Thunderstruck: An MMA Bad Boy Romance Read online

  His lips tighten, and he shakes his head. “Fuck.”

  “So, you remember?”

  “Yeah. I remember finding her there. Uninvited. And almost losing my job because I wouldn’t screw my boss.”

  “You didn’t sleep with her?” Hope flashes.

  “No.” There’s venom in the word. “Of course, I didn’t fuck her. You really think that little of me? We were together. At least I believed we were.”

  Then why had he spent the past months avoiding me? I feel sick.

  “I thought—”

  “That I ran to the first pair of tits the moment my bed got cold?” He chuckles darkly and his nostrils flare. “Is that what you needed to believe in order to be with him? To make you not feel so guilty about tossing one brother away for the other?”

  A cold chill trickles down my spine.

  “You think…” I shake my head, unable to even comprehend what he’s saying. “You think I was with Colin?”

  “It’s a little difficult to hide the evidence, darling.” He glances down at my stomach.

  Goose bumps prickle my skin as the pieces of our fucked-up relationship start to slowly come together in my mind.

  A sharp pain slices through my stomach, but I’m too numb to even react. I stand there, staring at him, hoping that this is all a huge joke.

  Chapter 13

  Thunder

  Shit.

  Yeah, I’m a fucking asshole. The minute I say the words I want to pull them back.

  “I shouldn’t have said that,” I say quickly, but already the damage is done.

  But hell, maybe it’s better to get all the cards out on the table. Because there’s a part of me that could forgive her for running off with him, now that I know she thought I’d been with someone else.

  “I understand why you did it now.”

  “Why I did it,” she spits out. Her eyes pierce me with a glare. “You really believe I slept with Colin? He’s… like a brother to me. I’d never…”

  The way she says it makes me second guess myself. But I saw her in his room. Wearing only a damn towel.

  And then there’d been the text from Colin, bragging that she was with him.

  At least that’s the way I’d read it at the time.

  It was the same weekend she would have thought she saw me with Jennifer. I drag my fingers through my hair and exhale heavily, trying to remember all the details.

  I pounded on the hotel door, ready to put my fist through Colin’s face the moment he answered.

  There’d been anger that matched my own in his eyes when he’d met me at the door. “You’re a real fuck up, you know that?”

  I glanced down at his bare chest, the towel wrapped around his waist, and I saw red.

  “Where is she?” I pushed past him and froze when I saw her coming out of the bathroom.

  Wearing nothing but a towel, hair a tousled mess, lips red and swollen, eyes bloodshot like she’d been up all night.

  With him.

  My heart stopped.

  There’s no denying what happened between them.

  And in that moment, I knew I’d lost her.

  Or maybe she was never mine to have.

  Bullshit.

  She is mine.

  Or at least I’m going to make sure she knows it now.

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “Blame me?”

  “I know how you feel about him. How you’ve always felt about him.”

  She laughs but there’s no humor in it. “How I feel about him?”

  “Just tell me now. Are you still in love with him?”

  She shakes her head, but her words come out harsh and clipped. “No, Thunder. I’m not in love with Colin and never have been.”

  I blow out a heavy breath, then take a step towards her. But she moves away quickly and puts her hand up to stop me.

  “Do you know what our problem is?” she says, softly. Too soft. And it makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise. “We don’t really know each other. Not really.”

  “Of course we do.” I step towards her, but she keeps moving away.

  “No.” She shakes her head, and this time there aren’t any tears. Just cold, hard acceptance. “We talk. But we don’t communicate. Everything that's important we keep from each other.”

  “That’s not true. No one knows me like you do.”

  “Maybe. But that’s not saying much, is it? Do you ever let anyone in?”

  “I let you in.”

  “Enough that you’re willing to help raise your brother’s bastard.” She spits out the word.

  The way she says the last word makes me wince.

  “Why?” Her voice is raised now, face a dark shade of red. “Why would you do that? For him? For me? Help me understand what you’re thinking. Because for the life of me I have no fucking clue.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “What? Be honest?”

  “Push me away. I’m trying here. Am I fucking happy you’re having my brother’s kid? No. But I’m dealing with it. I think that’s worth something. It’s more than Colin is willing to do.”

  “God. You’re so blind.” She’s starting to get hysterical, and when I try to put my hands on her, she pushes me away. “I thought this was about us. But this whole time it’s been about Colin. About you besting him. Your stupid jealousy.”

  “It has nothing to do with him.”

  “Everything you do is about him.”

  I know there’s some truth to her words, but it’s not the whole truth.

  “Maybe you’re right. I go insane when I think about him touching you, kissing you. When I think about you wanting him instead of me. You’re the only goddamn thing in this world I’ve ever wanted to be mine alone. So yeah, it makes me fucking crazy thinking he had you.”

  We stand there in silence, gazes locked, a myriad of emotions flickering across her beautiful face.

  Finally, she opens her mouth, and when she speaks, her words are barely audible, “He never had me.”

  “What?” Something hard slams into my chest—hope mixed with dread, knowing what her words mean. And what a fuck-up I’ve been.

  “Kennedy?”

  She looks up at me, only regret in her eyes. “It’s always been you.”

  I open my mouth, ready to argue, when I see the color drain from her face.

  “Thunder?” There’s fear in her eyes, and she grasps her stomach with one hand, the other reaching out frantically to find something to hold onto. “Something’s… wrong.”

  I barely have time to catch her when her eyes roll back and her body crumples to the floor.

  Blood.

  It's the only thing I see.

  Dark. Red. It runs down her legs, and when I pull her into my arms, I can feel the warm stickiness coating my hands, my chest.

  “Kennedy, look at me,” I yell, holding her tight against my chest.

  Her eyes flutter open, but she doesn’t respond.

  Fear, like nothing I’ve ever felt before, strangles me. And for a split second I stand there paralyzed, not knowing what to do.

  Call a fucking ambulance, my brain screams.

  With her in my arms, I manage to find my phone and make the call.

  I thought losing her to my brother was bad, but this, feeling her life slip away in my arms, is the worst fucking thing I’ve ever felt, and I know if she doesn’t survive, neither will I.

  Chapter 14

  Kennedy

  Cold.

  That’s what I feel.

  Cold, icy fingers that snake through my veins, freezing me from the inside out.

  “Kennedy, look at me.” Thunder’s voice reaches through the darkness, but as hard as I try, I can’t.

  There are other voices.

  Sirens.

  Bright lights.

  It’s like a terrible dream I can’t wake up from.

  “My baby.” My voice is a faint whisper. I plea for my child’s life.

  “It’s okay. You’re
going to be all right.”

  But I know in my heart I won’t be.

  “Promise me,” I whisper against his chest.

  “Promise you what, sweetheart?” he asks, the distress in his voice confirming how bad this is.

  “Take care of our baby.”

  “No. Don’t do that. You’re going to be fine. And we’re going to be a family. You and me, and our daughter. That’s what I promise you.”

  I want to believe him, but the cold is gone, replaced by nothing, and the last thing I hear as I let the darkness take me, is Thunder screaming my name.

  Chapter 15

  Thunder

  My hands are shaking, my clothes still covered in blood, Kennedy’s blood, as I pull out my cell and make the call I’ve been dreading.

  “What?” Colin’s voice is hard on the other end when he picks up.

  “Don’t hang up,” I say quickly.

  “Give me a reason why I shouldn’t, asshole.”

  “Kennedy,” I say, my voice catching on her name.

  Silence.

  “Where are you?”

  “The hospital. She’s… fuck, there was so much blood, and she…”

  There’s a harsh intake of breath on the other end. “Is she all right?”

  “I…” I drag my fingers through my hair and close my eyes, the image of her pale face flashing in my mind. “I don’t know. No one’s told me anything.”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  I hang up, and sit down in one of the hard chairs and place my face in my palms, praying to whatever god will hear me that she’ll be all right. But how the hell can one person lose that much blood and survive?

  She hemorrhaged. That’s all I’ve been told. A tear in her placenta, or something. They rushed her into surgery the moment we arrived by ambulance, and I haven’t seen her or anyone who can give me any real fucking information since.

  “Mr. Forrester,” A male nurse about my age stands in front of me, holding a pair of hospital pants and a shirt. “I thought you might like to change before you met your daughter.”

  I practically jump from my seat. “My dau-daughter…” I stutter. “She’s all right?”

  “She is.”

  “And Kennedy?”

  I don’t miss the man’s frown. “She’s still in surgery. But I’ll let you know when she’s out. Go get cleaned up and I’ll take you to the nursery.”

  “Right.” I take the clothes from him and go to one of the restrooms to change.

  My eyes are bloodshot, my face pale, as I wash the blood from my hands, then splash cold water on my cheeks. Strength. I need it now.

  I have a daughter.

  A little girl.

  My little girl.

  I know that now.

  The fucking pieces of the puzzle that had been missing all these months, finally fitting into place.

  Kennedy was right. I was blind. And stupid. But I won’t make that same mistake again. Won’t let either of them down, ever again.

  The male nurse leads me through the halls, past rooms with cooing mothers and screaming newborns. When he leads me into a large room with a dozen empty cribs, and points at the one where a small, pink bundle is sleeping, I’m flayed. My heart torn open. A rush of love I never thought possible floods from every cell in my body.

  “Can I hold her?” I ask.

  The nurse smiles and nods, picking the small bundle up and placing her in my arms.

  She’s perfect. And so, fucking tiny.

  “Have you decided on a name?”

  I swallow hard. Because it isn’t something we talked about. Hell, I only knew Kennedy was expecting a little more than a week ago, and up until today, I’d thought the baby was Colin’s. I hadn’t thought of names. Hadn’t thought it was my right.

  But this baby. This little girl. She’s mine. Just like her mother. And together we would name her. But even as I think it, one name pops into my mind. Hope. Because that’s what she is. Hope of a future. Of a family.

  Chapter 16

  Kennedy

  My head feels like an elephant is sitting on it, and when I try to open my eyes, they stay shut.

  I moan, panicking when I try to move and feel the tubes yank at my arm and around my nose.

  “Careful,” Thunder’s voice is around me, his hands large and warm on my face. “You’re okay. Everything’s all right.”

  I blink, slowly opening my eyes. “The baby…”

  “She’s healthy. And beautiful.” He kisses my forehead, and for the first time in my life I swear I see a shimmer of tears in his eyes.

  “Then… what’s wrong?”

  “I thought… God, Kennedy. I thought I lost you.” He kisses me again. My nose. My cheeks. My lips. “I can’t lose you, sweetheart. Ever.”

  My heart skips; those butterflies that only dance for him, flutter around in my stomach. But even more pressing is the need to see my baby.

  “Can I see her?”

  “Of course.” He straightens and moves around the room, crouching to pick up a swaddled bundle from the cradle.

  When he leans over, shifting her in his arms so I can see her, I’m struck by how perfect she is. But a shadow falls over my joy as I remember the fight we’d been in before everything went black.

  “Liam.” I use his real name, needing him to know the truth. To really hear me.

  “Yeah?”

  “She’s… she’s yours. I never…”

  He gives a half smile, but there’s a sadness in his eyes. “I know. I should have always known. I was too blinded by jealousy to see the truth. But I promise you it won’t happen again. Just give me a chance.”

  I nod, feeling the weight lift. “We were both fools. I should have trusted you too. Should have told you.”

  “It’s the past.” He glances down at our daughter. “This is the future. And I think it looks very good.”

  I’m so exhausted, but I try to keep my eyes open. “We have to give her a name? I was thinking Eva for my grandmother, but she doesn’t look like an Eva.”

  Thunder smiles, then says, “I like the name Hope.”

  “Hope,” I whisper, a rightness settling in my heart. “Hope Eva Forrester. It’s perfect.”

  This time there’s no hiding the tears that fill Thunder’s eyes. He leans closer and whispers, “It is perfect. Just one thing is missing.”

  “What?”

  “Her mom should share her name.”

  My mouth opens because I’m not sure I understand what he’s meaning. “Thunder?”

  “I like when you call me Liam. But you know what I’d like even more? For you to call me your husband. Will you marry me, Kennedy?”

  “Yes! God, of course, yes.”

  “It’s about fucking time,” Colin says from the door, holding a large bouquet of lilies and an oversized teddy bear.

  I chuckle then glance back at Thunder to gage his reaction. He just smiles at his brother, and I see something pass between them—forgiveness.

  “I don’t want to interrupt,” Colin says, placing the flowers and bear on the windowsill, then moving towards his brother, and placing a hand gently on Hope’s head. “But I did want to meet my niece.”

  “Hope,” I say, smiling. “Her name's Hope.”

  Colin grins, “Sounds about right.” He pats Thunder on the shoulder and whispers something in his ear that has him grinning, then leans down to kiss my forehead. “You know the two of you nearly gave me a coronary this past year, but I’m glad you finally figured your shit out.”

  Thunder is quiet for a moment after his brother has left.

  “What did he say to you?” I ask, when he puts Hope back in her cradle.

  Thunder shrugs, but gives me a sheepish grin. “Told me he’s glad I finally got my head out of my ass. And…” He rubs the back of his neck, wincing slightly when he admits, “That he loves me.”

  “He does,” I say. “We both do.”

  “I know that now.” He crouches beside me and takes my hand. “
And I love you, so much.”

  A smile tugs at my lips, but weariness overwhelms me, and as hard as I try to stay awake I can’t.

  “Thunder…”

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

  I close my eyes knowing he will be. Trusting that finally, everything will be all right. That despite all our bumpy roads, and miscommunications, we’ll finally get our happy ever after, and it all starts with Hope.

  Epilogue

  Thunder

  Thunder.

  Thunder.

  Thunder.

  Voices boom around me. Cheering. Some taunting. A few booing. But I don’t care. I love being in the ring. Love the adrenaline rush. But even better is the knowledge that my wife and daughter are waiting for me back in the hotel room.

  It’s been a year since my little girl was born, and seven months since Kennedy finally said I do, making me the happiest fucker in the world.

  I couldn’t be happier.

  But when I got the call asking me for a title fight, I knew I had to do it. Win or lose, I never turn down a fight.

  I beat one fist over my heart, where Kennedy and Hope’s names are tattooed across my chest, then shove my mouthpiece in my mouth, and grin at my opponent, who looks utterly terrified to be standing in the same ring as me.

  The bell rings and the fight starts, with the kid swinging wildly. I let him land a few blows. I don’t want to embarrass the little prick. But he has nothing on me.

  One upper cut.

  A shot to the ribs.

  And a swift kidney shot have the guy stumbling back into the cage.

  Gab.

  Gab.

  Kick.

  The kid’s eyes roll back, and the next thing I know the ref is holding my hand above my head announcing me as winner by TKO.

  More cheers.

  The camera is in my face, announcer asking me questions.

  “What changed, Thunder? You retired. What made you decide to come back to the cage?”