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“Someone tried burning them!” I roared. “I was right there. Across the street and someone broke in and tried to kill my kids!”
“Your kids?” Montana questioned. His eyebrow raised as he grinned. Fuck. He wasn’t going to let that go.
“Yeah,Kali’s mine. I claimed her and the kids. My family. Got a problem with that?”
Montana shook his head. “Nope. No, I don’t. Though I think Kaliope can do a hell of a lot better than you.”
I flipped my brother the one finger bird.
“So let me get this straight. Someone tried to burn your place down and you abandon your so-called family. A family you claimed?”
“It’s more than that and you know it. Everyone I ever loved died. Amy died. Katie died. I won’t risk Kali or the kids.”
“Jesus fuck,” Montana sighed, rolling his eyes. “For the last fucking time, Amy was already dead, asshole. I had a choice. It was either you or her. I chose you!”
“She was pregnant! You didn’t even try to save her.”
“Not doing this with you again. I can’t save the dead, Kansas. She broke her neck. There was no pulse. I made a choice and I’m sticking by it. As for Katie, I had nothing to do with that. You have a chance at a life. One you’ve always wanted, and you are going to piss it all away because some asshole starts a fucking fire!”
“The fire was an accident, Kansas,” Pence broke in. “Fire Inspector showed up a few hours after you left. Said the stove wasn’t installed properly. It could have happened at any time. Just bad luck that it was when the kids were there.”
“It was an accident?”
“Yeah,” Pence nodded.
Gasping, I braced myself, bending over and placing my hands on my knees, gasping for air. It was only an accident. No one was trying to take them from me. “I can’t. I can’t do this. It’s too much. I can’t.”
“Son,” my father said, grabbing my arm, making me stand before he wrapped his powerful arms around me. “I know you’ve not had it easy, and you have every right to walk away, but you can’t. If you do, then you might as well put a bullet in your head. Life isn’t easy, Kansas. You know that better than most. Don’t let your fear of what could happen stop you from having the life you deserve.”
Holding my father, I cried, “I can’t lose her too, dad. I can’t.”
“And you won’t. We won’t let that happen,” my father said, releasing me. “Now, if you don’t mind. I would like to lay some flowers at my daughter’s grave.”
Walking towards Katie’s headstone, Judd handed my father a bouquet of white roses and a small teddy bear. I just stood there and watched as he kneeled before Katie’s headstone, placing the white roses and the teddy bear on the ground. Bowing his head, he said a silent prayer before standing back up and walking away.
“You could have sent anyone. Why did you come?” I asked, looking at Montana.
“Contrary to your belief, Kansas, I do have a fucking heart. I’m here because my brother needed me. I know what you’ve been through. What your whole club has been through. Instead of ending it all, somehow all of you have survived, found a way through the darkness. I sent Kali and her kids to you because I thought you could handle it.”
“I can,” I growled, not liking where he was going with this conversation. If he thought for one fucking minute, I would let him take Kali and the kids away from me, he was going to have another fight on his hands and this time, I wasn’t going to back down.
“Then prove it, because right now, you have one terribly upset woman at the clubhouse and I don’t envy you at all when she sees you. She thinks you abandoned her. I’m not sure what you know of Kali’s past, but what you did was the worst fucking thing you could have done.”
“What do you mean?”
“Her parents died when she was young, like really young. Then her only brother leaves her at age eight because he can’t handle being a Vanderveer. Her grandfather didn’t know how to raise a little girl, so he pawned her off on maids, tutors and nannies. The first time any man showed her any kind of attention, she married him. John Stevens manipulated and coerced Kali from the very beginning. Motherfucker did his homework and knew just how to get Kali to fall for him. Then she spent the next four years locked up, beaten, raped and forced to give birth repeatedly before he tried killing her. Your past isn’t shit compared to what Kali has survived and yet, that woman still gets up every damn day and tries to find the joy in life. And where are you? In a fucking graveyard mourning someone who isn’t coming back. Get your head out of your ass, brother, before I plant my foot there permanently.” Montana rips me a new one before walking away, only to stop and look back. “And just so you know. If she kicks your ass to the curb and wants to leave, I will take her anywhere she wants to go.”
Standing there watching my brother walk away, I knew he was right. As much as I fucking hated it, he was right. Though we both suffered losses in the past, everyone Kali knew and loved left her or abused her. I still had my family and friends. Kali only had her kids and me. She was veritably alone in this world,and I just walked out on her like everyone else did.
Fuck me. If she had half a brain in her head, she would kick my ass to the curb. I deserved it and more. Instead of considering her thoughts and feelings, I ran with mine and never looked back.
I was no better than her brother or grandfather.
“Prez?” Angel said, breaking the silence.
“I messed up.”
“Then fix it,” Pence stated. “Tell her how you really feel, Kansas. Tell her everything. Your worries, fears, doubts. Kali isn’t like Katie. You can’t just fuck your way out of this. You are going to have to open yourself up and lay yourself bare.”
