Dark Pursuit (Dark Lanes #3)

Chapter 1

ONE

KANE

TWENTY-FOUR HOURS EARLIER

Alcohol has always been honest with me. It doesn’t promise to fix anything or make shit better. No, it just softens the harsher parts.

The memories lose their jagged edges, and the ache dulls into something manageable, like pressure instead of pain.

I just need the world to stop pressing so fucking hard against my ribs.

With the bottleneck pinched between my index and middle finger, I take another sip of my lukewarm beer. The party at Jackson’s estate is in full swing, and music blares from the speakers.

Sweaty bodies sway on the makeshift dance floor.

Another deep pull, another swallow. The hazy world is swirling around me. It’s safe to say I’m really fucked up.

A busty brunette is dancing in front of me in a short silver dress.

Honestly, I don’t know how long she’s been here or where she came from. But when she bends down to flash her panties, I take another sip of beer while eyeing the white lace.

She has a plump backside and nice, rounded hips. And yet, I feel nothing.

Climbing onto my lap, she flicks her hair over one shoulder with a sultry smile. “Want to take this party elsewhere?”

Her overly sweet perfume mixes with the alcohol on her breath, and I tilt the bottle back, draining the rest of the beer in one go.

I don’t know what part of my face makes her think I’m interested.

She rolls her pussy against my crotch, biting her plump, red lip. “What do you say, baby?” she asks.

“Honestly?” I put the bottle to my lips again, only to realize it’s empty.

Of course it is. Nothing good lasts.

I throw it away. “I’d rather fuck a cactus than you. Now get off my junk.”

My hips buck, and she falls to the floor. Her look of surprise and humiliation would be funny if I weren’t so numb.

Clambering to her feet in her tall heels, she calls me a jerk before shoving her way through the crowded space.

Well, shit.

Laughter bubbles up from my chest, but then I see my brother standing a few feet away with his arms crossed, and my smile fades.

When he walks toward me, I roll my eyes and look away. He’s about to call me out on my crappy behavior.

Fucking fantastic.

Groaning, I drag my hand down my face. “I’m not in the mood for a lecture.”

“Well, fucking tough,” he says. “What the hell was that?”

I try to stand only for the world to tilt on its axis. Plopping back down, I laugh until my stomach starts to cramp. I probably should have eased up on the shots earlier, but it’s too late now.

“How much have you had to drink?” Cash asks, and the crease between his brow deepens. He looks concerned.

As if he ever needs to worry about me. We both know I’m the one who has their act together out of the two of us.

He helps me up, and I push him away, stumbling toward the kitchen. I need more alcohol and preferably something stronger this time. Who the hell drinks beer anyway? People from the Falls, that’s who.

Jessica. No, don’t think about her. Don’t even think about her sweet smell or her soft skin or the way she laughs. I’m no good for her, with my fucked up life, and I’ll never be.

If anything, I should’ve listened to her brother from the beginning when he warned me to stay away.

The best thing for her right now is to move forward with her life. If she watches the recording of Beverly and me, she’ll never forgive me.

As I squeeze my way through a group of flirty, giggling girls in the kitchen entrance, Cash grabs my arm and pulls me away. I’m too messed up to fight him and can barely walk in a straight line.

We reach the back door where topless women bathe in the hot tub, but Cash pays them no attention as he guides me toward the cliffs at the back of the property.

Hopefully, he’ll shove me off and get rid of my pathetic ass.

But there’s no such luck. Instead, he guides me to a set of steps that lead down to Jackson’s family’s private beach.

The breeze whips my shirt against my chest as we descend.

“I just wanted more alcohol, man.”

“Shut up,” he barks, shoving me forward to encourage me to walk the rest of the steps.

I chuckle. “Are you trying to sober me up?”

“Is it working?”

I hiccup. “No.”

“What a shame.”

My shoes finally sink into the soft sand before Cash grabs me by the nape and walks us away from the towering cliffs.

Waves crash against the beach as seashells crunch beneath my feet. I breathe in the fresh scent of night air and look up at the dark sky. It’s a cloudy night with no stars in sight.

“What’s going on with you?” Cash asks, shoving his hands into his pockets.

A lump forms in my throat. I don’t want to have this conversation. “Nothing—”

“Don’t lie to me.” He picks up a stone and throws it into the waves. “Something is up with you.”

My pulse speeds up, and I grind my teeth as I scratch the back of my neck. I hate when he psychoanalyzes me.

Sometimes, I wish he weren’t so perceptive, but he is, and he won’t let me wallow in self-pity.

“Are you the only one allowed to lose it every once in a while?” I ask.

What I don’t say is that he’s losing it more often than not these days. So who is he to have an opinion on my life? Shouldn’t he sort his own shit out before he meddles in mine?

“I never said that.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Cash stops me with his hand on my chest. “What happened?”

I make a face. Next to us, another wave crashes over the sand. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Contemplating, he gazes out over the dark sea before turning his attention back to me. “You were on top of the world the other night, but then something happened, and you’ve been in a foul mood ever since.”

“Nothing’s happened.”

“Bullshit,” he spits. “What was that back there?”

“What was what?” The fresh air gradually clears the haze, and an alcohol-induced headache begins to bloom.

“You had that girl all over you.”

“So fucking what?” I start walking again. “You screw a different girl every night. Sometimes several.”

Cash catches up and tries to pull me to a stop, but I keep walking.

“That’s different, and you know it. I’m not head over heels in love with anyone.

You are.” He finally forces me to a stop, and I run my tongue over my lip while avoiding his gaze.

“Why the hell did you let that girl rub all over you like that? What’s going on with you? ”

“Nothing!” I roar. Tugging at my windswept hair, I start walking again. My chest feels like it’s crushing itself, crumpling like a soda can under pressure. I swear I can’t fucking breathe. I need to get away from my brother.

From all of this scrutiny.

“Nothing happened?” he shouts after me before running to catch up. “You’re a shit liar.”

I spin around. “You want to know what happened?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Okay, fine. The senator’s wife happened. That’s what. Happy now?”

My heart pounds as I clutch my hair at the back of my head. Waves swell and crash against the shore, the wind whipping against my back.

“While you were at the strip club with the others, she drugged me, recorded the whole fucking thing, and then threatened me.” My voice catches. “Threatened Jessica.”

Cash stares at me with so much anguish that I don’t know what the fuck to say.

Sliding my fingers out of my hair, I raise my hands before dropping them helplessly at my sides. “It’s over with Jessica. I can’t let her see that recording. I won’t do that to her.”

As I turn to walk away, he calls out, “Why don’t you tell her the truth?”

Pulling a face, I slow to a halt before turning around. “Tell her the truth?”

My brother has gone insane. I can’t tell Jessica about Beverly. She’d never understand.

“You love her, Kane. You should tell her.”

I scoff. “Whatever, man.”

“I’m serious. Beverly has power over you because you let her. Take that power back.”

I walk back to him. “Are you really that naive? This isn’t some fairytale. What do you think Jessica will do? Jump back into bed with me after she finds out I’m fucking another woman? And then what? Beverly is still going to quirk her finger when she’s horny and wants dick.”

Cash gazes out at the sea with a troubled look, the breeze whipping his dark hair around his forehead.

“What exactly do you think Jessica will say?” I continue. “Because I can tell you what. She’ll run away. She’ll never want to see me again, and I couldn’t live with myself”—I jab my chest—“if she saw that recording.”

“It’s not like we have a choice. We’re forced,” Cash answers, voice low and tense. He looks at me, his eyes glassy with emotion, a vein pulsing in his neck. “Have you even spoken to Jessica? Have you given her a choice? Or have you already decided for her?”

A long silence stretches between us before he leans in. “You know what? I used to admire you.” He huffs a humorless laugh, one that cuts deep. “I always thought you were strong. That you were better than me. I’m a screw-up, and I know that. I screw up every time we—”

Cash cuts himself off with a shaky exhale, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“All I’m saying is, you have something good with Jessica. Something the rest of us could only dream of, so don’t be like me and mess it up because you’re scared.”

“I’m not messing this up.” My muffled voice barely rises above the sound of the waves. “I’m doing what’s right for once.”

“You’re doing what’s right? Like you did back there? Letting some random girl dance for you like we’re at a strip club.”

I rub my face, hard. “I was fucked up, man. Nothing happened. I wasn’t even looking at her like that. I just…”

Cash seems to pity me, his face softening. “I get it. Self-destruction feels good. The self-hatred, the guilt, the need to make it worse… Trust me, I know. Just don’t… lose yourself.”

I plop down onto the cool sand. “I can’t let Jessica see that recording, no matter what.”

“So, what’s the plan? What are you going to do?”

“I need to find a way to keep her away. It’s the only way to protect her from all of this. Beverly. Our dad. The Society…”

My brother hesitates, then sits down beside me. “You should talk to her.”

“No.” My head shakes as I toss a small pebble into the water. “I have to make her hate me so she won’t want to see me again.”

“Well,” Cash says in a lighter tone. “It’s you. It shouldn’t be too hard.”

I chuckle, but it’s weak, and Cash studies the side of my face, his arms around his knees.

“It’s the only way I can keep her safe.”

“So break up with her,” he reasons. “Tell her you don’t want to be with her anymore.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to be with her.” I exhale slowly through my nose. “Look, I can’t stay away from her. Sooner or later, I’ll break and crawl on my knees for forgiveness.”

“So what you’re saying is you need her to hate you so she won’t take you back even if you beg.”

“Something like that.”

It hurts to even admit it.

Cash stays silent. He knows I’m right, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. My twin is the romantic of the two of us and the one who clings to hope.

I mirror his stance with my arms around my knees. “I need to protect her.”

Cash drops his gaze to the water as he works his jaw. Sometimes, I think he’s more invested in my happiness than I am. Even so, we both know our father wouldn’t hesitate to use the only thing I care about. So I say in a steady, flat voice, “It’s the only way.”

Cash exhales, then shifts his gaze to me.

“I think I know who can help us.”