Page 147 of Rush the Edge

“I’m not hiding,Kaney,” I snap.

So much for not acting perturbed by his choice of date.

His gruff chuckle races against my skin.

“Where’s your date?” I ask, the question full of utter disgust.

I hate myself for showing my jealousy.

“Nuh-uh,” he says in a hushed tone. “You don’t get to do that.”

I cross my arms, though he can’t see me. “Do what?”

His warm, whiskey-scented breath brushes against my lips. “You can’t force me to bring a date and then act jealous. That’s not how it works.”

“I am not jealous,” I stress, my body strung tight.

His sigh is heavy with something other than anger, and to my surprise, he doesn’t respond. My heart pounds when I take a step forward, the tip of my heel touching his shoe. He makes no move to get out of my way.

The small closet fills with tension, our attraction feeding off each other.

“Fine,” I finally admit, too exhausted to fight it. “I’m jealous.”

“I know you are.” He sounds sad, his voice more of a breath.

I think back to the text I saw on his phone, the worry settling on my shoulders once again.

“You okay?” I whisper.

Kane sighs loudly. “I don’t know.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” he snaps. The air surrounding us grows even tighter. “Yes? Fuck, I don’t know. What is there to talk about, really? It’s Miles. I should be used to his bullshit by now.”

A low growl rumbles from his chest, and a gust of hot air fans against my face. My eyes have adjusted slightly, and I can see that he’s put his back to me. A sense of urgency pulls me toward him, afraid he’s going to walk out the door and feel more alone than ever.

My arms wrap around his waist, and my head rests against his firm back. His chest heaves, his heartbeat thunderous.

It only takes a breath for him to place his hand on my arm. I pray that it grounds him.

“Talk to me,” I whisper. “I’m here.”

Silence fills the tiny room, settling into all the empty spaces around us. His heartbeat quickens before his deep voice hits my ears.

“Every time he comes around, I say it’ll be the last…” He chuckles darkly. “Hell, he says it too.”

“Why do you keep giving in and helping him?” I ask, softly.

“Because he’s my brother.” Kane’s hand tightens against my arm. “Because I need to protect my mom from another tragedy. It’s clear he isn’t going to stop getting himself into these situations, and if he doesn’t pay these people back, they’ll probably kill him.”

The heaviness in his voice pulls me in even further. Hurt washes over me, and I slowly slip around to the front of him. I glide my hand up his suit jacket and place it on his freshly shaven face. “Have you ever thought about the fact that it’d be a tragedy to lose you?”

He swallows loudly. “What do you mean?”

“Your mom,” I say slowly, needing him to hear. “Did you ever think that maybe your mom thought it was a tragedy to lose you?”

He pulls his face away from my hand, like he can’t fathom the thought. “My mom hates me.”

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