“Love you, Mom,” I whispered, wrapping an arm around her.
I pulled away, but she caught my hand before I could get too far. “Kandy, honey, please. You know how your father is. You know he needs time.”
I lifted her hand and clutched it tight. “Mom, please?”
Her eyes widened, and with that one simple request, she let me go. Her tears slowed, her mouth no longer trembling. She stared at Cane, but didn't frown. Just stared. Then she took a step back, and dropped her head.
I met Cane at the door. He escorted me out, but before he could close it, I took one look back. Mom was sitting on the bench in the hall sobbing. Dad had rounded the corner and was watching us go. The last thing I saw him do was pinch the bridge of his nose and break down in a sob too, before Cane shut the door behind us.
Forty
KANDY
“You okay?” Cane asked when we were inside his car.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t, honestly. I stared back at the house knowing that I wouldn’t see it again for a while, if ever again. I knew in that house that my parents were broken and it was all because of me.
Cane put the car in gear and pulled out of the driveway. When he drove away, my heart dropped to my stomach. I took one last look back at the home where I was raised. The home where I learned how to flip my first pancake, and had my first sleepover, and big birthday party with a bouncy castle at the age of seven.
Was it selfish of me to leave them like that? Should I have stayed a little longer, tried to convince Dad to accept who I loved?
I knew it was hard for him to understand. He was a man with voluptuous pride and Cane had been his best friend. But at the end of the day, I was his daughter, and he was supposed to love me more than anything—more than what he thought was wrong or right. More than his disdain for Cane and even his stubbornness. He was supposed to show me that no matter what I wanted, or how I wanted it, or who I wanted, that he would be there. But he didn’t.
Instead, he looked away. He pleaded, but it wasn’t enough because I knew if I’d stayed he would have tried to convince me to look the other direction and pretend that my heart didn’t beat for his former friend. But it did.
When I looked up at Cane, my vision was blurry. He felt me looking at him and met my stare. Grabbing my hand, he held the tips of my fingers, bringing the back of my hand to his lips and kissing it. I don’t know what it was about that one kiss that gave me a spark of hope. I could feel his emotion too. He was breaking as well, and knew that the decision I made was going to hurt me more than anything. It would hurt my parents too, but they weren’t the ones living this life.
We rode in silence for the most part, a melodic song by John Legend pouring from the speakers. Cane pulled into his neighborhood and up to his house and when he got out of the car, I sat there for a moment, staring at the house—this large beautiful house—and realizing that I was going to spend more time here than I would anywhere else.
I realized that my life had changed so much from what it was before. I’d lost my scholarship and probably my family too. I was no longer the little girl who was afraid of this man. I was the little girl who had blossomed into a woman and fell in love with this man. I felt my love for him deep in my soul, right down to the core. I cared for him more than I thought I ever could care for anyone. I never thought a time would come where I actually had to choose between my parents and Cane. Not like this.
Maybe it was dumb to think that Cane and I were going to be together forever. Maybe I was in over my head and maybe Cane would only want me for a couple years or even a few months, and then toss me aside, like the women he used to be with. Like Kelly. What would I do then? I would be helpless and hopeless and have to beg my parents for forgiveness because they were right.
But when the passenger door opened and he revealed his face, stretching his arm to offer his hand, I grasped the idea that maybe he would never leave. In his eyes, I saw hope and passion and love. In his eyes, I found comfort and peace. He looked at me like he would be there for me every step of the way, that he wouldn’t leave me stranded ever again.
“Coming inside?” he asked, eyes swimming with sympathy. I drew in a breath and took his hand, climbing out of the car and walking with him to the door.
He unlocked it and I thought he would take me to the kitchen or the den or even the living room but he didn’t. He took me upstairs to his bedroom. We walked past his king sized bed, by the dresser, and past the armoire until we reached the bathroom. He started the shower right away and then turned to me, undressing me slowly. I wanted to ask him what he was doing. Why was he doing this right now? I wasn’t in the mood for a shower or sex or whatever he may have wanted at the time. I just wanted to think, sulk really.
“Cane,” I murmured. But he merely ignored my plea. He continued undressing me and undressed himself. He watched my eyes the entire time, and when we were bare, he grabbed my hand, turning toward the shower and letting me in first.
He watched me, eyes intent, serious, then he cupped my face in his wet hands, still staring down at me in the loving, heated way only he could.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “I know how you feel.” His thumbs stroked the apples of my cheeks. “You’re hoping you’re doing the right thing...”
I blinked my tears away, the stream of water beating on my back. “Am I?”
He sighed, and even he wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do. Being together was both a risk and a challenge. So many things set us apart. He exhaled, studying my eyes, still holding my face.
“Do you love me?” he asked, voice lower.
“Yes,” I answered.
“Do you trust me?”
I shut my eyes but nodded. “Yes.”
“Are you certain that I am the man you want, Kandy? Because I’ll tell you now, I am not a saint. Though you think I’m this perfect man, I’m far from it. I have flaws—many of them. There are moments when you will not be able to stand the sight of me.” I opened my eyes and water spilled over his lips as they pressed together.
“I don’t care about any of that. I know who you are. I know what you are capable of. I know you have many flaws, but I can accept them because I love you.”
The skin around his eyes softened a bit, and his eyes seemed warmer. Deeper. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine. I moaned, wrapping my hands around his forearms and melting into the kiss. My heart boomed and my knees buckled and I held his arms tight, never wanting to let go.
“Then it’s settled,” he breathed on my lips. “Because everything you have said, I feel too. It hurts to be selfish—to take what you want and also hurt the ones you love in the process—but when it feels right, nothing should stop that. Nothing should get in the way of a person’s happiness. So, yes...I think you are doing the right thing. Just...give it time.” He kissed the tip of my nose and then reeled me into him. “He’ll understand eventually.”
I really hoped so.
Even though his words were encouraging and deep, they also moved me in a way that made my heart jump and my belly clench tight with anguish. I buried my face in his chest and held him close to me. The hot stream of water poured down my back, but the warmth couldn’t be matched to his.
“My Kandy,” he sighed, and a sob that had been brewing inside me finally broke out.
Just like Mom, I broke down, crying into his chest so hard I could barely breathe. But he didn’t say anything. He just held me tight and let me weep. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head. He didn’t tell me to stop or to calm down, because he knew this was necessary. I was glad.
When my sobs became soft whimpers, Cane picked my head up and looked down into my eyes. He cradled my face in his hands, eyes sincere. I’d never seen him so gentle. So open.
“I will take care of you. I will be with you. I will not sway or leave you. I am here. I am yours.” His damp lips meshed with mine. “I am yours,” he repeated, breaking the kiss, his mouth feathery light
as it brushed across mine.
“You…are mine,” I whispered brokenly. “And…I am yours.”
He shut his eyes for a brief moment, water trickling from his hair to his thick lashes. The corners of his mouth tipped up, and he breathed slowly through his nostrils.
“That’s my girl.” He placed a kiss on my forehead. My cheek. My lips. “My sweet, sweet Kandy.”
Forty-One
CANE
The last thing Kandy needed was to be reminded of what had happened the night before, so while she slept in my bed, the left half of her face buried in the pillows and curly, dark-brown wisps of hair on the right, I went downstairs and called one of my favorite local chefs who owned a nice brunch restaurant. He told me he’d send someone within an hour to cater a nice breakfast for us.
Luckily when they arrived, Kandy was still asleep. After what had happened the night before, I was sure she was sulking more than anything. The caterers set the counters up with food and fresh-cut fruit while I sat at the kitchen table, working on my laptop.
About fifteen minutes after they left, Kandy walked into the kitchen with one of my white button down shirts on, her hair pulled up into a messy bun, several loose strands hanging around her face.
She spotted the counter covered with food and her eyes expanded. “Holy shit,” she gasped. “What is all of this?”
“For you.” I stood and walked toward her, dropping a kiss on top of her head. She peered up at me with big brown eyes. “Want us to start fresh.”
She beamed and instead of speaking, she nodded. That one nod was proof that she understood what I was getting at. I’d promised her that we would make this work, that I would be here, and I was ready for it to begin.
She trotted past me and picked up a strawberry, biting into it. Her lips were full and supple around it, and if I weren’t so mesmerized by the simplicity of the act, her natural beauty and how she grinned after chewing, I’m almost certain I would have gotten hard. Who knew a woman could look so damn gorgeous while eating a strawberry?
“You mind if I turn on the TV?” she asked after filling up her plate.
“Not at all.” I looked toward the TV on the counter. “Thing hasn’t been turned on in ages. Hopefully it still works.” I laughed.
She giggled. “Yeah, I forgot you aren’t a TV person. Why did you even bother getting one in the kitchen then?”
“Good question.” I shrugged, picking up my mug of coffee from the table and then pressing my lower back to the edge of the counter. “I guess to use when the house is too quiet, but with you around, it should be okay.”
She pressed her lips to smile, taking a stool at the bar counter after picking up the remote control for the TV. She flipped through the channels while nibbling on apple slices, but then I heard a name while she stalled and my blood ran cold. I pushed off the counter, almost certain my ears had deceived me.
“Wait.” I slammed my mug down on the counter a little too roughly and Kandy flinched.
She frowned, looking at me. “What? What’s wrong?”
I walked around the counter, taking the remote from her and flipping back a channel.
“Oh…shit.”
“Cane? What?” she demanded, looking between the TV and me.
I wanted to answer. Honestly, I did, but I was fucking speechless. I turned up the volume.
“…it’s been three weeks now and not one sign of Draco ‘El Jefe’ Molina,” the anchor said. “Following the massive explosion during the raid of his mansion that left seven officials injured and nine killed, it has been reported that Draco Molina had plenty of time to escape and could be anywhere by now. One injured officer who was lucky to make it out of the explosion, reported that he’d seen Molina getting away on a speedboat, and on the boat, he spotted a young Caucasian male, a Caucasian female, a younger Hispanic male, and two Hispanic females.”
Kandy turned toward me. “Cane?” Her voice trembled. “Do you know him?” she asked.
I nodded. It was all I could do.
“Officials are calling Draco Molina the most wanted man in the world. He has been accused of over eighty reported murders and is known for running one of the largest cocaine and assault rifle cartels in Mexico. The FBI has pushed their two-million dollar reward up to four-million today, so if you have seen this man or know where he could be hiding…” The screen flashed to the infamous Draco Molina himself. It was a picture of him in a suit, standing in front of a building, his hair slicked back and his jaw flexed.
I’d always known a time would come when he would get caught up. I just didn’t think it would be so soon. Lora had told me Draco kidnapped a woman named Gianna, who was the daughter of Lion, a well-known Italian mobster, but murdered her husband on their wedding day before taking her. Was she the Caucasian woman who’d escaped with him after the explosion? My head was spinning. What the fuck was he doing?
A hand wrapped around my wrist and I didn’t even realize Kandy had gotten off her stool and was standing in front of me now. “Cane, you’re scaring the shit out of me right now. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s fine. Promise. Just…need to check something.”
“Wait, wha—” I walked past her and out of the kitchen before she could ask anymore questions.
This was fucking insane. How hadn’t I heard about this before now? I took the stairs two at a time to get to my bedroom, heading into the closet and opening the bottom drawer of the dresser inside it. I shuffled through it, snatching out underwear and ties and leather belts, until I came across the little black flip phone.
I powered it on, every second filling me with dread.
When it was on, it took a while for the messages to pop up, but I knew they were coming.
One by one, they flooded in, until finally it stopped. Twenty missed messages.
Shit. I hadn’t checked the phone in weeks. I was supposed to check it once a week, but got so caught up with work and my family…
“Cane?”
I pushed to a stand, heart thundering as I focused on Kandy standing between the frames of the closet door. “Sorry, Kandy it’s um…just a bunch of shit.” I scrolled through the messages. It was from a new number, but some of the code words were very clear.
Trouble with lead.
He’s out now.
Funds needed.
State reunion.
The messages went on and on until I came across one that truly had my blood running cold.
ATL landing in a few weeks. Be ready.
That particular message was sent two days ago.
I snapped the phone shut. “Kandy, I need you to go home.”
“What? Why? What’s going on?”
“That man you saw on TV? The one wanted for four million? I know him.”
“You know him? How?”
I snatched a T-shirt out of the closet then walked out, tugging it over my head. “Used to work for him. And he might be in the state right now. He’s not safe for you to be around.”
“Seriously?” Her voice was shrill, her eyes so wide they were nearly bulging out of her head.
“I can’t explain this right now. I think he has people who are coming to meet me, or he’s coming himself. I don’t want you around when that happens. You can crash at Lora’s until this blows over.”
“Are they bad people?”
“Anyone who works for him is a bad person. Not all of them can be trusted.”
“But you worked for him,” she pegged, giving me a thorough, uncertain glare.
“I know…and luckily I got out, and that’s only because we made a deal.”
“I—I don’t get it. Should I be worried? Should I call the cops?”
“No.” I rushed her way, gripping her shoulders. “You call the cops and I am a dead man walking. You hear me?”
She breathed raggedly, face paling. “It’s that bad?”
“It’ll be fine. But I need to call Lora. Let her know what’s going on.”
“Should
n’t she stay away too?” She shuffled through her suitcase, snatching out a pair jeans and sliding her legs through them.
“I may need her.”
“God. I can’t believe this.” Her voice shook as she started to unbutton the shirt she was wearing.
I cupped the back of her neck. “Kandy, I told you there were things about me that would be unpleasant. I don’t want you to be—”
“WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?” A voice thundered, cutting me off mid-sentence, and if I thought my heart was racing before, it was about to burst out of my chest at this point because standing between the frames of my bedroom door was Kelly.
She wore a black T-shirt and black leggings, her face makeup free, and her eyes broiling with rage. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days, dark circles beneath her eyes and her hair slightly frizzy. I’d never seen her this way. So…unhinged. She always kept herself neat.
A gasp spilled from Kandy’s lips, and when I dropped my eyes, I realized why.
In Kelly’s hand was a knife. A long, sharp knife.
And before I could say anything or get her to stop and wait and listen, she was screaming so loudly her face turned red. She rushed toward me, eyes pinned right on mine. I knew what was going to happen. The sharp blade was coming toward us, glimmering from the sun pouring through the window, ready to pierce me. Even more so, I’d prepared for it, because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop it in time.
Kelly’s screech made my ears ring. “I hate you!” she screamed. “I fucking hate you!”
She had swung the knife in my direction, but I felt nothing. Perhaps with all of the adrenaline rushing through my body, it was impossible to feel anything.
The Cane Series: A Complete Forbidden Romance Series (4-Book Set) Page 52
