Page 76 of Kane

“I wish I had the same luxury. Unfortunately, your actions reflect directly on me, and I will not have you regressing back into a relationship with a thug you should have outgrown a decade ago.” His eyes blazed fury. “Kane Hale will rue the day he tried to enter your life again, you hear me? I am going to absolutely annihilate him. There will be nothing left of his life to put back together when I’m done.”

“Dad.” She dropped her sandwich back to the napkin on the counter and followed him as he strode to the door.

“No.” He looked at her over his shoulder as he turned the knob. “I’ve given you every opportunity to make something of your life. An education. An introduction to the right kind of people.”

“The right kind? You mean the rich kind. The kind who could help you with your aspirations. It never mattered if they were snobs or bigots or bullies. It never mattered if they talked down to me or got too handsy behind one of the potted plants.” Her voice climbed. “Because it was never about me. It was always about how it could benefit you. It’s probably the only reason you have me in your life at all. To use as a tool for your gain.”

“How dare you? If anyone is a user in this relationship, it’s you, darling.” He drawled the endearment with malice. “You made no secret you preferred your mother and Charlie’s family to this one. Their home was the only place you wanted to be. The only thing I was ever good for was my money.”

“That’s not—”

“Not true?” He laughed. “Whose money solved your little criminal’s legal problems all those years ago? Who bailed out your precious Charlie’s pathetic company? Dear old Dad. The same one who used you as a commodity. The same one who doesn’t care whether you live or die. How do you reconcile the knowledge with your image of me, I wonder?” This time when he turned the doorknob, he pulled the door open and stepped out. “I meant what I said. Hale’s life as he knows it is over. He thinks he knows what it means to suffer. His suffering has only just begun.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-ONE

Amanda

Amanda couldn’t force herself to finish her sandwich after her father left; the taste had turned to sawdust in her mouth. She texted Kane, then finally trudged to the shower.

The hot water was a balm on the tense muscles of her shoulders. Resting her palms against the wall, she lowered her head, allowing the spray to beat over her back.

Her confrontation with her dad had left her shaken. She had no doubt he’d meant every word he’d said. The part where he questioned her loyalty was par for the course. He’d always been paranoid she loved Charlie more than him.

What really worried her were his threats against Kane. He already had something in motion after his meeting with the Skulls’ rival biker guy. Now, who knows what he would do? He had the money and influence to do almost anything. His only limit was his imagination.

She turned to relax on the built-in bench, then massaged the soap over her feet. The time in the water had already made inroads into the dirt, but rubbing her thumbs over the pad of one foot, then another, comforted her. By the time she finally felt clean, her fingers had started to prune.

A quick check of her phone showed no response from Kane when she got out. So, she slipped into her favorite pair of flannel pajama pants and an oversized T-shirt before tumbling into bed for a nap. She didn’t wake until a knock sounded at the door.

Her chest tightened as her first thought flew to Nathan. Then, she remembered she’d told Mickey to take him off her white-list. Her father sure as hell wasn’t coming back. Only one possibility remained. “Kane.”

When she threw open the door, the tight feeling in her chest came back with a vengeance. Yes, it was him, but it looked like her father had already made good on his promise.

He sported a black left eye and a shadowed right cheek. He stooped over a little and clutched his ribs as he shuffled in.

She slid under his arm and allowed him to use her for support as he lurched slowly to the sofa. “What happened?” she breathed. “Did you get jumped?”

He ran his hand through his unbound hair. “In a manner of speaking. The guys in the club did this.”

She gasped. “Not because of me?”

“No. It had nothing to do with you.” He patted her leg lightly. “It was club business.”

Oh no. This was not a road they were going down. “Club business,” she repeated carefully. “So basically, what you’re saying is…it’s none ofmybusiness.”

His lips thinned.

“I mean, it’s okay to spend the night in your bed. Hell, I can even let myself in your apartment. But I can’t know why you can barely walk, because it’sclub business,and I’m only—what’s it called—an old lady.” She shook her head ruefully. “As if I could forget how much respect the title affords.”

Her face flamed with anger. After everything she’d been through in the past twenty-four hours, she felt like someone had pulled her guts out and stomped all over them. All she wanted, all she needed, was to get back inside the little bubble she and Kane had created at his apartment. Only, she knew her wish was unrealistic.

He rubbed his eyes. “It’s not like that.”

She took a deep breath, forcing her raging emotions into check. “Okay.” Deep breath in. Deep breath out. “Tell me what happened.”

His mouth opened, then closed again, indecision dancing across his features.