“Money?” I asked. “For what?”
“Money he earned for pushing Jefe’s drugs. He was selling it to college kids, organizing what was being sold in Atlanta. He was taking trips back and forth for the drop-offs and the pick-ups, but was using me as his alibi. He was getting paid good money for it, I’m sure, especially if he got out of college without any debts and opened his own company right away.”
“Holy crap,” I breathed. “So what did you do?”
His eyes squeezed shut. “I kept his secret.” He shrugged. “I disrespected my job and made a mockery of my career by keeping his damn secret. And you want to know why I kept it?”
“Why?”
“Because Cane informed me that El Jefe knew who I was. To this day, he knows everything about me. He knows every single person that is connected to Cane. It’s the way he operates, probably so he can know who to target if things get awry.” His face was serious, eyes misty. “The only reason I kept his secret is because I knew telling it would have bitten me in the ass. I had a daughter to live for. A wife to take care of. After finding all of that out, I had no choice but to make his secret my own.”
“Oh my God, Dad,” I wheezed. “Why stay friends with him after finding that out then?”
“Because…he was a good kid. He was respectful, loyal, and I could tell he was going places. Not only that, but he promised he was going to get out of it, and back then I didn’t have many guy friends. Hell, I still don’t. At that point, he had already met you and your mother. He was in deep with us. I couldn’t just cut him off—not without lying to your mother, which I suck at doing—and there was no guarantee El Jefe would leave us alone even if I did.” He shrugged again. “It also looked like he needed a friend, you know? I mean we all have our demons—trust me, I have many—so who was I to judge? Who was I to tell him that in his position I would make different choices? I had no right to even think like that, and he guaranteed that as long as I kept quiet, things would be fine and he would get out, so I let it go. Things returned to normal. I think by now he’s gotten out—haven’t heard much about El Jefe since that explosion that happened at his home during the raid, but you never know what else lurks in Cane’s shadows.”
I nodded, lowering my gaze. Cane wasn’t out. That much was clear, from what I remembered with the black flip phone he had in his closet and how panicked he was when he saw the news.
“Look, Kandy…I’m not telling you this to scare you or make you think he’s a bad guy. He’s not all bad. To be honest, he’s one of the best men I’ve ever met. He’s got wits, he’s talented, he thinks on his feet, but he has a hell of a lot of baggage. When you met him, he may have seemed like this nice, wealthy guy with a big house and nice cars, but I’m almost positive he had to do some foul shit to get all of it. I don’t know what all he had to do for El Jefe, but anyone who works for that man doesn’t get things easily, and for Cane to be in the position he’s in now, it only means that he sits at the same table that man eats at and is just as dangerous as he is.” He grabbed my hand, and I picked my head back up, meeting his eyes. They were sincere, watery. “I love you so much, Kandy, and all I want is for you to be safe. That’s it. It may seem like I’m holding you back, and that I’m putting you against him, but it’s for your own good. I only have your best interests in heart, and I know for a fact that your best interest is not Cane. If you go…I—I don’t know what I’ll do. I just know that it won’t sit well with me.”
“He wants what’s best for me too—that’s why he hasn’t shown up here. He gave me time to think things through, and I have.”
He scowled. “You ever think he didn’t show up because he knew he was no good for you?”
“No—and that wouldn’t be true. He sent me a letter—he didn’t show because he knew you’d run him off.”
“He’s just lonely, Kandy! And he has a lot to feel guilty for, so of course he’s going to send you some sappy letter to make you feel better! Going back with him wouldn’t be smart, and you’re a smart girl, so don’t let him make you stupid!”
A grimace took hold of every single one of my features. I should have known this conversation would go south. He could never let things go.
“Look,” he said, pushing to a stand, “just…stay home, okay? Be in a place where you know you’ll always be safe and won’t have targets on your back. Let him go, Kandy. You don’t need him.”
But that was where he was wrong—because with each passing day, I felt like I was losing more and more of myself by not having Cane around. I missed him so much that it was hard to breathe sometimes, and even harder to get him out of my head.
Dad dropped a kiss on my forehead before leaving the room, but little did he know that my mind had been made up way before he came upstairs to have that talk with me.
Chapter Twelve
KANDY
It was time. My suitcase was packed. I was nervous as hell, but ready.
Mom was in the kitchen, and as if she could just sense something different about my walk, she rounded the corner. She looked down at the suitcase next to me. “You’re actually going?” she asked, eyes wide, panicked as she focused on my face again.
“I have to, Mom.” I kept my voice strong and my chin high.
“No, Kandy—you don’t have to. You want to!”
I turned, rolling my eyes and going for the door.
“Kandy!” she called, hurrying around me. She stood in front of the door. “Do not leave like this again.”
“Well, how else am I supposed to go, when you guys are always trying to keep me trapped here? I get it, you’re scared! Well, guess what? So am I, but I’m not going to let my fears keep me trapped in this house!”
Mom blinked back her tears. “At least wait for your Dad to get back? He’s on the way—”
“You and I both know that wouldn’t be wise.” I looked her over as she pressed her back to the door. “Mom, would you rather me sneak away and not tell you? You can’t fight me on this. I’m going.”
“So your mind is made up?” She sounded defeated, like she knew she was losing the fight,
“My mind was made up weeks ago.”
Her back straightened and finally she moved away from the door. I walked past her, opening it and walking right out. Just as I expected, there was an Uber waiting for me at the curb.
“You called an Uber? What money do you have?” she asked.
“I have enough,” I told her.
“Who did you get it from?” she asked, catching up with me as I hustled to the car.
“Lora gave it to me. I guess she figured I would need it.”
“Jesus Christ. She’s no better than he is!”
The driver popped the trunk, and I tossed the suitcase into it.
“How will you get there? An Uber can’t take you that far,” Mom called after me.
“Bus,” I said.
“Jesus, Kandy. I know you love him, and I understand visiting, but staying with him? Why do you want him so much? You saw what happened last time, and you still want to go back?”
I pressed my lips, my eyes falling to the black asphalt. She was never going to understand. Neither of my parents were. Hell, I didn’t understand myself sometimes, but my heart was far from quiet. It was screaming. My heart wanted its beat to be in sync with Cane’s, and even though I knew my heart could be vulnerable and stupid, my mind had teamed up with it. This was happening. Besides, no one said anything about staying. I only wanted to visit.
I hugged Mom tight, sighing over her shoulder. “I love you,” I murmured.
“Kandy,” she whined. “What can I do to get you to stay?”
I pulled back. “Nothing, Mom. There’s nothing you can do that will get me to stay here. Even if you convinced me today, I would still want to see him tomorrow.”
She raked her fingers through her hair, looking both exasperated and terrified.
I heard tires rolling and looked over my shoulder. Dad’s truck.
“Shit,” I
hissed.
Mom’s eyes expanded. I looked at his truck, and there was no chance in hell anyone could miss that frown through the window. He didn’t even park in the driveway. He stopped right in the middle of the street, putting the car in park, jumping out, and glaring at the Uber driver.
“What the hell are you doing, Kandy?” He marched around the car to get to me.
“Going,” I stated, grabbing the door handle.
“Did you not hear what I told you last night? All those things you know about him—terrible things—and you still choose to go?” His voice was tight, the anger slowly surfacing.
“I heard everything you said, but like I told you before, I’m going to see him.”
Dad turned to look at Mom. “Are you serious right now? Talk to your daughter, Mindy! You’re just going to let her go?”
“Derek, I can’t stop her!” she shouted as I opened the back door. “Even if we don’t let her go now, she’ll find a way.”
“Are you kidding me?” Dad walked around the car to get to my side as I climbed in. He slammed a hand on the top of the car and peered inside, glaring hard at me. “Kandy, if you go, don’t bother coming back. Do you hear me? Since you want to be grown and think you know it all, don’t come back to my house!”
I looked up at him, seeing all the pain and anger swirling deep in his irises. He didn’t mean it, I knew he didn’t, but he was hurt and frustrated and didn’t know how to get me to stay. He knew he couldn’t drag me out—it wasn’t like him. He couldn’t force me to stay home, or cuff me to my bed because I’d only neglect him.
“I love you, Dad,” was all I said, and his mouth twitched. Cars honked around us and I looked up, spotting several vehicles behind his truck, trying to get by.
“This is a mistake, Kandy,” he mumbled. “You’re smarter than this.”
“I have to go,” I insisted. By now, my vision had blurred. I could hardly see him through the thick wave of tears.
Cars kept honking.
“Sir, I’m about to start my meter,” the Uber driver said.
Dad glared at him and then focused on me again. When one more car honked, he finally pulled away, cursing beneath his breath and slamming my door, storming for his truck. He climbed in and got behind the wheel, driving the truck to the end of the driveway.
“Take me to the bus station please,” I told the driver, and he pulled off.
“KANDY!” I heard Dad yell. I looked back at Mom, who was going toward the driveway, holding Dad back by the chest and yelling for him to calm down. Then she looked at the car, her face tear-stained.
I looked away before their anger and fear and doubt could get its claws into me.
I bet the driver thought I was an idiot. I cried the entire way to the bus station. He repeatedly asked me if I was okay, but I was sobbing too hard to answer. I hated breaking their hearts, but I also hated limiting myself. The feeling of being torn had to be one of the worst feelings ever. How was I supposed to decide?
How was I supposed to be happy when I felt happiest with Cane, but my parents also completed and comforted me in a way that no one else could?
I understood their worry—their fears—but at the end of the day, this was my life, and my mistakes were my own, and no one had control over my destiny and my future but me.
I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing, or if I’d even stay with Cane, but I was sure I’d regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t at least talk to him.
Chapter Thirteen
CANE
I had to admit, I was at a loss. Kandy’s message was loud and clear. If she really wanted to be with me, she’d have come with Lora.
I scoffed at the thought, turning in my desk chair. She wasn’t coming. I’d lost her, and this time there was no point in fighting. Kandy wasn’t a dumb girl. She knew right from wrong, and I was no good for her.
I pressed my hand to my chin, looking over the deal in front of me. We were opening a Tempt store in Uptown Charlotte. I wanted to be thrilled that we were even able to do so, but the thrill wasn’t in me. My eyes veered to the left, and I glanced at my phone, wanting so badly to call her. “Fuck it,” I mumbled. I pushed out of my chair and swiped the screen of my phone to unlock it, but just as my finger hovered over her name, there was a knock on the door.
“Sir,” Cora called, popping her head in. “Mrs. Hugo is here to see you. I have her in the waiting area.”
I frowned, looking toward the clock on my desk. “She’s early.”
“Would you like me to tell her that it will be another moment or so?”
“No.” I looked down at my phone screen, Kandy’s name right there, then sighed, shutting it off and tucking it into my front pocket. I turned toward Cora. ”Send her in.”
With a nod, Cora left the room, and as I stepped behind my desk, the door creaked and heels clicked on the marble floor. Mrs. Hugo walked into the room and looked right at me with her cold, green eyes. Yes, cold. The woman had no warmth to her whatsoever. I’d met her once, and never wanted to meet or see her again, yet here she was.
Her white hair was pulled up into a formal updo, pearls in her ears and draped around her neck. She wore a black dress, her lips stained red. There were deep lines around her mouth, and small wrinkles around her eyes, despite the visits for Botox that I’m sure she’d made a habit of. Nonetheless, she was a very good-looking woman. She had to be well in her sixties, but could have easily passed to be in her fifties.
“Mr. Cane,” she chimed, giving me a fake smile.
“Mrs. Hugo. What gives me the pleasure?”
She continued her smile, coming closer. The door closed behind her, per my instructions to Cora. She glanced back before focusing on me again. “Oh, don’t mind me. I won’t be here for very long. Don’t want to hold a busy man up.”
I folded my arms over my chest. “Interesting that you say that, because I’m curious to know why you bothered coming to me at all.”
Her mouth twitched, her smile slowly fading. “I think you know why I’m here.”
“If it pertains to your daughter, I truly don’t give a damn.”
She breathed hard through her nostrils. “Listen, I am just here to tell you that if you are waiting for some great, big trial to happen where you get to testify about how scared you were, it won’t be.”
That caught my attention. Brows narrowing, I said, “It’s a bench trial, but I’m sure the judge will want the witnesses to give some kind of testimony.”
“No they won’t,” she uttered with too much confidence.
“Why the hell not?”
She simply shrugged and smirked, like she had it all figured out. “The family lawyer is very good at what he does. He made some agreements with the judge, and we were just informed yesterday that Kelly won’t do any time in prison.”
“What?” I growled, dropping my arms. “How?”
“How else do you think?” she laughed. “I’m sure you know very well that money is power, Mr. Cane, and we have a lot of it. The judge they assigned the case to is lousy. Easy to pay off if someone wants to brush something under the rug. But of course, to make him look good and keep a steady record, we had to bargain. Kelly will do four years in intensive psych, but if she shows improvement early on, she will most likely get an early release.”
“That is a fucking joke!” I barked.
“Not only that,” she went on, “but the girl’s parents agreed that they wanted to keep this out of the news, so their lawyer is speaking for them. Since they knew it would be hard to push for Kelly to get a prison sentence, and that it was very simple to prove Kelly’s mental instabilities, their lawyer came to us with a deal. They requested an immediate restraining order to go into effect for the next twenty years and $50,000. We’ve paid them, the restraining order has been filed, and Kelly will start psych tomorrow. The case has been closed as far as I know.”
“Are you kidding me? That’s bullshit!” I spat. “Why would they let her get off that easily? S
he deserves to fucking rot for what she did to her!”
“Like I would let my daughter rot for you,” she snarled. “You and all the other men before think you can just use her up and toss her aside like some dirty towel. Well, you’re wrong.” She took a step forward. “I’m not saying what she did was okay, but you are the reason she cracked.”
“Oh, I’m the reason she cracked?” I laughed dryly. “I told Kelly to stay away from me repeatedly, but she didn’t listen. She even resorted to trying to blackmail me over something she had no business snooping around for in the first place. Matter of fact, she blackmailed me twice!”
“The girl you were with, wasn’t she almost half your age?”
“How the fuck does that matter right now?”
“I’m just asking a question.” She rolled her eyes. “You know, there are things about Kelly that I’ve had to pay people to keep quiet about. She hasn’t always been like this, but she meets men like you and she just…loses it.” She paused, doing a small shake of her head. “I’m sure you know she was checked into rehab before?”
“Yes, the one I met her at. The one she lied about.”
“Yes, well, anyway…she was there because of the man she was with before. Kelly left the nest early. Went to college, did well. Worked for a while. She was living a wonderful, normal life. She decided to move to New York around her thirtieth birthday, and that’s when she met Carter. Carter was wealthy and handsome, but he was a heartbreaker indeed.” She sighed. “Anyway, during her stay in New York, she spent more and more time with Carter. He owned a nightclub there, made great money, but he was also into the party life. You know, drugs, drinking, all of that. He made Kelly do all sorts of drugs with him, which made matters worse for their situation. They were never officially dating, but he slept over her place often. She never slept at his. There was never a title on their relationship, but Kelly called him her boyfriend. He didn’t address her as his girlfriend. To him, she was just Kelly. I want to say their little thing lasted for a year or so. Kelly was falling for him more and more, but he began to pull away.” Mrs. Hugo walked toward the window, looking out of it, studying the skyline. “There was one night when she called me crying about how he hadn’t answered her calls in a whole week. She even told me she’d visited his club, but he was never there. I told her to let it go and move on—that he wasn’t worth the trouble—but of course she didn’t listen. She’s just as stubborn as her father. It didn’t help that she was still doing the drugs during her free time.” She paused. “I didn’t hear from Kelly for two weeks straight, and then when I did hear from her, it was because I had received a call from her. She had been arrested and was in jail.”
Loving Mr. Cane: Cane Series #3 Page 8