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She shifted on the hard wood and set her sights back on the sunset. Maybe if she remained quiet, he’d go away. She sucked in a breath and reached for her cup on the table. Kase got to it before she did. He tossed the remains of her warm, stale beer onto the lawn.
Well, that was rude.
He threw the cup into the trash can a few feet away and stepped up onto the bench, taking a seat next to her on the table top.
“Here.” He reached out, offering her a water bottle. “Been watching you for two hours nursing that fucking beer.”
She had taken it when Nadia offered because she didn’t want to be rude. She hated the taste of beer and considered dumping it. She didn’t and instead chose to occasionally take a sip. Alcohol was never her thing. She tried it but never grew a fondness for it.
“Two hours, huh?”
He snorted. “Always watching when I got strangers around my club.”
She took a long sip of her water and sighed. This was what she needed. “Still don’t trust me?”
“Don’t know ya.” Unlike other times, there didn’t seem to be a malicious intent. Kase was merely stating a fact.
“Is that what you’re doing here with me? Trying to get to know me?”
“Got anything ya wanna share? You ain’t a junkie cunt like the last one, are you?”
Marissa tightened her lips. She knew exactly who he was referring to. Talking with Kase was unsettling enough without adding Caden’s past to the mix. He’d shared a brief history with his ex, Trevor’s mom. Somehow, she figured Kase would be more forthcoming, which she wasn’t exactly sure she wanted. She remained silent, hoping the conversation would end. Hopefully, with him leaving.
“He tell ya about Jenna?”
She shifted in her seat, keeping her gaze away from him.
“A little.”
“Told him to cut his losses first time he caught her high as a fucking kite. The second time, the kid was only a few months old, and the bitch was still out getting high. It was a fucking mess. Told him to get rid of her, but he wouldn’t do it. Gave me the whole mother of my kid bullshit fucking story.” He took a drag from his cigarette, and the smoke blew around his face. “Got her into rehab. It set him back a fuck ton of cash, had to hire a fucking nanny, and still was better than any dad we’d ever seen.”
She glanced down at the concrete, her heart aching for Caden and Trevor. There was an edge to Kase’s tone. Not so much his disgust for Jenna but his respect for Caden, taking on what he did.
Marissa licked her lips, unsure of what to say. She went with honesty. “Can’t help someone who can’t help themselves,” she muttered and glanced up at Kase next to her. His stare was aimed in front of him.
Kase nodded and his jaw squared. “Yeah. And this cunt didn’t want nothing from Cade except his money. Never asked to see Trev or even how the kid was doing. He gave her some cash here and there, but it wasn’t enough for her.” Kase’s face tensed, and his nostrils flared. “She broke into the house one night, roughed up the nanny, fucking broke her nose, and beat her with a baseball bat. Drug rage is fucking brutal. Tossed the whole place, and all she got was less than a hundred, which must have pissed her off because then she turned on Trevor.” His jaw clenched. “He was about a year old. She beat him so bad the kid was on a breathing machine for a week.”
Marissa gasped and grabbed Kase’s arm, squeezing him while stunned in pure shock. Caden had told her some, but never that. Her chest tightened while her heart dropped to her stomach. Kase glanced over with his jaw tight and teeth clenched. Marissa’s jaw dropped, and her heart raced as she held his stare. Beating a baby? Her own baby? Trevor? Monsters like that shouldn’t exist, but they did. Her eyes welled, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. A new emotion emerged, one she hadn’t felt in forever. Rage.
She swiped her eyes and shook her head. He wasn’t her child, but if anyone tried to hurt him, she’d happily throw herself in front of Trevor. She clenched her teeth and felt the raw emotion of a protective parent.
She became aware of her fingers digging into his arm and pulled her hand away.
He pursed his lips mockingly and nodded his head. “To know Jenna was to fucking hate her. I see Cade hasn’t shared much with you, so let me enlighten you, Fruity Pebbles.” His jaw tensed, and his brows furrowed into a harsh glare. “She was a fucking piece of shit.” He leaned closer, and Marissa instinctively shifted away. “If the cunt was still alive, I’d be the first to strangle her worthless ass.” His lips curled in a sinister smile. “Lucky for everybody, bitch OD’d and saved us the trouble.”
This was extremely awkward. Mainly, because in her mind, she was siding with Kase. She lifted her water and took a sip.
“Never told ya, huh?”
Marissa shrugged. “Some, but not the details.”
Kase snorted. “Protecting ya is my guess. It’s what Cade does. Always been like that since we were kids.”
They sat together in silence as she waited for him to say something more. She braced herself for an in-depth history, something she didn’t really want to hear. Not from him. Nothing shocked her more than the minutes passing by in complete silence. It was hard to relax or think of anything with him sitting next to her.
She scanned the area, seeking out other people, but the yard was empty. Except for the two of them.
“Been trying to buy that property,” Kase said.
