Kennedy's Redemption (The Protectors 3)

Breaths heavy with regret and fear, she waited… and waited. When neither of them said anything or moved, she looked to Linc to see a lone tear fall from his dark lashes. That meant more to her than any words he could have said to her because, in that moment, she knew. She knew he understood her. Kissing the tear away as it was about to fall from the side of his scruffy cheek, she whispered, “You saved my mind, Lincoln.”

Feeling hands on her waist, she was shocked when Creed picked her up sitting her across his lap. Burying his face in the side of her neck, he held her far tighter than she’d ever expected. The safety she’d been desperately seeking for months was wrapped around her like a glove. She felt it in the air she breathed, the small kisses he was laying on the base of her neck where it met her shoulder. Turning her face to his head, she nudged him with her cheek whispering, “You saved my soul, Creedence.” At his growl and nip on her neck, she felt peace.

True peace.

Nine

Her words nearly destroyed him. Her easy acceptance of her life being over broke his fucking heart into a million tiny pieces. He’d been so angry at her for being so ready to just give up on herself because they almost lost their chance with her. To show her how beautiful the world could be again.

He could see clearly now that she wasn’t giving up. It was more that she had spent so much time fighting this battle by herself and she felt lost and alone. He could understand that. Any soldier could. She wanted the warmth she thought death could bring, the safety. While he hated that she felt that was all she had, he would work every day for the rest of his life to make sure she never felt that way again.

“Sunshine.”

“Creed.”

Fucking woman.

Smiling at how deep she made her voice to match his, which was horrible by the way, he laughed. A deep belly laugh until he had tears leaking from his eyes.

“I like your laugh, Creed.” She smiled shyly at him.

“Oh, yeah?”

Nodding, she nuzzled her head under his chin. It was a perfect moment. His fucking brother had to ruin it, though.

“Alright kiddies, let's get some food. I’m starving and all this emotional crap makes me wanna upchuck.” Winking at Kennedy when she shot him a scowl, he grabbed her hand pulling her up quickly and tossing her over his shoulder fireman style. When he took off at a slow run, she started to squeal and yell making the two of them laugh.

·?•? ?•?·

Happy to be done with the heavy moments and talk, Kennedy was in heaven. Or as close to it as she’d ever been. Telling them about how she nearly lost herself when she first came to Italy was a relief in a way that telling Dr. Schroder about what had happened to her wasn’t. Reliving it with him sent her back to hell. Reliving some of her worst moments with the guys brought her back from it.

She was still terrified to tell them about what happened to her because a huge part of her believed they would walk away. That doubt kept her from sharing it all with them. She wanted to enjoy her heaven before she was thrown back to hell.

She bounced on Linc’s shoulder so much she was nearly dizzy from it. Slapping his back she screamed, “Lincoln Black, put me down this minute or I swear your ass will meet my vomit!”

Nearly screeching to a halt, he whipped her off his shoulder and onto the couch so fast she had whiplash. “You wouldn’t have!” Leveling him with a look that said otherwise had him questioning. “Would you?”

Smirking at the appalled look on his face, she ran to the kitchen in search of something to make. She’d found that she loved to cook in the last few weeks. It wasn’t always edible, but she enjoyed it. Deciding on a simple Mediterranean salad with grilled chicken, she got to work preparing the fresh chicken she’d picked up on the way home in olive oil and just a few spices she enjoyed.

Grabbing the romaine lettuce, fresh spinach leaves, and green beans from Deedee’s mini garden, she tossed them on the counter as Linc and Creed walked in and sat on the stools at the little island watching her cook.

“I never used to cook, you know.” The looks they shared had her laughing under her breath. It was a mix of horror and dread. “When I used to attempt to cook, it would either be burnt to a crisp or undercooked, but my dads and brothers would eat every bite and pretend to love it to make me happy.” She missed those days.

“So you’ve improved then?” Linc blurted out. Looking up briefly, she could see the regret instantly. He probably thought she was insulted. She wasn’t, but she’d let him stew for a minute or two.

Hearing a grunt, she glanced back up as he rubbed his side from where Creed probably elbowed him judging from the stormy look on his face.

As the oil from the chicken popped, she went and turned the heat down while flipping it over to even out the cooking on the other side. Having her back to them wasn’t easy because she knew with the shirt she was wearing that they would see the scars. At first she’d done everything she could to make sure they were always covered up, but what was the point now?

They were a part of her she’d had to learn to accept, and if they really wanted her, they’d have to as well. Turning back around she noticed the stormy looks on their faces, and in that moment, she could tell they were twins. If it weren’t for Creed’s slightly larger stature and his fauxhawk haircut she probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.

“It’s fine,” she told them calmly, refusing to have anything ruin this moment even though she was itching to throw something on to cover the scars.

Putting the finishing touches of crumbled feta and a spicy vinaigrette dressing on the salad, she placed the bowl between them before grabbing plates and forks from the drawers underneath the island. A few more minutes of grilling the chicken and she placed a piece on each of their plates and declared, “Dig in!”

She watched in fascination as they took her at her word and dug in with gusto. Way more than was necessary. She’d fucked with them and that more than anything else made her day. They slowed down once they actually started to taste the food.

She waited with hands clasped under her chin for one of them to say something.