Текст книги "Kian"

Автор книги: Tijan

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

“The investors met last night. I was coming to play with Kian a bit, tell him he needed to do better than that, but he should be hearing from our dad soon.” Her eyebrows pinched together. A speculative gleam formed in her eyes. “There might even be a message on Kian’s phone right now.” She nodded behind me, toward the bedroom. “Check his phone. The code to get in is two thousand twelve. Kian’s dark humor. That’s the year he went to prison. I bet you anything, once Daddy and the board members let him back in, he’s going to change his code to two thousand fifteen, the year he got back his life. That’s how he views it anyway.”

“You’re lying.” But even as I said it, there was a look in her eyes. I grew up with liars, and there was something truthful coming from her. And I hated that. I didn’t want to wonder what part was true. I refused to believe all of it was.

Still. I didn’t have to take her condescension with a smile.

She laughed, saying, “I can see it in your eyes. I’m not, and you know it.”

She moved past me, but I moved so I got to the door first. She paused, a question in her eyes as she watched when I grabbed the door handle, but I opened it, a nice fake smile plastered on my face. Her eyebrows knitted together. She wondered what I was doing, so I stepped back even more. The path was open. She could exit freely.

Her eyebrows cleared then, and she moved forward a few steps. Once in the hallway, she turned around. “I’m a lot of things, but right now, I’m being the best friend that you’ve never had. Leave him. Don’t let him use you anymore—”

I shut the door in her face, and I slammed it hard enough to make a bang.

Then I stared at it. She was Kian’s sister, and a part of me felt obligated to let her talk, but after hearing what she said, I didn’t like it. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like how she drove a knife into her own brother’s back. Justin raped her. I felt bad for that, but the rest of her actions, I crossed my arms over my chest. Hell no. I did not have to feel sorry for the kind of person she had become. A bad past doesn’t make a bad person. She could’ve done better, but even as I was thinking all of that, a nagging voice was in my head.

Kian wasn’t using me. There was no way. I remembered what he said earlier. “You are good.”

But then I heard her parting words. “Don’t let him use you anymore.” And I remembered another thing he said. “My father is the last person who would help me.”

Snark’s words were next. “Don’t trust anyone.”

My stomach dropped to my feet because I knew, right then and there, that I was going to read that message. I had to. I had to make sure I wasn’t being used, but as I went to the bed, my body started to shut off. I wasn’t sure what I was going to read on his phone, but whatever it was, I couldn’t let it break me.

Kian was still in bed, sleeping. Sprawled out, lying on his stomach, his head was turned toward my empty spot. He had an arm out, as if he searched for me but fallen back asleep before realizing I wasn’t there.

The room was warm, but I didn’t feel it. A full-fledged shiver wouldn’t stop going up and down my spine, and my teeth were damn near chattering, but my focus was on that phone and whatever the message said.

My hands were slick. I rubbed them off on the robe and picked up the phone. My hands were shaking, too. I willed them to stop, as I keyed in the code. The phone unlocked, and I hit the unread message. It had been sent from Carl Maston. I paused for a second, my eyes flicking to Kian once more. I felt a pang in my chest, but opened the message. I had to know.

It worked. You’ve been voted back in. Call me ASAP to go over everything.

A second message came through as I was holding the phone. I almost dropped it but tightened my grip.

It was from the same Carl Maston.

Well done, son.

I left.

I called Snark, but he couldn’t come pick me up. He suggested not going to Erica and Wanker. They were known as my friends now, so the media would be on them. When Snark asked why I needed another hideaway, I didn’t answer. He just heard a slight sniffle from me and said I should go to the one place no one would think to look for me.

I called Jake.

He sounded surprised on the other end, but he’d be there in ten minutes. I was waiting in the back entryway of the hotel. If anyone looked for me, they could easily find me. My nails were digging through my sleeves and into the palms of my hands as I waited. I needed Jake to get here now.

I called Snark back. I didn’t want him to worry.

“What did he do?” Snark asked, distracting me.

I knew he didn’t mean Jake. “He used me.”

He was silent on the other end.

My frown deepened. I didn’t know what to think of his non-response.

He asked, “Are you sure?”

“Snark.”

“I just…” He let out a sigh. “Look, I’ve not been a fan of that kid since I heard he wanted to talk to you, but since dealing with him during this whole debacle, he doesn’t strike me as the using type.”

“I don’t,” I clipped out. But I had to ask him a question. “You said that Kian’s dad wanted him back for the company. You were going to go and see his parents to talk about keeping Kian away from me. Did you?”

“Oh.” He got quiet.

My eyebrows lifted. “Oh?”

“I don’t know what it means, but I never told you about that meeting because it didn’t happen.”

“You don’t think I should’ve known that information?”

“Want and should are completely different. I think you should’ve known, but I didn’t think you wanted to know. It doesn’t tell us anything, except that his dad is a jackass. That’s it, but we all knew that already.”

“And you’re telling me that you don’t think Kian’s using me after that?”

“What did he use you for?”

“To give him a recommendation or something. His sister said the investors of his dad’s company didn’t want Kian in, but now that I’ve spoken out, they’re letting him back in.”

“His sister?”

“Yeah, Felicia Maston.”

“Ah, cripes. She’s a piece of work herself. Are you sure you believe her?”

I leaned back, resting my head against the wall. “No. She’s shady. I can tell that much, but she was telling the truth about this. She didn’t strike me as the loving kind of sister, but…” I couldn’t shake my gut. She told the truth. “I’m over being hurt.”

Not from Kian, not after I gave him everything.

“Well, okay.” Snark was resigned. “I mean, if this is what you want to do, I’ll get back as soon as possible to help you.”

“No.”

Jake’s car turned around the corner.

I straightened from the wall. “I’m okay. My ride’s here.”

“Listen, I got called back to headquarters. I don’t know. Maybe that was the kid himself, or maybe his pops called in a favor and got me hauled back here, but my supervisor is stalling. The case they want me on isn’t panning out, and I’m on leave. Technically, I don’t have to stay here. Do you want me to come out there? I’ll fight them here, if you want me to.”

“No.” That was his job. “Stay. Do what you’re supposed to. I’ll be fine.”

Jake’s car slid to a stop, and he opened the passenger door, waiting for me.

“Thank you, Snark,” I said before hanging up and stuffing my phone into my pocket. Hurrying into the car, I asked Jake one question before I closed the door, “Did you intentionally answer Susan’s phone call before?”

“No.” He held my gaze. He didn’t seem surprised what I asked him, and he wasn’t being defensive. There was no eagerness in his eyes.

“Okay.” That answer would do for now. “Can you take me as far away as possible?”

He nodded. “Close the door.”

I did.

And he took me to a park.

Once the car stopped, turned toward a river that surrounded the park, I threw my hands up. “The park? You took me to a park? Jake.”

His mouth twitched. He was trying to hide a grin, and then he stopped trying. A big grin broke out along with a slight laugh. “Come on. It’s kinda funny.”

“No.” Not at all. “I’m not amused. I need to stay hidden.”

“Oh, yeah.” He undid his seat belt and leaned his seat back. His hand dismissed that notion. “Your interview made everyone love you. You don’t have to worry about getting tomatoes or flour thrown at you. You’re golden. You’d get lifted onto shoulders and hoisted in the air, if anything. You’re just fine. Plus,” he looked me up and down before smirking, “you’ve got your whole disguise look going on.”

I hadn’t thought about what I grabbed when I left, but I was dressed in one of Kian’s black sweatshirts and my jeans. I hated to admit it, but the smell of Kian was driving me crazy. I tried blocking it out. It was starting to hurt too much.

“Why here, though? Why not your place?”

“Because Tara’s there.”

I could only look at him. Those words…

I smacked him on the arm. “After all that time with me, you’re back with her?”

He chuckled softly. His smirk turned into an actual grin, and he shrugged. “I know. I realized I was a dumbass, and by the way, Tara ended her friendship with Susan.”

“She did?”

He nodded. “Tara found out what had happened, that Susan called me to get info on you for a story. Tara wasn’t happy about it. She saw it on the news. The whole thing’s there, Susan trying to ambush you guys. Someone caught it on camera.”

“Really?”

“And Wanker cornered her and had a standoff against her. Susan was seething. She was so pissed, said she’s going to sue.”

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. Who’s she going to sue?”

He shrugged. “Anyone. You? She’s saying you ruined her career, but she’s the jerk-off, not you.” He quieted, growing serious. “I mean, yeah, a lot of people were pissed at first, but I get it. I know why you hid. Everyone knows why you hid, especially after hearing your interview. Tara was bawling like a baby. She said I had no right being mad at you, and she followed that with a threat, saying I could never try to hook-up with you again, even if she and I break up.”

He was grinning again. It was infectious.

I found myself grinning back, and I teased, “Let’s face it…”

He waited for me.

“You’ll probably break up in six months.”

He held up some fingers. “Three. My bet is three.”

“Of course. I should’ve known.”

“And we’ll be together again in six months.”

I pretended to hit myself on the forehead. “What was I thinking?”

He pretended to be disappointed, shaking his head and making a disapproving tsk sound in his throat. “I don’t know. What am I going to do with you? It’s like we don’t even know each other.”

That warranted my first real laugh in a long time, a really long time. It felt good. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For”—letting me relax—“making me think the world isn’t going to end.”

“You could make it up to me, you know.”

My eyebrow arched up again, and I waited, my grin still in place. “Oh, yeah?”

“Next time you do an interview, let it slip that I am the greatest stud you’ve had in bed. My cred will go through the roof. Tara will either be the most envied girl, or I’ll be the luckiest guy, depending on if we’re on a break at that time or not.”

My insides were aching from the laughter. I shook my head, pressing a hand to one of my ribs. “We have to stop joking. I’m beginning to hurt.”

“Eh.” Jake winked at me, his tone unforgiving. “You’re the one who called me. You should’ve known.”

“I should’ve?”

“Yeah.” He made one of those disapproving tsks again. “I mean, especially the last time you saw me…two days ago? If you didn’t know that we’d be rolling in giggles here, you’re just stupid.”

I barked out a loud laugh. I wasn’t even trying to hold it in now. No other cars were in the parking lot, and it was early. Any morning joggers or walkers would be distracted by their headphones or dogs.

Jake had been furious with me the last time I saw him. And now, seeing him like this. He was with Tara, and he was happy. And this was how we were at our best, as friends.

Once my laughter faded, I asked, “You’re not mad at me?”

“No.” He shook his head, growing somber with me. “My ego was wounded. Hell, my ego took a nosedive underground once I saw you with him, but no, I’m not mad anymore. I wasn’t mad before either. I was madder at myself. I knew there was a guy, remember?”

Kian’s voice came to me again. “A guy knows. He knew someone else was in the picture.”

Jake began to pick at his steering wheel. “I mean, that was our whole thing. We were going to be accountability partners.”

“I know, but—” He wanted more. I knew it. He knew it.

“I had no reason to be mad,” he said with more force. He wanted to make sure I got it.

Holding his gaze, I nodded. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “Yeah, no problem. But since we’re here, what did the douche do? You didn’t call me to hash it out at six in the morning.”

Gone was the teasing and precious camaraderie. It was down to business now.

I pressed my lips together. “He used me.”

“Bullshit.”

I frowned, my eyebrows bunching forward. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but it wasn’t that, not from him. “Huh?”

“I call bullshit. That’s the biggest piece of stinking diarrhea I’ve ever heard. Who told you that?”

“His sister.”

“Is she a royal bitch or something? A spoiled princess or something like that?”

I tried to figure out if he was joking. I didn’t think he was.

Shifting in my seat, I crossed my arms over my chest. I uncrossed them then and picked at the imaginary lint on the bottom of the sweatshirt. My head folded down. What did it mean that both Snark and Jake weren’t buying it?

“I mean it, Jo…rdan—whatever name you want me to call you. I meant what I said. I saw how he looked at you in the apartment. And I saw how he looked at me. I was competition. He was jealous of me. Since that was the first time I saw him up and close, I’m inclined to think he was jealous about the time I got to spend with you. There was no agenda from him.

“Whatever was told to you that got you running out of his place at this unholy early hour, it’s bullshit. Go back, and listen to him. The guy’s almost obsessed with you. I could tell. Even though I’m not on the same level as him, I could’ve been, if we had been given a real shot. If I’d killed someone for you and then found you again later, I could have felt what he was feeling for you. I don’t know for sure what it is, but it’s real.”

I…couldn’t talk. My throat closed up. My fingers curled up into balls, and I only sat there, feeling a small seed of hope taking root.

That was all I wanted.

I was too scared to believe, though.

Jake started the car and backed it up before pulling onto the road again. His apartment was in the opposite direction.

“Where are we going?” Even my voice was barely above a whisper, and I thought it held yearning, too.

“Where do you think?”

I knew. I didn’t have to ask anymore.

When he pulled up to the same door I’d left moments earlier, he let out a pocket of air. “I’m sorry for being angry before. I’m sorry for accidentally letting Susan know where you were. But for this,” he gestured to the hotel, “I’m not sorry for bringing you back. Go get your guy.” He patted my leg. “Go get your happy.”

I woke up because the bed was empty, and then I heard the door shut. I knew it was bad even before I rose out of bed.

Judging from the clothes on the floor, she left in a hurry. No note had been left in the suite. I called Laura and my lawyers, but no one knew anything. No one saw her, and Jordan hadn’t texted me. I felt it in my gut. She was gone.

I was changing to go look for her when I saw my wallet on the windowsill. I went to grab it, and that’s when I saw him. Jake Monroe. He was in the driver’s seat of his car, and he was driving away. I caught a glimpse before his car turned the corner.

My hand fisted the window curtain. Fuck this. If he had called her—No. I shook my head and closed my eyes tight.

If he called her, that was on her. She decided to answer the call. She decided to leave my bed, to go to him. That was on Jordan. I couldn’t fault him.

Shit, I waited two years in prison for her. I had so many reasons to leave her alone, but I hadn’t. I should’ve, and I still should, but I wasn’t going to. With that, I knew my decision had been made.

Fuck me if I was looking like an idiot in love, but that was what I was.

I loved her.

And I never told her.

I gritted my teeth. I’d told her I had feelings. I shook my head and started for the door. I was going to go after her. I was bringing the phone up to my ear. Cal could use the tracker to find her, but my door opened then. My sister walked inside.

Seeing the smug look in her eyes and the smirk on her face, it clicked. This was her. Whatever it was, whatever had been said, I knew Felicia had something to do with Jordan leaving.

I gutted out, “You did that, didn’t you?”

“Hell to the fucking yeah.” She raised her head. She wasn’t even going to deny it. She was gloating.

“You bitch.”

She lifted a cold shoulder. “In my defense, it wasn’t like I came in here, looking for her. I wanted to order some food and booze off of you, but there she was. When I came around the corner, she was lined up, ready to come and meet me.” A dimple showed in her cheek. “I couldn’t help myself.”

Fuck.

She eyed me. “She swallowed it, hook, line, and sinker. Maybe I saved you from her. Maybe I’m actually being a nice sister?”

“You’re delusional.”

“Meh.” She lifted her other shoulder and headed for the kitchen. “Life could be worse. Think of what you have in your future. Daddy called me this morning. He said your proposal for the building for the foster kids was approved. Congratulations. That’s good news, right?” She called from the kitchen, “You’re acting like your cat just died.”

“Felicia.” My teeth were permanently grinding against each other now. “Get out of my suite.”

“Relax.” She came back around the corner, her arms filled with food that I’d ordered for Jordan the night before—food that we never got around to eating.

I was raging inside, but this was Felicia. This was how she was and had been since the court case. “What did you say to her?”

“Nothing.” She moved for the door. So did I.

I blocked her. “Felicia.”

She backed up a step and readjusted her hold on the food. “Kian.”

I was done. “I’m sorry your boyfriend hurt you. I’m sorry he forced himself on you and that someone you loved hurt you in the worst possible way.”

She flinched, looking away.

I kept going, “I’m sorry our parents did nothing to stand up for you.”

Her eyes closed, and her chest lifted, holding there. Her teeth sank down into her lip.

“I’m sorry I went away to prison. I really am.” I did mean all of that, but I was done with her. “But please stop hurting me back. You need to tell me whatever you said to her.”

“Why?” Her face scrunched in confusion. “It’s not like you love the girl. You want her to help with the press for the new foster care building. I get it. That’s why you’re here. Seriously though, Kian, whatever this little obsession you have with her, you need to drop it. Mom and Dad aren’t amused.”

“Mom and Dad have no say in it.”

And it wasn’t an obsession. It was love. The more I felt it slipping away, the more I realized how real and overwhelming it was. I loved Jordan with almost everything inside me.

Felicia rolled her eyes, moving around me for the door. She started to open it, and—

Fuck it.

I was there in one second and slammed it shut.

She fell back a step, her eyes wide, as she could only gape up at me. “Wha—” she started.

I growled over her, “What did you say to her?”

“Kian?” She didn’t look away from me. She wouldn’t dare.

“I mean it. I’ve let you come here. I’ve let you charge all your alcohol, hotel movies, food, clothing, whatever you wanted on my credit card. Fine. I figured I owe you.

“I wasn’t there for you, not when you needed me, and then I got locked up. You started sleeping with my lawyer, and I’d had enough. You come back here now, and what? She hasn’t left me since I got out, and you were able to send her away after one conversation. What did you say, Felicia?”

Her bottom lip started to tremble before she snapped back, “I did you a favor. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed sticking a knife in her chest and turning it around. The girl was acting like she was in love with you, which is ridiculous. You’ll thank me for running her off one day. Trust me.” She reached for the door.

I moved her back. “Felicia.” I gave her one more warning growl.

“Okay. You’re crazy, you know that? It’s like you—” She stopped as understanding dawned in her depths. A light switched on, and her mouth fell open again. “Oh my God, you love her, don’t you?”

My eyes narrowed to slits. “If you don’t start talking—”

She waved that off. “What, Kian? Are you going to hurt me? I’m sorry. You think you’re the baddest piece of shit around, but I’ve got you beat by a long shot. You might huff and make a call to throw your weight around, but that’s all you’ll do.” Her voice gentled. “I know you’ll never hurt me. You never have. I didn’t know that you loved her. I thought you were only here to…I don’t know…get her help with the foster care building. I knew you wanted her to help with the planning and promotions for it. I’m sorry. It’s not much, but for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”

A headache was forming. She still hadn’t told me. “Felicia!”

“I lied to her. I said you hadn’t been accepted back into the company, and you needed her to make the hail of all Hail Marys, proclaiming how great of a guy you were to change the investors’ minds.”

“You did what?”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m already in.”

“I know, but she didn’t know that. Neither does the public. And…” She grimaced, looking away, before saying, “I knew Daddy texted you. I told her the code to get in your phone, and…”

I closed my eyes. Jordan would’ve needed to know if it was true, if I was using her or not. She would’ve looked, and she would’ve put two and two together but formed the wrong ending.

I groaned. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s a hiccup. Go find her. I know you have a tracker on her phone. And by the way”—she went to the door again, her hand closing on the door handle—“if you don’t want her to think you’re some crazy stalker, you might want to get rid of that program.”

I didn’t even ask how she knew about that. Nothing would surprise me now. “It was for her safety. I was worried about her.”

“Yeah, well, speaking as a girl, I highly recommend you come clean about that ASAP.” She opened the door but paused once more. “When did you fall in love with her?”

I didn’t answer. When she saw I wasn’t going to, she left. I was alone with my realization.

I’d been in love with Jordan since I saved her. I just never knew it.