Going in Deep (Billionaire Bad Boys 4)

Lexie sniffed. “I know. I see it and I’m so incredibly proud of you.”

Kendall straightened her shoulders. “Then don’t make me pay for my bipolar disorder and my past

. Maybe you couldn’t trust my judgment then, but you can now.”

“Kendall, it isn’t you we don’t trust,” Kade said.

She rubbed her hands together in front of her. “Well, then that brings me to my next point. You got your way. Julian walked away from me in part because he doesn’t want to make me choose between him and my family.” Intense pain racked her as she said those words out loud.

Kade opened his mouth to speak, and Lexie elbowed him hard in the side. “Shut up. Don’t say a word to her about how it’s for the best. She doesn’t think so, and that’s what matters.” Lexie met her twin’s gaze.

Kendall knew that was Lexie’s way of saying she’d do her best to respect Kendall’s independence and needs, and she was grateful.

“I was just going to say I’m sorry,” Kade muttered.

“Sorry and I’m sure relieved,” Kendall said. Because Kade had to be happy Julian had broken up with her. But she wasn’t finished.

“And now my final point. I don’t want things to be over with Julian, and if I have my way, they won’t be because I love him. Which means you can accept my decision and be part of my life, or you can lose me. The choice is yours. I’m finished letting anyone, no matter how well meaning, decide the direction of my life. Not even my twin. Or her husband.” She finished in a rush and folded her arms across her chest, glancing from Lexie, whose eyes were open wide, to Kade, who appeared surprised.

Kendall’s pulse pounded and nerves made her dizzy, but she’d made her stand. She’d be lying if she didn’t say she was panicked at the thought of losing her twin for good, of being stripped of her support system and left alone. But she had to be strong.

The ball was in their court.

“Well?” A way-too-familiar voice asked from behind her. “She wants you to respect her wishes and let her be with the man she loves.”

Kendall gasped, both at Julian’s unexpected arrival and his use of that word as applied to her. She’d never told him she loved him.

She spun around to find him in the doorway, one shoulder propped on the frame, a pleased, happy smile on his handsome face. And oh, did he look good in his black tee shirt and sexy bulging muscles, his dark jeans molded to his strong thighs. She’d missed him so much.

“How long have you been standing there?” she asked.

“Long enough to know you love me and want me back. And long enough to realize you’re stronger and braver than I was. But that’s about to change because I came here to tell Kade the same thing.” He straightened his shoulders and stepped into the room, clearly prepared to stand up to Kade.

“I thought we had that conversation,” Kade said, reminding him. “And what did you do? You promised you were a good guy, and then you walked away from her.” Kade folded his arms across his chest and raised an accusing eyebrow his way.

Julian didn’t flinch, accepting his behavior and Kade’s words. “That was an impulsive, stupid response to your private investigator. I’ll tell you what. If you want to know something about my life, ask me. I’m an open book these days. Don’t go behind my back for information and don’t tell the woman I love that I’m no good for her. Because you’re damn well wrong.”

Warmth and gratitude rushed through Kendall as Julian stood up for her to her family. It was everything she’d ever wanted to see and hear.

“Looks like you two made your choices,” Kade said.

Kendall couldn’t breathe at the implication in those words. Was he really going to cut her out of his life? And what about Lexie?

“Kade!” her twin said, obviously just as shocked.

“What? I’m about to offer them my office to work out whatever is going on between them.”

Kendall’s heart began to beat again, although erratically. “You’re not… You aren’t turning your back on me?” she asked.

“Oh, honey,” Lexie said. “That was never our intention. We want what’s best for you. We just couldn’t understand that you chose… him. But now that you have, we’ll have to find a way to make it work. I can’t lose you, either.”

“Oh my God.” Kendall knew Julian was standing there, that he loved her, that he’d come to fight for her. But she hugged her twin first anyway because for a split second… well, she didn’t want to think about that ever again.

“Come on, let’s leave them alone,” Lexie said, walking to Kade, grasping his hand, and leading him out.

Kade came to a halt in front of Julian. Two self-assured, commanding men. “Hurt her and you answer to me.”

A few seconds of silence passed, in which Kendall once again held her breath.