Wrecked (Willow Creek Book 2) Read online

  Contents

  Dedication

  Copyright

  A note to readers

  Title

  Prologue

  1. Kenzie

  2. Brett

  3. Kenzie

  4. Brett

  5. Brett

  6. Kenzie

  7. Brett

  8. Kenzie

  9. Brett

  10. Kenzie

  11. Brett

  12. Brett

  13. Kenzie

  14. Brett

  15. Kenzie

  16. Brett

  17. Kenzie

  18. Kenzie

  19. Brett

  20. Kenzie

  21. Brett

  22. Kenzie

  23. Brett

  24. Kenzie

  25. Brett

  26. Kenzie

  27. Brett

  28. Kenzie

  29. Brett

  30. Brett

  31. Kenzie

  32. Brett

  Epilogue

  There's more

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  Shattered (Willow Creek #1)

  Excerpt from Shattered (Willow Creek #1)

  More Books By A.K. MacBride

  With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

  -Ephesians 4:2-3

  Copyright © 2019 by A.K. MacBride

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover and Interior design by Dazzling Designs

  Proofing by Illuminate Author Services

  ISBN - 9780639987002

  Dear Reader,

  I am beyond excited to bring you Wrecked, the second installment in the Willow Creek series.

  All of the books in this series can be read as standalones, so you can dive right in and enjoy Brett and Kenzie's emotional journey to their happily ever after.

  All A.K. MacBride novels are sweet and sensual with a touch of heat. You'll experience all of the feels that you expect in a romance novel without it being explicit.

  The best way to stay up to date with all things A.K. is to sign up for my newsletter.

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  What would you do for the one you love?

  Me?

  I traded my freedom for hers.

  But then she betrayed me and left me to rot without so much as a goodbye.

  You know how they say you need to forgive and forget?

  Well, I can't.

  I won't.

  In fact, I'm good with never laying eyes on Kenzie Michaels again.

  Unfortunately for me, life has other plans.

  So when the woman who ripped my heart out of my chest

  - and stomped on it for good measure -

  shows up in my town, I'm left dealing with feelings both old and new.

  And a single question that rules my every thought: Do I give in and fight for the future we were supposed to have?

  Prologue

  "Brett, just drive."

  Next to me, Kenzie seemed uncharacteristically nervous for what I presumed was a routine traffic stop. She tried to hide it, but I saw her hands tremble in her lap.

  "Kenzie?" I stole a quick glance in my side mirror and noticed that the officer had yet to step out of the patrol car. I had a minute, at best, to get to the bottom of my girlfriend's weird behavior.

  Kenzie shifting in her seat drew my attention back to her. I frowned when I saw that her blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Brett," she pleaded. "Please? I can't get arrested; my dad will kill me."

  Arrested? What was she talking about? We were heading back to my apartment after a small get-together with friends. I made sure not to drink, and I wasn't driving over the speed limit. So, why the hell would she think we'd get arrested?

  "Kenzie," I said again, firmer this time. "What the hell is going on?"

  Those tears that had threatened to fall earlier came running down her cheeks, thick and heavy. Her bottom lip wobbled, and I saw her work down a swallow before she squeaked out, "I'm sorry, I was going to tell you." She swiped at her tears, to no avail; they just kept spilling from her eyes.

  My heart dipped, and nervous tension licked its way down my spine. "Tell me what?"

  She slipped her hand into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a bag filled with a bunch of white pills. Still crying, she stared at the packet in her palm.

  "What's that?" The harsh tone of my voice caused her to jump in her seat. There was no time to feel bad because if that was what I thought it was, we were in trouble.

  Kenzie's gaze slowly lifted to mine before dropping to the bag again. "It's methylphenidate, it helps me study."

  There was a slam of a door, and a quick glance in the mirror confirmed that the officer was heading our way. I had zero time to think it through. Holding my hand palm up, I demanded, "Give it here."

  "What? Why?"

  "Dammit Kenzie," I gritted out. "Give me the damn bag."

  We didn't have time for her to be hesitant, I reached forward and snatched the bag from her. When she turned her frown to me, I insisted, "You know nothing about this bag, got it?"

  Before she could answer, there was a tap against my window. The instant I spotted the officer I knew why we were pulled over in the first place. All hopes of getting out of this mess immediately dissolved.

  Gregory Heart and I did not see eye to eye at all. The disdain we felt for each other traced all the way back to high school. When I'd caught him trying to spike a girl's drink, I'd handled it the only way I knew how—with my fists. But because his daddy was the chief of police, I had been the one in trouble.

  Officer Heart tapped against the window again. I placed my hand over Kenzie's trembling ones in her lap. "It's going to be okay, Sweetheart. I'll never let anything bad happen to you." I rolled down the window only to be blinded by the bright ball of light coming from Gregory's flashlight.

  "Would you mind stepping out of the vehicle, Brett?" A sense of foreboding tugged at my spine; I just knew trouble was on the horizon.

  I gave my girl one last reassuring look before I opened my door and unfolded myself from my car. Outside, the asshat smirked knowingly at me before shining his light in Kenzie's direction. "Hey Kenzie, you alright?"

  I couldn't hear her answer, I only saw Gregory nod. A second later, his flashlight was trained on me again. "Did you know you have a broken taillight?"

  "Pretty sure it's not broken, Gregory."

  "That's officer to you, asshole." He let out a sinister chuckle before he moved to the back of my car. I was still blinking away the tiny stars when I heard the loud smash of glass shattering followed by, "Well, it is now."

  Kenzie let out a mortified scream, but just as I ducked inside to console her, Gregory yelled, "Hands where I can see them!"

  I raised my hands—when all I wanted to do was break this asshole's face—and slowly turned around. A second later his flashlight blinded me again.

  "You been drinking tonight?"

  I squinted and held my hand above my eyes as a shield. Flashing red and blue light was already slicing through the blackness of the night, I didn't need this idiot's light in my e
yes too. "No, Officer," I hissed through clenched teeth.

  Finally, Gregory switched off his flashlight and slipped it into its place on his belt. He then proceeded to put me through a number of sobriety tests even though the breathalyzer showed I had no alcohol in my system.

  He did all of this in front of the car, I had no doubt he was trying to humiliate me in front of Kenzie. But it didn't bug me in the slightest. The only thing that got to me was the terrified look I saw in my girl's eyes the few times I stole a glance at her.

  "Turn around, hands on the vehicle," Gregory suddenly demanded.

  "What?"

  "Did you think I was just going to take your word for it when you said you had no concealed weapons or drugs on your person?"

  Shit. My heart jackhammered against my ribcage. For a minute there, I thought we were in the clear.

  "Are you hard of hearing?" Gregory sneered.

  I bit the inside of my cheek until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. There was no use in digging a deeper hole for myself by telling this asshole exactly what I thought of him. I raised my hands, palms facing Gregory before I slowly turned around and planted them on the hood of my car.

  I locked eyes with Kenzie through the windshield, and I could tell she was debating on whether she should get out or not. I held her gaze while subtly shaking my head. She was right; her daddy would be beside himself if she got arrested.

  He owned a PR company and had some pretty famous and influential clients. He wouldn't take kindly to his daughter smearing the family name. Mr. Michaels was already looking down his nose at his daughter for dating an art student.

  I kept my focus on my girl while Gregory started to frisk me. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. "Do you have a prescription for these?" He asked way too cheery as he dangled the bag in front of my face.

  "No," was my flat reply.

  "Well, then I'm going to have to take your ass to the precinct. Hands behind your back."

  The sob that broke free from Kenzie's throat tore through my heart. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest. She was my entire world, and there was nothing I wouldn't do for her. Where I came from, you protected the ones you loved, no questions asked.

  The cold metal circling my wrists brought me back to reality. Instead of pulling me to my feet, he leaned over me and whispered, "You know, with you gone, that girl of yours is going to need someone to keep her bed warm," his arm on my back pressed me deeper into the hood. "But don't worry, I'm only too happy to be of service. I mean who wouldn't want a piece of that perfect—"

  The rest of his sentence was lost to the night air as I jerked back, and my head connected with his. I ignored the sharp pain shooting through my skull as I started to twist my body around, ready to finish what I started. "You go near her, I'll kill you!"

  With my hands clasped behind my back, I had no way to defend myself against the blow that came courtesy of Gregory's police-issued baton. The pain in my head multiplied, and I was helpless when he slammed me back down on the hood.

  "Now, that little stunt is sure to earn you some extra jail time."

  My eyes locked onto Kenzie's, and for a split-second, everything else disappeared. With one look, I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be okay even though I knew it wasn't. I kept my gaze on her as long as I could while Gregory led me to the squad car.

  Little did I know that would be the last time I saw my girl.

  Chapter 1

  12 years later.

  "Are you freaking kidding me?"

  I pressed the button to the right of the steering wheel, only to have the engine of my car stutter before it died. With a heavy sigh, I took in my surroundings. There was nothing but bluebonnets for miles to my left and right; the only sign of life were the birds flocking to who-knows-where.

  I poked at my phone mounted to the dash and pulled up my maps application; I needed to know where I was before I called for assistance. I scrolled once, twice, and then stopped.

  No.

  The nearest town was Willow Creek, and it also happened to be the only town in the world I wanted to avoid like the plague. I scrolled some more; there had to be another town.

  "Ugh! Seriously!?" I sounded as exasperated as I felt. If I didn't want to be stranded there for at least another few hours, I had no other choice than to call a towing service in Willow Creek.

  I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth while I searched for a number I could call. Funny how life liked to kick you when you were down. It wasn't usual for me to drive hundreds of miles to meet with a client, but things had happened, and I needed the time to think.

  Finally, I found a number for an auto shop. I dialed it; the man on the other end of the line assured me he'd be there in less than an hour. When I hung up, I pulled up a familiar number on my phone, but for some reason, I was hesitant to press the little green button.

  And that there was precisely why I needed time to think. The typical reaction to your boyfriend asking you to move in with him should be excitement. It shouldn't scare you to the point where you jump in your car and drive for miles and miles.

  And it definitely shouldn't make you hesitant to phone him when you'd landed in a crisis.

  Instead of dialing Dean, I punched in my best friend, Zoe's number. She answered on the third ring.

  "Kenz, hi." She sounded a bit breathless, and I was terrified to ask what I'd interrupted. Zoe was all for living in the moment; she even had the words 'carpe diem' tattooed on her wrist.

  "Uh, is this a bad time?"

  There was shuffling, I heard faint whispering before Zoe said, "Don't be silly."

  "My car broke down right in front of Willow Creek." The words came out along with the whoosh of breath that left my lungs. Zoe was the only person who knew why being stranded in Willow Creek, even just for an afternoon, was mortifying.

  "What? Okay, you have to backtrack… I thought you were flying down on Monday? What's this about your car breaking down?"

  I ran my thumb over my lip and stared at the endless amount of blue stretching as far as the eye could see. "Dean wants me to move in with him."

  "Oh. And your natural reaction to that was to jump in your car and get as far away from him as possible?"

  Hearing it like that made me sound like a bad person. "I'm horrible," defeated, I dropped my head to the steering wheel.

  "You're being dramatic," I heard the smile in my friend's voice. There was a short moment of silence before Zoe continued, "Maybe this isn't such a bad thing, Kenz."

  "Yeah?" I asked, my voice thick with sarcasm. "How do you figure that?"

  "Look—" not fazed by my mordacity, Zoe went on, "—first of all, there is a hell of a chance that you won't be in Willow Creek long enough to run into him—"

  "But—"

  "If you do, you might be able to finally get some closure. Kenz, I know you don't want to hear this; but I'm gonna say it, anyway."

  I lifted my head and stared at the endless stretch of land before me while I waited for her to continue.

  "You need to let go of the past, so you can focus on your future."

  She was right. Keeping tabs on your old boyfriend wasn't healthy. In my defense, I was only doing it so I'd know which towns to avoid.

  Yeah, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

  "Kenz, you still there?"

  "Mmm hmm." A rumble drew my attention to the road just in time for me to see a truck come to a standstill in front of me. "I think help has arrived. I'll call you as soon as I know what's happening."

  A giggle filtered through the line before Zoe's reply, "Uh, maybe text first."

  I couldn't help but laugh as I shook my head and hung up. Most people thought of Zoe as an easy girl, but the sad truth was her level of detachment stemmed from something that most people wouldn't survive. I didn't always agree with her choices, but hell if I was going to condemn her for them.

  I had all the hope in
the world that one of these days a guy worth her time was going to stick around long enough to be the salve that heals all her broken pieces. The slam of a door pulled me from my reverie and drew my attention back to the problem at hand.

  A giant of a man, covered in tattoos emerged from the truck. I was about to lock my doors and dial 911 when the excited squeal of a child stole my attention. Where the tattooed man was big, with tanned skin, dark hair, and an even darker beard, the little boy bouncing up and down next to him was the exact opposite.

  A mop of winter-white hair covered his head, and his pale skin made me want to offer him a tube of sunscreen. As striking as their differences were, it was the undeniable affection between them that stole my breath.

  The man crouched before the boy and said something that had his smile growing by the second. After a quick ruffle of the boy's hair, the man stood and pulled the boy in for a hug.

  I didn't know why my mind went where it did when I saw that, but the only thing I could think of was how my relationship with my father wasn't anything like that. Another laugh broke free as I imagined how my mother would react if I brought a guy home that looked like that man.

  I stepped out of the car when they reached me. I wasn't a short girl, plus I was wearing four-inch heels and still the guy towered above me.

  "Hey there," I gave them a small wave.

  "Hello," the excitement I saw on his face came through in the boy's voice. Tattooed Giant lightly nudged the boy with his hip which prompted him to add, "Ma'am." This child was way too cute for his own good.

  A soft chuckle drew my attention back to the giant whose ink-covered hand was stretched out, "Afternoon, ma'am. This here is Flynn, I'm Logan. What seems to be the problem?"

  After shaking Logan's hand, I bent down and shook Flynn's too. The way his cheeks turned rosy was the most adorable thing I'd seen in a long time.

  "It just died on me," I explained when I straightened.

  "May I?" Logan nudged his head in the direction of my car.

  "Please."

  I stood next to Flynn, and we watched Logan reach into the car and pop my Mazda's hood. He checked a few things in the engine before the cracking sound of the hood being closed filled the air.