Wanting Mr. Cane

by Shanora Williams

  WANTING MR. CANE

  CANE #1

  Shanora Williams

  Contents

  Notifications

  Wanting Mr. Cane Playlist

  1. KANDY

  2. CANE

  3. KANDY

  4. KANDY

  5. KANDY

  6. KANDY

  7. KANDY

  8. KANDY

  9. KANDY

  10. KANDY

  11. CANE

  12. KANDY

  13. KANDY

  14. KANDY

  15. KANDY

  16. KANDY

  17. CANE

  18. KANDY

  19. KANDY

  20. CANE

  21. CANE

  22. KANDY

  23. KANDY

  24. CANE

  25. KANDY

  26. KANDY

  27. CANE

  28. KANDY

  29. KANDY

  30. KANDY

  31. KANDY

  32. CANE

  33. KANDY

  34. KANDY

  35. CANE

  36. KANDY

  37. CANE

  38. KANDY

  39. CANE

  40. KANDY

  41. KANDY

  42. CANE

  43. KANDY

  44. KANDY

  45. CANE

  46. KANDY

  47. KELLY

  48. CANE

  FOLLOW SHANORA

  About Breaking Mr. Cane

  Acknowledgments

  More Books By Shanora

  Afterword

  Copyright © 2018 Shanora Williams

  All rights reserved. This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any form without prior written permission of the publisher, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorized distribution, circulation or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

  Cover Design by Hang Le

  Editing By Librum Artis and Tamysn Bester of Brazen Ink

  Trademarks: This book identifies product names and services known to be trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of their respective holders. The author acknowledges the trademarked status in this work of fiction. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Notifications

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  Wanting Mr. Cane Playlist

  Water - Jack Garratt

  Fetish - Selena Gomez ft. Gucci Mane

  Now Or Never - Halsey

  Naive - Laura Welsh

  Love Lies - Khalid ft. Normani

  The Ways - Khalid ft. Kendrick Lamar & Swae Lee

  Terrified - Childish Gambino

  Not Afraid Anymore - Halsey

  Atomised - Laura Welsh

  Perfect - Selena Gomez

  Devil In Me - Halsey

  Redbone - Childish Gambino

  Unforgettable - French Montana ft. Jeremih

  PCH - Jaden Smith

  Give Me Love - Ed Sheeran

  Don’t Forget About Me - Cloves

  What Goes Around Comes Around - Justin Timberlake

  1

  KANDY

  I remember the very first day I met Mr. Cane.

  I was only nine years old, but I remember exactly what I saw and how I felt when I first laid eyes on him.

  A shiny black car pulled into the driveway of our two-story home, parking less than a yard away from where I was. I sat on the tire swing of the big tree on the front lawn, wearing dingy-white chucks with rainbow laces, jean overalls, and knee-high pink socks. I was covered in grass stains after playing hide-and-seek with Frankie earlier that day.

  I squinted my eyes and watched as the car door swung open and the sole of a shiny, black dress-shoe planted itself on the pavement. My eyes shifted over to the navy blue suit pants he wore, then up to the white button-down shirt that was rolled at the sleeves, revealing strong, inked forearms. And then I found his face. He stood tall, shoulders broad, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. His skin was a rich bronze, like it’d been kissed by the sun his entire life. He rolled his neck, and I swear I could hear the crack of it from where I sat.

  I don't think he saw me right away, but I saw him. He was too busy looking at the house, probably impressed by it. I really liked that house, too.

  The man shut the door behind him, and when he took a step to the side, I noticed a tattoo on the curve of his neck. RISE. I could see the word in bold script from the short distance away.

  His jawline was sharp, the barest trace of stubble on his face. There was ink on his hands and all over his arms, some of it dark, some colorful. His dark brown hair was tapered on the sides and in the back, the lengthier part at the crown gelled back. If I were to guess, I would have assumed he was no older than thirty. Maybe twenty-six or twenty-seven?

  He inhaled and then exhaled, taking off his sunglasses, and when he finally turned his head to the left, his eyes landed right on mine.

  His face didn't change.

  He almost seemed unbothered by my presence, or like he already knew who I was.

  I didn't know him at all.

  He walked toward the hood of his Chrysler still eyeing me, head in a slight tilt, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes, plucked one out, and then stuck it between his lips. A lighter was in his other hand, and he lit the cigarette in a flash, taking a hard pull from it.

  I frowned at him. "You know you probably shouldn't smoke," I said, pushing back, lifting my feet, and easing into a light swing. "It's bad for you."

  He continued puffing, sitting on the hood of his car. "You should mind your own business."

  I stopped swinging, planting my feet on the ground. "Are you supposed to be here? I don’t know who you are…"

  "I’m a friend."

  "I’ve never met you. How can you already be my friend?" I challenged.

  He shrugged. “Don’t know, but what I do know is that you ask a lot of questions.”

  Okay. This guy was being a real jerk. I stood up, narrowing my eyes at him. "My dad is a cop. I’ll tell him you’re out here.”

  At that, he smirked and stood tall, looking at me beneath thick eyebrows. He waved his free hand at me. "Go on, then. Tell him."

  My heart was pounding now. I'd never had an adult talk to me that way. I panicked, running for the house before he could do something crazy, like stop me, or trap me, kidnap me, or something. I didn't know who he was. For all I knew he could have been here to kill my entire family.

  "Dad!" I screamed, bursting through the front door. The soles of my shoes pounded into the wooden floorboards as I ran down the hallway. "Dad!"

  Dad popped his head around the corner of the kitchen, brows heavily stitched. "What, Kandy? What is it?" he asked, concern etching his face.

  I clung to him, throwing my arms around his waist.

  "Kandy, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Mom asked from the fridge, rushing my way as soon as she shut it.

  "There's a-a man standing out there. He's smoking a-and he told me to mind my own business!"

  "What?" Dad immediately pulled away, handing me over to Mom, who cupped my face and then reeled me against her.

  The doorbell rang, and Dad looked at her, worry creasing at
his forehead. "Stay in here," he told us both, and I was really scared then.

  My instincts were right. He was a bad guy. Good thing I ran.

  Mom pulled me even closer as Dad stepped around the corner to get to the living room. I heard things rustling around and then he came back out with his service pistol, tucking it in the waistband in the back of his pants.

  "Oh, no," I whispered. Daddy was going to hurt that man. He didn't like anyone messing with me. He'd always threatened that if someone ever hurt me, physically or mentally, he would make the person pay for it.

  Dad had his hand wrapped around the gun the entire time, even as he looked through the peephole. But when he peered out, a soft chuckle escaped him, and he immediately lowered his guard.

  Wait. What?

  "Jesus, Kandy." Dad looked back at me, letting out a heavy sigh.

  "Who is it?" Mom asked, still worried.

  Dad reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open. And there he stood, the strange, tan man with the tattoos and cigarette.

  "Cane!" Dad let out a hard, coarse laugh. "What the hell, man? I almost pulled my gun on you, thinking you were some stranger messing with my daughter!"

  Cane?

  The stranger, Cane, laughed. "Did I scare her, really?" He stepped into the house, and I held Mom tighter. "I was only kidding, Kandy. I know who you are. I know all about you. We’ve actually met before, but you probably don’t remember."

  “Yep, she was about six, right?” Dad said, smiling. “It was brief though. Dropped something off for him after picking you up from school. You waved at him and everything when he said hey.”

  “I don’t remember,” I mumbled. My eyebrows were pinched. I was still mad at him.

  Cane held up a bottle of wine in his hand, looking at Dad. "I brought you guys something to go along with dinner."

  “Oh, Cane, that was sweet, but you didn't have to," Mom said, pulling away and walking over to grab it. She smiled at him, and he returned it.

  No, Mom! What are you doing? Stay away from him!

  "Please. It's not like me to show up for an occasion empty-handed. It was the least I could do. That's our number one selling label, too. You'll love it. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Derek has told me all about your love for wine."

  Mom blushed. Seriously, she blushed. Why was everyone falling for his charm but me?

  Cane dropped his gaze to me again. "I even brought something for you, little one."

  "I don't want it," I muttered back, crossing my arms.

  "Kandy—" Mom started to scold me, but Cane shook his head, smiling softly.

  "It's okay. I scared her. She just has to warm up to my twisted sense of humor."

  He walked my way with slow, measured steps, and when he was about an inch away, he knelt down on one knee, digging into his pocket and pulling out a red bag with a sticker that said Tempt. There were tattoos on his hands as well, the same word RISE on his knuckles.

  "Can you guess what it is?" he asked softly.

  I blinked down at the bag. I was more curious than angry at that moment. "No. What?"

  "Chocolate." He handed me the bag. I gladly took it, but still stared down at it like it was puke in my palm. "Your father told me you love chocolate. There's lots more where that came from, Bits."

  "Bits?" I questioned, nose scrunching as I met his eyes. I noticed they were a mixed shade. Gray and green. Pretty. They reminded me of the marbles I collected with the colors inside, clear all around with the color in the middle.

  "Your name is Kandy, but all I'm getting is bitterness. Bits for bitterness," he said.

  Dad laughed behind him, and I felt my face turn hot.

  "What do you say, Kandy?" Mom asked, tucking loose strands of blonde hair behind her ears.

  "I don't know his name, Mom," I groaned.

  "Mr. Cane," she replied.

  I sighed, trying hard not to roll my eyes. Yes, I was glad about the chocolate, but I was still upset with him. "Thank you, Mr. Cane," I mumbled.

  Mr. Cane stood up straight, and Mom and Dad walked around him, Mom announcing, "The steak is still grilling but should be done soon! I'll put the wine in the fridge to get cool!"

  "Get settled in and meet me out back for a few beers," Dad said to him, pointing toward the deck.

  "All right." Mr. Cane walked past me, tossing a wink my way. "Don't worry. You'll warm up to me soon enough. Enjoy those chocolates, Bits."

  I smashed my lips together, my face burning hot again.

  My heart fluttered in my chest.

  My palms were sweaty.

  I was afraid for my life out there, the stranger-danger bell chiming in my head, but not anymore. No, now it was just a weird, bubbly sensation running through me. One I couldn't fully describe or comprehend.

  I'd never known what having a crush felt like before that day. I didn't understand the tingle in my chest, or the tumbling in my belly. I couldn't understand why I was constantly struggling for words, or why my face suddenly felt so hot. I didn't know what the hell I was feeling, and that freaked me out.

  But there was one thing I knew for certain: this man was no good. I knew he was bad. He didn't make good first impressions—well, not with children anyway.

  He was overly confident, and he was a smoker, which Mom always told me was a bad habit. He was a jerk—no, if I was being honest, he was a straight-up asshole. I knew he probably cared more about himself than anyone else—he just gave me that sort of impression.

  And despite knowing all of that, I still developed a crush on Mr. Cane.

  And I didn't like it one bit.

  2

  CANE

  I hadn’t seen my buddy Derek in eight long months. Work had me slammed, and he had a busy schedule himself. He had a family he was taking care of, and I had a business to grow. We’d finally stopped making excuses for ourselves and agreed to do dinners.

  I was glad.

  It was nice to hang out with his family. I’d met Mindy before, when she came to pick Derek up from the bar because he was too drunk to drive back. She was a nice woman, a perfect match for D. Kandy was a sweet girl, with an attitude just like his.

  I hadn’t spent a lot of time around kids, so it was funny to see her run away from me one moment, and then blush the next when I gave her the chocolates. I guess I needed to work on my manners. I was a bit rusty, but was glad they understood.

  She was a smart, sweet girl. Derek wasn’t kidding about how brilliant she was.

  “Kandy has straight A’s right now,” Derek bragged after chewing his steak. “She’s a smart girl. Her teachers love her.”

  “Dad.” She glared at him, and her cheeks turned rosy as she tried to avoid looking at me.

  “What, Kandy? It’s true! You’re a smart girl. You don’t have to be ashamed of it.”

  When she finally looked at me, her face was red as a beet. I smiled at her, which made her neck flush, too. She ducked her head down, chewing her food.

  “You know, I’ve been meaning to ask how you came up with the name ‘Kandy’ anyway?” I looked at Mindy.

  “Oh, gosh!” She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “I’ll let Derek tell you. He’s the one who insisted we name her that, after what happened.”

  I focused on Derek, who answered right away. “Oh, damn! I’ve never told you this story before, have I? Well, two days after Kandy was born, Mindy was feeding her and Kandy start choking out of nowhere. There were two nurses in there with us when it happened. One of them kind of froze up a bit, while the other took action and saved our girl. Pretty much saved her life. Milk was coming out of Kandy’s nose and everything. The coughing and sputtering was too much. It was bad.”

  My eyes stretched. “Oh man.”

  “Seriously? I’ve never heard this story either,” Kandy said, lifting her head a bit.

  “That’s ‘cause it hurts my heart every time I think about it,” Derek stated. “I panicked too. I wasn’t sure how to handle a choking newborn. It was my first k
id—I freaked.”

  “Neither of us knew what to do,” Mindy admitted.

  “The nurse that saved her was so focused and attentive. Saved my baby girl’s life. Mind you, we didn’t have a name for our baby yet. We were still thinking of options. After everything had calmed down, I asked for the nurse’s name, and she laughed and told me she hated her name. Her name badge was flipped backwards and everything. Like, she seriously hated her name,” he chuckled. “Eventually, she caved and told us. Her name was Kandy. Mindy and I agreed that day to name her after the woman that’d saved our daughter’s life.”

  “Wow,” I huffed. “That is insane!”

  Mindy smiled and shrugged. “Worst thirty-seconds of my life, but she’s here now.” She rubbed Kandy’s head. “So, how does it feel being the owner of Tempt?” she asked with a big smile. “Must be a nice feeling to have a company that big and to own all of it.”

  “Oh, it is. Thank you for asking.” I picked up my water. “I love my job. Investing in it at a young age was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

  She nodded. “That’s great, Cane. It has obviously paid off.”

  “Well, I’m proud of you, man,” Derek added. “I really am. I remember when you told me you were going to school and everything. How you kept saying you felt like you were never going to get out of there.”