Bane's Heart

by Sandra R Neeley

  Janie looked at her mother kneeling there and noticed the red welt starting across her cheekbone. “Why’d he throw it away?”

  Her mother shrugged one shoulder, not looking up at Janie, “He said he works hard, and he shouldn't have to eat cheap ground meat; he should have a steak waiting on him when he gets home. Men eat steaks, not little meat balls pretending to be a man’s meal. He’s right though. He does work hard, and I should have been smart enough to make him a steak instead of meatballs and pasta.”

  “Mom…,” Janie started.

  “It’s okay, Janie.” Her mother looked at her; then, her eyes drifted to the bedroom where her father had disappeared just a few moments earlier. Her mother was trying to tell her that if he heard her, it would be worse.

  Janie knew that there was no steak in the house. Her father drank most of his money each week, which left very little money for her mother to try to pay the bills and still have enough to buy a few little groceries. That ground meat that her father threw away was probably most of the grocery budget that her mother had been allowed that week, and now it was in the garbage can. Untouched. Her mother had made little meatballs out of it and added mushrooms and simmered them in brown gravy, then put them over egg noodles. It was one of Janie’s favorites, and she knew her mother had made it for her. Her father probably did, too. Which was one of the reasons he threw it away. He had always resented her. She took her mother’s attention away from him. And it always had to be about him, or all hell broke loose. Janie walked over to the refrigerator, took out some ice, and placed it into a sandwich bag. She sealed it and knelt down beside her mother. She reached out and held it against the swollen red mark on her mother’s cheek. Her mother smiled at her sadly, and she smiled back. This was a calm night in the Brownley household; at least there was no blood or broken bones. She knelt there beside her mother, as she cleaned the rest of their dinner from the floor. But in her mind’s eye she saw a pair of golden, milk-chocolate-swirled eyes and the face of the beautiful man that had captured her heart today with just a few words. She wondered how he would treat the women in his life. Certainly, better than this. Anything was better than this.

  Chapter 2

  Bane pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and turned off the ignition of Bam’s truck. He took a few deep breaths and rubbed his hands up and down his thighs a few times. His heart was pounding at the thought of seeing Janie again. He didn't want to just run into the store and right up to her, so he had to make himself calm down. He checked his appearance in the rear-view mirror. Hair decent enough? Check. Nose clean, no boogies? Check. He smiled at himself, teeth clean, nothing stuck in them? Check. He looked down at his shirt and jeans, nothing fancy, but no stains and clean. He made to get out of the truck, and movement coming around the side of the building caught his attention. It was Janie. She was just coming into work, and she looked sad. She made her way into the store looking down, not making eye contact with anyone. It immediately put him on alert. His Bear sat up and took notice, too. He was chuffing in Bane’s mind, wanting to comfort her, but he couldn’t. She didn't know what she was to them yet. Bane allowed her enough time to get inside and get settled; then, he opened the door and headed into the store himself.

  He looked around the front of the store and didn’t see her. He snagged a basket and made his way to the produce section to get the things Avaleigh would need for Mav’s lasagna. He doubled up on each ingredient, knowing all of his clan brothers had a huge appetite. Especially for anything that Avaleigh cooked. As he made his way around the store, up and down each aisle, he kept looking for Janie. When he was almost finished, he finally caught sight of her at the registers. She must have gone down another aisle when he was shopping. He hurried to finish his shopping and get to her line. Just as he got in line behind three other customers, another cashier opened her check-out line and spoke to him in particular. “I can get you here, Sweetie,” she told him as she smiled at him, her eyes roving up and down his body.

  “No, thank you. I’ll wait for Janie,” he told her.

  She just couldn't leave it alone though, “I can do whatever Janie can do and probably better. Just bring your stuff over here, Honey; I’ll take care of whatever you need.” As she said this, she licked her lips slowly and pointedly dropped her gaze to his crotch.

  It really pissed him off that she thought so little of his Janie that she would insinuate Janie wasn’t good enough for anything he may need. Bane smiled at her, his chillingly deadly smile, “Janie is the only woman that will take care of me. I will wait,” he stated, simply, snarly, loudly, with his Bear too close to the surface. He shifted his eyes to Janie, who stood with her fingers poised over her register, her mouth hanging open as she watched the interaction between Bane and the other cashier. The other cashier just glared at him and then Janie, as he very effectively dismissed her obvious offer. Bane smiled at Janie, putting everything he felt for her into the smile, and she smiled back at him, blushing profusely.

  The lady waiting for her to finish ringing her up chuckled a little as she looked back and forth between the two of them. When Janie returned her attention to her customer, the lady told her, “I think you have an admirer, Janie.”

  Janie grinned at her, “No, Ma’am, he’s just a friend.” She moved her eyes back to Bane.

  Bane couldn't resist, “Maybe he wants to be more than friends.” He paused, “He definitely wants to be more than friends.”

  Janie’s eyes got huge, and she rushed to finish ringing up the other customers until he was right in front of her. As he put his purchases on the conveyor for her to ring up, she paid attention to them. “Lasagna, huh?” she asked.

  “Yeah, Avaleigh makes the best lasagna. And Mav was whining, so she promised she’d make him some.”

  She nodded her head smiling, “Who’s Mav?”

  “Mav is one of my brothers. There are five of us, well, six now that Avaleigh is mat— married.”

  “Wow, you have a lot of brothers.”

  “Yeah, I do. You would like them. Hey, why don’t you come have lasagna with us tonight? They’d love to meet you, and I’d really like your company,” he looked at her hopefully, a silly grin on his face.

  “I, I can’t, Bane.”

  His face fell, his disappointment clear. “I understand, bunch of guys like me that you don’t even know, it’s okay.”

  “No, you don’t understand. It’s not that I don’t want to meet them; it’s just that I don’t really go anywhere other than work and home. I don’t like to be away too long-- I just, I can’t. I can’t be away too long.” She looked down at the items she was bagging and wouldn't meet his eyes. He recognized something there in her mannerism. Something familiar. It was just there below the surface, but he couldn't quite put a name to it.

  “So, you wouldn't mind spending a little time with me, during the day maybe?” he prodded.

  She nodded at him and offered him a little half smile, “I’d like that.”

  “When is your lunch time?”

  “Not sure they’re gonna give me one today; I was late this morning.”

  “They are going to at least give you a break. I’ll see to it if necessary. What time is your break?”

  “It’s usually about 11:00, just before noon.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you out front at 11:00.”

  He put his bags into his basket and winked at her. As he got to the door, she called out, “What if I don’t get a break right at 11:00? It might be later because I was so late.”

  “Then I’ll wait. I’ll see you out front.”

  Janie worked the next couple of hours with a smile on her face, Bane in her mind’s eye.

  When she walked through the doors a little later, she found Bane leaning against the wall just outside. He smiled at her and swept his hand toward the awesome freaking truck parked beside him. “Cool truck,” she said to him. “It’s my brother’s; he restored it and painted it himself.”

  “He did a great job;
it’s beautiful!” she said as she ran her hand along its cherry red fender as he led her to the passenger door.

  “He loves to take things apart and see how they work, see what else he can make of them,” he told her with a smile in his voice.

  He got in the driver’s side and drove them the two blocks to the coffee shop. They each ordered iced coffees, and when he saw her eyeing the pastries, he ordered four different types because she wouldn’t admit to wanting any one in particular. They sat there across from each other, smiling like fools, neither one knowing what to say next. Janie started, “You seem to be very proud of your little brother.”

  Bane chuckled a little, “I am very proud of him, but he’s my big brother. He’s older, but I’ve always treated him like the younger brother. He hasn’t always had it easy, growing up I mean. It was just the two of us against the world, and unfortunately, it was usually him that caught the most hell. I used to do what I could to deflect it, catch some of that hell on myself, so he didn't have to deal with it all by himself. He’s a good man. I’d do anything for him.” When he looked up, he saw Janie sitting across from him, her mouth hanging open. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked her.

  “No, not at all, I just, I’m surprised that you would do that. Take part of his burden to protect him. Not many people would do that. It speaks volumes about the kind of man you are.” She was quiet for a few moments as they enjoyed the pastries spread between them.

  “Wasn’t there someone who could help ya’ll? Parents, family maybe?” she asked him.

  “Ha!” he huffed out, “That’s what we were trying to survive. Not everybody has protection. Especially not from their own parents. You have to make your own where you can.”

  He fidgeted, uncomfortable with the direction their conversation had taken. She reached across the table and covered his hand with her own, “Thank you for sharing. It means more than you know.” He just barely had the confidence to meet her gaze. When he did, she smiled at him, “You’re a good man, Bane. Don’t ever let anyone tell you different.” He smiled at her and turned his hand to take hers into his own. They finished their coffee and shared a little more of the pastries between them. Those that they didn’t eat, Bane had bagged up for her to take with her. They only had about thirty minutes, and the time seemed to fly by as they spoke easily and relaxed so naturally in each other’s company. When the time was up, Bane drove her back to the grocery. He parked right in front of the door and hopped out to run around and open her door for her. He helped her from the truck, and before he walked her to the doors of the grocery, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. When she didn’t react, he started to pull back, but she slid her hands into his hair and pulled him back down. She was ready this time and kissed him fully on the mouth. He groaned and lightly licked her bottom lip with the tip of his tongue, and she opened to let him in. He kissed her softly, gently and then pulled back a little to smack her lips a time or two with his own. She tasted like honey, and clover, and if he didn’t stop, he was going to cum in his jeans, right here in front of God and everybody, at the damn front door of the grocery. No woman, NO WOMAN, had ever had that effect on him, no matter how freaky or hot she’d gotten. But this one, simple, innocent kiss from his Mate absolutely fucking floored him. She was everything.

  “Can I see you again tomorrow?” he asked her.

  “I have to work. We’re shorthanded, so I’m not sure what time I’ll get lunch, and if I do, it may only be a few minutes. But maybe if you happen to be around, I can ask for a few extra minutes off,” she smiled up at him, and his cock jumped. He couldn't fucking believe how much power this girl had over him in such a short period of time. Cold, Untrusting, Manipulating, Cynical Bane--was absolutely head over heels in love with this girl. His Bear was, in his mind, rolling on the ground laughing at him. Bear had never been as cynical as Bane was, and now Bear was loving every minute of Bane being brought to heel.

  “When you get lunch tomorrow, just come outside here; I’ll be waiting.”

  “But I don’t know what time it’s going to be; maybe I could call you or something.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind waiting; just come out, I’ll be here.” He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose, murmured “Have a good day, Baby,” and watched as she walked back into the store. His life, that’s what she was, his life.

  <> <> <>

  The next day when she was finally given a break, Janie walked through the sliding doors at the front of the store and couldn't believe what she saw. Bane had parked his brother’s truck under the big pine tree off the right side of the parking lot. The tailgate was down, and there were blankets spread out in the bed of the truck. He had a jug of what looked like sweet tea, some sandwiches, and some little bowls filled with fruit salad. He grinned at her as she came to a stop right behind his truck. “What did you do?” she asked him.

  “I made us a picnic. Since you weren’t sure you’d get a full lunch, I wanted to be sure that you had something to eat before you finish your shift.”

  “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Why? It’s just a little food.”

  “Nobody but my mom’s ever done anything to take care of me, and then it was only after my dad was taken care of first.”

  Bane just looked at her for a minute, realizing that she’d never had anyone to take care of her before, to put her first. Since he’d never had anyone take care of him either, he knew that she would feel awkward at having him try to do so now. But even that thought wasn’t enough to dissuade his Bear from needing to do for her. He hopped down out of the truck bed and wrapped her in his arms, much too quickly for her to have time to struggle. He deposited her gently in the bed of the truck, “Eat, woman, I’m starving!” He took his place across from her and dug into his plate, hoping she’d take his cue and follow suit. Janie reached for her sandwich and took her first bite. Grilled cheese with thin sliced ham and tomato tucked inside the melted cheese. As she closed her eyes and moaned in appreciation, Bane’s Bear chuffed with pure bliss that they had pleased their Mate. She finished off her sandwich and then reached for her fruit salad. “Bane, this is so good. I still can’t believe you did this for me.” Bane answered without even thinking as he spooned up another bite of his own fruit salad, “I will always take care of you, Janie.”

  She froze mid-scoop as she looked at him, waiting for him to realize what he said. He looked up at her and saw her look of wonder. “What?” he asked. She just continued to look at him, shaking her head almost imperceptibly. “You don’t even know me. Why would you say that?” she asked quietly.

  Aw fuck, he thought, I just blew it. “No, I don’t. But I’d like to know you. I hope you’ll let me get to know you better. Is that okay? Will you let me know you, Janie?” The look he gave her was full of longing, so sincere. She didn’t answer, but just kept looking at him, as though she was trying to see inside him. “Tell you what, why don’t we just take it slow. One thing at a time, okay?” he offered.

  She relaxed a little, “Yeah, I’d like that, slow.”

  He smiled at her, not looking away from her eyes as he took another huge bite of fruit.

  She did the same, digging back into her fruit and wondering what the hell she’d done to make this beautiful man want to know her better. It made her kind of sad, really. Because as soon as he knew her well enough, he’d realize that she really was nothing, and on top of the hell she lived in at home that would be enough to make any man run, then she’d be alone again. But even the thought of being lonely after Bane lost interest couldn’t take away from the happiness she felt when she was with him. He made her feel happy. She’d never felt happy before, at least not like this.

  Bane watched as an array of emotions flitted across her face. She was so expressive, so innocent, so beautiful. He couldn't wait to kiss her again. So, he didn’t. He leaned across their food spread between them and cupped her chin in his hand. He looked into her eyes as he brought their lips together so s
oftly, brushing against hers, for just another small taste of her. Her eyes drifted closed as he kissed her once more, with just a little more pressure. The cat call from a couple of teen-aged boys leaving the store brought them back to reality. She blushed and smiled at him. He kissed the tip of her nose, as he settled back onto his own side of the blanket.

  Too soon her lunch time was over, and he had to let her go back into the store. “I’ll see you again tomorrow?” she asked him. “I will be here, Janie.” She smiled at him and looked up at him from beneath her lashes, and he knew that she had no idea how freaking adorable she was.

  As Bane drove away from their picnic, he lectured Bear on pushing her too hard. She was obviously easily startled and looked at every kind action suspiciously, so they’d have to move slowly and gently if he wanted to earn her trust. Her trust would definitely have to be won before he could ever even consider winning her heart. And he’d have to have her heart because if he’d had any doubts before, now he knew; she most definitely had his.

  Chapter 3

  The sound of a chain saw ripped the quiet of the morning air. Bane stood in the early morning sun, methodically cutting down dead tree trunk after dead tree trunk. He had spent the night thinking of Janie and had decided that he needed to build her a home. The fact that they were not yet mated, that she had no clue that they would be, was of no consequence to him. He and his Bear felt the need to make her a home, make them a home, and he went with it. So here he was, standing in the middle of the clearing that Daniel had scorched when he’d helped them battle Lurin. He’d decided that he needed to build halfway between Bam’s place and Avaleigh’s cabin. That way he could still be close to Bam, keep an eye on Avaleigh’s place, and still help watch over the main house, too. So, that morning at dawn, he’d put his chain saw to work. He grinned to himself as he stood back to look around at his handiwork. He had a huge fucking mess of dead and burned trees scattered around him haphazardly, and it made him happy. It wasn't much longer before Bam came into the clearing, looked around at all the fallen trees, and disappeared only to reappear a few minutes later with his own chain saw. Bam took up a position on the opposite end of the clearing and started felling his own pile of trees. Pretty soon Kaid and Goldy walked into the clearing. “’Sup, Bane?” Kaid asked.