Page 68 of Fool Me Twice

He left Hart against the door and reached over his head to pull his tank off with one hand, throwing it onto his desk chair.

“You just want to punch things,” Hart accused.

Cane smirked. “A little. Your brother makes a good target.”

He grabbed the tape from his drawer and began to wrap his hands. Hart crossed the distance and snatched it from him, taking over silently.

Cane let him stew for a moment, leaning back against his desk with his hands held out. “I need to gain my respect back. This is the only way to do it.”

“Who cares about respect?”

“Respect is more valuable than currency in my world, Hart. It’s the main thing this asshole is trying to strip me of. Not slates or business.”

Hart didn’t look up at him, but his brow furrowed at the words as he continued to wrap him. “You think that’s the motivation behind the curse?”

“It’s my best guess.”

Hart hummed, mulling over the information, his soft hands still working.

“If the person is here, and I think they are, they’ll want a bit of a show. They’ll let the fight go on for a while before moving,” Cane said.

“You think they’re here?”

Cane thought of the sensation on the back of his neck. Eyes appearing in his mind. “Just a hunch.”

Hart sent him a look from under his lashes. “Are you a cursebreaker now?”

“No. Just a crime boss with a price on his head and a lot of practice. I know when something feels off. Like I said, they want to see me fall. Hard. In front of all those vultures out there. It wouldn’t do to cut the show short.”

Hart sighed, tucking the wrapping crudely on one hand. Cane didn’t correct him. “It fits with the curse’s MO so far. Slow. Building. Draw out the pain.”

Cane nodded. “So catch the fucker before I knock your brother out.”

Hart sent him a withering glare. “Give me your other hand.”

Cane smirked and complied, letting Hart wrap his left hand. His movements were rougher than they needed to be, like he was using the moment to take out some of his anxiety on Cane.

Cane let him, absorbing the emotional turmoil like he was made for it. He didn’t know why that was. He didn’t know why he was wired inside for Hart like this. He didn’t really need the answer at the end of the day.

He just wanted Hart close.

Hart’s touch on his skin felt good. Like always, it both settled him and woke a different kind of storm. A hunger to just get this over with so he could put all of his focus on Hart.

His hand was wrapped too soon for his liking.

They exited the room just as Ash came back, wrapped as well and ready to go.

“Where’s Ares?” Cane said, looking over the warehouse.

He hadn’t actually seen him since opening that night. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on the back doors like he’d told Hart and Ash, which meant he had to pass through the main floor eventually. Cane hadn’t spotted him once.

“I dunno. I think I saw him around, talking on the phone,” Ash said. “Wanna delay things?”

Cane sensed the restlessness in the air. The eyes on him.

They wouldn’t wait forever.

“No. Let’s go.”