Tyler's Undoing (24 page)

“So she knows about us?” she asked.

“Yes, and seeing you come in here didn’t help matters any. I’ve tried to tell her nothing is going on between us, but obviously I’m not giving her any reasons to believe me. I left her behind at the hotel to get better, and then I invite you into my room. How would that look to you?”

After sliding on my shoes and grabbing my bag, swinging it angrily over my shoulder, I was ready to go. Gabriella crossed her arms over her chest and stood in front of the door, her green eyes weary when she looked up at me. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Sighing, I reached for the door handle and nodded. We had a history together and had been friends for a while, but sometimes good things have to come to an end—our friendship being one of them. “I’m afraid so, Gabby. I can’t be around you without causing problems with her. She means too much to me. From now on, we have to keep our distance.”

Sadly, she smiled and stepped out of the way so I could open the door. I rushed out, but she stopped me before I could take another step. “Do you love her?”

Over my shoulder, I looked back at her standing in the doorway. She had changed so much in the last couple of years, turning into a woman and a fighter. She was my past, and now I needed my future. “Yes,” I answered in all seriousness. “I’m in love with her.”

“Then stop wasting time and go find her.”

“Are you going to be okay?” I asked.

Rolling her eyes, she snorted and waved me off. “Please, I’m a Reynolds. There’s nothing I can’t handle.”

I used to think that about myself too, but now with Kacey, I couldn’t help but second guess everything I did. She was angry with me and I had no clue how to handle it. I was about to find out though.

ONCE WE GOT into Paxton’s rental car, he started it up and headed down the highway.

“I need some answers,” he demanded. “What are you doing in Arizona and why was Tyler Rushing coming after you? Does your brother know you’re out here?”

Leaning my head against the seat, I blew out an angry breath and closed my eyes. “No, he doesn’t know, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell him. Tyler, on the other hand, is a different story.” Paxton’s loyalties always leaned toward me, but he was still my brother’s friend. I had to tread carefully.

“A different story,” he scoffed, staring at my profile. “Please tell me you’re not fucking him.” When I didn’t answer, he took my chin and made me face him. As a kid, I was never good at lying and he knew it. He could always see it in my eyes. Sighing, he let me go and gripped the steering wheel, knuckles turning white. “I can’t
believe
this shit. You’re actually fucking him, aren’t you? I thought you were smarter than this, Kacey.”

I thought I was too.

A tear escaped the corner of my eye and I hastily wiped it away, keeping my gaze on the prickly cacti rushing past as Paxton sped down the road. My heart hurt, like thorns spearing through my chest. “I tried to stay away, Pax, but I couldn’t. He kept pursuing me and I gave in. When Nana died, he never left my side. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through without him.”

Paxton’s eyes went wide. “Your grandmother died? When? You should’ve called me, Kace. I would’ve been there for you.”

“She died a couple of weeks ago, and no, you wouldn’t have,” I snapped. “You were probably too busy getting into trouble.”

“Well, if you wouldn’t have changed your phone number, I would’ve called to fill you in. After you disappeared to Las Vegas I cut ties with your brother.”

Gasping, I turned to face him, his expression serious. “What? Why?”

We stopped at a stoplight and he looked over at me, piercing me with his stare, his voice gentle. “You should already know why, Kacey. I only stayed around because of you. Yes, I got into some trouble, but I’m over that now. When you left, I put all of my concentration into training. I haven’t spoken to your brother in almost a year.”

“Really? Shit, I didn’t know.
I’ve
barely spoken to my brother in the past year.”

Paxton pulled the car off to the side of the road and parked. “Okay, before we go any further, where are you staying?”

“We’re at the Camelback Inn,” I replied, pointing down the road.

Rolling his eyes, he snorted and shook his head. “That’s where I’m staying too. So you and Tyler are spending the weekend together, huh?
Great
,” he added sarcastically. “I bet he’ll love seeing you with me. Do you want me to take you back right now?”

My phone vibrated with an incoming call, but I ignored it. “Yes, please. It’s probably best I get back and get my things before Tyler gets there.”

Nodding, Paxton pulled out and started down the road. Thankfully, we were only a couple miles from the hotel. “You can stay with me if you want and I can drive you to the airport in the morning.”

Before I could reply, my phone buzzed with an incoming text. Curiosity got the better of me, so I huffed and opened the message.

Tyler:
Where are you? We need to talk. Nothing happened between me and Gabriella. From now on she’s going to keep her distance and stay away. You have to trust me.

Paxton glanced down at my phone and his eyes hardened. “The last thing you need to do is trust him. I know there’s something going on between those two, or at least there used to be.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“Because,” he growled, “when he found out I was interested in Gabriella, he made sure to tell me to stay the fuck away from her. Needless to say, I don’t listen very well.”

“Wait,
what
?” I hissed, anger coursing through my veins. “You actually like her?” Throwing my hands in the air, I shook my head incredulously. “Okay, this shit is starting to piss me off. First, I have to deal with her and Tyler, and now you. It was bad enough watching her go into his room with just a towel around his waist. I can only imagine what they were going to do in there.”

“Is that why you left the arena?”

I hesitated for only a few seconds before nodding my head. “Yes, and now I’m wondering if he still has feelings for her.”

What was it with this chick? All the guys were so hard up about her. Even my brother wanted her.

“I highly doubt they were doing anything, Kacey. Gabriella isn’t that type of girl. Besides, she’s too busy with her pansy-ass baseball player boyfriend to make time for anyone else.”

It didn’t matter if she had a boyfriend or not. It still didn’t change the fact she was going to be alone with Tyler, wearing a short, skimpy dress. I wasn’t stupid. “How do you know she’s not like that?” I asked. “And where is her boyfriend while she’s in a room with a half-naked ex?”

“I don’t know about all of that, but I do know he’s here at the hotel. I’ve seen them together. Gabriella and I work out at the same gym and when we met, I thought we got along great. Then everything went in the shitter when she found out I was friends with your brother. She didn’t want to have anything to do with me afterward. I kept telling her I’m not like him, but she’s hardheaded. I’ll wear her down though.”

I rolled my eyes. “That would be great, maybe it would keep her away from Tyler,” I mumbled, clenching my teeth.

Groaning, Paxton ran his hands through his dark hair. “Jesus Christ, Kacey, what the hell is wrong with you?” he spat, his deep voice full of concern. “You’re not just fucking him, you’re in love, aren’t you? Do you know what Kyle would do if he found out about this? Does Tyler even know he’s your brother?”

Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes and shook my head. “No. I was going to tell him this week before the title fight. I was afraid he’d think I was just like my brother. I knew he’d hate me once I told him.”

“But you’re
not
like your brother, Kacey. You deserve so much better than Tyler. He’s just as bad as the rest of the fighters. No matter what though, you know this is going to end badly, right? Tyler fucking hates me and if he finds out we have a past, along with dumping the shit on him about your brother, it’s going to be one hell of a mess.”

Shrugging, I lifted my arms in the air. “I don’t think it matters anyway. It’s probably over. If Gabriella doesn’t mess everything up, I’m pretty sure my brother will. He’s already started playing his tricks on me.”

“What do you mean?”

We finally arrived at the hotel, and luckily, I didn’t see Tyler’s truck.
Thank God for small favors.
Paxton pulled us into the parking lot, shut off the car, and we both got out. Knowing my luck, Tyler would pull up any minute and see us together.

Bumping me in the shoulder, Paxton lifted his brows when I looked up at him. “What did he do, Kacey?”

When we got inside of the hotel, I took his hand and pulled him to a secluded corner so we wouldn’t be out in the open. “What doesn’t he do?” I grumbled. “Kyle’s been sneaking around trying to barge into my life. I’ve been ignoring his calls, so he said he’s going to find ways to get updates on me. Well, just the other week he did that by using someone else. I’m pretty sure you know him.”

Paxton stiffened, his jaw tense. “Who?”

“Liam. Kyle had gotten him to hit on me at the bar I worked at, so he could take me on a date. That way, he could ask me questions and Kyle would know what was going on.”

“And did you go on the date?” he snapped.

“Yeah, I did, but when Tyler found out, he called to warn me. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would’ve happened. I bitched Liam out and then called to let Kyle have it.”

Paxton put his hands on my shoulders and looked down into my eyes, his voice laced in fury. “That fucker didn’t touch you, did he? I can’t believe your cocksucking brother would do that. Liam’s worse than him.”

“Tell me about it. I heard the stories.”

Sighing, Paxton pulled me into his arms and held me tight. I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist, wishing like hell that my life could be easier.

“I’m sorry about your grandmother, Kace,” he murmured softly, releasing me from his hold. “I want you to call me if you need anything, okay? You don’t have to worry about your brother with me.”

“Thanks, Pax. I’ll text you my new number.”

He smiled down at me, but then it disappeared when his gaze lingered on something behind me.

“What?” I asked. Turning around, I saw it was none other than Gabriella walking through the door. I half expected Tyler to be with her, but he wasn’t, which only meant he probably wasn’t far behind. Paxton watched her until she disappeared around the corner. I’d seen that same look many years ago, when he was interested in me.

“Just to give you a heads up, I think my brother wants her too.”

Instantly, his nostrils flared and he glared down at me. “You can’t be fucking serious. Is he going to try anything with her?”

“I don’t know,” I replied truthfully. “But if you talk to her, I’d warn her. After what he did to her brother, I know she must loathe him. And when Kyle wants something, he’ll go after it. I think after that whole fight with Jaden, it really got him hard up.”

“Well, whatever happens I’m not going to let him anywhere near her. I’ll do what I have to do, but I’m not going to let your brother fucking touch her.”

About that time, I turned to look at the door and Tyler stormed in, heading straight for the hallway leading to our room. Paxton saw him too and nodded his head for me to go, but Tyler turned his head and saw us, his face full of rage.

“Fuck me,” Paxton grumbled, pulling me behind him. “Here we go . . .”

“Pax, what are you doing? He’s not going to hurt me.”

“That may be so, Kace, but he’s a fighter and you’re talking to me. He doesn’t know we know each other.”

Shit, this isn’t going to be good.

I had to admit, it was sexy as hell seeing the jealous gleam in his eyes, but it was also scary with the way his muscles tightened, coiled for a fight.

“If you don’t get your fucking hands off of her this very second, I’m going to rip your head off,” Tyler hissed low as he approached.

Paxton let me go and held his arms out to the side, part way to keep me shielded and to also show he didn’t want any trouble. In the past, he would rise to any occasion to fight, but now he was more responsible. I liked the new Pax.