Breaking Her Bad by Michelle Mankin
Kyle
Outside Martin’s compound, Claire launched herself at me. That hurt physically, but inside where all the stuff that mattered was, it scored deeper.
She was unharmed. She was mine. I was free.
Relieved, I wrapped my arms around her tight. “I love you. With all I am, I love you.”
“Oh, Kyle,” she said, and I could hear the tears in her voice. “I love you too.”
As we held each other tightly, I inhaled her flowery fragrance. It washed away the darkness. I absorbed it all—her hug, her concern, her affection. Though I still hurt like hell and my feet remained on the ground, my heart soared.
Behind us, Barry’s eyes met mine. He read me, read all I processed. He’d had losses too, and still found love worth living and dying for, like I had. All of us had—Tommy, Rachel, Addy, Missy . . . and Claire.
Without words having to be spoken, we all came together. On a cracked sidewalk outside a monster’s compound, with graffiti everywhere and trash all around, we formed two circles. An inner one that was Claire and me, and an outer one that included everyone else.
Family wasn’t just who you were born to . . . it was who you would risk everything for.
When we eased back, I tried to lighten the mood. “Incredible the effort Addy will expend to make sure her Tuesday act shows up.”
“Yes, indeed.” Addy cracked a grin. “Depends on the act, of course. Yours being worth the expenditure.” Her greenish-blue eyes glittered. “You get that now, right?”
“I do.” Tipping my gaze to Claire first, I said, “Because of you.”
She smiled. My woman got me. “Because of all of us.”
“Right.” I looked around at each of them, my eyes burning with emotion. “Thanks, guys.”
“For nothing,” Rachel said, but her eyes said more.
“Welcome to the ABCR family,” Barry boomed.
“And don’t forget the next-generation one, Pop.” Tommy then looked at me. “Glad you’re okay, man.”
“Thanks to you.” I gave him a chin lift, my eyes as bright as his, and turned my gaze to Missy with emotion. “And you.”
She slung it right back at me. “Thanks to you, Kyle. You must be a friend to have them. You certainly did your own part keeping it together in there.” Her icy eyes got melty. “Man, you look bad.”
Missy came close and gave me a one-armed hug, a careful one.
Then Claire took her place, her rightful one with me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, Claire held me not careful at all, but super tight.
The pain receded. My woman had superpowers. She overlooked the bad and made it good. I saw good and made her mine. Now it was time to officially claim it, claim her as a free man.
I framed that beautiful face I loved in my battered hands, pouring all I felt for her in my gaze. I’d already said the words. Now it was time to show her.
Rachel let out a frustrated huff. “Oh my God, just kiss her already.”
So I did. I kissed my woman deep, hard, and long.
Someone cleared their throat, but I ignored them, ignored everything but Claire.
I wasn’t finished yet.