I place my hand on Kane’s biceps as he fists Jack’s shirt, his other hand gripping his throat, but not tight enough to remove his smirk. The vein in Kane’s neck bulges, then relaxes as my hand smoothes over his skin. “Kane. I’ll see you in a few days.”
He releases Jack and they stare each other out.
“Let’s go, Jack.” I can’t get him away quick enough, afraid of what Kane will do. The words from Lilly running through my mind like a broken record.‘He’ll get himself locked up again.’
Jack places his arm around my shoulder as we walk down the dim corridor. I shrug out of it, turning back to glance at Kane before I descend the stairs. He’s watching us leave, lurking in the dark corner, gripping the bottle tight.
My core clenches with the memory of that bottle and another spark fires off in my centre.
Jesse, Marie, and Lucy wait at the bottom of the stairs, looking a little wasted. “You found her.”
Jack ignores them, pulling the keys from his back pocket. “Get her in the back.”
“Oooh Letty, have you been bad?” Jesse chuckles, but hearing him say the words makes a little bit of sick rise in my throat.
I stomp to their car and jump in the passenger seat, forcing the rest of them to pile in the back.
Jack grips his hands firmly on the steering wheel and pulls out, then brakes sharply to prevent ramming into Shane’s car. I’m sure if Kane had driven tonight, he wouldn’t have hesitated to ram into his Ford Ranger.
He shifts gears and drives out of the car park at speed, screeching the tyres as he turns onto the road. “You’ve been going to his house?” He gives me a sideways glance. “Why the fuck would you go back there?”
“I wanted to check he was okay.”
Jesse leans through the gap between the front seats. “What are you talking about? Check who was okay?”
“Little red riding hood here has been checking on the big bad wolf.”
Jesse looks between the two of us. “Don’t let Dad find out you still have anything to do with him. I won’t be able to protect you.”
The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. Adrenaline sobers me. I don’t want to believe my father was a rapist, but I refuse to believe Kane would hurt anyone without good reason. He’s right. I should’ve known before. I should never have left without an explanation.
Surrounded by wolves in sheep’s clothing, it’s difficult to know who my allies are. I glance around the cab. Marie glares at me as if burning laser beams into my skull. She still hates me. Lucy doesn’t have a care in the world and rests her head against the window with a drunken smile on her face. Max must still be at the bar. Lucy must be with Jesse tonight.
Kane was right. They do share girls. Was I going to be their next conquest? If only to get back at Kane when they thought he was my dad or guardian or whatever. The thought sickens me. My insides twist, forcing more bile to burn in my chest.
Jack slams his foot against the brakes in front of his house. Lucy bangs her head on the window. “Fuck’s sake, Jack.”
I open the door and leave them to it, heading to my room, then text Yaz to apologise for leaving without saying goodbye. So much for celebrating my birthday.
39
KANE
Each night this week, I’ve finished work early, showered and made sure the place is spotless, hoping tonight will be the night she calls after work. I made a few enquiries and got her rota. Each night I’ve been disappointed, I worry if she’s okay. Gareth won’t want her anywhere near me, and between them all they’ve no doubt poisoned her against me.
I stir the chicken in the wok, another decent meal where I’ve prepared extra just in case she turns up. Belle’s eaten like a queen this last week. Her eyes are wide as she patiently watches me stir. “I know what you’re after.” I ruffle her black and white fur behind her ears and she licks my arm for any traces of food.
The gravel crunches under the rickety sound of her mini. My chest swells. “Sorry, lass. Looks like you won’t be getting any chicken tonight.” I turn the flame on the gas stove to low and stride over to the door. Her violet hair shines under the moonlight and the wind blows it from her face, revealing her beautiful smile.
She corners the car, carrying two shopping bags. “I didn’t know if your cupboards would be empty again so I brought more supplies.” She hands the bags to me.
I place them on the floor and take her in my arms, inhaling the scent of her hair. “When?” I pull away, holding her at arm’s length.
“The last time I was here, your cupboards were empty.” She smiles with sad eyes, bringing her hand to smooth the wrinkle in my brow away with her soft fingers. “Most of your cupboard contents were strewn over the coffee table while you were… indisposed.”
“Thank you.” I press my lips to her temple. “When I found out that was you, I never had time to tell you how grateful I was.”
Her lip lifts in the corner. “I think you showed your gratitude.”
