, but the baby's sickness prevented her from going. Cali was on the other side of the state supporting Jared, who had a court date to finalize custody of his daughter.
I mean, who gets married on a Friday afternoon anyway?

“Why wouldn't you just tell her how you feel about her?” Morgan asked.

As for his feelings, who knew what they were. The only thing he ever knew for sure was she was too good, too nice, and too important in his life to fuck up their friendship. But he feared he'd done just that.

Grumbling, Kent said, “I told her how I felt about her marrying him. She didn't want to hear what I had to say.” He knew what his brother was insinuating, but Kent refused to respond to it.

He glanced at Morgan out of the sides of his eyes again. His formerly cynical, commitment-phobic brother had seemingly been recruited to the Kent-needs-a-woman Club, headed by Sydney and Cali. Being in a relationship with Syd had turned Morgan soft. Instead of shooting pool and drinking cognac, he was playing Scrabble with Syd by candlelight and drinking Pinot Grigio. It wasn't his fault, though. Kent knew all too well what the love of a woman would make a man do. He'd been there, done that. And it was all good—until it wasn't.

Morgan sighed and finally poured a healthy shot of cognac into his empty glass. “That's not what I meant, but whatever. Why don't
you
call her?”

Before Kent could respond, the buzz of Morgan's cell sounded.

“Syd?” Morgan answered. “Is everything okay?”

Kent listened as his brother asked about Brynn and exchanged conversation about medicine, milk, and diapers. Then Morgan got quiet. If Kent hadn't been paying attention, he would have missed the quick glance his brother shot his way. A few tense minutes later, Morgan hung up.

Kent had an uneasy feeling in his gut. “What's wrong?” he asked.

“It's Allina…”

He sat up straight, his stomach rolled. “What happened? Is she okay?” Only he knew the answer before he even asked. She wasn't okay, or Morgan wouldn't be beating around the bush.

“She didn't get married,” Morgan said, his voice low.

Kent let out a sigh of relief. But then…he looked at his brother, who still had a solemn look on his face. Confused, he frowned. “Wait, why didn't she get married? And where is she?”

“They don't know. Apparently, her mother called Syd to see if she'd heard from her,” Morgan explained.

“She's missing?”

“Not exactly. Allina…”

Kent clenched the edge of the bar. “What? Just say it, Roc.” They'd called Morgan Roc since grade school.

“Her father knew she wasn't going to go through with it, told her to call him in a few hours, but her mother panicked when they hadn't heard from her and assumed she'd show up here. So they're just wondering where she is right now.”

Kent stood up, tipping the bar stool over. “What do you mean, they don't know where she is?”

Morgan shook his head. “No one has heard from her since she left.”

Anything could have happened to Allina. And he wasn't there, because he was being a prick. He'd let his anger keep him from supporting his friend. If he'd been in Cleveland, at least she would have had him to turn to. But he'd been too stubborn to be there. “Something must have happened. Does
he
know anything? Why did she decide not to marry him?”

“According to Syd, her mother didn't say. She just told Syd she was sure Allina would show up here and to call her when she heard from her. But that's it.”

Where the hell is she?
Glancing around the bar, Kent thought about everything he'd heard. His first thought was to drive down to Cleveland and look for her. This wasn't like her. She was dedicated and loyal and determined. She wouldn't leave unless something had happened. And that led Kent to think that
something
was the groom himself.

“I have to go,” he said, grabbing his briefcase.

“Where are you going?” Morgan asked, a frown on his face. “What are you going to do? We don't know anything.”

“I have to find her. Obviously, she's in trouble. He did something to make her run.” It was as simple as that in his mind. He had to find her.

K
ent was going crazy. It had been a few hours since he'd found out that Allina had run away from the church. He'd been tempted to drive to Ohio, but Sydney had convinced him to stay close in case Allina returned to Michigan. Running a hand over his bald head, he sighed. The rain had been falling for hours, beating against the roof and the gutters. The storm was the first severe one of the season. He dialed Syd again, asked her if she'd heard from Allina. Of course, she hadn't. It hadn't been that long since his last call.

The doorbell rang. He rushed to the front door and swung it open. Allina stood before him in the doorway, her head down, clutching her purse against her chest. Closing his eyes, he slumped forward in relief.

“Allina?” He tilted her head to get a good look at her face.

Letting his gaze wander over her, he took in the lightweight jacket she wore and the…wedding dress. It was dirty and ripped at the bottom. She was soaking wet, from head to toe. Her hair covered her face like a veil, her hands were clenched together, and her shoulders were slouched. Swallowing, he reached out and swept the hair out of her face.

“Allina,” he called to her softly. “Are you okay?”

Slowly, she raised her head. When their gazes met, he was hit with an overwhelming urge to hold her, which wasn't really new. It just wasn't normal. But he'd do anything in that moment to make it better. Her bottom lip trembled and he inched closer to her. When she let out a whimper, he pulled her to him in a tight hug.

As she cried into his chest, he whispered that she'd be okay, that he'd protect her, that he'd help her. But the more he assured her, the louder she cried. His chest tightened as he rubbed her back. His thoughts were spinning. What the hell happened? He had so many questions, but
God, please let her stop crying
. It was pure torture. And he'd had the nerve to think Morgan was soft. He hated to see anybody he loved cry. But Allina…she wasn't an overly emotional person. In all the years he'd known her, he'd only seen her cry a handful of times. That last time had been here, the last time he'd seen her. An ache settled in his throat as she sobbed.

When the tears finally tapered off, he glanced out the door and noticed the cab still sitting in the driveway. Reluctantly, he tapped her arm lightly. She pulled back and her big, glassy orbs stared back at him. He swept his thumbs under her eyes.

“Let me go take care of the fare, okay?”

She nodded, setting her purse on a small table by the door.

“I'll be right back,” he said gently.

He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and ran out to the cab. After he paid the driver, he returned to the house and kicked the door closed behind him. Wrapping an arm around her, he led her into the living area.

She tugged off her small jacket, giving him a complete view of the form-fitting silk dress. Without a word, she dropped down on the couch. He sat down next to her, their knees touching. “It's going to be okay,” he murmured, rubbing her arms. “I'll take care of you.”

Peering up at him, a pained expression in her eyes, she let out a slow breath. “I didn't get married. I ran. I didn't even think to change clothes. I just had to get out of there. I bought a train ticket, and then I fell at the station. My dress is ruined,” she cried. “Everything is ruined. I'm ruined.”

He grabbed a box of Kleenex off the coffee table. “You're not ruined. Stop saying that. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I don't have anything with me, obviously,” she continued. He could tell she was trying to pull herself together. She cupped a hand over her mouth and let out a muffled sob. “My phone broke. I dropped it, and then Isaac took it.”

He'd replace her phone in the morning, but he had to know… “Did he…hurt you?” he asked. Kent steeled himself for her answer.
If he hurt her, I'll hurt him
.

Allina closed her eyes and hugged herself. Shaking her head, she said, “Not really, not physically.” Her hands gripped her elbows.

Her tears continued to fall unchecked. He grabbed a few tissues and wiped her eyes, then her cheeks. “What did he do?” he asked.

“I'll tell you. I promise. But do you mind if I take a shower, get out of this dress? I can't stand being in it another minute.”

Sighing, he nodded. “Whatever you need.” It wasn't a surprise that she'd changed the subject without answering his question. Allina did things on her own time, in her own way. And he'd wait. He always did.

He stood up and headed to his bedroom. He fumbled around in his drawer for a dark T-shirt and some basketball shorts. Allina was thin, so anything he had would likely fall off of her, but he figured something with a drawstring would help. When he turned toward the door, he stopped in his tracks. She was standing there watching him.

His gaze flitted around, from his closet to his chest to his…bed. As long as they'd been friends, he'd never brought her into his bedroom. Most of their interactions were in the living room or the kitchen. Glancing at her quickly, before focusing his attention on anything else, he searched for the right words.

Finally he told her, “I'll go and get you a towel. And…” He cleared his throat. “You can use my bathroom.”

After he got her set up with towels, lotion, and an extra toothbrush, he left her. In the kitchen, he started a pot of tea and turned on the fireplace to take the chill out of the room. It was colder than normal in southeast Michigan. Instead of the mild temperatures usually associated with early May, the temperature had dropped with the rain.

Kent couldn't get the look in her eyes out of his head. She didn't just look hurt; she looked devastated, humiliated. She'd avoided eye contact and seemed to crumble into herself. He hated it. And he hated
that asshole
for making her feel that way. Picking up his phone, he was tempted to call Syd to let her know that Allina was there, but something told him to hold off. He couldn't explain it, but he felt he needed to talk to her first before he told anyone else where she was.

Hearing that the preacher man hadn't hurt her physically made him feel better on some level. But that only lasted a minute. Physical wounds healed faster than emotional ones. Whatever he did could have lasting effects on Allina. It wasn't like she hadn't had plenty of pain already in her life. Some things she'd shared with him. Others, he knew he'd never know. It was okay, though. That's why their relationship was the way it was. They accepted each other, not only for the things they said, but for the things they didn't say.

He glanced at his phone when it vibrated. Jared, or Red, was calling. His friend was on the west side of the state, preparing for a court appearance. A few short months earlier, he'd been reunited with his young daughter Corrine. Tomorrow, he'd get permanent custody of her since the girl's mother was set to serve a twenty-year prison sentence. Cali had accompanied him for support. Kent knew their friends were worried and Red was likely calling for an update.

The crew had all gone to college together at the University of Michigan. They were one intertwined group with countless connections. His brother, Morgan, played high school basketball with Red. Red was Sydney's twin brother. Sydney had introduced them to Cali and Allina because they were roommates their first year of college. As the years went by, no matter what career or romantic route each of them took, the bonds of friendship between them remained strong. They'd seen each other through the best and the worst times of their lives. That was important to him.

The loud, shrill whistle of the tea kettle pierced the air, and he turned the gas off and poured hot water into a mug. He dropped the tea bag into the cup, and squirted honey and lemon in it. Figuring she was hungry, he grabbed a roll of crackers from the pantry and cut a few pieces of cheese—her favorite snack.

As he padded back into the living room, he heard the sound of his bedroom door closing. He set the plate on a table and sat down. Rubbing his palms against his pants, he waited. She appeared in front of him, wearing his oversized T-shirt and black shorts. Her natural curls were pulled back into a loose braid. Allina was usually pale, but in the dim light of the room, she looked almost translucent.

He motioned for her to take a seat. “Here,” he said. “I made you some tea.” He wrapped a throw around her shoulders.

Taking a sip, she closed her eyes and moaned softly. Allina was the only person he knew who loved herbal tea. Tea was something she treated herself to often, since she didn't drink alcohol.

“This is good.” She took a few more sips, and then relaxed into the couch. “Thank you.”

He took a deep breath. “Are you ready to talk? You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know.” With a heavy sigh, she nodded. “You were right,” she whispered, a lone tear falling down her cheek.

He closed his eyes, unable to take seeing her cry again. “Lina, what did he do?” he asked again.

She swallowed visibly. “I was so wrong about him. He's not the man I thought he was. I knew I couldn't marry him.” She tucked a leg under her. “I can't believe I thought he would make me happy.”

The thought of her being
happy
with Isaac—after Kent had told her it was a mistake—still stung. He'd said some hurtful things to her in an attempt to make her see reason. They hadn't even known each other for a full year when the man proposed. There was no way she knew Isaac well enough to marry him. It hadn't been Kent's most shining moment; he'd acted like a jealous boyfriend instead of a supportive friend.

Morgan had told him he was a jealous ass, and Red had ordered him to admit his feelings for Allina, but it wasn't that simple. Allina was his friend. Above all else, he wanted her to be happy. And he'd had a lingering feeling that Isaac wasn't what he seemed. Kent read people. That was what he did best. He could spot a fake a mile away, and he made it known that the pastor-to-be was not the saint he pretended to be.

“I heard him,” Allina continued, staring at him, but not really looking at him. “He was talking to a woman. They were arguing.”

She explained to Kent the conversation Isaac had had with the mystery woman, the subject of money and the threats. While she told the story, rage began to build inside of him. His ears pounded when she told him that Isaac wouldn't explain to her
why
the woman wanted money. He clenched his fists when he heard about the threat to make her life hell and destroy her father's reputation.

“Then he grabbed me,” she mumbled.

Kent bolted to his feet, unable to sit still any longer. His heart seemed to be beating out of his chest. “He what?” he asked, careful to keep his voice even, controlled. “You said he didn't hurt you.”

Dropping her gaze, she said, “He grabbed my chin and told me to get dressed and smile for the cameras.”

Fuck that
. Kent wanted to hurt Isaac, in front of the entire congregation. He paced the floor like a caged animal. Violence never solved anything. That much was true. But, damn it, it would make him feel better.

“Kent?” her soft voice pulled him from his desire for vengeance.

He glanced at her, his gaze softening when he met hers. “Yes,” he grumbled.

“I'm okay.”

“No, you're not,” he said incredulously. “You're here. Crying. On what should have been the happiest day of your life. You're not okay.”

“I
am
okay. Or I will be. God will—”

“Allina, I know that you trust the Lord and everything, but this is a big deal.”

One of the things he loved about Allina was her faith in God. She was steadfast with it and a devoted Christian. But she wasn't one of those churchgoers who bombarded people with her views.

She dabbed her eyes with a piece of tissue. “You're right. It's a big deal. But I'm not there anymore. I left.”

“I'm glad you did,” he said, finally sitting next to her again. He squeezed her hand. “Your mom called Syd, looking for you. Syd, Cali…everybody is worried about you.”

She froze, then gripped his sleeve. “Oh God. I forgot to call my dad. I told him I'd call when I was settled. He's probably worried sick,” she said, panic in her voice. “I need to check on them, see if they're good.”

“Calm down, okay? You can use my phone to call your parents.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Oh, Kent? Can you please not tell anyone else I'm here?”

Frowning, he asked, “Why?”

Shaking her head quickly, she said, “Because. My plan is to lay low, give it some time. I know Isaac will contact Syd or Cali. It's better if they don't know I'm here. That way they don't have to lie.” She blinked rapidly. “Promise me,” she begged.

Honestly, he'd do anything for her at that point—even lie to everyone. Especially if it would stop her from crying and looking so damn terrified. Before he realized it, he nodded his agreement. “I won't tell anyone right now. But you have to tell me something…”

Wanting to hide out for a few days was understandable. Allina was downright scared, though. Something wasn't right. “From what you've told me, he's a dirty bastard,” he continued. “You know I won't let anything happen to you. That's why you came here, right?” He gazed into her damp eyes. “But is there something else you're not telling me? Does Isaac have something over you and your family?”