Xavier Cold (Hard Knocks #2)(69)

“Oh, my God. I can’t believe you’re engaged! I should totally start a match-making business. I called this from the start.” Quinn rambles on a mile a minute—he excitement clear as we approach. “You two looked great on television last night, by the way. Anna I especially liked when you smacked that Rex guy in the face. It looked real.”

I laugh as I hug my cousin. “I rather enjoyed that part myself. It’s good to see you, Quinn.”

“Me too,” Xavier interjects from behind us.

“I’ll bet,” Quinn adds. “The guy had it coming. He’s been a complete * to you.”

“Yes he has, but I think now that Xavier’s won the belt from him, I don’t see him getting back any time soon.”

“I agree,” Quinn says as she pops the trunk for Xavier to load our bags. “I think Phenomenal X will be the champ for a long time.”

“He does a pretty great champion.” I wrap my arms around Xavier’s waist after he closes the trunk.

“So when’s the wedding?” Quinn asks and then her eyes flit from me to Xavier and then back again. “You seem different. Is there anything other than the engagement I should know about?”

I glance up to Xavier as if to ask his permission to tell my cousin about the secret we’re keeping.

He smiles and nods. “Tell her.”

“Oh, shit. There is something. The suspense is killing me,” Quinn whines.

I lock my gaze with Quinn’s, and instantly I’m smiling. “I’m pregnant.”

Her mouth drops open and her eyes widen before she launches into a full on scream. “Oh. My. God! A baby?”

I nod and without warning she lunges forward and wraps her arms around both me and Xavier. “Congratulations! This is amazing. Wait until Ma finds out. She’ll be thrilled.” Suddenly she gasps and pulls back to search my face. “Does Uncle Simon know?”

I take a deep breath. “They know. They came to see me in Portland.”

Her mouth pulls down on one side. “How’d that go? Was there a lot of yelling this time?”

I sigh and Xavier tucks me in closer to his side. “Surprisingly, no. Don’t get me wrong, they still don’t think it’s fantastic news their only daughter is pregnant and unmarried, but they do seem to understand Xavier is the man I’m with and nothing they do will change that. I think eventually things will work themselves out.”

“That’s great news. I’m so excited for the both of you.”

Xavier clears his throat. “Now that you know, then my next request won’t sound so odd.”

Quinn raises one eyebrow. “What’s that?”

“Can I borrow your car for the next couple of days? I want to take Anna apartment hunting and ring shopping, and being on the back of my bike isn’t safe enough for her anymore.”

My eyes widen at the same time Quinn covers her mouth with her hands. I stare up at Xavier. “Rings?”

He nods. “Of course. A ring will make it very official. I want everyone in the world to know you’re mine.”

He leans in and crushes his mouth to mine, and I know this is just the beginning to the rest of our life together.



Xavier parks Quinn’s Honda in the driveway of house on Sycamore. Knowing what I know now about this house, it creeps me the hell out. It’s a wonder Xavier was ever able to step foot back in here after all the things that happened to him here.

Xavier sighs and then cuts the engine. “I won’t be long. I’ll run in and get my things and then we’ll go find a hotel to check into.” He leans over the console and kisses my cheek.

I smile. “I’ll be right here.”

I release a content sigh as I lean my head back in the seat and close my eyes. I finally feel like things are going my way—that things are working out the way they are supposed to.

My door yanks open and my eyes snap open along with it, but minute I do I slink back into my seat.

“Get out the car, bitch,” Kai snarls as he points a dull, black gun in my face. When I don’t move, he shouts at me again. “You think I’m playing? I’ll blow your f*cking head off if you don’t get your ass out this mother f*cking car.”

My hands shake uncontrollably as I hold them out in front of me. “Okay. Okay. I have to unbuckle my seat belt.”

He shoves the gun against my temple and my stomach drops. “Well unhook the motherf*cker.”

My left hand slips down and I press the button, freeing me from the car. Kai reaches in and grabs my arm so he can yank me out of the car.

I stumble and fall to the ground, but he grabs the hair on top of my head and forcing me back to my feet. “Let’s go.”

“Xavier will be back out here any minute,” I threaten as Kai continues to push me at gunpoint toward the black SUV parked down the street.

Kai laughs darkly. “I hope he does, because I’m going to kill that bitch ass sell-out.”

The moment he says that, Xavier’s voice calls out my name. Kai turns to look back just in time to see Xavier jump off the porch. But, before Xavier can fully make the jump into the ground, another man who was hiding on the other side of the porch tackles Xavier in mid-air. Xavier grunts as he hits the ground and another man comes sprinting from a neighboring yard and kicks Xavier in the gut.