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Once the police questioned Jagger and me, I had Jagger take me back to my car. I’d only had one drink, so I was good to drive. I was more worried about seeing through a swollen eye.
My pulse quickened as I walked up the sidewalk to Brie’s place. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans, mentally scolding myself for being nervous. She couldn’t have any idea that she was under my skin, or she would flip shit on me. Maybe she would even stoop to blackmail when she found out how much I fucked up her ex-boyfriend.
Before I reached the front of the house, the door opened, and Brie stood in front of me with a concerned expression.
“Kane?”
“Yeah, hey.”Great opener, motherfucker.Her long, blonde hair was wet, and she tugged on her oversized Whitmore University hoodie that hung off her frame and nearly hid the black bootie shorts she was wearing. The lingering scent of her watermelon bodywash tickled my senses.
My dick sprang to life, remembering her cries as Quinn fucked her. Her sweet little pussy clenched around the vibrator ...
“Marc did that?” She reached toward my face, then caught herself and stepped back, motioning for me to come in.
I almost felt bad for her. Brie had just invited the same man she feared into her home, the same man she wanted to screw behind the mask, and the same man who had saved her from her ex. I was twisted and fucked up on so many levels. But one thing had become crystal clear. As much as I hated Brie, I still loved her, which had my head and heart messed up more than anything else.
“Yeah. I should tell you what happened after you left.” I closed the door behind me, then flipped the bolt and lock. “Have you had any more problems?”
“Um, no. It’s been quiet since the alarm system was installed. I will say that I’m sleeping better.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Do you want a beer or …” She giggled. “No, actually just a soda. I don’t drink much, so I don’t have any beer.” Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink before she walked away and into the small kitchen.
“Sure,” I said, reminding myself why I was there. But the fact that we were alone, and she hadn’t called me Jacob, told me that Quinn was right. The lighting was good in the house, and I wasn’t wearing a hat to hide my identity, and Brie still hadn’t recognized me.
“Have a seat. I know we need to talk, so we might as well get comfortable.” She opened the fridge, produced two cans, then settled in at the opposite end of the couch. “What happened? It looks like he got you good.” Her gaze traveled to my hands. “Oh, God. Did you break anything?” She leaned over and gently held my fingers, examining them.
A jolt of electricity shot through me with her touch. “No. It looks worse than it is.” Over the next several minutes, I explained what had happened and that Marc was in the hospital.
“I’m so sorry I got you messed up in all of this.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Marc is my problem, not yours.”
Marc’s words floated through my mind. “Brie, he said something … he said that you were mentally fucked up. What did he mean?”
Brie jumped off the couch. She folded her arms across her chest and began pacing. “He said that?” Her voice cracked with her question.
I nodded, waiting for her to explain.
“He knows secrets about me that not many people do.” She chewed on her thumbnail.
Here we go.I wanted to yell at her to tell me what had happened, why she never came back for me, but I reeled in my anger. Brie was finally about to confess her sins, and I wanted to hear every word of it. With her following words, I found myself speechless. It wasn’t even close to what I had thought she would say.
ChapterTwenty
Brie
Istared at Kane, wondering if I could trust him. There was only one way to tell. I could feed him information about me a little at a time to see how he would react. If he helped me with Marc, maybe I could count on him. Maybe not, but my gut told me it would be worth a shot.
He stilled and looked at me.God, he’s hot. His T-shirt stretched across his muscular chest perfectly, clinging to every dip and valley of his sculpted shoulders. The scent of his spicy, woodsy cologne sent my hormones into overdrive. Kane Cooper was insta-wet kind of gorgeous.Focus, girl. Focus. This is not the time.“He blackmailed me until I moved here. Those kinds of secrets.”
“What the actual fuck? Apparently, the bastard deserved to get his ass beat even more than I had realized.” Kane rubbed his clean-shaven jawline.
“It’s a long and complicated story. He needs to leave. I refuse to be controlled like that again.” I tapped my nails against the soda can, distressed.
“What does he have on you, Brie?” he asked softly. “I can handle him. I just need to understand why I need to.”
“As I said, it’s not your problem.” If he knew I had to cuff myself at night, he’d think I was a head case, too. I hated to admit it, but Marc was right. I was a fucked-up mess. Alida and my family had no clue about why I had such horrible night terrors. “Plus, you could turn around and blackmail me, too.” My jaw clenched before a nervous giggle slipped out. “Then I might have to kill you both.”
Kane’s face drained of color. “You already did.” He stood, and his shoulders stiffened with tension. “I wanted to tell you what went down. I have to get home and study.”
I gaped at him as I watched him walk out of the front door without another word. What the actual hell had just happened? We were being civil, then he stormed out of the house. More than that, what had he meant I’d killed him already? Kane was clearly alive. I might have some issues, but I could tell reality apart from fantasy.
