Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 123922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 123922 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 620(@200wpm)___ 496(@250wpm)___ 413(@300wpm)
“Kane,” I whispered, “it says ‘Marco’.”
He moved away from me. He stood up from the bed and pulled on a pair of tracksuit trousers. “I know what it says.”
“That’s not a tattoo,” I continued. “It’s a scar.”
Kane wouldn’t look at me as I stated the obvious.
“Yes. It’s a scar, Aideen.”
I shook my head. He said it like it wasn’t a big deal when it was.
It really was.
“Was it carved into you? Who done it? Why-”
“Aideen!”
I jumped with fright when Kane bellowed my name. I shrunk back against the pillows behind me and tightly closed my lips together.
“Leave it alone.”
I couldn’t.
“Marco made you do your jobs, right? They were the cause of the scars, weren’t they?”
“Aideen.”
Oh, fuck.
He was infuriated.
“Okay,” I whispered and looked away from him.
Kane was silent for a few moments before he said, “I’m going for a run. I’ll be back later.”
I looked at his bedroom door when he exited through it and I thought, I won’t be here when you get back.
“What’s wrong with you?”
I was sitting in my new apartment with my girlfriends surrounding me, but I didn’t feel present in the room with them. My mind was elsewhere.
I looked at Bronagh when she spoke to me.
“What?”
Bronagh deadpanned, “Don’t play dumb, somethin’ is botherin’ you. You ask us round for some tea and a chat, but you have barely spoken and we got here hours ago. Spill.”
I didn’t want to spill. I didn’t want to do anything.
“Did you and Kane have a fight?” This came from Branna when I remained silent.
I shrugged my shoulders. “Kind of.”
“You can’t kind of have a fight with a Slater brother,” Keela interjected. “You either did or you didn’t.”
I rolled my eyes. “I did then.”
“Why?” Bronagh asked, her voice soft.
I exhaled. “I asked him about his scars.”
“Oh, fuck,” Branna mumbled.
Yeah. Oh, fuck.
“My sentiments exactly,” I grunted.
Keela whistled. “A shitstorm happened?”
I nodded my head. “There was no cursin’ or even much shoutin’... he just shut me down with the look in his eyes and the way he said me name. He went out runnin’ so I came home.”
Bronagh leaned her head back against my settee. “We can be expectin’ him soon then.” It was a statement, not a question.
I shrugged. “He might not come over. He wasn’t happy with my pryin’.”
“You could hold a gun to his head and he would still come to you,” Keela snorted and the girls agreed.
I frowned. “This time was different... I asked about a scar with a name on his neck and he just... blew up.”
“What name on his neck?” Bronagh asked, surprised.
I looked at her. “You’ve never seen it?”
She shook her head and so did the others.
“Huh. His hair must have hidden it from sight. It’s right on the back of his neck.”
“Whose name is on his neck?” Keela asked, her voice tight.
I looked away as I said, “Marco.”
“What?”
I swallowed. “It’s carved onto his neck. It’s horrible lookin’. I can only imagine how much it hurt him.”
“Oh, my God,” Keela whispered.
“Poor Kane,” Branna whimpered.
Oh, no.
“Don’t cry. You’ll set me off and if I start I won’t stop.”
“Sorry,” Branna sniffled and wiped under her eyes.
I clasped my hands together over my stomach. “I didn’t only ask about his scars...”
“I don’t like how you left that open,” Branna sighed.
Bronagh sat forward. “I asked about his job for Marco because I know whatever it was caused the scars.”
“Bollocks.” This came from Keela.
I nodded my head. “Yep, it’s a right shit storm.”
“Why did you ask the questions?” Bronagh asked.
“Because I felt like I only know half of a person. I just want to understand him... Nico said-”
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Bronagh cut me off. “What did that bastard of mine tell you?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “He told me a few weeks ago to ask Kane these questions, but I had to wait for the right time. Earlier on felt like the right time.”
Bronagh rubbed her hands over her face. “Knowin’ the answers to your questions is this important?”
I nodded. “I wish I could overlook the scars. I wish I could be that woman who didn’t have to know what made him the way he is today, but I’m not. I need to know, so I can fully understand him. Does that make me sound crazy?”
“No, honey,” Branna said and moved closer to me. “It makes you human.”
I nodded my head. “I’m just afraid... I don’t want to lose him. This feelin’, it’s exactly what I was terrified of. It’s the reason I didn’t want to get with him. I didn’t want to develop deep feelin’s and I have. I love him so much, and it breaks me heart that someone hurt him and that it’s still hurting him. I want to help him, but I don’t know how.”
“You love Kane?”
I blinked. “What?”
“You said you loved him.”
I did?
I closed my eyes as realisation struck me. “I love him. Fuck!”
“Aideen,” Keela murmured, her voice soothing.
I turned to her and wrapped my arms around her body.
“You won’t lose Kane,” she said firmly in my ear.
I hiccupped, “How do you know that?”
“Because,” Bronagh chuckled, “he loves you, too.”
What?
I pulled back from Keela and looked at Bronagh. “He loves me?”
Bronagh was beaming at me. “Of course, only an eejit would miss it.”
The girls nodded in unison.
I dumbly blinked.
I guess I was a massive eejit then because I had no clue. The more I thought about Kane, the deeper my own feelings became. It caused a sick feeling to fill my stomach and a pain to develop in my chest.
I must have been coming down with something.
The flu probably.
“I know he really cares-”
“Ado,” Branna interrupted, “he loves you. He probably won’t say it for a while, if ever, but he does.”
Oh.
“That’s... a lot to take in.”
“I know, but do take it in,” Keela said. “Don’t ignore it.”
I looked down. “It doesn’t change that I want to know about his past and it’s a huge problem for him.”
The girls sighed but said nothing.
I looked down for a few more minutes then said, “I’m really tired.”
Keela frowned. “Go to bed. We’ll tidy up here and lock up after we leave.”