Buttons and Shame

by Penelope Sky

  Mom studied his features like she was trying to remember exactly what he looked like. As much as she hated this situation, she found the good in all the bad. “Thank you for bringing her home.” She extended her hand to shake his.

  Cane eyed her hand, and his face immediately softened. He placed his hand in hers and shook it, giving her a slight nod in reciprocation.

  This was a lot harder for my father, and he didn’t shake Cane’s hand. But he didn’t insult him either.

  Cane didn’t seem offended. “Your daughter is a very strong woman. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

  “We know,” Mom said. “She’ll always be our little girl…” Mom wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly. Then she broke down in tears all over again.

  Cane bowed his head and averted his gaze.

  My father came on the other side and hugged me too. With eyes full of tears, he held me along with my mom.

  I didn’t want to say goodbye. It was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.

  But I did it.

  24

  Cane

  She cried quietly on the ride home. She tried to hold her breath and keep her sniffles to a minimum, probably because she thought it would irritate me. Crying women definitely annoyed me, but I didn’t mind her tears.

  We arrived at the hotel, and I checked us in to the room while she waited in the car. It was an excuse to give her some privacy, to allow her to grasp her emotions and let everything out. The hotel overlooked the ocean, so I booked the presidential suite at the very top. It was an unnecessary expense since our flight left in the morning, but I wanted her to be comfortable.

  I retrieved her from the car and saw her blotchy cheeks and red eyes. She’d stopped crying, but it was obvious she forced herself to. I got her out of the car and held her hand as I guided her to our room on the top floor. My fingers interlocked with hers, and I felt her faint pulse underneath the skin.

  We arrived at our room and walked into the small living room next to the entryway.

  She took a look around but didn’t seem impressed, probably still thinking about the last interaction she had with her parents. Not many of us knew the last time we would see our loved ones. But she knew she would never see her parents again when she left that house.

  The fact that she was standing tall was impressive. She was far braver than I was.

  She walked to the balcony and opened the French doors to the ocean outside. The sun had risen enough that the water could be seen in the dim light. The sky was still pink with tones of orange. It almost looked like a sunset.

  I came up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. I rested my chin on top of her head and pulled her into my chest, comforting her the only way I knew how. When I thought I couldn’t feel pity or compassion, I felt it for her. There was something about her that turned me into a different person, made me into a much softer man. “I’m here if you want to talk.”

  “I don’t want to talk.” She turned around so she could place her face into my chest. She leaned into me and tightened her arms around my waist, her old tears sticking to my t-shirt. “Thank you for bringing me here… You’re a good man.”

  She thought I was a good man? I threatened to her return her to Tristan if she didn’t open her legs. I didn’t deserve such a compliment. “No, I’m not. But you make me less evil.”

  “I’ve seen evil, Cane. You aren’t it.” She lifted her head and looked me in the eye, the moisture on the surface of her eyes reflecting the light from the room. She glanced at my lips then leaned in and kissed me, giving me a different kind of embrace than she ever had before. It was soft and full of gratitude, the kind of affection I didn’t deserve. She moved her lips to the corner of my mouth and gave me another kiss before she slipped from my arms and walked back inside.

  I continued to stand there, feeling cold the second she left my embrace.

  Then my phone started to ring.

  I dug it out of my pocket and saw Crow’s name on the screen. He didn’t call me unless he had something important to say, and since he didn’t know I was out of the country, I shut the patio door behind me and took the call. “What’s up?”

  Crow was quiet over the line. I knew he was there because I could hear him breathe.

  “Crow?” Somehow, I knew he was mad. I could feel the tension through the silence.

  “We need to talk about my wife. She did something really fucking stupid.”

  Afterword

  Thanks so much for reading Buttons and Shame. I loved writing this story and am grateful you pushed me to give Cane his own story. If you loved it too, it would mean the WORLD if you could leave a short review. It’s the best kind of support you can give an author.

  Hugs,

  Pene

  Also by Penelope Sky

  Want more?

  The story continues in Buttons and Blame

  Book Five

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  Keep reading for a teaser of

  The Scotch King, my new series.

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  The Scotch King

  Want to know more about the man making all the scotch Cane and Crow love so much?

  www.TheScotchKing.com

  25

  Crewe

  Handcuffed and sporting a black eye, Joseph Ingram sat in the black chair with his hands bound behind his back. The left side of his lip was swollen from a powerful fist, and his tailored suit possessed holes from the burning end of a cigarette. Two of his men flanked him on either side, just as bloodied as he was.

  Stirling Castle was so ancient my mind couldn’t comprehend it. Built in the 12th century, my Scottish ancestors lived in luxury. Times had changed, but the family line had remained intact. I was the owner of this fine landmark, but its sole purpose was for business endeavors.

  Like this one.

  I entered the room in my black suit with matching black tie. My silver cufflinks caught the dim light as I took my seat across the table from Joseph, a man I despised immensely. When it came to business, personal opinion was irrelevant. Whoever paid the right price was entitled to whatever I had to offer.

  But this man made the mistake of betraying me.

  He couldn’t meet my gaze, afraid of my wrath. Foolish for thinking he would get away with it, he was now at my mercy. I could do anything I wanted, and he knew it. I could kill him and bury him in the graveyard where my ancient ancestors rotted. I could cut up his body and drop the pieces off the coast.

  Joseph bowed his head slightly, as if the muscles of his neck couldn’t keep his head upright. He reminded me of a baby, too weak to carry his own weight.

  I crossed my legs under the table and unbuttoned the front of my suit. One hand rested on my propped-up knee as I examined my foe, this idiot with an ego too big to handle. I traded him some valuable intelligence for a premium price—four million dollars.

  But he didn’t pay up.

  Instead, he gave me counterfeit bills.

  Like I wouldn’t have figured it out. “You insulted me, Joseph.”

  The second I spoke, he flinched slightly. He adjusted his body in the chair, and no matter how much he tried to hide it, he shook. I spotted the tremble in his arms, the shake of his extremities.

  “And you know what I do to people who insult me.”

  He cleared his throat, his Adam’s apple moving as he swallowed. “Crewe—”

  “Mr. Donoghue.” Dunbar was my right-hand man, serving out his life in voluntary servitude. I saved his life and gave him the vengeance he deserved. As a result, he devoted his life to serving me—loyally.

  Joseph cringed a
t the false move. “Mr. Donoghue, I’m sorry.”

  I chuckled because he was making it worse. “Don’t apologize. Men like us don’t apologize for our wrongdoings. We have every intent of lying, stealing, and misleading our victims. Own up to it—like man.”

  Joseph fell quiet, knowing he was out of excuses.

  “I’ll respect you more for it.”

  Joseph finally looked at me, his brown eyes showing his weakness. “I’ll double the amount I owe you. Eight million. Just let me go.”

  “Now we’re talking.” I adjusted the sleeve of my suit, meticulous about my appearance, like always. I wore power like a fresh suit, filling out the clothing as if it were made for me. An invisible crown sat upon my head, something I balanced at all times.

  “I can get it to you in twenty-four hours,” he said. “All in cash. Just let us go.”

  “A tempting offer.” Now that we’d cut to the chase, things were a lot more interesting.

  “Do we have a deal?” He adjusted his arms to get comfortable. The bite of the metal around his wrists must have been painful.

  I gazed at his two cronies, both equally unimpressive. While they were burly with muscle, they didn’t have true strength and agility. Their eyes hinted at stupidity, following orders without understanding what they were doing. That’s how they got into this mess in the first place—because their boss was even dumber. “Money doesn’t mean anything to me, Joseph. Reputation is everything.”

  His eyes fell with devastation. “I’ll make it twelve million.”

  The corner of my mouth rose in a smile. “You need to learn how to listen.”

  His rate of breathing increased, his chest rising and falling with his impending doom.

  “I have an image to maintain. If I let you off the hook that easily, my other business partners won’t hesitate to cross me. Obviously, I can’t allow this.”

  “Don’t kill me…” His voice shook in desperation. “I made a mistake. You’ve made mistakes too.”

  “But it wasn’t a mistake.” Now my voice deepened, my anger slowly growing to enormous proportions. “You aren’t a child, Joseph. You understood what you were doing when you did it. Your only mistake was the idiotic belief that you could get away with it.”

  He bowed his head, his chest moving at a quicker pace.

  “I don’t accept your money. However, I’m going to let you go.”

  Joseph raised his head slowly, his eyes meeting mine with incredulity.

  I had the perfect compensation for what he had done, something you couldn’t put a price on. I had no remorse for what I had done. It was my responsibility to make an example of my enemies—and I did it well. “I’ve stolen something from you worth more than money. I’ve taken something innocent—something pure. And you’ll never get it back.”

  Now Joseph began to shake for entirely different reasons.

  “I’ve taken your lovely sister, London. Now she’s mine.” I tilted my head and watched his expression, knowing his reaction would be utterly priceless. “She’s on her way here now—to become my prisoner.”

  Joseph’s jaw clenched before his eyes widened to the size of baseballs. He burst out of his seat like an angry bronco coming out of the chute. His forehead bulged with a thick vein and his face reddened to the color of a beet. “You motherfucker—”

  Dunbar slugged him in the gut and slammed him back down into the chair. He punched him in the mouth for the insult he’d just unleashed my way. “Watch what you say to Mr. Donoghue. Might be your last words.” He stood behind Joseph ominously, his arms crossed over his chest.

  Joseph clenched his jaw again, frustrated. He was completely helpless to do anything, and that made his rage burn more brightly. His only family member in the world had been taken from him, and he had to sit there and play nice.

  I almost felt bad for him—almost. “Would you rather me kill you?”

  For an instant, his anger vanished as he considered the question. “Absolutely.”

  I cocked my head to the side, intrigued by the selfless response. Men like us used others as bulletproof vests, allowing a pile of victims to form around us so we remained untouched. But Joseph didn’t hesitate before he gave me his answer. “Then I made the right decision.”

  The vein in his forehead bulged once more. His arms shook as he tried to break the chain of his handcuffs with only his strength. “She has nothing to do with this. Please, leave her alone.”

  When I got the detailed report about London, I was impressed. At a young age, she was already a medical student at NYU. At the top of her class, she was expected to go far. The guys told me she was a looker, with deep brown hair and hazel eyes. So, she had brains and beauty. It really was a shame she would live out the rest of her life in chains. “You should have thought this through before you crossed me, Joseph.” I adjusted my watch on my wrist, feeling the smooth platinum with my fingertips.

  “Cut off my hand, alright?” Spit flew from his mouth because he was talking so fast. “Just spare her.”

  “Sorry. I have to make an example of the people who cross me. Every time they see London chained to the wall during a business meeting, they’ll think twice. When they witness her cruel treatment, her rags for clothes, they’ll know deception isn’t worth it.”

  Joseph yanked on the chains again. “This isn’t right.”

  “No, it’s not,” I said simply. Most things in life weren’t right. And it certainly wasn’t fair. Like everyone else, I’d suffered once upon a time. But I changed my future rather than accepting it. Everyone had the choice—whether they realized it or not. “I will take her when I wish. My men will take her if they so choose. Every night, when you’re sleeping in your warm bed, just know London is wishing for death.”

  His face turned pale as the blood drained from it. Instead of being livid, he looked terrified. Knowing his sister was facing a lifetime of cruel punishment because of his mishap must have been the heaviest form of guilt a man could experience.

  “I’m gonna let you go, Joseph,” I continued. “Your punishment will be to live. To live and know your sister’s life was taken because of your stupidity. If you try to save her, I’ll kill her. It’s as simple as that.” I snapped my fingers, cuing Dunbar into action.

  Dunbar unlocked their handcuffs, letting their arms go free. Joseph massaged his wrists, which were red and sliced in some places. He stared me down with the same rage as before, but now it was mixed with grief.

  I waited for him to do something, to make an attempt on my life. I hoped he would. Then I would get to snuff the life out of this man and still abuse his sister. It was a win-win. Everyone in my world would know I exercised complete power. I saw everything—even if I pretended not to.

  Joseph finally stood up, his cronies following suit. Dunbar and the rest of my men escorted them outside while I remained in my chair. I didn’t see him off, and once he was behind me, I didn’t look back. My back was vulnerable and completely exposed, yet I didn’t have a single care in the world.

  Because whatever attack he made would miss the mark.

  26

  Crewe

  The plane was already in the air before I began my conversation with Joseph. After they landed at the airport, they took my private helicopter and flew to the Shetland Islands, the northern tip of Scotland where I kept my residence. Subarctic, it was cold year round—but absolutely beautiful. I’d lived in many places during my lifetime, but the remote archipelago had a quaint quality I couldn’t find anywhere else.

  With a small population, Scandinavian influences were prevalent among the islands. Life moved at a slower pace, concentrating on old Scottish ways of life. Most inhabitants were Shetland breeders, the small horses that weren’t much bigger than a pony. The grass was always green, and the ocean brought fresh air across the land on a daily basis. Full of wildlife, it was far removed from the bustling city and the rest of the United Kingdom.

  My home had been built hundreds of years ago. I had to refurbi
sh the interior, adding hardwood floors, central heating, and all the renovations that accommodated my eccentric taste. However, it still took on the appearance of a castle in the Scottish Highlands. It felt like a castle rather than a home, sometimes.

  I sat in the living room, drinking my scotch and looking over a report from my distilleries where they created whiskey, making sure the blending was just right and still true to the flavor my ancestors created in the fifteenth century.

  Ariel walked into the room in jeans with heels and a thick black sweater. Her brown hair was pulled back into an elegant updo. While she was soft on the eyes, she was hard on the inside. She was ruthless, authoritative, and cold—the best business partner I could ask for. “The helicopter is landing, Crewe.”

  I set my work on the coffee table, abandoning the smooth scotch that flowed down my throat with just the right amount of heat. “Thank you, Ariel.” I buttoned the front of my suit then adjusted my watch. “We should give our new guest a proper greeting, shall we?” The corner of my mouth rose in a smile, knowing Joseph would pay for his recklessness until the day he died.

  We left through the backdoor and crossed the short hawkweed and chickweed grass as we approached the helicopter that was slowly descending on the flat field. The property was right at the coastline, and I was the only landowner on this side of the island. My closest neighbors were clear on the other side, and since it was a vacation home, they were never there. I was never concerned they would discover my criminal activities due to their proximity. The only way back to the Scottish mainland was by boat or helicopter. The help was in charge of gathering supplies we needed on a daily basis.