Page 4 of Riding Rough
His eyes roll back in his head. “Please! You did the same fucking shit. But you’re different, right? You’re always different.”
I stare at the excuse of a man I once thought I loved, unsure of how we became these people, unsure of how I let this go on as long as it has.
“Did you say he fucking hurt you?” My chest tightens as I stare up into the hallway, where Kane stands a foot above Jed. I forgot how absolutely huge he is.
I can’t speak. I’m trying to, but my throat is drier than it’s been since the train station and my brain is set to puree.
Kane stalks toward Jed, breathing down on him like a wild bull who’s just been released from his pen. “What did you do to her?”
Jed licks his lips and stares up at Kane as though he’s not afraid, but his trembling hands tell otherwise. “She plays the victim.”
Kane grips Jed’s shirt tightly with his fist. “Tell me again howyouhurting her isherfault.” He’s seething.
Jed doesn’t back down. I wouldn’t expect any less. The man is a chihuahua. He goes and goes like he has the upper hand, even if he’s ten times smaller and has no chance in hell. “If you want to hit me, old man, do it.”
“I want you to tell me what you just said. I want you to tell me again howyouhurting Amber isherfault. Say it!”
Jed shrugs. “You try living with a woman who needs something all day, every day. Your time, your attention, whatever fucking else she needs. When she doesn’t get it, she whines like a fucking baby. That shit would make anyone snap.” He laughs. “But baby’s got fangs, too. She snaps and gives it as good as she gets, but she’s the victim.”
Kane punches Jed straight in the nose. Then he goes in again and again until Jed is on the ground and blood is leaking from various places on his face.
“Oh my god!” For some unknown reason, I rush to Jed’s side. “You killed him. Did you kill him?”
Kane laughs. “No, but I fucking should’ve. You’re done with him. I’ll send a few of my guys out here to grab more of your stuff and take care of this asshole. Right now, I need you on the back of my bike.”
Jed has hurt me in countless ways for nearly a year, but still, it’s hard to get up and walk away. This must be what people mean when they talk about a trauma bond. There’s a part of me that blames myself for this.I did call Kane.
Kane’s big arms wrap around me, and he lifts me from the ground like I’m made of feathers and flower petals. Never in my life have I been lifted so effortlessly, and I’m taken aback by the entire experience.
I can’t breathe, and bile rises into the back of my throat.
Kane sets me down next to his bike and grabs a bottle of water from his side saddle. “Sip it slow. We’ll wait here until you’re ready. You’re going to be okay.”
Tears leak from my eyes. I’m overwhelmed and my stomach is off. “Why are you here?”
“Jed called and started in with this shit about you and I. He had it in his head that we’d hooked up because we had lunch together six months ago and then you called me this week. I didn’t see the missed call, so I got worried and spun myself into a frenzy, wondering what was wrong.” He smiles. “Please tell me it wasn’t a butt dial. I considered that a possibility about two hours into the drive, but by then I was already committed to the idea that you needed my help, so I suppressed the more likely reason.”
I smile and wipe away tears as I sip on the water he’s given me. “I, ugh, was trying to leave, and I was afraid to call my dad. So, I called you.”
“Why were you afraid to call Diesel? He’d hate knowing you were being treated like this.” Kane’s fists clench. “Ihate that you’re being treated like this, but it’s something completely different for a father.”
I reach out for his big, rough hand. “I’m fine. I made such a big deal about leaving Rugged Mountain that I’m embarrassed to be going back… under these conditions, you know?”
Kane pauses for a moment, as though he’s figuring out what to say. It’s only been six months since I’ve seen him, but he looks different… more tired than he did when we last saw each other. There are dark shadows under his eyes and his beard is a little grayer. “Well, you’re safe now. Safe, but ghostly pale. We should get a room for the night. It’s getting dark and you could use some sleep and a hot meal.”
I smooth my hair and wipe my face with the back of my hand. A night alone with Kane is everything I’ve ever wanted, but not like this. That said, we won’t make it back to Rugged Mountain tonight, even if we didn’t stop. “There are hotels in Whiskey Falls. We could stop there. I’m not sure what they’ll have for vacancies because there’s a folk festival in town, but it’s pretty much the only option. Not a lot of choices between here and Rugged Mountain.”
Kane looks down at me with parted lips before brushing his hand over his beard. God, I’ve missed him. Every single thing about him. The deep gravel in his tone, his wide shoulders, his blue eyes, the way the ink covers his arms, and I always feel safe around him. It’s a feeling, a known truth that surrounds me whenever he’s around. He’s got me… and I never have to question it.
“I’m ready when you are,” he grunts, reaching for my hand to help me onto his bike.
I sink into him effortlessly and hold tight as he starts up the bike and drives away from the prison overlooking the valley that was supposed to be my home.
Chapter Four
Kane
I’m tempted to ride right past Whiskey Falls and go until Amber begs me to stop. Having her tight up against my back with her arms wrapped around me is the start of at least half a dozen fantasies I have about her.