Chapter 34 Delicate
Delicate
Kane
The days pass in a restless blur of work and sleepless nights. Not hearing from Raven has been driving me insane. I’ve told myself I’d give her space and let her come to me. But every instinct in me screams to pull her back in.
I’ve sent her a few texts, but the silence on her end has been deafening. It shouldn’t bother me as much as it does, I know she’s on vacation, enjoying time with her friend. She owes me nothing.
Work has been the only thing keeping me from losing my mind, but even that hasn’t been enough to stop my thoughts from drifting back to her. I know she’s safe because my security team is supposed to let me know when she leaves and returns to her house.
When the fuck did I become that guy?
The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop. It’s not like I’m the one watching. I just get updated when something does happen.
Knowing she’s okay is the only thing that keeps me sane.
I walk into the office, keeping my head down and trying to stay focused. Carrie’s laugh cuts through the silence as I pass her desk, but the amused look on her face is impossible to miss.
“I don’t want to hear it, Carrie,” I mutter, heading straight for my office and slamming the door shut behind me.
I barely have time to sit before my phone buzzes.
Ren: You might want to take a look at the surveillance footage from the ball.
In the gardens.
Tension coils in my chest as I set my phone down, pulling up the footage on my computer. The screen flickers to life, and at first, nothing unusual happens. Guests are mingling about, sipping their drinks, and thinking they’re unseen in the hedges.
My eyes cut to the screen, tracking a group of men drifting toward the edge of the gardens with some girls. They linger where the lantern light fades, hiding in the dark. I don't need to guess what that means.
My jaw tightens.
There's always the idiots who think no one’s watching.
I sit back, phone in hand, hesitating before I give in and text back.
Me: You need to get a life, man. You’re paid to be my head of security, not a voyeur.
The screen keeps playing, fast-forward through the monotony of drunken noise and empty glances. None of it matters. Not until her face flashes across the feed. And just like that, everything else stops.
That fucking dress.
My phone vibrates, but I ignore it. I drag the footage back to a normal speed, locked on the screen as she moves through the gardens.
What I see makes my blood go cold.
My fingers tighten around the arm of my chair, and my jaw is locked so tight I wouldn’t be surprised if I cracked a tooth. The frame-by-frame replay is damning.
I watch her stumble, jaw tight with pain, but she doesn't break. Doesn't run. The bastard grins and she answers by driving her elbow into his gut. He folds, and her knee follows, nailing him where it hurts most.
The longer I watch the more rage I feel.
I throw my glass across the room when I see her take another hit.
The way she moves, tells me everything. She’s trained.
There's nothing accidental in the way she moves. I've seen fighters like her before—the ones who don't panic when they take a hit. The ones who don't flinch, because they know showing pain gives their opponent leverage.
My violent little princess knows how to defend herself, and I need to know why.
I’m also realizing with painful clarity that she lied to me. Said she tripped. She looked me in the eye and fucking lied. But why?
Pride? Maybe. But that's not enough. Who the fuck is she protecting?
My grip tightens around the edge of my desk as fury simmers under my skin like a barely restrained beast. This happened in my house. Under my watch.
I push back so fast the chair nearly falls over when I stand. There’s a difference between anger and rage. One flares hot and dies quick, and the other burns steady.
And right now?
I’m fucking livid.
The sharp ping of my phone pulls me back, reminding me I have an unread message.
Ren: I didn’t watch those two getting it on. Gross. Should have clarified. There’s a dude assaulting some chick. Thought you’d want to see it.
Me: Find out who the fuck he is.
Ren: Already on it boss. I’ll send everything as soon as I’ve got it.
Without wasting another second, I pull up Raven’s number, hovering over the call button. Enough waiting. She’s going to tell me why she lied.
The door swings open, and Cam strides in like he owns the place.
“You’ll never guess who just called asking for a favor,” he announces, heading straight for the bar and pouring himself a drink without so much as a glance in my direction.
I look up, patience wearing thin. “Who?”
He takes his time, dropping into the chair across from me with an ease that grates on my nerves. He swirls his glass, with a sharp grin. “Rachel.”
I figured.
“She texted me and asked if I could help her dig up some info. Apparently, they’ve hit a dead end on something, and lucky me, I came to mind.” He takes a slow sip, waiting for my reaction.
“And?”
He shrugs, like this whole thing is amusing to him.
“She wasn’t specific. Just said they were trying to track something down.
” He's watching me like he already knows where this is going. “By the way, why do you look like you are about to rip someone’s head off with your bare hands? What did I miss?”
My jaw clenches. “Remember when I asked you what happened to Raven’s face at the ball?”
His smirk slips. “Yeah.”
“And you said she tripped?”
He sets his drink down, and his posture shifts. “That’s what she told me.”
“She lied.”
His expression sharpens. “What?”
“I just watched it.”
He's at my back in an instant when I pull up the footage, the glow of the screen cutting across his face as I press play. The silence turns heavy while the scene runs. When it's over, he exhales.
“Well,” his tone edged with something unreadable. “That’s definitely not what I expected. Then again, I’m not shocked. She’s feisty.”
“She shouldn’t have had to be,” I bite out.
He nods, but his eyes are still on the screen. “And what do you plan to do about it?”
My voice is cold. “Once we know who he is, I’ve got a few questions for him.” My fingers tap against the desk. “After that, I’ll make sure he regrets ever laying a hand on her.”
His gaze meets mine, and he gives me a single nod. “Let me know what you need.”
“I was about to call Raven when you walked in.”
He smirks, walking back to his chair. “Relax. I’ll handle it.” He pulls out his phone, scrolling as he leans back, casual as ever.
He puts the call on speaker, and the ringing fills the room. My fingers drum against the desk while my patience thins by the second.
“Hey what’s up?” Rachel’s voice comes through, light and casual.
“Oh, nothing much.” Cam stretches his legs like this is some social call.
I shoot him a look, telling him to get on with it.
“Figured I’d call instead of texting, it’s faster.” He cuts to the chase. “So, what are you two trying to dig up?”
There’s a slight pause before Rachel answers, her tone sounding a little too neutral. “Oh, just some stuff about Raven’s background. Who her family is. The basics. Can you do it?”
Cam raises a brow at me, confirming what I already suspected. Interesting.
I roll my eyes, crossing my arms as I lean back in my chair, waiting to see what she'll say.
“Well, that happens to be really easy.” He says, lounging in his chair with that lazy confidence that drives people insane. “Want me to call you when I find it, or should we just go over to Kane’s?”
For a second there’s silence.
“No, don’t tell Kane. Shit!”
Rachel groans like she’s just realized she’s fucked up.
“Sorry, I wasn’t supposed to say that.” There’s more silence, then I can hear them talking quietly. “Raven doesn’t want Kane to know because she’s not ready to talk to him yet… for no other reason than she wants to be pissed at something.”
I can hear a muffled scuffle on the other end.
“Ow. Sorry. Forget you heard that. Ow. Anyway, can you help us? We can go there, or you can come here.”
Cam's smirk widens as he throws me a look. I can see his eyes light up with mischief. He’s enjoying this far too much.
“We’ll come to you,” he replies easily. “That is, if Kane’s invited. Otherwise, I'll come solo. Then again, maybe we shouldn't invite him. It’ll give me a head start. He always thinks he’s better than me.”
Rachel snorts. “Umm… am I sensing some tension there?”
In the background, Raven’s voice cuts through, and I can tell she's annoyed.
“That’s because he’s a dick!”
Rachel bursts out laughing, and so does Cam. Their amusement fills the office. I roll my eyes, unaffected, but the corners of my mouth twitch despite myself.
She’s pissed. Of course she is. Between searching for answers, dealing with that bastard at the ball, and whatever this is, she has plenty of ammo.
Cam's still grinning, but holds the phone up. “I’ll head over. And don’t worry, I’ll keep Kane out of the loop.”
Rachel hums. “Thanks, Cam, you’re the best.” Then, with far too much amusement, she adds, “Oh, and Kane, you can come, but you have to wait in the car. Okay, byeee.”
The call disconnects.
“Well, she’s got balls.”
I exhale slowly, leveling him with a look. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“Obviously.”
Cam suddenly shifts in his seat, his frown deepening as he looks closely at the leather, and then looks around the backseat.
“You should detail your car after a job.” His tone is casual, but there’s a thread of curiosity in it.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
Cam drags his finger over the seat, studying whatever the fuck is all over his finger.
“It might not be blood,” he muses, raising a brow. “But I’m pretty damn sure it is.”
My jaw tightens and I sit up straighter, looking around the backseat. A slow, cold wave of unease rolls through me.
“Ren,” I say, trying to keep the bite out of my voice. “What happened?”
Ren meets my gaze in the rearview mirror, shifting slightly in his seat. “She got out of the car, insisting that she walk the rest of the way home. Said she needed fresh air.” He pauses, then frowns. “She left her phone, so I turned back to give it to her.”
Beside me, Cam leans forward, all amusement gone. “Was she upset?”
Ren hesitates, then runs a hand through his hair. “Now that you mention it… she was crying. Looked like she’d had a rough night, but she didn’t say why. Just wanted out of the car.”
My fingers curl into fists against my thigh.
“When I caught up to her, it was too dark, and she was soaked from the rain. But she insisted she was fine.” He chuckles faintly. “Told me if you got upset about it, I should tell you to shove it. She’s feisty, that one.”
Cam snorts, but I don’t react.
Feisty is one thing. Crying and having blood in my car? That’s another.
“It was only a block or so from the house,” he continues, oblivious to the shift in the air. “She was still walking when I pulled up, so I insisted she let me take her the rest of the way.”
Cam stays quiet, but I can feel his stare. I know he’s expecting me to snap, but I’m not going to. At least, not yet.
I exhale slowly, keeping my temper even. “Did she say why she was crying?”
Ren shakes his head, looking almost apologetic. “No, and I didn’t want to pry.” His hands tighten on the wheel. “But it was right after she got in the car at the estate.”
The estate.
Of course it fucking was.
The memory of the ball slams back into me. I should’ve known.
But there’s more to this story. I know there is. She’s keeping secrets and I want every single one of them.
I mask the frustration clawing at my chest. “That laptop gonna be enough?”
Cam finally looks away from me, rolling his eyes as he taps at the keys. “Don’t be offensive,” he scoffs. “This baby’s never let me down.”
I let out a small chuckle, but it’s hollow. My mind is still racing. The unanswered questions taunting me like shadows just out of reach. Whatever Raven’s hiding, whatever she thinks she can keep from me, she’s wrong.
One way or another. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.