The Cane Series: Complete 4-Book Box Set

by Williams, Shanora

  A gasp spilled from Kandy’s lips, and when I dropped my eyes, I realized why.

  In Kelly’s hand was a knife. A long, sharp knife.

  And before I could say anything or get her to stop and wait and listen, she was screaming so loudly her face turned red. She rushed toward me, eyes pinned right on mine. I knew what was going to happen. The sharp blade was coming toward us, glimmering from the sun pouring through the window, ready to pierce me. Even more so, I’d prepared for it, because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stop it in time.

  Kelly’s screech made my ears ring. “I hate you!” she screamed. “I fucking hate you!”

  She had swung the knife in my direction, but I felt nothing. Perhaps with all of the adrenaline rushing through my body, it was impossible to feel anything.

  But I looked down and saw blood.

  It slowly seeped through the white shirt and then in an instant, spread like a red flood.

  “Cane,” Kandy croaked, clutching her lower belly. She collapsed instantly, knees dropping on the floor, and that’s when it hit me.

  Kelly wasn’t trying to kill me.

  She was trying to kill Kandy.

  Forty-Two

  CANE

  Rage had blinded me.

  I didn’t think, just acted, and charged Kelly, tackling her to the ground. She screamed as I snatched the knife out of her hands and tossed it aside.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you!” I roared. “You stupid bitch!”

  As badly as I wanted to strangle her, I shoved myself off of her, going for Kandy who lay feebly on the floor.

  I rubbed her face and then grabbed one of my shirts that was on the floor, pressing it on the wound. “Kandy, baby! Stay with me, okay!”

  She hardly responded. She moaned, head rolling. Her face had paled even more, her lips parting like she wanted to speak but didn’t have the strength to.

  “Shit! Shit shit shit!” I snatched my phone out of my back pocket, running wet, red fingers over the screen as I dialed 911 and hit speakerphone. “Kandy, baby. It’s okay. Stay with me.”

  I glared back at Kelly. “Get the fuck out of my house! Now!”

  “Quinton, just let her go! We were fine before you did anything with her! She doesn’t belong with you! I do and you know it!”

  “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU CRAZY FUCKING BITCH!” My call had been answered but the woman on the phone was asking too many damn questions. There wasn’t any time for this. If I didn’t get her to the hospital soon, she was going to bleed out. I tucked my phone in my back pocket rapidly, picking Kandy up in my arms and storming out of the room.

  On the way down, it hit me that this had happened to someone I knew. This was probably how Derek felt while trying to save one life, while another person threatened his. It was a tough situation to manage, but I refused to let what happened to the girl D couldn’t save, happen to me.

  I grabbed my keys off the hook on the way to the door and went outside, putting Kandy in the passenger seat of my car. I heard Kelly talking, her footsteps quick, but I didn’t give a fuck what she was saying. I would take care of that bitch later, but for now, it was do or die and my Kandy wasn’t about to die on me.

  Kelly was beating on my back as I rushed to the driver side of the car, but I couldn’t feel any of it. I shoved her away and got behind the wheel, starting the car up. The tires screeched as I pulled out of the driveway and away from my house, Kelly’s loud voice following me. Through the mirror, I saw her standing in the driveway, smiling as I left. Her smile was too complacent, like she hadn’t just attempted murder. It sent a chill over me, but I kept driving.

  I knew I had one call to make. One call that would piss everyone off. I dialed a number I hadn’t used in months, and pressed the phone to my ear. After three rings, he answered.

  “You’ve fucked up my life enough, Cane. What the hell are you calling me for?” Derek grumbled.

  “Look, I’m not calling to argue with you. Something bad just happened.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Kelly showed up at my house and stabbed Kandy. I’m on the way to the hospital with her but she’s bleeding a lot.”

  “WHAT?” he shouted. “STABBED HER? WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?”

  “I’ll explain later! Just please. Get to the hospital uptown! She needs you!”

  He didn’t respond. He’d hung up and I knew he was on his way.

  I looked at Kandy, dropping my phone and pressing down on the wound. She groaned, lips turning a dark shade of blue.

  “No, baby. Stay with me. Please. Stay with me. Fuck!” A rage I’d never felt before consumed me. I drove like a madman and didn’t give a damn if I was breaking the law.

  When I finally got to the hospital, I pushed out of the car to get to Kandy’s side, took her out as she moaned, and charged into the emergency room, demanding the first nurse I saw to take her.

  The nurse panicked, but she moved swiftly, calling for back up. They had me place her on a flat bed and then rushed her down a hallway. I started running with them, asking if she was going to be okay but when they got close to double silver doors, one of the male nurses told me to stay back, that I couldn’t come past that point.

  “I need to be in there with her!” I bellowed, but the nurse shook his head and pointed back to the waiting area. He was talking but I wasn’t listening. I didn’t give a damn what he had to say. Before it could sink in, a security guard was escorting me back to the waiting area.

  My heart hurt so fucking much, my eyes tight as I fought tears. This was my fault. If I’d gotten rid of Kelly the right way, this never would have happened. If only I’d taken a step in front of Kandy instead of standing there like a fucking idiot.

  “Fuck!”

  Everyone in the waiting area stared at me as I turned swiftly to punch the nearest wall. I didn’t give one single fuck. Not even five minutes later, as I paced the area, Derek rushed into the building. He panted like a wild bull when he spotted me. “Where the fuck is my daughter?”

  “She’s with the doctors now.”

  He seethed, glaring at me. “Why would Kelly do this? Why would she hurt my little girl?”

  “Because she’s fucking crazy!”

  Derek started to charge me, but a security guard came toward us, stopping him in his tracks. “I’m going to have to ask you both to leave,” he ordered. “Right now. You’re making the guests feel uncomfortable.”

  Derek eyed me for a long time before snatching away and storming out of the hospital. I followed after him, but made sure to keep my distance this time. The last thing I needed was another black eye and a blackout.

  Derek walked until he’d reached a shaded area. He marched back and forth in front of a tall tree, fists clenched, eyes focused on the ground.

  “As if I didn’t want to kill you already! Then this shit happens! Why the fuck would Kelly just flat out stab her?”

  “I broke it off with Kelly several weeks ago. I told her she couldn’t show up at my house anymore. Told her to pretty much leave me the fuck alone after finding out some shit about her. She disappeared for those few weeks but then she showed up in my house today and saw Kandy. She already had a knife in her hand, like she was coming for me, but saw Kandy, and changed her mind.”

  “Fuck!” Derek’s voice broke and he stopped his pacing to run his hands over his head. “I knew I should have kept my family away from you! I knew it! All you’ve done is tear us apart! My wife won’t even look at me and my only child distanced herself from me to be with you, and not even a day fucking later, she’s hurt! She could be dying because of you!”

  “She’s not going to die!” I snapped. “She won’t!”

  “Cane…man.” Derek shook his head, dropping his arms and letting them sag at his sides. “There’s blood all over you, man. All over you. That’s her blood. Too much blood.”

  “She is not going to die,” I growled.

  “You know what—fuck off, alright?
Stop pretending you love her and just let her go. All you’re doing is ruining her fucking life.”

  “Oh, I’m ruining her life? Really, D? Instead of being like Mindy and accepting the fact that your daughter loves me just as much as I love her, you had to be a stubborn asshole and watch her leave? I never held her back from you! Not once! Kandy made all of those decisions on her own and I never influenced them! You think I don’t know she deserves better? Trust me, I fucking know! I’ve told her repeatedly that I’m not a good man. She knows it, but she loves me anyway and your head is too stuck up your ass to accept what she wants! I’m sorry to fucking tell you, man, but it’s not up to you anymore. She’s grown now, and if she pulls through this, I am still going to be here for her, whether you like it or not.”

  He grimaced at me, jaw clenching repeatedly. I didn’t give a fuck if he hit me this time. At least he knew the truth, and if he felt the need to hurt me for giving him facts, then so be it.

  Fortunately, the sound of a car door shutting behind me made him look away and Mindy rushed toward us in nude heels, her blond hair bouncing and her eyes stretched.

  “Where is she?” she demanded.

  “They’ve taken her back. We can’t do anything but wait right now,” Derek grumbled.

  “Oh my God!” she cried, fixing her eyes on me. “What the hell happened Cane?” She rushed my way, getting in my face. “You said Kelly did this? Why would she stab my daughter? We’re friends! She wouldn’t do that to me! What did you do?” Mindy shoved a hand into my chest. They were both angry and they had every right to be, but Mindy’s fury shocked me. I suppose that day, she was unleashing all of her pent up frustrations on me and that was fine. Perhaps she needed the outlet.

  Like I’d said, I deserved whatever came my way. “I’m sorry, Mindy. She came so fucking fast. She showed up at my house with a knife and I…fuck. I froze, Mindy. I should have stopped it or—”

  I’d let this happen. I could have stopped it—moved or thought faster, but I was too slow. Too late.

  Mindy scoffed, shoving me one last time before pointing a finger in my face. “I swear to God if anything goes wrong, I will come after you and Tempt. You’d better pray she pulls through and can tell me the truth!” She rushed away, toward the entrance of the emergency room. Derek followed her lead, looking me over with his upper lip curled up and his nostrils flared, before turning his head.

  My phone rang in my back pocket and I snatched it out. “What?” I snapped.

  “Q, where the hell are you?” Lora said, voice rushed. “Why is there blood on the floor? What the fuck is going on?”

  “I’m at the hospital.”

  “What? Why? Are you hurt?”

  “No, but Kandy is.”

  “What?” she gasped. “What the hell happened?”

  “Kelly is what happened. She stabbed Kandy. She bled a lot on the way. When it happened, I fucking froze, like a goddamn idiot! If she dies, I’ll…” My voice broke. What was I going to do if she died? That was a guilt I didn't want to have to live with. It was one I wouldn’t have been able to get through.

  “It’s okay. She’ll be okay. Stop. Breathe. Just breathe, okay?” Lora said, her voice calm. It helped a little. “Where the fuck is Kelly?”

  “I had no choice but to leave with Kandy. Kelly was still there when I left. Is she not there anymore?” I panicked then, looking around the parking lot. For all I knew, she could have followed us.

  “I don’t see anyone here. Just blood, and a knife.”

  “She left the knife? What kind of shit is she playing at?” I shook my head. “Look, don’t call the cops right now. I’m sure they’ll be here for a report and when they show, I’ll give it to them. For now, will you do me a favor?”

  “What?”

  “There’s a black flip phone I left in the room.”

  “This burner phone on the floor?” she asked, like she’d already spotted it.

  “Yes. That one. Write down the number from the text messages and then get rid of it.”

  “Fuck, Q. You can’t be serious right now. This isn’t who I think it is, is it?”

  “I’m afraid it is.”

  “Shit.”

  “They’re coming soon,” I said. “Probably already close. I don’t know if it’s him or some of his crew. Text that number and tell them my place will be too hot for them to just show up. Ask for more time.”

  “Fine, but you will have to explain to me why you still have this fucking phone. I thought you were done working with him.”

  “I am done, Lora. We settled on a deal a while ago but I don’t get to choose when shit happens or make him wait. Just do what I said and make it quick.”

  “Okay, fine. But keep me updated on Kandy. Can’t believe that bitch did that to her!”

  “Yeah. Apparently a few other people don’t believe she’s capable of something so crazy either.” I looked to the left and spotted Mindy and Derek standing by the entrance with a cop.

  Derek was talking to the cop, still edgy and fuming. He pointed a finger in my direction and they all looked my way, the cop included. “I gotta go,” I said hurriedly as the cop came my way with his hand on his cuffs.

  Forty-Three

  KELLY

  After Cane left…

  “You need to get out of there right now!” my mother screamed into the phone. “Now, Kelly! I’m not kidding! Leave the house!”

  See, that was the thing about my mother. She was a runner. I wasn’t. What I did wasn’t a mistake or a crime. It had to happen. Kandy needed to leave in order for Cane to be with me. The only way she would be gone for good was if she didn’t exist.

  Simple.

  “Kelly, please!” my mother pleaded.

  “I’m not leaving. Cane will come to me and we will talk.”

  “You attempted murder, Kelly! You just admitted it to me! Jesus, I knew you weren’t well! I’m calling our lawyer!”

  “I’m fine and I haven’t touched any drugs! I’ve finished my meds—I’m fine!”

  “Wait—what do you mean you’ve finished your meds? There is no finish line! You’re supposed to take them every single day! When exactly did you finish them?”

  “Months ago, Mom.”

  “Oh my goodness. I can’t believe this! Kelly, you may not be doing drugs, but you are venting in other ways. Trying to kill someone is unjustifiable! If you don’t leave, I can’t help you or save you this time!”

  My eyes fell to the puddle of blood on the floor. Cane had left several minutes ago. I came back upstairs and spotted the knife, the blood, utterly satisfied with what I’d accomplished.

  At first, I came to make amends, tell him that we should start from scratch and forget about the past and the things we knew about each other, but then I heard Kandy’s voice, and something snapped inside me.

  “Your disorder hasn’t gotten better. You said you were doing good! I trusted you enough to stay in that city and out of trouble! Goodness!”

  Goodness!” my mother went on. “This behavior is wrong and the fact that you’re being so—so calm about what you just did frightens me! I have no doubt the cops will arrest you once they’re informed. Look, I’m catching a flight there and calling Chase. Hopefully, he will be able to plead another mental case for you. Can’t believe you would do something like this again! Go to your apartment and stay put, do you hear me? Do not leave. Don’t look for Quinton. Go home and wait for me to get there!”

  I hung up, not bothering to answer. I looked from the blood to the knife again. The nicer side of me begged me to pick it up and ditch it. But the dark side of me—the side that didn’t give a damn and wanted to make a statement for Kandy to never fuck with me again—cackled and pushed me just enough to walk out of the bedroom.

  Just like everything else, I would get out of this. I’d probably be threatened by a judge again to go psych or, with my lawyer at my defense and since I laid off the drugs this time, I’d get lucky and only have to do mandatory therapy for a few mo
nths, but if Kandy died, all of it would be worth it.

  I left Quinton’s house with a big smile on my face because this was my small victory.

  He wanted to try and get rid of me? Choose her over me? Fine. But if I couldn’t have him, no woman could.

  Especially not some teen slut.

  KANDY

  When I was a little girl, Mr. Cane was my whole world.

  He was perfect and handsome and the best thing to have ever happened to my family.

  As I grew up, those feelings changed. I wanted him in every possible way, and I got what I'd been craving.

  Then I learned things about him...dangerous things.

  I was too stubborn to heed his warnings--too naive to see the complicated mess unfolding right in front of me.

  My life was torn to shreds because of my desire for him, but how am I supposed to stop loving a man who still means so much to me?

  CANE

  I knew from the start that I should have stayed away from Kandy, but my stubborn heart wouldn't let me.

  I've done things I'm not proud of to get to where I am now, and because of it, monsters lurk deep within my shadows, ready to pull me under. She's better off without me. I know it but still, I can't let her go. She's my girl. My everything.

  I will fight for our love, even if it means losing everything I worked so hard for in the end.

  If you haven’t already met the vicious Draco “El Jefe” Molina, you can meet him in the first book of the Venom trilogy, Passion & Venom for FREE or continue reading to get the conclusion to Cane and Kandy’s story!

  Or, you know, you could always come back to download your free copy after you finish with Mr. Cane! ;)

  Part I

  SURRENDER

  Prologue