Page 27 of Off-Limits Bad Boy
“Anyway, let's not waste the day ranting about overprotective brothers and their friends.” My sister’s tone lightens. “How about some ice cream?”
I glance over at my refrigerator, then back at her. She nods. “Yes, I brought some over and put it in the freezer.”
“That sounds amazing,” I say.
But as we sit and talk about her husband, her kids, the club, and everything else in our lives, I can't help but glance toward my front door, thinking about the keypad that’s a symbol of safety... and control.
The door clicks shut behind Lila, her departure leaving my apartment silent and empty. Now I'm alone with the buzzing of my thoughts, and I wish I wasn’t. My fingers twitch, itching to reach for my phone, wanting to dial Kade's number, to demand answers—or perhaps to hear his voice, rough around the edges like gravel and honey.
But I resist, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans as if trapping them there can quell the turmoil inside me. These feelings for Kade, they're like weeds in a well-tended garden, unexpected, unwelcome, and yet somehow...thriving in secret corners of my heart and mind.
“Focus, Emma,” I say, closing my eyes. I shake my head, trying to scatter the confusing mix of thoughts circling my mind. Now is not the time to analyze the fluttering in my chest, the heat that seems to simmer just beneath my skin whenever he's near... or the anger I feel when I think about how he tricked me.
I open my eyes as I realize the answer; I need confrontation.
With long steps, I stride out of my apartment, locking the door behind me, all the while ignoring the mocking security pad.
Each step toward the club is fueled by a cocktail of adrenaline and indignation. The pulse in my veins keeps time with my footfalls, a staccato rhythm urging me forward. I’d moved into this place to be only a few blocks from work, and now I wish I lived further away to walk out some of the fury pulsing within me.
The neon sign of the club blinds me in the twilight. I push through the doors with a nod at the doorman. The assault of sound and light is immediate, a physical force that makes my heart leap. The thumping bass reverberates through the floor, finds its way into my bloodstream, and echoes the frantic pace of my racing pulse.
Crowds sway and undulate like a living entity, their shadows painting the walls in neon and strobe-lit flashes. I weave through the throng, each beat of the music propelling me further into Kade’s domain. I know right where he’ll be, and exactly what he’ll be doing. It’s part of the reason I’m mad at him - he’s been wearing Alex down and taking more and more responsibility around the club.
“Emma?” A voice reaches my ears over the pounding music, but I don't pause. Not now. Not when I'm so close.
My breath comes quicker, anticipation sharpening my senses. I'm almost there, almost face-to-face with Kade and ready to do battle.
Tonight, I'll demand answers and unleash my anger. And he’s going to listen.
“Kade!” I call out as I approach his office, my voice steady, my resolve steely.
The door to Kade's office swings open and my hand trembles ever so slightly on the knob. He's there, just as I knew he would be, backlit by the dim glow of his desk lamp, a dark silhouette against the starkness of his meticulously organized space.
“Emma?” His voice is a low rumble that stirs something wild within me. But I'm not here to listen to the way my name sounds on his lips; I'm here to speak my mind.
I step into the room, letting the door pull closed behind me. “How dare you? How dare you go behind my back?”
He turns to face me fully now, a statue come to life, and I see the briefest flicker of surprise in his dark eyes before they settle into an unreadable mask. I cross my arms over my chest, forcing myself to stand my ground when all I want to do is charge and beat on his chest with my fists.
“Trust and respect, Kade. They mean anything to you?” My voice is sharp, cutting through the charged air between us. “Or are those just words you and Alex toss aside when it comes to me?”
He doesn't speak immediately, and for a moment, the only sound is the muffled bass from the club. Then, slowly, he rises from his chair, and it's like watching night fold into day, the way the darkness seems to shift around him.
“Emma,” he says softly, his voice laced with something almost delicate. “I never meant to undermine you. I was trying to help your brother protect you.”
He steps closer, and it's as if the room shrinks, the walls inching inward. The heat of him wraps around me, inviting and dangerous all at once.
“Look at me, Emma.” It's a whisper, a command that has my chin lifting despite myself. His eyes look truly remorseful as he reaches out and touches my cheek. “I'm sorry. Truly. But your safety, your well-being—it means everything to me.”
And that's when it hits me—the weight of his words, the gravity of his worry. It's real. It's raw. And it's more disarming than any apology should have the right to be.
I exhale as the storm inside me fizzles out. And that makes me more angry, somehow. How dare he have this effect on me?
The room stills, the only sound is our breathing and the thrum of club music through the walls. Kade's gaze locks on mine, and it’s a look I've never seen before, one that doesn't fit with the tough, brooding exterior he's always shown the world.
“Emma,” he says, his voice low. “I've cared about you for a long time, more than you realize.”
I don’t want to hear this. The urge to press my hands to my ears nearly overwhelms me as my heart skips, then hammers against my ribs. My lips part, but no words come out. This isn't the Kade I'm used to—the one who pushes me away, who argues with every word I say. This is someone else, someone revealing a truth that feels too big to fit in this office.