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Winnie was probably right, more than likely it was two horny teenagers taking advantage of an empty parking lot. There wasn’t a lot of crime in Little Falls and I would normally write it off but something about that truck didn’t sit right.Hopefully when Roe gets back to me the car is registered to a townie and the worry is for nothing.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts and Mister looked at me, also confused.Who the hell is at her house this early?I shut off the alarm and opened the door, and was immediately caught off guard when a fist connected with my face, making me crash into the coffee table.
“I fucking knew it!” Gray screamed at me, his body vibrating with anger.Shit, he has a good right hook.I rubbed my jaw before holding my hands up in surrender. The last thing I wanted to do was fight my best friend and tear up Winnie’s house more than I already had.
The woman in question came flying out of the back hallway wearing my t-shirt and holding a metal baseball bat at the ready. “Gray?” The bat lowered as she took in the scene. When she saw me sprawled on her floor, she rushed to me.. “Did you hit him? Oh my god, what’s wrong with you?”
“I went to open the diner today and noticed this asshole’s truck was still in the lot. When neither of you answered your phones, I searched the place before coming to find you and imagine my surprise when the very person I’m looking for answers my sister’s door before the sun’s up. I’m guessing by the way you are dressed that this isn’t a breakfast meeting.”
“We were going to tell you,” I tried to tell him..
“Tell me what, Kane? That you’re fucking my sister? Behind my back no less, how many times have you lied to my face? The two of you must get a real good fucking laugh at how stupid I am.”
“Gray, no, it isn’t like that at all,” Winnie said. “But you were out of town and then Daisy got hurt and we just wanted to give you a moment to settle back in before we dropped something else on you.”
“Is that how she got hurt? Because the two of you were so distracted with each other that you didn’t notice my daughter was in trouble?” he screamed at her.
Winnie blanched and tears began to stream down her face. Fuck. This. I got in between them and shoved Gray back. “You know that we would never do anything to hurt Daisy so back the fuck up and stop being a dick.”
“Clearly I don’t know shit, do I, Kane? I thought that I could trust you, that you’d never betray me.” I would rather have had him punch me again than say those words, it was like a dagger in my chest. What’s worse is, he wasn’t wrong, I did betray his trust by not telling him.
“Have you even been doing your job this week? You’re supposed to be protecting her.”
My anger came back full force, “Of course I’ve been protecting her!”
“You think you can objectively protect someone you’re sleeping with? How many times have you watched her instead of the front door? Have you let her push the boundaries of her own safety because you don’t want to make her angry? Really think about it, Kane, and you will know I’m right,” his accusations hit me like bullets straight to the chest..
“Gray, stop it! Of course Kane has been guarding me and everyone else at the diner.” I could hear them continue to argue but it was muffled against my own thoughts. Thereweretimes where my eyes would only watch her, not thinking about the threat that could happen while I was distracted. If it was anyone else, I would take them off the job immediately without question.
Hell, I had let her walk into that parking lot last night before I checked to make sure it was safe. What if that truck had been closer, what if they had a weapon and were ready to strike when we walked out the door? I knew better than to make that mistake, which is what was killing me. If I couldn’t protect the most important person in my life, the woman I was in love with, then I was no good to anyone.
* * *
WINNIE
The door slammed, leaving Kane and I alone. Even though the shouting was done, the quiet that followed was unbearable. I glanced at Kane to see him staring at the closed door in shock.
“Kane,” I whispered and he tore his eyes away from the door, showing me the pure anguish on his handsome face. He strode toward me and enfolded me in his arms, rocking me back and forth as I cried into his chest.
His lips pressed against my forehead and held there for a moment before he backed away. He took a deep breath as his eyes searched my tear-stained face. “I’ll fix this,” he promised and walked out my door without another word.
What the hell had just happened? I could feel bile rising in my throat and I ran for my bathroom, flinging the lid to the toilet open just in time. When my stomach was empty, I laid on the floor and cried until I was hoarse. Had I just lost everything?
25
Winnie
Kane was gone. I had spent the majority of the day he left in my bed crying and waiting for him to return.
Eventually, I went to find him. He didn’t answer when I knocked on his door and his truck was no longer at the diner. I tried calling over and over again only to get his voicemail, and my texts went unanswered, too.
I couldn’t gather the courage to ask Gray if he had seen him. He hadn’t answered any of my phone calls either so I guess that point was moot.
That was two days ago. I couldn’t sleep even though I was exhausted. Every time I closed my eyes, I replayed the events of that awful day. Food didn’t appeal to me either as everything I ate made me sick, I must have picked up a stomach bug from somewhere.
My parents had stopped by to check on me, clearly knowing what had happened with my brother. The looks of sympathy and pity on their faces had started a fresh round of tears.
Mister let out a soft meow and pawed at my face. I could tell he missed Kane just as much as I did. “I’m sorry he left you, too, buddy,” I scratched in between his ears, thankful I wasn’t alone.
