Misfit(54)

Kendall’s brown eyes widened and her mouth fell open. A moment of silence stretched into a minute. The long consideration sent Fee’s unease skyrocketing.

“Well,” Kendall muttered. “Well. Wow. I…Forget your brother. Cash and Stretch would kill each other if they found out you’re sleeping with both of them.”

Oh, so that was the reason for Kendall’s silence. Embarrassment swept through Fee and she shifted her weight. “Um…”

“Oh! Dear me. They know…” Voice trailing off, Kendall stared at Fee, before her hands flew to her mouth and she gasped. “You’re sleeping with them at the same time?”

Fee cringed at Kendall’s shock and disapproval. She reminded herself she’d face this from everyone. If Cash saw her response, he’d feel justified in keeping her at arm’s length. If Christopher saw it, he’d use that as further excuse to forbid her away from them.

Her reaction would give the world license to point fingers and call her a freak. Being in a “normal” relationship certainly hadn’t worked in her favor.

“You are sleeping with both of them!”

Lifting her chin and staring Kendall in the eye, Fee nodded. “Yes, we’re in a triad.”

“Oh my God! Outlaw will kill them and lock you away. Are you out of your mind?”

“I love them.” The conviction with which she said those words amazed her. Without a doubt, she knew they were true. Despite still feeling threatened by Stretch, she couldn’t imagine having to make a choice between him or Cash.

“How do you know you love them? What do you all do together? You can’t spend a lot of time together if you have to keep this a secret.”

Kendall’s words dampened Fee’s newfound certainty.

What did they do? They had sex. Lots and lots of sex. She and Stretch ceded to Cash’s demands. He was the alpha in the relationship. The two of them also competed with each other for Cash’s attention. They drank and watched television. Every now and then, they went to the bar that Kendall seemed to be headed to. Still, she couldn’t see them not in her future. They could make it work, if they put forth the effort.

“We’re all friends,” she said finally. “We find things to do.”

“And you love both of them?”

Another bout of defensiveness assailed Fee. “You can love two people at the same time.”

“I’m well aware of that. Some of us will always carry a torch for their first love.” Bitterness tinged her tone. “Others have feelings for fucking barbaric jerks that don’t deserve the time of day, so, yes, I believe you can love two people at once.”

All of Kendall’s words sounded quite personal, as if she had firsthand knowledge. She rubbed her temples, then paused. “Wait. Does Meggie know?”

“No.”

The gleam entering Kendall’s eyes removed the pall that had fallen over her. “Really?”

“I considered telling her, but I didn’t want to put her in the position of having to keep this from Christopher.”

“You’re so right, hon. She’d run to him and then he’d kill them. Of course, whatever he does, she forgives. That makes her a horrible fucking friend.”

“Oh no, Kendall! Don’t say that. I appreciate your loyalty to me in this matter, but Meggie’s great.”

“Of course she is. She’s a little doll.”

Ignoring Kendall’s sarcasm, Fee turned the conversation back to her relationship. “Until we find a way to convince Christopher to accept us, me, Cash, and Stretch will continue to meet in secret.” She wouldn’t add that Cash was happy with their current state of affairs.

Kendall started walking again, forcing Fee to follow behind. “Well, be prepared to have a clandestine affair for the rest of your fucking lives. Outlaw will never accept such a situation for you.”

“He has to,” she insisted as they reached the entrance to the establishment. “Eventually.”

She was over twenty-one. Who she ended up with was her business, not his. She only needed the courage to say that to his face.

“We’ll continue this conversation later.”

Opening the door, Kendall left Fee no choice in the matter. The place hadn’t been opened for the day very long, and the lunch patrons hadn’t started arriving yet, so the atmosphere was quiet, unlike the rowdiness of the night crowd.

“Table for two?” a hostess Fee didn’t recognize asked.

Kendall craned her neck and smiled. “No. I see who I’ve come to meet.”

A group of men with notepads in front of them and pens in hand sat at one table. Their meeting was already underway, and Kendall was a stickler for time. The only other occupied table had a lone man, with a scruffy beard, who wore sunglasses.