Caged: Cellar Door Series (25 page)

“Whoa…slow your roll Veronica.” Ray stood up to confront his cousin having heard enough and knowing the truth about things, like the fact Matt was already working a friendship angle with Ronnie before Ray asked him to help out. Matt stood their opened mouth but speechless.

“FUCK YOU RAYMOND RAMONE.”  Ronnie snapped her head over her shoulder and glared at Kylee. “I guess you and JD were in on it too. Some kind of fucking friends you are.” She spun around, knocking Kylee’s hand away when she tried to reach for her. Ronnie strode across the yard, disappearing around the side of the house. She damn sure could have done worse, Ronnie had held back a lot but I didn’t like the way she’d taken the shit out on Kylee.

              Kylee’s eyes were extra bright and I knew she was upset that Ronnie was angry, that their budding friendship had been questioned. I pulled her to me and rubbed my palm over her back.

Ray looked like he’d swallowed something really sour. “Fuck Matt, I don’t know whether to say I’m sorry about that or kick you square in the dick. You’ve been sleeping with my cousin?” Ray looked like he was weighing the options but finally apologized to Matt instead about how things had gone down.

Matt accepted it and kept searching around the yard with his eyes.”She’s not just some girl to me Ray. Ronnie…she’s different.” Matt sighed deeply. “She’s not going to forgive me this time is she?”

Ray held Matt’s gaze and slowly shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t know man. I would like to think she would, eventually, but I can’t say I have a lot of faith in it. I’ll explain to her what happened thought. I’ll put in the best word I can for you since I’m the one that asked you to keep a watch out. I’m sorry man. Shit.”

Matt stood up giving Ray a chin tip. “I’d appreciate that.” He shoved his hands through his hair on another deep breath. Kylee got up and wrapped her arms around his waist in a quick hug. Ronnie and Kylee may not have started on the best foot, but they’d become tight.

“I’ll talk to her too Matt. You were just worried about her. She’s got to see that.” Kylee sounded more hopeful than I felt for my boy. I knew Ronnie’s type; hell could freeze over before she forgave Matt.

I stood, giving Ray’s hand a firm shake. “I think we are going to head out. Thanks for having us.”

“Later guys.” Ray shook his head, more to himself than anything else and I knew just what he was thinking. It was likely Ronnie was going to blacklist us all, even her family.

Kylee tucked her hand in mine, squeezing it as we walked towards Matt’s car. I’d been caged by the violence I’d been born into, shaped by, ruled by it. It had taken a feisty brown eyed, dark haired beauty to help me free from a past I couldn’t change, to make me think I was worth something when my own father never had. She’d given me something I’d never truly had. Hope. She’d given me everything.

Special was something you just didn’t let go of so I could understand why Matt looked like someone had kicked his puppy.

I knew he felt pretty strongly about Ronnie, hell the boy had gotten up on stage to apologize the first time he’d fucked up. I only hoped to hell, she’d let him apologize a second time. I also knew he’d talk to me when he was ready so there was no sense pushing at him about it. Life worked in funny fucking ways, all the time. Kylee and I were finally getting our shit together while Matt, the most put together fucker I knew, his shit looked like it was about to fall apart.

Coming soon, Released: Cellar Door Series Book #2

Matt and Ronnie’s Story

Six months later………

              Another fight was getting ready to be set off. When I spotted the fighter emerging down the aisle I automatically stood, my eyes roaming over the face. I could have handled the slam to my gut when I recognized her but when I noticed a set of masculine hands were on either shoulder, massaging Ronnie as she walked towards the ring, I clenched my fists tightly. She entered the ring ready to go and she went alright. In less than twenty seconds she had her opponent down and submitted. Ronnie bounced up on the balls of her feet, one hand in the air in victory, her multicolored ponytail waving from side to side. She was a fucking vision, one I’d sorely been missing, one that had been avoiding me for too damn long.