by K. M. Scott
I opened the front door and heard it squeak. Turning to look at him as we entered the house, I joked, “Definitely not my surprise.”
“No. Your surprise is waiting for you inside. I’d say close your eyes, but you’ll probably hear it before you see it. Just be careful when you walk in and let me turn on the lights first.”
Hear it before I saw it? And why would I have to be careful in the dark?
Kane flipped the light switch and there in the middle of the living room lay a tiny dark brown and white kitten curled up on a white pillow twice its size.
“Angel, meet Angel. Now it’s the three of us.”
“Oh my God! She’s adorable, Kane! A kitten—” I couldn’t hold back the tears and began to cry at how sweet he’d been to get me a kitten. “I’ve always wanted a cat.”
He walked past me and crouched down to pick the kitten up in his hands. “I thought it would be nice to have someone here on the nights I have to work and you don’t.”
I knelt down next to him and petted her soft fur. “She’s so gorgeous. I love the way she’s all white except for around her nose and mouth and on her ears and feet. It looks like she was dipped in chocolate. And she has the biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen!”
Handing her to me, he said, “Here. Hold her. She’s obviously happy. She’s purring.”
She settled into my palms and opened her mouth wide to yawn. So small and so delicate, she made me feel like the luckiest woman in the world. “She’s so beautiful. I can’t believe you got her for me. Nobody’s ever gotten me anything like this.”
“As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
“Why did you name her Angel? Isn’t that your name for me?” I asked as I rubbed her perfectly white belly.
“Because she’s sweet like you. I walked into the store and she looked up at me with those blue eyes and all I could think of was how beautiful she was, just like when I saw you for the first time.”
I could have sat in the middle of the living room floor and played with her all night. Angel was perfect and precious. I instantly fell in love with her.
When it was time to go to bed for the first time in our new house, I followed Kane up the stairs to a room with a queen size bed and other normal bedroom furniture, unlike in his room at the club.
Extending his arm, he showed off our new accommodations. “A real bedroom for us. You deserve better than to sleep on the floor or on that old twin bed of mine.”
With Angel in my arms, I climbed on top of the white down comforter and closed my eyes, loving the feel of its softness under me. Lying back, I set the kitten on my chest and whispered to her, “A new home for you and me, Angel.” Kane climbed into bed and as we fell asleep in each other’s arms, he whispered those same words to me.
“A new home for you and me, angel.”
Angel and I puttered around the house finding out about our new place after Kane left for the club just before eleven the next morning. I set up her food and water in part of the pantry at the back of the house and made sure she had a litter box too. Because she was a kitten, she slept a lot, so I busied myself with cleaning the first floor of a thin layer of dust before Gemma came by to see my new place.
Right before noon, she knocked at my door and peeked her head in. “Hey, you! Let me in to see your new digs!”
I opened the door and beamed my pride in the house Kane had given us. “This is it! Isn’t it incredible? And wait until you see what else he got me!”
Gemma walked in and looked around with her mouth hanging open in amazement. I knew how she felt. I’d been amazed when I first saw it too. Angel came trotting in and stopped at Gemma’s feet to look up at her with her big blue eyes as if to say, “Who are you?”
“Oh my, Abbi! She’s adorable! Kane got you a kitten?” Gemma asked as she knelt down to scratch Angel between the ears. The kitten lifted her chin to let her know some scratches on her neck were in order too.
“Isn’t she cute? Her name is Angel, after his nickname for me.”
Gemma picked up the kitten to cradle her in her arms. “Kane and a kitten. I can’t believe it. You must be the luckiest woman in the world.”
I ushered her over to the couch so we could sit and talk. “I think I am. It’s hard to believe just a few weeks ago I was living in that awful apartment with Aaron and out of a job and now today I get to live in a place like this with a man like Kane and my very own beautiful kitten.”
Angel kneaded my leg and found a place to snuggle on my lap as Gemma told me all about her new boyfriend and how happy they were. As she spoke, I couldn’t help but think we’d finally found the happiness we both had hoped for. Gemma might not have had a boyfriend who beat her, but she’d dated her share of losers and this new guy sounded like he treated her like she deserved.
“I’m so happy for you, Gemma. Billy sounds like a great guy. He’s got a great girlfriend in you too, so don’t forget that.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m more concerned about you and all this. You and Kane certainly do move fast. One night he’s taking you out of that club across town and the next he’s moving you into a house and buying you a pet.”
I sensed the caution in her words and knew she was probably right to be worried about how fast we were moving. “I know. I didn’t have anything to do with this house, though. I only asked him if I could stay at his place until I made enough money to get a place of my own, but then things just happened between us. He’s just so different when we’re alone, Gemma. He’s not that scary guy I met the day I interviewed or the quiet guy at work. He’s gentle and sweet and when he smiles, I can’t help but—”
Cutting off my sentence before I said the words I worried would get me a lecture, I switched my attention to Angel who had climbed up onto my chest and was now kneading on my collarbone. “And this little one is just too cute, isn’t she?”
Gemma knew me too well to let my diversion work and knitting her brows, leveled her gaze on me. “Can’t help but what? Are you falling in love with him, Abbi?”
I hung my head and quietly said the truth. “Yes.”
“I don’t want to put a damper on this for you. It’s just that you’re so open and vulnerable after the whole Aaron thing, which I totally get. He finally got his, though, so at least there’s that.”
I looked up at her, confused about what she meant about Aaron. “Got what?”
“Didn’t I tell you? I heard from that lady who rented the apartment to you two that somebody beat the snot out of him. They found him on the sidewalk in front of your old place all busted up. He just got out of the hospital, but he’s still a mess, Abbi. I’m guessing he crossed the wrong person finally.”
“Someone beat him up?”
“Yeah. Broken nose, ribs, internal injuries and all that. He had it coming to him, honey. He beat you up enough times to deserve whatever the world dumps on him.”
“Yeah, I guess,” I said quietly, my mind drifting back to what Kane had told me about why he went to prison.
“What’s wrong? You can’t be sad about what happened to Aaron. He was a total asshole to you.”
Shaking my head, I forced a smile. “No. I wouldn’t wish pain on anyone, but I don’t care what happens to Aaron. Whoever beat him up just gave him a dose of his own medicine.”
“He’ll be fine, but maybe he won’t be so quick to smack women around anymore. I bet he got nasty with some girl and her brother and his friends found Aaron and let him know that’s not the way to treat her.”
Gemma and I moved on from Aaron and continued to talk about the wonderful house and how life had finally given us all the blessings we’d always dreamed of having, but I couldn’t get the thought of someone attacking him out of my mind. I ran through every moment since Kane and I began spending time together and couldn’t figure out when he would have found the time to do it, but I couldn’t shake the idea that he had.
Angel and I fell asleep on the couch, but at just after one a.m., I felt a hand shaki
ng my shoulder and opened my eyes to see Kane kneeling down next to me. “How are my two girls doing tonight?”
The kitten jumped down onto the floor and scurried away as I wiped the sleep from my eyes. “I wanted to stay up to see you.”
“I left Samson in charge so I could come home early. It’s only one.”
Sitting up, I worked to focus my eyes. I needed to speak to Kane about my suspicions with Aaron’s beating. “Gemma told me something today. I want to ask you a question.”
He sat back on his haunches and slowly slid his hands up my thighs, smiling that sexy grin that never failed to make me want him. “Shoot.”
His touch made my brain go foggy, and I couldn’t concentrate. “I’m serious. I need to ask you about something.”
Kane stopped his hands’ movement. “Okay. Ask.”
“Do you know anything about my ex-boyfriend getting beaten to a pulp?”
I watched his expression for any sign of his guilt, but his face remained the same as it had just moments earlier. Placid, almost stony. His eyes, soft and gentle as they usually were when we were alone, stared up at me and he said, “I don’t know who your ex is, angel.”
“Gemma told me someone beat the hell out of Aaron and he was injured bad enough he had to be hospitalized.”
“Why would I know about that?” he asked with just a hint of sharpness in his tone.
Placing my hands on top of his on my thighs, I stared down at their size. The hands that cradled my face when we made love and caressed my body to heights of ecstasy were powerful and nearly twice as big as mine. I ran my fingertips over their thick knuckles and imagined the pain they’d inflict when they hit another’s cheek.
“I don’t know.”
“This man beat you, angel. Why would you care if someone did the same to him?”
I lifted his hands from my legs and brought them to my lips. Kissing one hand and then the other, I lay my cheek against his open palm. “I don’t care about him. I care about someone getting in trouble for what they did. Gemma thinks it’s probably his new girlfriend’s brother who did it to let him know the girl had people watching out for her.”
Kane kissed me on the forehead and smiled. “I’m sure she’s right. I wouldn’t worry about someone getting in trouble. Maybe it’s just karma coming back to haunt him.”
I wanted to think that. The thought of Kane harming someone seemed so foreign, even though he’d told me what he did to that man who’d raped the girl he loved. Part of me worried the anger that could make him beat someone so badly would someday be turned on me, but I couldn’t believe that. Whatever he might be to other people, to me he was always kind and protective.
No one would ever be able to convince me he was like the others. Kane wasn’t a bad man, no matter what he did to people who hurt those he cared about.
* * *
CASH SAT in his office waiting as Stefan and I arrived and took our seats. The frown etched into Cash’s face told me everything I needed to know about this meeting. Unless he’d somehow fucked everything up with Olivia, he was about to tell us something bad that would affect all of us.
“Jesus, Cash. You look like some disgruntled old bastard. What’s with the face?” Stefan asked as he settled into his chair in front of Cash’s desk.
“I’m not in the mood for your ass busting today, Stefan, so if we can just pretend this is a place of business for a few minutes, I need to discuss something serious with both of you.”
Stefan looked at me for some clue what was bothering our brother, but I had nothing. He hadn’t said anything to me. “Okay. Sorry, Cash. What’s up?”
“Mason. He wants to come by to see what his help is getting him. As if the money we pay means nothing.”
“This guy is a pain in the ass. I’m beginning to think he’s worse than Shank,” I said, understanding Cash’s frustration. We paid him each month. Now he wanted to check out what he was getting for his money? Fucking politician!
“I’m thinking it’s no big deal, guys,” Stefan said in a chipper voice. “We run a great place, so what’s he going to find? I’ll make sure my bartenders serve him the good stuff, and when he goes upstairs, Kane can make sure he gets the show of his life. He’s already a member, so it isn’t like he hasn’t seen what we do. Nothing to worry about, I say.”
Cash’s frown stayed firmly in place. “It’s the fact that now he wants to see about his investment, as he calls it. I just have a bad feeling about him. He mentioned he’s bringing his brother with him, some guy who runs a bar in Bradenton.”
“Manatee County’s finest watering hole?” Stefan said sarcastically. “Maybe I’ll tell the bartenders to forget the top shelf stuff. He probably wouldn’t know the difference.”
“I wish you’d take this seriously, Stefan. I’m worried.”
I knew Cash wasn’t exaggerating. I hadn’t seen him this stressed out since the whole problem with Shank. “Don’t worry. Stefan will do what he always does and Mason and his brother will love the club. Then they’ll come upstairs and my people will make sure this backwater bar owner is blown away by their talents. We’ll take care of it, Cash. You just do your thing and we’ll make Mason happy he’s working with us.”
Nodding, he sighed deeply. “Okay. I just have a bad feeling about this guy. Every week it’s something else with him. Maybe it’s what Olivia said. Maybe I did get too used to dealing with Shank. I hope so.”
“Not to worry, big brother,” Stefan said with a smile. “The March brothers own the best club around.” Realizing what he’d said, he turned toward me and chucked me on the shoulder. “You’re like a March, so it works. We all come from the same sperm, so that makes us brothers, no matter what your last name is.”
I looked over at Cash, who didn’t seem to know how to react to Stefan’s declaration of brotherhood, and shook my head. “On that note about our father’s sperm, I’m out of here. I have work to do so Mason and his brother have the time of their lives. Just give me a call when you’re bringing them up.”
“He said they’d be here around ten, so I’ll keep them downstairs with Stefan’s people to loosen them up for a while. I’m thinking between eleven and midnight.”
Standing, I turned to leave. “Got it. I’ll block out some time with my best dancers. Any idea what they’ll want?”
“No, but I’m thinking girls in the room would be a good bet. Plan on that.”
With a chuckle, I said, “It’ll be the easiest dance most of them have ever had, I bet. Small town guys are usually pretty easy on the girls.”
“Let’s hope so.”
When everyone arrived for work, I pulled Simone aside to let her know about the club’s special guest for that night and explained how she’d be working with another dancer for him. Always a trooper, she jumped at the chance to show off her stuff and represent the club.
“Thanks, Simone. I knew you’d be a good choice. I’m going to put you with Abbi, so he’ll have opposite ends of the spectrum.”
“She’s brand new, Kane. Are you sure?” Simone asked, her eyes studying me closely.
“You doubt my decision?” I joked.
“No. Just that she’s never done anything in the rooms and she’s really new.”
“She’ll be fine. I’ll be watching on the monitors, so don’t worry. It won’t be a girl on girl thing. It’s just the two of you dancing in the room.”
Simone shrugged. “Oh, okay. So we’ll just be doing our thing and that’s it? Who’s the guy?”
“The brother of someone we’re working with, so I want him happy.”
A sly smile spread across her lips. “How happy are we talking here, Kane? You’re putting your girlfriend in the room with him.”
“Not that kind of happy.”
Simone’s allusion to them servicing Mason’s brother bothered me, and it was clear from her reaction that she knew. “It’s kinda cool seeing you with someone, Kane. Everyone knows, but it’s okay. You just broke a few hearts.”
; “Get to work.”
I turned and walked out toward my post as she called after me, “I saw that smile. I want you to know I like this new Kane better than the cranky one.”
Ignoring her teasing, I found Abbi milling around the fifth floor hallway with a few other dancers. “Ladies, you need to get yourselves ready, so head back to the dressing room. We’ve got a big night tonight and I want things to be great.”
As they passed me, I caught Abbi by the arm and stopped her. “I’m going to have you dance in one of the rooms tonight.”
Fear filled her eyes. “In a room? I’ve never done that, Kane,” she said in a panicked voice.
“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. Simone will be in there. Just dance like you always do, okay?”
Nodding, she tried to force a smile. “Okay.”
“I won’t let anything hurt you, angel. I’ll be watching on the monitor the whole time.”
“I know. I just worry that I’ll mess up.”
I ran my finger down a long blond tendril that touched her cheek and whispered, “I wish we were home right now and you weren’t wearing that wig. I like it better when I get to run my fingers through your hair.”
She instinctively touched her nape and frowned. “I wish I still had my hair.”
“Shhh. You look beautiful no matter what your hair looks like. Now go get ready and when Samson comes to get you for that dance, don’t worry. Remember, I won’t let anything hurt you.”
Abbi stared at me with a frightened look for a long moment and then said quietly, “Okay.”
I saw a text right before midnight from Stefan telling me Cash was bringing Mason’s brother up to his room, so I texted back Room 1 and sent Samson to find Abbi and Simone. I didn’t like the idea of them being two floors down, but that was the only big room empty for the night. I’d be watching the entire time, so if anything happened I’d be down there in seconds.
Cash brought Jethro Jennings up to meet me on the fifth floor a few minutes later. Not always a believer in first impressions, this time I couldn’t deny they were usually right. I instantly disliked the guy. His look was too fucking slick, especially for a supposed small town bar owner. Well shorter than his brother, he came up to right above my shoulder and reeked of cheap drug store cologne like he’d taken a bath in the shit. One look and I knew he gave off a vibe that made me mistrust him as much as I’d ever mistrusted Shank.