Cravings (Fierce Hearts) (20 page)

Kennedy’s father walked through the door from the back office. “You’ve certainly made a mess of things, Daren.” Without pause, Jonathon slammed his fist into Daren’s face, knocking him to the floor unconscious. “What’s going on here?”

Kennedy marched unflinching up to her father and drew back her right arm. Without a word, she unleashed her fist into his face. She put him to the floor. “Get up, Father. I have a few things to say to you and Mother.”

Jonathon crawled to his feet, staring daggers at Kennedy. “Don’t talk to me like that. I’m your father. Show respect.”

Kennedy exchanged a look with Asher, then surveyed her mother. Twisting her head to face her father, she spit at him. “You’re not my father. You, Jonathon, do not deserve anything from me except contempt. That’s it, plain and simple. The next time I see you, I hope you’re inside a jail cell. You’re nothing but a criminal.”

Jonathon’s face was stone. He twisted a grin at Kennedy, and chuckled. “You mean nothing to me, you little bitch. But you will do as we’ve planned. Nothing can stop us. You’ll be implanted. You will become one of the were-lynx warriors. You will be Daren’s aide and do whatever you are told. You will help remove obstacles with your new power and strength. And when you kill Daren, you will take his place in the campaign for vice presidency. It’s your destiny, you brat.” He turned his glare on Asher. “Release my wife.”

Anger, quiet and thoughtful, burned in Asher’s gut. He met Kennedy’s eyes. “Kennedy?” With little effort, he could make this heartless man do anything.

She shook her head. “No. You promised.”

Asher stared at Jonathon, the sounds of Kennedy’s handlers coming out of the nudge and demanding release filled the office space. He looked at Kennedy, saw her face and her sullen eyes, and shook his head. “No. I’m not letting her go. You are not going to hurt Kennedy anymore.” A low growl rumbled in his throat.

Awake, Daren climbed to his feet and glared at Jonathon. “Oh stop staring at me. You deserved that hit.” Then he turned to Kennedy and threw her a contemptuous frown. He stood there, just a step away from Kennedy and a few more from Asher, saying nothing. His expression empty, he walked out the back door.

Asher released Kathryn from his chokehold. She stumbled away, gasping. He met Kennedy’s eyes again, asking.

She shook her head. “No.”

So she was going to confront Kathryn, accepting all her unrestrained malice and harshness. His heart cringed, thinking of that kind of malevolent energy blasting Kennedy. But it was her choice, and he believed in her ability to make it.

Kathryn staggered to the desk where Daren stood. He reached out a hand to her and directed her to lean against him. He shot a terrified look at Asher, but he kept silent.

Kennedy walked closer, face to face with Kathryn. Tears tripped down her cheeks. “I can’t bear to look at you. All my life I longed for your love. Just a tiny bit of compassion and tenderness. But all I got from you was shame and guilt. You taught me to hate. Your horrifying training taught me to wall off, protect myself, from you and all other people.”

Kathryn turned a hard face on her. “How dare you speak to me like that? I prepared you for a life of power and getting things. How can you stand there and speak so unkindly?”

“It’s not easy. But it’s the truth of my life. I know you’ll never understand what you’ve done to me. I’ll have to live with that. But I won’t do the things you planned for me. Ever.”

The door to the closet broke apart, and Kennedy’s handlers charged through. Kennedy raced to grab Kathryn, and Asher raced to the guns lying on the floor. But Patrick reached them at the same time and slugged him hard, sending Asher into the wall.

Patrick raised his gun toward Kennedy and barked, “Let her go.”

“Back off!” Kennedy hollered. She mimicked Asher’s chokehold and pulled her mother closer to him and away from Daren.

“Get the other gun and give it to Asher,” she commanded Daren.

“It’s over, Kennedy. Give up.” Daren shoved his hands onto his hips and stood still.

Kennedy pulled her grip on Kathryn tighter. “Give the gun to Asher.”

Patrick swung his gun from Kennedy to Daren to Asher. “Kennedy, release your mother and put up your hands, or I’ll shoot him.”

Asher saw Kennedy’s expression dip. She hesitated, her confidence slipping. It was up to him, now. She’d done her part. He couldn’t nudge her mother, and he didn’t have time to work up the energy for nudging the other three.

Almost from a distance, Asher watched the moment unfold as he flew into action.

“Let her go, Kennedy,” he yelled. He kicked Gordon to the floor and grabbed the gun. Before Gordon could slide away, Asher shot him.

Kathryn put up her hands, her eyes wild. “Don’t shoot me.” She stumbled toward Daren, who sank to the floor and covered his head. Kennedy raced to Patrick, but Asher reached him first and slammed the gun against his head. Patrick fired his gun multiple times as he fell toward the floor.

Kathryn grabbed at her chest, her mouth agape. A stray bullet had struck her. Her blouse turned red as blood poured from her wound. “Stop him!” Kathryn pointed to Asher. “He shot me!” She crumpled to the floor and Kennedy rushed to her.

“No he didn’t, Kathryn. Patrick shot you. Lie still. Asher is calling for help.”

Asher quickly turned away and called Casey. Seconds later, Casey, Booker, and Ben rushed inside.

“We were just around back.” Casey put a hand on Kennedy. Booker murmured words to soothe Kathryn and placed his healing hands on her body.

Ben gathered up Patrick and Daren, while Asher took Casey’s place beside Kennedy.

Her body trembled against his. She stared down at Kathryn, their eyes meeting. Asher caught the look on Booker’s face. He’d already assessed the damage from the gunshot and shook his head. His healing touch would ease the terror inside Kathryn as she faced death, but it would not save her.

When the last breath released from Kathryn, Kennedy continued staring at her.

Asher took her hand and held it close to his heart. “I’m sorry it ended like this, Kennedy.” He caressed her head, stroking her soft hair slowly.

Without taking her eyes off Kathryn, she nodded. “Feelings are hard, aren’t they? I want to let my body go numb. This woman hurt me. I don’t need to grieve her.”

“This is painful for a variety of reasons, Kennedy. But the pain you feel is something you have to allow. It’s going to hurt, but you have to let it. It’s part of being truly alive.”

Kennedy remained silent. She touched Kathryn’s face, then nodded to Asher.

He stood and drew Kennedy to her feet. “If you’re ready, we should leave so Ben and the police that are coming can do their job. We don’t want to be here when they arrive.”

“That’s right.” Casey put his arms around Kennedy and hugged. “You’re not alone, Kennedy. You are one of us. I know I’ve been slow with bringing you and our parents together. I knew you had some difficult things to sort out. You probably still do. But I’ll arrange for a meet soon.”

Asher beamed at her. “This is what people who truly care about you do. Casey is asking for your input. He cares about your feelings.”

“Thank you…” She gave one last lingering look to Kathryn’s body, then turned with Asher to leave out the back door.

“I’m parked just around the corner. Walk with me? I don’t want you alone for half a second. I’ll bring you back here to the truck.”

They walked with arms around each other. Asher kissed the top of her head, with only the sound of their feet treading in the layer of snow on the pavement.

His radar sounded silently in his head as a car drove up behind them. It came slowly, rolling to a stop. He turned quickly, shoving Kennedy behind him as a figure climbed out of the driver’s side of a dark Cadillac.

“I don’t want any trouble, Asher. I just want Kennedy.”

Asher recognized the voice, and as the figure came closer, he saw Jonathon with a gun pointed at Kennedy. “I won’t hurt her if you let her come quietly.”

“Never!” Asher roundhouse kicked Jonathon, sending the gun spinning.

Kennedy punched Jonathon in the face, but it didn’t faze him. Jonathon grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into a hold, while Asher growled loud and without holding back.

Jonathon slugged Asher in the stomach while holding tight to Kennedy. Asher buckled. Jonathon slammed his foot down on Kennedy’s leg, and she screamed. He threw her into the car. Fury compelled Asher. He dragged himself to the car and smashed his fist through the driver’s window. Glass splattered to the ground, but Jonathan threw the car in reverse and squealed away.

Instantly, Asher jumped on his bike and raced to catch Jonathon’s car. He saw Kennedy fighting, punching and kicking.

Need and longing coursed through him. Kennedy was hurt, but she still fought for herself. He couldn’t let her down. He couldn’t lose her. A growl the size of a mountain range tore from his gut.

Jonathon’s car careened in front of Asher and then landed in the ditch. The door flew open, and Jonathon burst from the car, racing into a large park.

Asher squealed to a stop beside the car and yelled at Kennedy. “Are you all right?”

She managed to speak through the pain of her injured leg. “Go. Get him!”

The snow on the grass made for a slippery surface, but nothing could interrupt his hunt for Jonathon. Jonathon had a head start, but Asher had everything else on his side. He wove his bike around trees, through tall grasses, and around a pond, his eyes never lifting from his target.

Jonathon stumbled. He managed to keep running, but his pace slowed.

From behind him, Asher picked up scents and sounds of his colony cats. It wouldn’t take them long to catch up, but Asher wasn’t going to wait.

He drove up beside Jonathon and jumped off his bike toward Jonathon. The bike tipped over, and Asher grabbed the fleeing man around the waist and dragged him down.

Jonathon’s chest heaved, but he tossed a solid punch to Asher’s face. Its force surprised Asher, but he replied with his own driving punch to Jonathon’s face. Jonathon’s eyes glazed, and his head drooped to the ground.

Asher stood above him and watched for movement. Quinn, the russet lynx, Booker, with his unmistakable topaz eyes and brown fur, and Casey, golden-furred with golden eyes, trotted up and circled Jonathon. Casey chuffed at Asher.

“He’s knocked out. Should be coming out of it any second.” The presence of his fellow colony cats made him sigh. They had his back, and it felt like coming home.

Jonathon stirred on the ground, staring up at the circle of lynxes. He hollered, fear putting a harsh edge to his voice. “Get away from me!” He climbed to his feet as fast as he was able to, and took a stance, ready to resume fighting.

Asher winked at him, amused by Jonathon’s ego. “Really, Jonathon? You can take on me and three, full-grown, male lynxes?”

Casey swiped at Jonathon with his massive paw, his claws extended. Jonathon jumped back, but fell into Quinn.

“Leave me alone,” he hollered again. His eyes flashed wide and fearful.

Quinn opened his mouth wide in Jonathon’s face and yowled. The sound echoed eerily.

Jonathon kneeled to the ground and put his hands over his head.

Asher grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet. “Casey, can you guys walk him back to Ben? Ben can take him from here.”

Casey chuffed and nodded his head. Asher shoved Jonathon to get him walking, and the others circled him, urging him with rumbling growls and yelps to keep walking.

Back on his bike, Asher traveled the return trip to Kennedy, snow clouding around him, kicked up by his bike. He didn’t know what to expect. Had Jonathon broken her leg? Had the harsh words from Kathryn and Jonathon shoved her back into her defenses? Could she love and accept him the way he craved?

The questions spiraled like a storm inside his gut. He pushed his speed, trying to close the distance between them as fast as he could.

Thanks to Booker giving her a ride, Kennedy sat on the couch at Casey’s house, musing over the morning’s events and waiting for Asher to arrive.

Michelle walked into the family room and handed Kennedy a remote control. “Feel free to flip through the channels and find something to watch if you’d like.”

“Thanks.” Kennedy had no favorite shows. Television had been off limits to her growing up. In fact, she’d rarely enjoyed spare time. Restlessness jittered her nerves. This lifestyle was something she’d have to get used to, but she looked forward to doing so.

“Are you comfortable?” Michelle brought her a glass of ice water and set it on the end table. “The painkillers Booker prescribed for you should take the edge off your pain. Booker compounds them himself for were-cat metabolism.”

Kennedy looked down at her leg covered in a special wrap. “I’m fine. I’m grateful Booker could treat me in his office.”

“Yes, it is handy to have a physician-slash-healer in the colony. Your leg should heal quickly, as I’m sure you know. Your were-lynx genes give you quick healing.” Michelle’s eyes clouded. “I’m so sorry your father hurt you. That was a terrible thing to do to you.”

Kennedy stared at her leg. “Thank you, Michelle. It’s not the first time he’s hurt me physically. But this may be the first time I recognize I didn’t deserve it.”

“That’s good. You’ve been working very hard to face the reality of what you’ve been through. It’s not easy now, but it will get better.”

A short rap on the front door startled them, but Conrad announced his entrance quickly.

“Just me, coming to check on our invalid.” He stomped off his feet and walked briskly into the room. “How are you doing, Kennedy? I talked with Casey, and he said your leg is broken.”

“Yes. My fake father, Jonathon, stepped on my leg. But Booker fixed me up.” His interest weakened her. One more member of the colony who cared, and it overwhelmed her with confusing emotions.

Conrad shook his head. “I will never understand humans.” He eased into an overstuffed chair and let out a sigh. “I know not all humans wreak destruction on the environment or treat animals and their habitat with disrespect. I know there are good humans who care about those things.” He pounded his leg. “But then there are people like the Novaks who tamper with nature and, of all things, step on their daughter’s leg and break it. I have little use for any of them.”