Breaking to Breathe Read online

  When the doors opened to the public, the party went from intimate and fun to large and exciting. People from all the surrounding areas showed up to celebrate. Once the word spread that Your Toxic Sequel was the live entertainment, a line formed around the block of people waiting to get in.

  “We did it, Catey.” Elliot gave Cate a one armed hug as they stood back and watched the organized chaos rage on.

  “So tell me, Ells, did you know about the little side show Max was planning?” Elliot shrugged, her smile was contagious as both women stood there smiling like fools.

  “It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” Cate nodded, the image of Janie’s face, so enamored by Max and blissed out with happiness stamped on her memory banks. “Max wanted it to be perfect. But I’ll tell you, it was really hard to keep that secret.”

  Cate wondered aloud, “Did Lyla know?”

  “Yeah,” Elliot seemed surprised that Cate would even ask such a ridiculous question. “Max asked for her permission.” Ells leveled a serious stare on her, “Wouldn’t you want the man you love to ask your family for your hand in marriage?” Cate cringed at the thought. As if sensing her anxiety, Elliot added, “Your family Catey, not the people who brought you into this world, but those who’ve loved you since you got here… so…Me.” Elliot finished her statement with her hands on her hips, looking proud of the lines she drew and the destination they reached.

  “Absolutely, Ells. If I ever decide to marry, the guy needs to ask your permission. And you better give it damn it, ‘cause who knows how often that opportunity will come around.” Cate snickered at her own joke, but inside she realized she well may be telling the truth.

  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lyla, Janie, and Max hanging out over by the pool tables, exhilaration clear on their three faces as Lyla used her hands to tell a story of some sort. The triad then hugged, and Max laced his fingers through Janie’s and led her over to his best friend, Gage. Cate noticed some of the luster fade on Lyla’s face as the beautiful brunette left the back bar and moved toward the main room.

  “Hey, did you hear me?” Elliot waved her hand over Cate’s face, bringing her attention back to the topic they’d been discussing before Cate spaced out. “I said, you bet your sweet ass, I’ll give the guy who wants to take you from me the third degree, but I have a feeling, I’m gonna really like the man you end up with.”

  “No guy will ever come between us, Ells. Man or not.” Cate hip checked her friend as they moved into the kitchen to access what was left of the food.

  “Oh, hey girls,” the frazzled look on Julie’s ever calm face was concerning to say the least. “Apparently we’re running low on brownies and cookies.” Julie shrugged, her faux blasé attitude needed work, but Cate would discuss that after fixing the problem.

  “Juls, no problem, I’ll just run out to the twenty-four hour market and pick up store bought goodies.” Cate giggled at Julie’s cringe. Clearly the woman had an obvious dislike for premade desserts. That’s why she’d taken on the responsibility of making all of the pastries for the event.

  “I didn’t expect so many people,” Julie offered up by way of an explanation.

  “We’re good at our job,” Elliot said with a bubbly smile before singing out, “That’s what we do, Shout It Out.”

  “Oh boy,” Cate moved her hand over her face and closed her eyes, “Seriously, Ells, it was embarrassing then and it’s embarrassing now. I’ll be back shortly.” Grabbing her coat and keys, she left the bar.

  “I’m gonna grab a smoke; you wanna come?” Kyle plucked a cigarette out of his pack.

  “Yeah, I’ll be a minute,” Ando responded uncertainly. Poor guy had woman draped around him like snakes, and he seemed more abashed then excited.

  Kyle made his way through the noisy kitchen, to the back door thinking about the evening. While the night was definitely a success with the amazing turn out and Max’s epic proposal to Janie, Kyle couldn’t wait for it to be over. He’d avoided Cate for long enough, knowing the minute he got her within arm’s reach, he’d never let her go. The evening had been busy, but it was time. He didn’t want to fight it any…

  “What? No, go away!” A voice shrilled

  “I watched you; I know you want it.”

  “Get off me!..No..No..” Kyle’s blood froze in his veins. Time stopped moving as the familiar female screams coming from the alley on the other side of the door pierced his heart.

  “Shut it, whore.” Metal crashing against cinderblock was the next sound heard as Kyle leaped on the punk who’d had just landed a punch to Lyla’s face.

  A veil of red slid over his vision, causing all reason to flee as Kyle pounded on the attacker. “You think you’re so tough?” Punch. “Big fucking man, aren’t you? Gotta get your dick wet by taking what she wouldn’t give ya?” Punch, punch. Kyle finally had the man far enough away from Lyla that he chanced a glance to see if she was okay. There she lay crumbled on the dirty ground, her eyes closed, not moving. “I‘ll kill you, motherfucker. I’ll kill you.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Ando growled, coming through the door and trying to pull Kyle away from the perpetrator. “Kyle, man, he’s had enough. He can barely stand, buddy. Let me help you.”

  “Not me,” Kyle screamed, his voice rough as fear and adrenalin coursed through him, “Ando, help Lyla. Now...” Kyle had the attacker up against the wall, a steady stream of blood trickled from his swollen eyes and cracked lips. Yet it wasn’t good enough. Kyle wanted more. Pulling back to land another blow, his move was stopped by a roar he was sure no man could ever make. With his fist paused mid-air, Kyle looked to his right to see both Gage and Danny forcing their way into the ally.

  “Sebastian, stop!” Danny thwarted Gage’s war before the first proverbial shot was fired. Still detaining the fucker who spilled Lyla’s blood, Kyle stared over his shoulder at the enormous man who had made disliking him a sport for over a decade. He watched as Gage’s eyes shifted between the attacker and the tiny woman barely conscious on the ground with Ando by her side. And in that slip of a second, Sebastian Gage taught Kyle a lesson he’d not soon forget. Sparing no more than a second glance, he appeared to let go of his need for retribution, and he knelt on the ground next to the woman he’d barely spoken to for over a year.

  There was no doubt in Kyle’s mind that Gage would have killed the guy who dared lay his hands on Lyla, hurting her and leaving her helpless, but Kyle knew deep down that Lyla meant something to the big guy. So when given the choice, he chose her. Just like Kyle would always choose Cate. God, he needed her. He needed to see her, to hold her, to know that she was okay, untouched by all of the mayhem that unfolded. Where the hell was she?

  Within seconds of Gage and Danny’s involvement, the Charistown P.D. showed up for the question and answer portion of the evening while the paramedics tended to Lyla’s wounds. They strongly suggested she go to the hospital with them, and she strongly suggested she didn’t.

  Kyle shook his head, a small grin emerged. “At least she’s acting like herself,” he said to no one in particular since the bar had all but cleared out the minute the squad cars left; leaving him and the rest of the staff to start the clean-up.

  “Elliot, Christ, I’ve been searching for you. Where the hell is Cate?” His poor new friend looked bedraggled and exhausted. Clearly this was the first grand re-opening and assault party she had ever thrown. Bad joke, buddy. He chided himself for his unsavory humor.

  “Kyle, are you okay?” Standing on her tip-toes, she gave him a huge hug. “I’ve been panicked. How’s Lyla?”

  “Ells, I’m fine, just pissed as hell that that son of a bitch had his hands on her at all. As for Lyla, physically, she pretty bruised up, but it could have been a lot worse.” Memories of how she shut herself off from the group at large the previous year tugged at his heart. “I’m not sure how she’ll be after tonight. We’ll just have to wait and see. Now, where’s Cate. Please don’t tell me she saw any of this shit go down.”

  Brigh
t sparkle lit back into Elliot’s cornflower eyes. “Are you kidding? Kyle, I protect my girl the best way I can. Cate was already out of the building picking up more food. As soon as word spread about Lyla, I sent my stubborn partner on a goose chase to find brownies that are no longer manufactured in Pennsylvania.” Kyle laughed…hard. “I just texted her and told her to forget about the brownies, and come back here. I said the crowd had thinned out and the extra food wasn’t needed.” Elliot’s lip curled. “It’s not a complete lie.”

  Still chuckling Kyle gave Elliot an extra squeeze. “You are the best. Can you send her my way when she gets here? It’s time we talk.” Elliot smiled, giving him a knowing nod and heading back into the kitchen.

  “Hey, man,” a huge hand clapped on Kyle’s shoulder. “You got a minute?” In more than ten years of their acquaintance, Gage had only sought him out once. It was around the time Max’s then wife, Chloe, had been caught cheating on him. Kyle inadvertently connected the dots that led to the discovery and heartbreak for Max. For a reason still unknown to Kyle and, at this point, ancient history, Gage blamed him for the deceit. For years, the two men avoided each other, each staying loyal to Max but away from the other. Until the infamous Sunday Dinner Debacle when Kyle lost his shit on Lyla, sending her into four days of silence; it refueled Gage’s anger and kept the cold war going.

  “Uh, sure—I thought you’d be with Lyla. Is she okay?” Kyle quickly scanned the bar but saw only staff and cleaners underfoot.

  There was obvious tension and maybe even pain in Gage’s normally arctic eyes. “She’s fine. She wanted Julie and Danny with her. She made us promise not to tell Max and Janie what happened until tomorrow. Crazy girl wants them to have their special night.” Gage grunted, respect for Lyla flashed over his face. Max and Janie had left the party much earlier so they could celebrate their engagement privately. While Kyle knew Janie would be furious tomorrow, he completely understood why Lyla made her request.

  “Look man, I made mistakes back then…with Max. I left when I should’ve stayed.” Kyle knew very little about the three years Gage and Max didn’t speak. “You were a new friend put in an impossible position, and you handled it better than I did.” Gage scrubbed his hand through his shoulder length black hair. “You were a friend, and I was a dick. I’m sorry.” Kyle stood there silently. Not because he didn’t accept Gage’s apology, but because he had no words to respond.

  Clearly uncomfortable with the dead air, Gage continued to speak. “She doesn’t realize how she affects me or how fucking special she is.” Kyle’s mind changed topics with Gage and moved seamlessly into discussing Lyla. “But she is. She’s fucking everything.”

  “Yeah.” Finally retaining his speech, Kyle agreed. “She’s my sister. I’d do anything for her, Gage.”

  The arctic eyes melted a bit when Gage nodded. “I know, brother. And thanks to you, I didn’t have to. I wouldn’t have stopped, Kyle. I would have killed him. So thank you. I’ve been busting my balls for months to put my shit in order, but you gave me the kick in the ass I needed to hurry that shit up and finally make me claim my girl. She’s a feisty little thing.” Gage smirked. Just the barest hint of a smile and when Kyle looked down there in front of him was Gage’s extended hand.

  “You’re welcome, man.” Kyle nodded and met Gage’s palm with his own and then watched in awe as the man walked out the door and into the night.

  This Punk Own This Place

  WITH ALL OF the patrons gone and only staff and clean-up crew milling left, Kyle sat on a crate behind the bar, restocking glassware and facing liquor bottles. It was this mindless work most people hated that he seemed to enjoy. Truth be told, there wasn’t a single task he didn’t appreciate doing when it came to Danny’s…except for cleaning the bathrooms, ech, that kind of sucked. Elliot promised she’d send Cate to find him when she returned from her brownie fieldtrip, and he was still awaiting her arrival.

  While the first half of the night had been amazing, the second half had more of a fucked up Twilight Zone feel, and he was looking forward to closing the lights and heading home. He’d had enough crazy for one night.

  “We’d like to see Cathryn Lockton. Run and grab her for us… please.” Kyle rose slowly from the crate, his gut reacting immediately with warning that things were about to turn nasty.

  “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” Scrubbing his hand around his neck, he stared at the disheveled couple, incapable of masking the disgust that invaded his already raw nerves.

  “I beg your pardon?” The woman had the gall to look affronted.

  “So…you’re the parents.” He already knew the answer. Therefore he didn’t wait for their response as he crossed his muscled arms over his broad chest and scowled.

  “And you are?”

  Ignoring their question, Kyle began to speak. “I know for a fact Cate doesn’t want to see either of you. So I’m gonna need you to leave.”

  “Now you listen here, you little punk,” Ron pointed his boney finger at Kyle, “Cathryn is our daughter, and we demand to speak to her.”

  “No.”

  “Oh look, Ron, he likes our little girl. How nice. Seems as though she has him fooled with her woe-is-me story and her damsel in distress act. But he’ll see. Girls like Cathryn are a dime a dozen. Do yourself a favor, serve a few more drinks, save up your tips… and get yourself a different girl. She’s not worth it.”

  Cate stood there in the doorway, unable to move or speak. When she returned ten minutes prior from the ridiculous scavenger hunt Elliot sent her on, she demanded to know what happened in her absence that turned Danny’s on Main from party central to a ghost town. Elliot gave her the Cliff’s Notes version while practically begging her to talk to a patiently waiting Kyle. Grateful for his safety and relieved to finally have some one-on-one time with him, Cate made her way to the front bar only to hear her parent’s poisonous words filling the air.

  “In the meantime, pass a message on to Cathryn for us. You tell her if she doesn’t give us the money we asked for and soon, this quiet little life she built for herself is gonna go poof.” Her stomach dropped at her father’s threat. The last thing Cate wanted was to have to explain her past to Kyle while she was forced to relive it time and time again.

  “We have no problems telling the world exactly where she is and what she’s doing. The rags pay good money for stories like that.” Cate watched as Kyle’s eyes narrowed at her mother’s threat. What must be going through his head?

  Kyle walked out from behind the bar. He kept his distance, but there was no masking the irritation in his stance. “Tsk Tsk—I’ve spent my entire life dealing with shit parents like the two of you, and do you know what I learned? You’re all the same. You’re arrogant enough to hide your secrets out in the open.” Kyle stepped closer to her folks, his tall stature clearly intimidating to her father, as seen by the way the man’s eyes widened with each inch Kyle removed between them.

  “I’ve watched every single minute of footage, read every article, and seen every photo of Cate after her kidnapping. Every single one.” Kyle cracked his knuckles and shook his head. “And what I saw made me sick.” Cate’s stomach churned. How had Kyle known about the disaster that became the next few years of her life? He knew everything…and it made him sick? Oh god, how the hell was she going to face him after this?

  “How was it possible that no one ever caught on to the fucked up game you two were playing with your own kids? Identical or not, the differences in those girls were obvious.” Stunned stone still, Cate had no choice but to listen as Kyle raged on in her defense. “No one noticed when the sparkle in Cate’s eyes was gone? It was there when she was rescued from what most would call the biggest tragedy anyone could go through, but not a trace of that gleam was apparent about a year after being in what should have been a loving home?” There was no hiding the snarky insinuation in Kyle’s voice.

  “How about the changes in ‘Cate’s’ skin? It was amazing how that little girl went from the
most flawless ivory skin for the first year to having two small birthmarks on the right side of her neck. Just so you know, I’ve worshiped that neck, and it’s still flawless and perfect and beautiful just like the woman it’s attached to.” Cate could barely breathe. No one had ever noticed that before. She used to watch the interviews and stare at the pictures and shudder with frustration over how people could be completely blind to their obvious differences. But not Kyle. She’s accused him of not seeing her when really he was the only one who ever had. “I took one glance at those two little girls and saw two completely different people. How you couldn’t—how the world couldn’t—is a fucking disgrace.” Kyle’s anger was evident his hatred on her behalf crystal clear, she swore his eyes were flaming as they bore holes through her parents.

  Shallow breaths and silent tears wracked her body as she watched her parents appear to be shrinking in Kyle’s presence. Her father breathed deep, but before his first word saw air, Kyle cut it off.

  “Stop. Turn around and walk your asses out that door before I get pissed and call those rags you love so much. I bet they’d love to do some digging on the parents of a kidnapped child who used all the child’s money to pull themselves out of financial debt. Even if it meant swapping the victim out with her twin to make it happen.”

  Kyle stared down at her parents, and his smile was maniacal as he landed the final blow. “The media loves stories where the parents steal money that was supposed to go into trust for a child to receive on her eighteenth birthday. I’m gonna venture a guess that Cate never received her birthday gift, did she?”

  Cate couldn’t see her parent’s faces from the angle she stood, but she could hear the strain in their voice. “You can’t prove anything.”

  “I can and I will. Now get the fuck out of my bar.” Her parents’ heads quirked up at Kyle’s revelation. “That’s right, this punk owns this place—get out!” Kyle boomed, his voice echoed through the otherwise quiet bar, making her parents jump as they moved for the door.