Dali the demolisher, p.1
Dali: The Demolisher, page 1
Dali
The Demolisher
B. Love
Prolific Pen Pusher
Copyright © 2024 by B. Love
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Let’s Connect!
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Epilogue
Also by B. Love
Let’s Connect!
Mailing list - https://bit.ly/MLBLove22
On all social media - @authorblove
If you rave about this book on TikTok, tag me, and let’s make a duet!
For exclusive eBooks, paperbacks, and audiobooks – www.prolificpenpusher.net
We hate errors, but we are human! If the B. Love team leaves any grammatical errors behind, do us a kindness and send them to us directly in an email to emailblove@gmail.com with ERRORS as the subject line.
As always, if you enjoyed this book, please leave a review on Amazon/Goodreads, recommend it on social media and/or to a friend, and mark it as READ on your Goodreads profile.
Follow B. on Amazon for updates on her releases by clicking here.
By the Book with B. Podcast – bit.ly/bythebookwithb
Prologue
When We Were Young
With her elbows pressed against the window panel, Kassadee looked out at her brother and his friends. The pout that turned her lips downward was usually enough to make her parents give the six-year-old anything she wanted. That day, it wasn’t enough to give her permission to annoy her brother, Kennessy, and his friends. Kennessy was three years older than Kassadee, and though the pair usually got along well, when it came to his friends, Kennessy was possessive and didn’t like to share. It was extremely important to him that he had time with them to himself that didn’t include his hovering parents or annoying little sister.
Kassadee’s eyes shifted around the living room, and when she was sure her parents were nowhere near, she darted out of the room as quietly as she could. It was as if the fresh wind hitting her face gave her an immediate recharge. She inserted herself into their football game, catching the ball Kennessy had tossed to his friend Everett before he could catch it.
“Hey!” Everett yelled, pushing her forward. “I could have caught that!”
Usually, Kassadee was prepared for the rough housing and able to defend herself. Since she hadn’t gained her footing fully from flying into the air to catch the ball, Kassadee fell face first onto the concrete driveway.
“Ow!” she yelled, rolling over to her back.
Kennessy growled and rushed over to her with Dali, his best friend, close behind. With a huff, Kennessy placed his hands on his hips.
“Are you okay, Kas?” he checked, not bothering to help her up.
“Clearly she’s not,” Dali replied, stepping in front of Everett.
“Well, it’s her fault for jumping into the game when I told her to stay inside.”
“Nah, I don’t like that,” Dali said, pulling Everett close by gripping the front of his shirt. “Help her up and apologize, or I’m going to pummel your fat, ugly face.”
Everett sucked his teeth as Dali’s brother, Dynasty, mumbled under his breath and walked over to them.
“I’m not apologizing to that girl. She shouldn’t have got in my way.”
“I agr—”
Before Kennessy could get his words out, Dali’s fist connecting with Everett’s head sent him shuffling backward. His eyes blinked rapidly then rolled into the back of his head as his body connected with the concrete.
“Are you okay?” Dali asked, kneeling next to Kassadee as she sniffled.
Her head shook as she avoided his eyes, not wanting the boys to see her cry or to see her burning, bleeding, scratched up face. That didn’t matter to Dali. Gently, he tilted her head by her chin and wiped her eyes.
“Where does it hurt the most?” he asked, looking her face over intently.
“M-My leg,” she said almost in a squeak, eyes shifting toward her big brother and the scowl on his face.
Dali’s hand on her thigh felt like a jolt of electricity that pulled Kassadee’s attention back to him. As Dali hissed, he shook his head. “Yeah, that’s definitely a deep cut, but you’ll get a pretty cool scar.”
Dali shot her a wink that made Kassadee blush as her brother griped.
“See, Kas! Now Dad is gonna be mad at me because you have to go to the hospital. Why couldn’t you just stay in the house?”
Ignoring her brother, Kassadee accepted Dali and Dynasty’s help to stand. Her eyes briefly looked down at an unconscious Everett. He always teased her because he liked her, but she didn’t like him. Dali was the nicest friend her brother had, and he’d given her bully the nicest shiner too.
A Few Hours Later
Kassadee’s head rested on her father’s chest as he carried her to her bedroom. Spending the afternoon at the hospital had drained her. It also didn’t help that her brother had been upset with her because their parents were upset with him.
Though her parents insisted Dali didn’t have to join them, he did. He made his brother go too. Even then, Dali followed closely behind Lincoln, looking up and into his arms to make sure Kassadee was okay. Lincoln chuckled and shifted slightly so that Dali could see Kassadee.
“She’s okay,” he assured the boy. “The pain medicine will have her sleep soon, but she’s going to be just fine.”
“It doesn’t feel like it,” Kassadee said, words slurred. “It feels like my face is going to fall off.”
The sound of the boys laughing caused Kassadee to struggle in her father’s arms to look at them to no avail. Lincoln tightened his grip around her, cooing. “Aht, be still, princess. We can’t risk you ripping your stitches.”
“And you three,” Carolyn, her mother, said, “come with me to the kitchen. I think we need to have another talk about the difference between you all and Kas.”
Kennessy groaned. “Ma, please. It was an accident. She jumped in front of Everett an—”
Lincoln turned swiftly, and Kassadee’s feet kicked his head. She covered her mouth and giggled but immediately regretted it when her cheek stung. The pain medicine they’d given her hadn’t fully taken effect. It was beginning to numb the pain, but she still felt it slightly.
“I know you are not about to fix your mouth to defend what that boy did to my princess. To your sister.”
Kennessy’s head lowered in sadness. “But, Dad, it really was an accident.”
“I don’t care. You’re your sister’s protector. You better be glad Dali was out there to handle him, otherwise, I was going to knock you and Ev out because you let him hurt my baby.”
Not saying another word, Lincoln charged down the hall with long, sure steps.
“Come on, baby,” Carolyn said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. “Let’s let him get her settled.”
Kennessy nodded, looking back toward Kassadee’s room as they walked in the opposite direction.
“Uh, Mrs. Smith?” Dali called hesitantly.
“Yes, baby?”
“Is it okay if I go make sure Mr. Smith doesn’t need any help with Kas?”
Carolyn’s eyes shifted from Dali to the hall as a slow smile spread her lips. She gave him a soft nod.
“Go on, son. But come back soon. I need to get you boys fed before I send you home.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dali agreed before rushing down the hall.
At that moment, he didn’t care about food, going home, or anything else. The only thing on his mind was making sure Kassadee was okay, and he wouldn’t leave until he was sure.
1
Dali
Twenty-One Years Later
Not even sloppy head from my favorite stripper would dull the anxiety of us being at this club for Germany’s pre-bachelor party. He was playing a dangerous game being here. Twila told him she didn’t want him going to a strip club or Vegas for his bachelor party. That’s why they’d agreed to a joint bachelor and bachelorette party so she could watch him. Now, I wouldn’t say Twila’s paranoia and rules weren’t warranted because Germany had cheated on her, but I felt like if she had to go to such extremes with her boundaries to be able to trust him, she shouldn’t have taken him back.
Germany straddled the line between wanting to assure her that she could trust him and wanting to do his own thing. I could respect him wanting to do what he wanted, but at the same time, it was now his responsibility to protect his wife. That didn’t just mean physically—it meant emotionally protecting her heart too. My conflict came from knowing that truth. A lot of our family, his mother included, didn’t want Germany and Twila together because their relationship had been toxic. I felt that way, but I wanted to support him through this journey of becoming
That’s why I was here instead of at home resting knowing I had a long day tomorrow. He decided at the last minute to come here to celebrate getting married with his guys, and though I knew he didn’t have any ill intentions, I worried about how this would play out if Twila found out we were here. When I realized Loco’s wet mouth and long tongue wouldn’t be a good enough distraction to keep me from worrying about how the night would end, I gently pushed her off my semi-erect dick.
“Is… everything okay?” she asked, stroking me with her palm.
“Yeah. I’m about to call it a night,” I said, going into my pocket to retrieve a few bills for her.
“Already?”
Not bothering to confirm what I’d just told her, I handed her the money and put my dick back in my boxers before zipping and buttoning my pants. As I stood, I looked around the red, dimly lit room for Germany. As I suspected, he wasn’t in here. Cursing under my breath, I said a silent prayer that he hadn’t ducked off into one of these private rooms with a stripper.
While some men may have spent their bachelor party sowing the last of their royal oats, Germany wouldn’t have that luxury. The last time Twila thought he was cheating, she keyed his car, busted the windows, and flattened his tires.
I made my way out of the smoky room in search of him. Though I felt like it would be pointless, I pulled my phone out and gave him a call. Not to my surprise, he didn’t answer. The moment I made it to the main room and my eyes locked on Twila, my heart stopped beating.
“Ah shit.” Taking steps backward, I hoped she didn’t see me. “She must got an air tag on this nigga.”
Turning swiftly, I headed back to the room I’d just come out of as I called Germany’s number again. Our family was scattered all across the room while his friends were huddled around one table. I made my way over to my brother first.
“You seen Germany?” I asked as his phone went to voicemail again.
“Not for a lil minute. Why wassup?”
“Twila is out front.”
“Shit.” Dynasty jumped to his feet. “How did she find us?”
“I don’t know but she did, so he needs to leave ASAP.”
Dynasty nodded his agreement. While he went to half the room, I took the other, telling everyone about the situation and that we needed to set eyes on Germany before Twila did. The longer it took us to find him the more frustrated I got. I told his ass this was a bad idea. Now, instead of ending my night in peace, I was hoping his crazy ass fiancée didn’t find him.
It took a little time, but eventually we found him upstairs. To my surprise, he wasn’t having sex, but from the look of his disheveled clothing as he stumbled out of the room, he was close.
“I ’preciate you, cuz,” he said, hurrying behind me as he buckled his belt.
“This the last time I’m doing this. The next time you try to fuck off, I’m sending Twila straight to you.”
“Man, say,” Dynasty said, “I don’t know why you marrying the girl anyway. It’s clear you don’t want to be with just her.”
“I wasn’t about to cheat.” I didn’t bother responding to that lie. In fact, I didn’t say anything else as we rushed out of the back door. Since we weren’t sure how Twila was tracking him, he dropped his phone in his car and took Dynasty’s home. Dynasty was going to go out and make it seem as if he was in Germany’s car and he didn’t know his phone was in it.
I wasn’t with that lying-to-your-woman shit, so I took my leave. If Germany wasn’t my cousin, his ways would have been the reason I cut him off long ago. All I could do was hope he got himself together soon. Or, at least, realized a committed relationship, especially with a woman like Twila, was the last thing he needed to partake in.
The Next Day
“All right, guys. I think that’s it,” Siri said cheerfully. She cupped her hands and twiddled her thumbs as she rocked on her heels. Siri was adorable and one of the sweetest women I knew. My best friend, Kennessy, was lucky to have her. “Are you absolutely sure we can’t pay you for your services, Dali?” she asked, walking over to me.
Before I could even answer her, Kennessy sucked his teeth and spoke up. “Don’t even bother asking. I tried to pay him at least for his time and team and he said no.”
“And I’ma say it again,” I replied, looking around the living room that was filled with boxes.
“Can I at least fix you dinner?”
“Now that, I’ll take.”
Me and two of my crew members had spent the last three hours moving Kennessy’s things into Siri’s home. Since they’d decided to take their relationship to the next level, it made more sense for him to move in with her and her daughter, Samantha, since she had a three-bedroom home—which was bigger than his one-bedroom bachelor apartment.
I hadn’t always planned to have a moving company, but when I stopped doing what I truly loved, boxing, I opened a few businesses that would be quick and easy ways to make money and keep myself busy. Along with the moving company I had a tow truck, lawn care service, and several rental properties.
Boxing had always been what I knew I’d do professionally. It started with a love of wrestling that blossomed when I joined the wrestling team for my high school and college. After eight years of professional boxing, I retired earlier this year and devoted my focus on my businesses. Life outside the ring had been less exciting and structured but there were some positives to it.
I always said I’d retire by thirty to start preparing for the next phase of my life. By thirty-five, I wanted to be married and starting my family. With more wins under my belt than losses, a part of me ached to get back in the ring… especially since it was becoming increasingly more difficult for me to go after the woman I really wanted.
After my crew took the last of the boxes into the master bedroom, I gave them the rest of the day off. They had my permission to take the truck back and I’d ride home with my brother since he was here too. We’d always been big on family and friendship, which was why I wouldn’t charge Kennessy and Siri for the move. I told them they could tip the crew, and they did, so that was good enough for me.
When I heard the door open, my eyes shifted to see who it was. Thanks to the open concept of the home, I was able to see Kassadee walk inside from the living room. Like always, at the sight of her, my heart skipped a beat. She seemed to look more beautiful every time I saw her.
With a growl, Dynasty scooped her up for a bear hug, causing her to giggle. Envy filled me. I wanted her in my arms. Sadly, that probably wouldn’t happen. Kassadee and I had always had a strange relationship.
As kids, I was her protector. As teenagers, she crushed on me hard. In college, I yearned for her, but serial dating on both parts and my boxing started to put distance between us. Now, it often felt like we were strangers.
“Is that my girl?” Siri asked from the kitchen at the sound of Kassadee’s laughter. They were best friends, and it was through their bond that Kennessy found the woman I was sure he’d marry… even if he was being slow and careful about it.
“It’s me!” Kassadee replied, heading toward the kitchen. Her eyes landed on me briefly and her steps slowed. Twisting her mouth to the side, she avoided my eyes. “Hi.”
“Hey.” I told myself not to stare, but that was easier said than done. “How are you?”
“Good.” Her eyes met mine. “You? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah. I’ve been keeping busy. Not being in the ring has made life boring as hell.”
Her posture relaxed as she crossed her arms over her chest with a smile. “If you miss it that much, why don’t you go back?”
I asked myself that same question every fucking day. “I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. The money, the sponsorships that still roll in, the championship belts. I literally got to live my childhood dream.” Pausing, I closed the space between us. Licking my lips, I had to keep my dick from hardening at the sight of her chest rising as she pulled in a deep breath and held it. Her nipples hardened, and knowing her body reacted to me led me to believe there was hope for us yet. “I have… different goals for my life now.”
