Chapter 42
SPENCER
It took a moment for reality to sink in. Even though I’d heard it direct from his own mouth, part of me couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to. Fuck! He was my baby brother. My twin brother. I was overcome by the sinking feeling that he was the monster that haunted Zoe’s dreams. He was the monster that had broken my girl then abandoned her, battered and bleeding. He was the monster responsible for destroying her forever.
“Kane,” I growled under my breath.
I looked over at Zoe and didn’t even recognise her. She was a mess. Shaking and pale. She looked as though she’d pass out or vomit or both any minute. And I knew. I knew but I didn’t want it to be true. How could it be? How could he do something like that? One look at Zoe and I had no doubt.
“What’s the matter, big brother? Embarrassed that she squealed like a stuffed pig and clawed at my chest like a tiger when she was wiggling about beneath me? She needed a real man and she got it. Your precious Pippi loved every minute of it,” Kane slurred.
Being that drunk didn’t make him smart. Fuck, if he was the prick responsible he was the dumbest fuck around. A fury consumed me that I’d never felt before. I wanted to end him. I wanted to hurt him and leave him permanently scarred. Pushing back from the table in one movement, my chair went crashing into another table, causing all attention to focus on the two of us.
Standing before me was a man I didn’t recognise. If I was being honest, something hadn’t been right with Kane for a couple of months now. He’d been oddly distant. Drinking more. Partying harder. Once or twice I’d even been convinced he was tripping on something, but I’d dismissed it. I didn’t want to think of him as a junkie. He was my brother. Now though, now things were different. He’d basically just confessed to being a rapist. A guy who thought it was okay to treat women like a punching bag. And not just any woman. Zoe. Pippi. My Princess.
With my hands clenched in tight fists at my side, I eyed him. He was a mess. He was drunk and dirty and God knows what else. His suit jacket was ripped and his shirt missing a few buttons. He looked as though he’d already gone a few rounds. He wasn’t going to walk out of here?not without going another couple.
“What. Did. You. Say?” I growled through gritted teeth.
My jaw was set firmly, ready to take the hit if he managed to land one. I hoped like fuck he wouldn’t.
“What’s wrong, Spence?” Kane yelled dramatically waving his arms around above his head. I didn’t need to look to know that every set of eyes was now firmly fixed on our show down. “Don’t you want everyone to know what sort of hot piece of ass you’ve got warming your sheets? I mean, fuck, it took you long enough.”
I’d heard enough. I threw the first punch, and when my fist collided with his jaw, I felt no remorse.
“Spencer, stop!” Mum’s voice cried from across the room.
“Stay out of this, Mum,” Kane warned as he steadied.
“Before I beat the living shit out of you, I’ve got to ask. Why? Why the fuck would you do that? How could you?” I spat angrily.
The truth was I didn’t care what the answer was, I was still going to pummel his ass, but I had to ask. I needed to know what possessed him to do something so totally unforgivable.
“You really want to know?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, but my fists clenched so hard that my knuckles were turning white under the strain.
“’Cause I could. She was there. And when I figured out who it was, Zoe, your precious Zoe. Princess Pippi who could never do anything wrong?I had to. She deserved it. Fuck that, Spencer?you deserved it. You were always so fucking high and mighty, it felt fucking fantastic to watch you fall,” Kane recounted with a sinister smile.
I couldn’t hold back longer if I’d tried. Gasps of shock echoed around me but I couldn’t place them. It was on. If that wasn’t the most fucked reason I’d ever heard I don’t know what could ever top it.
Kane launched at me, wildly flailing about. He landed a few good blows to my stomach and ribs. I knew I’d be sore in the morning but I didn’t have time to worry about that. Tossing him off me like he was nothing, I watched as he landed with a thump amongst the chairs, his head bouncing off the wood.
With Kane temporarily out of the way, I turned back to Zoe. She was still shaking. Pulling her into my arms, I hugged her tightly. Probably too tight. She gasped under the pressure but I couldn’t pull away. Tears were streaming down her face, leaving a sticky trail in their wake. Her makeup was ruined and so was her night.
“It’s okay, Princess. He won’t hurt you ever again,” I promised.
I didn’t see the movement behind me but Zoe did. I didn’t know why she reacted the way she did. Instead of cowering behind me, she stepped out and confronted Kane. Head on.
“You’re a sick bastard, Kane. You deserve to rot in jail for what you did,” she snarled before spitting in his face. It was the most disgusting and courageous thing I’d ever seen in my life. I was damn proud of my girl.
But Kane was a mean, cruel bastard. Instead of taking it like a man, he wiped the spit away with the back of his hand before backhanding Zoe across the cheek. As she went flying I tracked her with my eyes. I heard the room gasp, but I didn’t care. With the adrenaline pumping wildly, I ran straight for him, catching him in the stomach with my shoulder, sending us both careening across the room, knocking into people as we went. I heard a few squeals and grunts as we landed, but I didn’t care. Nothing could make me care right now.
Thankfully, I’d landed on top and stumbled to my feet quickly. When Kane made it halfway to his feet, I looked at my brother. His bloodshot eyes were empty. Pulling my arm back, I let go and landed a punch to his face, which sent blood spurting from his nose. As he grabbed for his face, I turned away, disgusted. I couldn’t look at what he’d become.
I went over to Zoe, where she lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. The few people who’d rushed to her aid, including Mum, looked up at me. My heart broke. It broke for Zoe, who was once again broken, battered, and bleeding. And it broke for my mother. What she’d just witnessed no mother should ever see. What she’d heard Kane confess, a mother should never hear. I knew it would break her heart and haunt her forever. I couldn’t deal with that now. Zoe needed me. Again.
“Princess, are you okay?” I puffed. I hadn’t realised how much throwing punches could take out of you.
“Sp-en-cer,” she gasped as blood trickled over her lips.
Fuck me dead she was in a bad way. Kane had almost destroyed her again.
With trembling fingers, I reached for her. When I saw they were covered in blood, one of the ladies at Zoe’s side handed me a napkin. “You’ll be fine. I love you and I promise, no one will ever hurt you again.”
As the words left my lips, Zoe’s eyes went wide and all the colour drained from her face.
