Page 59 of Never Dance with the Devils (Never Say Never #6)

Kyle and Dani—he shakes my hand, giving me a wink of support before pushing a dark-haired, dark-eyed woman forward. Kayla was right in her assumptions—they both have on jeans and T-shirts, and I see a dog hair or two on Kyle’s.

Chance and Samantha—the tie-wearing, disapproving brother is still glaring at us, seemingly unaware that the brunette beauty at his side is glaring at him.

“Where’s Dad?” Kayla asks after we’ve done our handshakes and waves around the room.

“Here,” a voice says from the foyer a moment before a tall, barrel-chested man appears.

“You must be Riggs and Maddox. Nice to meet you both.” He shakes both of our hands easily.

Too easily. Kayla said her father was understanding, and I wanted to believe her, but there was a niggling little worry that maybe it was an act, because what father of a daughter would be okay with this?

But Charles Harrington is smiling congenially as he greets us. “Scotch? Bourbon?”

“No, thank you,” I tell him. I’d really like a double shot, neat, to throw back for some liquid chill because I can feel the nerves bubbling up inside me, and my usual method of dealing with that—being an asshole to keep people at arm’s length—doesn’t seem like the best course of action in this case.

But risking my mouth running ahead of my brain tonight is an even worse decision.

Kayla leads us to another couch, sitting primly in the middle.

I exchange a glance with Maddox as we take our places on either side of Kayla, checking in that he’s doing better than I am and is prepared to run interference for us.

Well, for me. I don’t think Kayla needs any help.

She’s in her element, reigning supreme as her brothers sit back, their eyes drifting from her to Chance like people watching tennis, eager for the showdown to officially begin.

“Are we going to address the elephant in the room?” Chance looks around, searching for support.

Kayla stiffens beside me. If it were anyone else, I’d think they were uncomfortable with being called out.

Kayla, though? I think she’s preparing a comeback that’s going to have her brother rethinking his entire life.

Before she can speak, Kyle stage-whispers in a video game voice, “Goody Two-Shoes versus The Ice Queen, round one. Fight!”

Carter smirks and says, “My money’s on Kayla, obviously. Whoever’s playing bookie, put me down for twenty bucks.” He points at Cole, then Kyle, whose brow jumps before his expression returns to nothing more than vague interest. He’s apparently taking on the role of bookie. “Ding.”

Everyone expects Kayla to respond to Chance, but instead, Charles does.

“You mean your sister exercising her intelligence and freedom, taking control of her life and finding someone… excuse me, someones ?” Charles muses thoughtfully before nodding.

“ Someones she has found connection with? Is that the elephant you’re speaking of? ”

Holy shit. Charles is not only supportive. He’s going to bat for Kayla.

The air is instantly sucked out of the room, each brother subtly looking from their father to Kayla before looking at Chance. If they were kids, I’d swear someone would be taunting ‘ooh, you’re in trouble’, but since they’re adults, they fight to hide grins.

“You should’ve known she’d have Dad on her side before agreeing to walk into this lion’s den,” Cole tells Chance. “Amateur mistake on your part.”

Kyle adds, amused. “Dad wins. Flawless Victory.”

“Thank you, Dad.” Like a queen, Kayla tilts her chin deferentially her father’s way before turning icy eyes on her brother. “To be clear, I don’t need your permission, nor approval to do, be, or live however the fuck I want.”

“Kayla,” Chance says, softer. The only thing saving him is that I can tell this argument is coming from a good place.

He’s worried about the sister he loves very much.

He’s wrong, completely and totally so, but I don’t think he’s being malicious.

In a way, I think he’s trying to protect her, not because she’s fragile but because she’s important to their family.

To him. “We’ve all had our issues.” He cuts his eyes quickly to Charles before returning them to Kayla, an unspoken message in the pointed glance.

“But this is not the way to address any residual Daddy issues you might have. Therapy is. Maybe Samantha could?—”

His wife’s jaw falls open in horror, but it’s his mother who scolds him first. “ Chance Michael Harrington!” Miranda snaps, immediately moving to Charles’s side in a show of unity. “Apologize to your father right now.”

But the patriarch of the family doesn’t need insincere apologies and he takes Miranda’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay. I haven’t been perfect, and if I could go back in time?—”

As Charles is speaking, Kayla holds up a staying hand.

“Dad, if I may?” To everyone’s surprise, he quiets for her.

With a cold glare locked on Chance, Kayla clips out, “Of everyone in this family, I probably have the least amount of Daddy issues.” The accusation is clear and every brother shifts uncomfortably.

I don’t know the finer details of their histories, but Kayla’s obviously hit a particularly sensitive nerve in all of them.

“But even if I did have issues, it’s not your place to say how I should or shouldn’t address them.

We are happy. That’s what matters. And no matter how many times you imply this relationship is something it’s not, it will never be about how many people are sleeping in our beds.

We are more than the sum total you’re trying to make us out to be. ”

Kyle whispers to Dani out of the side of his mouth, “Has he met Kayla? I’m surprised it only takes two guys to be enough for her. She’s a lot. Like a lot .”

Dani reaches forward, putting her finger over his mouth to hush him, but I hear her whisper in his ear. “And you think I’m not a lot? Maybe I need another guy too.”

Kyle’s eyes flash fire. “Fuck that. I’m enough for you.

I don’t know what those guys are doing wrong because there’s no reason for it to take two of ‘em.” He shoots a shit-eating grin our way, obviously teasing, but his quick back and forth breaks the tension.

I think that’s exactly what he was trying to do as tempers flare between the two siblings, both skilled enough with words to masterfully undercut the other.

Kayla might be right about her younger brother. He’s smarter than he puts on.

Chance rolls his eyes. At Kyle or Kayla, I’m not sure. “I didn’t mean for it to sound like I was discounting… this .” He waves a hand, gesturing toward all three of us.

“You did,” Kayla argues. “You pride yourself on opening the minds of the young men in your group. Maybe you should open your own a bit? I have found something special—acceptance, support, partners who push and challenge me while loving me exactly as I am. I feel safe with them, not only physically, but emotionally, and that is rare and shouldn’t be dismissed because it doesn’t come in the normative-convenient, preconceived image you have of what love looks like. ”

It’s more elegant than any way I would have put it, but I don’t care.

My heart is growing in my chest… no, it’s repairing.

All those little scars and bits of damage that have been there since Eliza made me feel like I wasn’t enough are disappearing as Kayla speaks about us.

She’s trying to convince her brother, but she’s convincing me too.

Not that we’re in love, I already knew that, but that we are enough.

Together, we’re exactly enough for each other.

The muscle in Chance’s jaw appears and disappears as he clenches it, angry words still desperately wanting to spill off his tongue. But as he formulates his next argument, Kayla goes in for the kill.

“Love isn’t perfect. You can’t plan it out like a to-do list or put it in a perfectly designed box.

Believe me, I tried. Not only did it not work, but it failed spectacularly.

But this…” She gl ances from Maddox to me.

“It just happens, like magic. And your inability to appreciate that doesn’t mean I should change my course of action when I do appreciate it. Greatly.”

“Did she just call Chance stupid using multi-syllable words?” Kyle whispers, looking around at his family like he’s not sure, despite being completely certain that is exactly what Kayla did. He just wanted to point that out. I’m liking him more and more.

Kayla places one hand on my thigh and her other on Maddox’s. “You’ve said your piece and I’ve said mine. Get on board or get out of my way.”

Kayla sits proudly between us, the queen of our hearts and the powerhouse in a room filled with swinging dicks. She’s the woman you go to war with, not against, and seeing her strength up close and personal is like witnessing a miracle firsthand.

Fuck, I love her. And I am so damn proud of her.

Most of all, I feel really fortunate to be the man at her side, loving her in front of the people she’s gutted herself for, time and time again.

She said that to them, she’s a resource.

Well, it’s time for that to come to an end.

It’s her turn to be taken care of, worshiped, and loved.

To us, she’s everything, and I’ll see to it that she’s never taken for granted again by anyone. Especially her brothers.

Chance seems shocked at Kayla’s declaration.

They’ve always been close, like best friends within the siblings, and I know this rift between them hurts her.

But it’s up to him to accept us or not. We’re not going to change who we are for him, and Kayla wouldn’t change for anyone or anything. She shouldn’t have to.