Chapter Eleven
Emma
I slam the door behind me, a fury tightening my chest until I can barely breath.
My fingers twitch with the urge to throw something, anything, and hear the satisfying sound of something breaking. The new security keypad by the door glares at me, refreshing this feeling of resentment and reminding me of the conspiracy between Alex and Kade.
“An adult conversation would have been nice!” I say to the empty room, knowing full well that the walls can”t empathize with my sense of betrayal. But it feels good to speak out.
“Are you talking to yourself now?” Lila”s voice startles me as she steps out from the kitchen, an amused smile dancing on her lips.
Panic races over my skin like a billion white-hot needles pricking into every pore. “Jesus, Lila, don”t sneak up on me like that,” I say. “What are you doing here?”
I”m relieved for the distraction and when she opens her arms wide, I walk over and fall into them, the anger seeping out of me for a moment.
“Spill,” she says, pulling back and looking me dead in the eye. “What did those idiots do this time?”
I laugh, even though it’s not funny. Her reaction and knowing who is responsible for making me mad is part of the reason I’m glad she’s here. She gets it.
“Alex and Kade decided my apartment is Fort Knox and one took me out and the other installed a security system while I was gone,” I say, my fingernails digging into my palms painfully. “Without asking me.” That’s the part that really drives me up the wall.
“Typical,” she says with a snort, rolling her eyes. “And let me guess, this has something to do with Ryan?”
How did she know?
“Lucky guess,” she says, lifting both hands as if to proclaim her innocence.
“Ryan”s just... he”s history,” I say, hoping my voice doesn”t betray the hurt. “But yes, it”s because of him. They think they can handle my life better than I can. I’m a freaking adult, but they treat me like a child.”
“Ryan”s trash, Emma. You deserve so much better.” Lila sits down at the dining room table and I sit opposite her. Her words stir something within me—because that”s almost exactly what Kade had said.
“Kade said the same thing, I admit, and unasked questions rise between us.”
“Kade always did see right through people,” Lila says. “Maybe you should listen to him.”
“Sure, I’ll get right on that.”
She laughs, but my thoughts drift back to Kade”s intense gaze, the way my skin seems to burn under his scrutiny. But I shove those feelings away - I’m not ready to face them head on.
“Anyway, let”s not waste the day ranting about overprotective brothers and their friends.” My sister’s tone lightens. “How about some ice cream?”
I glance over at my refrigerator, then back at her. She nods. “Yes, I brought some over and put it in the freezer.”
“That sounds amazing,” I say.
But as we sit and talk about her husband, her kids, the club, and everything else in our lives, I can”t help but glance toward my front door, thinking about the keypad that’s a symbol of safety... and control.
The door clicks shut behind Lila, her departure leaving my apartment silent and empty. Now I”m alone with the buzzing of my thoughts, and I wish I wasn’t. My fingers twitch, itching to reach for my phone, wanting to dial Kade”s number, to demand answers—or perhaps to hear his voice, rough around the edges like gravel and honey.
But I resist, shoving my hands into the pockets of my jeans as if trapping them there can quell the turmoil inside me. These feelings for Kade, they”re like weeds in a well-tended garden, unexpected, unwelcome, and yet somehow...thriving in secret corners of my heart and mind.
“Focus, Emma,” I say, closing my eyes. I shake my head, trying to scatter the confusing mix of thoughts circling my mind. Now is not the time to analyze the fluttering in my chest, the heat that seems to simmer just beneath my skin whenever he”s near... or the anger I feel when I think about how he tricked me.
I open my eyes as I realize the answer; I need confrontation.
With long steps, I stride out of my apartment, locking the door behind me, all the while ignoring the mocking security pad.
Each step toward the club is fueled by a cocktail of adrenaline and indignation. The pulse in my veins keeps time with my footfalls, a staccato rhythm urging me forward. I’d moved into this place to be only a few blocks from work, and now I wish I lived further away to walk out some of the fury pulsing within me.
The neon sign of the club blinds me in the twilight. I push through the doors with a nod at the doorman. The assault of sound and light is immediate, a physical force that makes my heart leap. The thumping bass reverberates through the floor, finds its way into my bloodstream, and echoes the frantic pace of my racing pulse.
Crowds sway and undulate like a living entity, their shadows painting the walls in neon and strobe-lit flashes. I weave through the throng, each beat of the music propelling me further into Kade’s domain. I know right where he’ll be, and exactly what he’ll be doing. It’s part of the reason I’m mad at him - he’s been wearing Alex down and taking more and more responsibility around the club.
“Emma?” A voice reaches my ears over the pounding music, but I don”t pause. Not now. Not when I”m so close.
My breath comes quicker, anticipation sharpening my senses. I”m almost there, almost face-to-face with Kade and ready to do battle.
Tonight, I”ll demand answers and unleash my anger. And he’s going to listen.
“Kade!” I call out as I approach his office, my voice steady, my resolve steely.
The door to Kade”s office swings open and my hand trembles ever so slightly on the knob. He”s there, just as I knew he would be, backlit by the dim glow of his desk lamp, a dark silhouette against the starkness of his meticulously organized space.
“Emma?” His voice is a low rumble that stirs something wild within me. But I”m not here to listen to the way my name sounds on his lips; I”m here to speak my mind.
I step into the room, letting the door pull closed behind me. “How dare you? How dare you go behind my back?”
He turns to face me fully now, a statue come to life, and I see the briefest flicker of surprise in his dark eyes before they settle into an unreadable mask. I cross my arms over my chest, forcing myself to stand my ground when all I want to do is charge and beat on his chest with my fists.
“Trust and respect, Kade. They mean anything to you?” My voice is sharp, cutting through the charged air between us. “Or are those just words you and Alex toss aside when it comes to me?”
He doesn”t speak immediately, and for a moment, the only sound is the muffled bass from the club. Then, slowly, he rises from his chair, and it”s like watching night fold into day, the way the darkness seems to shift around him.
“Emma,” he says softly, his voice laced with something almost delicate. “I never meant to undermine you. I was trying to help your brother protect you.”
He steps closer, and it”s as if the room shrinks, the walls inching inward. The heat of him wraps around me, inviting and dangerous all at once.
“Look at me, Emma.” It”s a whisper, a command that has my chin lifting despite myself. His eyes look truly remorseful as he reaches out and touches my cheek. “I”m sorry. Truly. But your safety, your well-being—it means everything to me.”
And that”s when it hits me—the weight of his words, the gravity of his worry. It”s real. It”s raw. And it”s more disarming than any apology should have the right to be.
I exhale as the storm inside me fizzles out. And that makes me more angry, somehow. How dare he have this effect on me?
The room stills, the only sound is our breathing and the thrum of club music through the walls. Kade”s gaze locks on mine, and it’s a look I”ve never seen before, one that doesn”t fit with the tough, brooding exterior he”s always shown the world.
“Emma,” he says, his voice low. “I”ve cared about you for a long time, more than you realize.”
I don’t want to hear this. The urge to press my hands to my ears nearly overwhelms me as my heart skips, then hammers against my ribs. My lips part, but no words come out. This isn”t the Kade I”m used to—the one who pushes me away, who argues with every word I say. This is someone else, someone revealing a truth that feels too big to fit in this office.
Anger wars with the unfamiliar fluttering in my stomach. I want to lash out, to accuse him of lying. He”s my brother”s best friend, the man with a reputation that would send any sensible girl running. But here I am, heart tripping over itself, drawn to him like I”ve never been drawn to anyone else.
“Don’t lie to me,” I whisper, but the statement almost sounds like a question.
“I’m not lying,” he says, his eyebrows lifting as he scoots in even closer to me.
His hand comes up, fingers warm and rough as they brush my cheek. The touch sends a shiver down my spine, a spark jumping from his skin to mine. I lean into his hand, closing my eyes, as my brain obviously vacates my head for the space of a few minutes at least.
Kade”s thumb caresses my skin. My resistance crumbles under the weight of our shared desire, the chemistry that”s been building for longer than I want to admit.
“Emma Riley,” he says my name like a prayer.
In the charged silence, with his hand on my face and his dark eyes searching mine, something shifts. I”m no longer just Alex’s little sister or the girl who fights him on every decision. I”m Emma, standing in front of Kade, feeling wanted in a way I”ve never felt before.
“Don’t touch me.”
Kade”s hand drops from my face like it”s scorched as the words leave my mouth and aim for his heart. He steps back, a muttered curse leaving his lips.
“I won’t.”
The sudden cold that replaces his warmth should bring me peace, but my mind scrambles to process the shift. “Good.” My voice cracks, betraying the confusion that wraps around me like a fist.
“You’re right,” he says, leaving me wondering what he means. He runs a hand through his hair, the lines on his forehead deepening. “I shouldn”t be doing this.”
“That’s the smartest thing you’ve ever said to me.” The words are ice cold, but he doesn”t seem to notice.
“Just... go home, Emma.” His voice sounds like he doesn”t want to see me anymore, but his eyes are begging me to stay. It’s confusing, and I hate it.
I swallow hard, tasting bitterness. My feet move before my brain gives them permission, carrying me away from him, away from the office he’d wheeled and dealed my brother out of.
The club is a blur of motion and noise as I storm out. I shove through the throng of bodies lost in their own worlds as the pulsating music vibrates through my bones. The music is loud enough I can’t hear my thoughts, and I thank the universe for that small blessing.
“Hey, Em!” I hear Alex’s voice in my ear as he touches my shoulder. He gestures behind the bar, sleeves rolled up, an easy smile on his oblivious face. “Grab a towel, will ya? Help me dry these—”
I pull away and keep walking.
“Emma, wait!”
But I”m already past waiting, past hearing, past caring.
I shove open the club”s door, stepping into the cool night, the urge to disappear nearly overwhelming me.