Bennett Mafia(126)

I knew that look. After another round of hugs, it was time to go. Before letting me go, Blade whispered in my ear, “Carol gave me the go-ahead to tell you…” He paused, leaning back, his smile so wide. “We’re together.”

“What?!”

“Officially.”

My mouth dropped, but then I was hugging him again, and I squealed louder than I should have. “Oh my God! That’s amazing. Carol!”

She blushed, grinning over her shoulder as she got behind the steering wheel. She waved to me, but she wouldn’t get out to talk to me again. They had to go. Waiting around with survivors was just never a smart idea.

Blade cast a glance at the SUVs waiting for me. “I know you’re in safe hands.”

“You’re happy?” I asked him.

He nodded. “I’m happy. Truly happy.” He smoothed back some of my hair and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I know you’re a Bennett now, but you’re always a member of our family too. Don’t forget. We both love you.”

I blinked back tears, feeling warmth all over.

I grabbed for his hand, holding it a second. “Take care of her. Take care of them.” One last squeeze. “Take care of yourself too.”

“I know.” His gaze went to my stomach. “And take care of my future nephew.”

He stepped back. I let go, my hands going to my stomach. “I will.” And as if he’d heard us, my little guy gave me a swift kick inside.

Blade got in with a final wave, and the van headed out. They’d turn left onto a back road out of the park, and our SUVs would go right. I didn’t know where they were going after that, but that was the whole purpose of the Network. I would never see that family again. And that was a good thing.

I headed to one of our SUVs, and as I stepped to the door, the guard opened it for me.

There he was, waiting for me.

Kai was in the back seat, and he grinned, pushing aside his laptop. “Hey.”

“Hey.” I smiled in greeting, sliding in. The door closed behind me. I knew the guard would get inside, that the SUVs would all start to leave, but I wasn’t paying attention. I didn’t stop moving as soon as I got inside. I went right in, sliding all the way until I was in Kai’s arms and his mouth was on mine.

I was with my family.





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You can also find a sneak peek to a football romance I have coming later this year!





ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


Man. This book. Guys, this book came out of nowhere to me. It started from just a scene that occurred in my head. I don’t even think that scene got put in the book. It was where Kai wanted Jonah to do something for him and Jonah looked at him and said, “I’m a doctor.” Then Kai returned with, “You’re a Bennett.” And that was it. That started the spark for this book. Then came along an idea I had of a network where their sole purpose was to help hide those in situations where the law can’t help them. I actually wrote another short story titled 411 that was referenced in this book. It’s super short and I’ll probably put it up for free reading on my website or I’ll load it for a shorter read later on. I haven’t decided, but here we are.

I genuinely hope you guys loved Riley and Kai’s story. As of right now, this is a stand-alone, just because I’m reluctant to commit to a series when I have so many other projects waiting for me to tackle them.

I tried to stay true to the characters. They did some seriously shitty things that I don’t personally condone, and yeah, that’s the first time I’ve really felt like I needed to put that disclaimer there. Lol!

Thank you to my entire team of beta readers, admins, proofreaders, Jessica! Thank you to my agent. Thank you to the readers in Tijan’s Crew. You guys give me inspiration on days when I’m exhausted and need a little pep in my step. Thank you!

Tijan





Keep Reading for Chapter 1 of Kian.





My stomach plunged to my feet.

Three steps earlier, I was already tasting the daiquiris I’d be drinking that night and the song “Copacabana” was on repeat, blasting in my mind. I was leaving my last exam of my sophomore year at Hillcrest University, and we were celebrating that night. The whole gang—myself, my roommate, and Wanker, the guy who loved my roommate, but she was too daft to realize it.

But once I left that classroom, I froze.

I took those three steps from the door, just clearing it, when it shut behind me. My butt got a swift whack, not that I was feeling it. All of that registered in the back of my mind. I was too transfixed across the hallway where the student lounge was located. That was the con of having classrooms attached to the social hub of the campus. The person I was staring at, smack dab in the center of the news report, was me.

Not me, me, but me nonetheless.

It was the old me, when I was Jordan Emory, and that girl looked different from how I was now. Current me had short brown, slightly golden-blonde hair. My hairstylist had come heavily recommended, straight from the federal government. But the girl on the television screen still had her long jet-black locks. I needed to move aside the frozen anvil to appreciate how good my hair looked, but damn, it did. I’d been a little bit of a hottie back then, and I never knew it. My nose wrinkled. What a waste. I should’ve taken classes in self-esteem. A lot of problems would’ve been avoided, but I hadn’t. Old me was broken and spineless.