“The truth about what? Tempt is fine. He got the company back on its feet after a few months. It’s the shit going on in his personal life that’s fucked up,” Lora stated.
“Things like what?” Jefe asked.
“Well for starters, having a fucker like you in his house. If anyone saw you, it could damage his career, and it wouldn’t just be him losing money. You would too.”
“Point taken. Why else?”
Lora was quiet a second. “I don’t know if he’s told you about our Dad being out.”
“I can handle Buck,” Cane stated.
“He beat on you, no?” Jefe asked.
“When we were younger, yes,” Cane answered. “That’s no longer a problem for me.”
“And what about Kelly?” Jefe inquired.
“Kelly needs to fucking rot,” Lora snarled.
“Rot as in what? In a hole? In a cell?”
“Rot as in to leave Q the fuck alone for good.”
“Lora,” Cane warned.
“What?” she yelled. “It’s true! She’ll come back, and you know it, Q. Imagine if she shows ‘good behavior’ and the therapists find it convincing, she could get out even sooner than the pathetic length you were told. It’s bullshit! You saw what she did to Kandy, and that shit wasn’t cool. If you want Kandy to stay around, you need to make sure Kelly never comes back again. You know how to make that happen, but you’re too chickenshit to do it!”
“Yeah, because I can’t, Lora! I have to take precautions now. We’re not in the dark anymore.”
Lora gave a dry laugh. “Precautions are not going to stop that wicked bitch. She’s still sending you letters, making threats. That bitch will never stop!”
“Enough,” El Jefe said calmly, but there was enough bass in his voice for them to stop arguing. “Cane, you have one more day to give me an answer. All I need is a yes or no. It’s that simple.”
Cane groaned. “It’s too fucking risky.”
“Who gives a fuck?” Lora screeched. “It’s not like you’re the one doing it, and when has this guy ever left evidence behind?”
“By saying yes, I’m basically pulling the trigger, Lora.”
She huffed. “You know what? Who cares? Fuck this conversation. Do whatever you wanna do, but don’t come to me when she fucks up everything in your life all over again.” I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. Before she could get to where I was, I hurried upstairs and into Cane’s bedroom, clicking the door shut as softly as possible.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. El Jefe was giving Cane a choice about Kelly? Was he really thinking about killing her? God, the thought of it made me sick to my stomach. Cane wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. It wasn’t like him.
How was I even going to bring this up in a conversation without him knowing that I was listening? Of course I hated Kelly, but murder was unspeakable and irreversible.
After hearing their heated debate, I told myself I wouldn’t bring it up in a conversation with him. Cane’s decisions were his own, and even though he’d told me repeatedly that he would do anything for me, the idea he would order something like that terrified me.
I just hoped he didn’t do something he would regret.
Chapter Twenty-Four
KANDY
Cane spoke nothing of the conversation with Jefe and Lora that night, and it didn’t help that he had to be at work the next morning and had a full schedule. He’d assured me that El Jefe wouldn’t be back to the house again—at least not for a while—but still, it didn’t stop my mind from racing.
I knew it was bothering him too. He walked around like he was on edge—like there was this gigantic weight on his shoulders and he wasn’t sure how to get rid of it. And could I blame him? El Jefe had pretty much given him an ultimatum. I didn’t know what he was asking, exactly, but it had to be serious.
I tried taking my mind off of it by applying to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A few weeks back, Cane said he knew people there and could probably get me in. If I did get in, I would start in the fall, and he was going to pay for my tuition.
Even though I was psyched to be going back to school, and glad that I could still live with him instead of on campus, the entire situation about Kelly bothered me, so a few days after hearing El Jefe’s ultimatum—when Cane had to spend a weekend in Texas—I did something I knew he would never approve of: I packed a bag and drove to Atlanta.
I had no idea what I was doing, or why the urge to go was so intense, but after doing extensive research and looking into the case, I was at Douglas & Howard Mental Health Facility.
“Good Lord, what am I doing?” I muttered to myself, staring ahead at the building. It was a large building, well-kept, made of red brick. All of the hedges were trimmed, and a few patients walked around in yellow uniforms. “This is so fucking stupid,” I said, but it didn’t stop me from shutting my car off and getting out. I placed a flat hand over my brow line to block the sun beaming down on me.
Kelly was in that building…
I don’t know what possessed me to come all this way, but I was there. Right fucking there, and it was too late to go back now.
“Fuck it,” I breathed, and I marched ahead, straight to the entrance. I swung the door open and met up to the front desk, requesting Kelly Hugo. I signed a few forms, and was told I’d have to wait thirty minutes until the next visitation hour started…so I did.
And then the announcement was made. A buzzer went off and a security guard escorted the guests into a room with spotless, white tables and dark blue chairs. Several patients walked inside, all of them wearing the yellow scrub uniforms.
I took a seat at a table in the middle, my pulse swimming in my ears. I looked all around me, mostly at the guests who smiled as their loved ones sat across from them. Some of the patients smiled back, most didn’t. When I looked at the door they were coming through, I finally saw her.
She wore yellow scrubs like all the other patients, her brown hair pulled up in a loose, frizzy bun. Her face was makeup free, just like it was the day she stabbed me. The man who had signed me in pointed to where I was sitting, and she looked at where his finger led. When she saw me, her eyes narrowed, her head cocking slightly. The man walked away, but she just stood there, probably wondering why I was here. I bet I was the last person she thought would visit.
Finally, she walked to the table I was sitting at, grabbing the chair across from me and pulling it out. Not once did her eyes leave mine.
“Hey, Kelly,” I said, not smiling. Not wavering.
“You are really fucking bold,” she replied with laughter in her voice. She planted her elbows on the table, leaning in slightly. “Of all the people I thought would be my first visitor…it’s you.”
I shrugged. “You’re probably expecting me to be afraid of you or nervous about being here…but I’m not. I really only came to see if you were still alive.”
She frowned. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
I looked her over. “How does it sound?”
“Like a threat,” she hissed.
I pushed my lips together. “I’ve never been good at making threats.”
Kelly shook her head, eyes rolling. “Why are you here?” she snapped. “You got your money and your restraining order, which is clearly being broken right now. What else could you possibly want from me?”
“I don’t want anything from you. Like I said, I’m just checking to see if you’re alive…and to face the one thing that has given me nightmares for weeks.” I clenched my fist under the table. “Cane is really pissed about the slap on the wrist you got and how you’re playing the mental card. I am too.”
She chuckled. “Oh, so you’re with him again? Even after what was done to you because you were too close?”
I didn’t answer. Only looked her in the eyes.
“Are you proud to be his whore? Because that’s all you are. A whore who sucked a taken man’s cock.” She leaned forward a little more. “You know, ju
st because I’m in here doesn’t mean that he isn’t still mine. I know so much about Quinton—so much that he has no choice but to keep me around so that I’ll be quiet.” She gave me a smug look. “Has he shown you the notes I’ve given him?”
“Only one, and it was all I needed to see. I’m sure he’s burned the rest. Just proves you’re batshit.”
She laughed and pointed at me. “You’re cute. Coming in here, trying to act like you’re better than me just because you have him for a moment. Let me explain something to you,” she seethed, her upper lip peeling back. “I had him once, and I can have him again. You are a young, stupid girl who doesn’t know shit about men, and when he realizes how fucking naive and worthless you really are, he will drop you right on your ass.”
I studied her, almost with pity. “You really are insane. It’s no wonder you’re in here. See, you’re so crazy that you can’t even see how much he actually wants to be with me. You’re so blinded by your own ignorance, that you can’t see what’s right in front of you. Cane and I got back together a little over a month ago, and it has been absolute bliss. I’m not saying this to brag, but just to let you know that even though you think he belongs to you, he has always been mine. Since the first day I met him, he was mine. Way before you even knew him.”
She stared back. “I can’t wait until the day I get out of this place. Then you’ll see who he truly belongs to.” She pushed out of her chair and pressed her palms to the table. “What I did to you was just the start. Trust me, I am capable of things that are a whole lot worse.”
I held her eyes and thought she was about to say something else, but I was so, so wrong. Instead, she spat on me. Right on my cheek. I gasped, and she laughed as a guard yelled “Hey!”
“Enjoy him while you can, you stupid bitch.”
I wiped her spit off my face and pushed out of my chair as the guard grabbed her arm and dragged her back to the doors. Throughout the entire walk, she looked back at me with that same stupid, smug grin.
That fucking bitch!
Livid, I shoved my chair in and marched out of the visitation room. I was so pissed that I ran right into someone’s chest on my way out.
“Shit! Sorry!” I gasped. The person caught me by the upper arms, and when I looked up, I met a familiar shade of golden-brown. “Holy shit,” I breathed.
Clark looked down at me, wearing a sports cap and a black jacket. “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper-hissed.
A slow smile spread across his lips. “Got business to take care of. Jefe’s orders. Finally some action. I suggest you leave now.” He pushed me toward the door, and I stumbled a bit as he marched down the hallway, taking a look around before cutting a corner and disappearing.
I didn’t bother sticking around. I rushed out of the building and to my car, breathing rapidly.
I sat in my car, expecting him to come right back out. I believe an hour passed before I heard the sounds of police car sirens and ambulances. They got louder and louder, and I pulled my eyes from my Instagram feed to look around, spotting them rolling through the entrance and to the building. The EMTs rushed out of the ambulance, taking a stretcher with them and running inside.
I held my breath as the cops cleared patients from the yard and moved them to their rooms.
And then I saw Clark.
He wasn’t walking out of the front door like I’d expected, but slipping out a side exit marked for staff. He hopped a fence and then took off, disappearing into a line of trees.
“Holy shit. No,” I breathed. “No, no, no, no.”
I gripped the steering wheel, waiting for the EMTs to come back outside. When they came rushing out, I saw a patient in yellow scrubs lying on the stretcher. She was still, eyes closed. Her face looked pale, and her lips blue.
“Oh my God!” I screamed, because it was Kelly on that stretcher.
And if I weren’t mistaken, she already looked dead.
Chapter Twenty-Five
KANDY
I drove home in a frenzy and was lucky I’d made it back alive, given my mental state. I still couldn’t believe what I’d seen, and I prayed Cane had nothing to do with it.
I was in such a rush that I didn’t even stop by my parents’ house, like I’d planned on doing. Mom had texted me that morning, but I was nervous and driving, so I didn’t respond.
I made a mental note to call her once I was settled, though I was curious why she didn’t just call me herself.
It was dark when I got back, and as soon as I reached the front door of the house, I burst through it, slamming it behind me like someone was chasing after me.
“Yo! What the fuck!” Lora yelled, rushing around the corner. When she spotted me, her brows furrowed even more. “Kandy, what the hell is going on?”
“Did you know?” I demanded, rushing toward her and gripping her shoulders.
“Know what?” she yelled, pushing my hands away.
“About Kelly! Did you know, Lora?”
She blinked rapidly. “Kelly? What are you talking about?”
“I went to see her.” I sniffled. “And when I was leaving, I—I saw that—that guy! The one who came with Jefe! I saw him going into the clinic, and when he came back out, an ambulance showed up. They had a stretcher, Lora, and Kelly was on it! She looked…she looked dead!”
“What?”
My eyes were thick with tears. I was panicking now, breathing unevenly, shoving my fingers through my hair.
“Okay…Kandy. Just calm down, all right? Come here.” She grabbed my hand, leading the way around the corner, where a recliner and loveseat was set up. She sat me in the recliner and then dropped to her knees in front of me, grabbing my hands. She studied my eyes and was quiet for so long I wondered if she even had anything to say.
“Is everything okay?” I looked around Lora, and Miss Cane was there. Confusion warped her face, her eyes stretched wide.
“Yes, Mama. It’s fine,” Lora insisted. “I got it. Go finish cooking. We’ll be in there in a minute.”
Miss Cane gave us a wary glance, but she walked away. When we heard dishes moving again, Lora faced me.
“Okay, I need you to listen to me,” she said, so low I could barely hear her. “What just happened to Kelly? Yes, I knew it was going to happen, but she fucking deserved whatever they did to her. She never would have left Cane alone otherwise.”
“D-did Cane make this happen?”
Lora dropped her head, sighing. “No, he didn’t. He told Jefe not to do anything too hasty. He said he couldn’t live with the guilt of knowing someone died because of him, no matter how much he disliked the person.” She picked her head back up, her eyes boring into mine. “But I am nothing like Cane, you hear me? I have done a lot of shit I hated doing in order to survive, and I have lived with it all. I have no problem living with this, too.”
“Lora, you—”
“I did what I had to do to protect my family, Kandy. That bitch was never going to leave him alone. Ever. And for once in my life, I wanted to be the one to help him, not the other way around. Q has always been there for me—done everything in his power to protect me. Even when I straight up abandoned him, he came to check on me, but I blew him off, and even now, he’s still here.” Her eyes were getting watery and red, but the tears didn’t fall. “It was my turn to protect him this time.”
“By killing her?” I wheezed.
“I didn’t kill her. I didn’t even tell them what to do to her. All I did was tell Jefe that I wanted her out of the picture and for her to never bother him again, and I reminded him that he owed me, so he said it was done. That’s it. I don’t know what they did and didn’t know she’d die so quickly, but he knows how to cover his tracks. It won’t come back to us.”
I couldn’t believe this. Cane was right about Lora. She was stubborn. She just couldn’t let it go.
She released my hands, dropping her face into her palms. “You weren’t supposed to
be there,” she said, looking back up. “What the fuck were you thinking, going to visit her?”
“I heard you and Cane talking to El Jefe when I was asked to leave. I just wanted to see if she was still alive, and I wanted to confront her about what she’d done to me. I had this hunch—I don’t know!”
“Yeah, well you saw her, and now she’s dead.” She exhaled. “God, I need a joint.”
“Does Cane know you asked El Jefe to do that?”
“No, but I’m sure the news will travel to him, and he’ll figure out that it wasn’t a coincidence.”
“God, Lora. This is all so fucking crazy.”
“This is who we are, Kandy. We’re fucked up, okay? I’ve told you that we aren’t good people. We do whatever we need to do to stay safe. If you can’t handle that truth, then maybe you should reconsider what you want and where you need to be. Not being a bitch, just being real.”
I swiped some of my tears away, looking away. Rubbing my elbow, I asked, “Why did El Jefe owe you?”
She frowned at me, dropping her head. “I don’t want to talk about that.”
I swallowed to clear the dryness in my throat. “Is it bad?”
“Q doesn’t even know, so yes, it’s bad.”
I touched her arm. “I would never tell him your secrets, Lora. I swear.”
“I know you wouldn’t…but what I did is fucked up. I feel guilty as fuck about it, and it’s hard to make me feel guilty about anything.” She stood up, planting her hands on her hips.
“It can’t be that bad…”
She looked at me sideways, then raked her fingers through her hair. She then stepped back and dropped down on the love seat that was behind her. We sat quietly, and I didn’t want to make any sudden movements because she looked like she was on the verge of telling it all. If she’d held it from Cane, she’d held it from everyone.
“I’m sure Cane told you I was engaged to a guy named Aaron.”
“Yeah.” I sat forward a bit. “I remember.”
She rubbed her temple with the tips of her fingers, closing her eyes. “Aaron is going to be in prison for the next fifteen years, and it’s my fault.”
Loving Mr. Cane: Cane Series #3 Page 16