Page 34 of Infatuation

Fuck. He had lashed out at her because of his own issues and hurt her. He walked out into the hall again and stopped at her door. He heard her then, the loud sobs piercing his heart. He pressed his hand against the door, wanting nothing more than to go in and hold her. But it would be false. He wasn’t truly cut out for this. He wouldhurt her again. And in the end, she would hate him more than she did now.

Feeling impotent, he turned and walked away. Each step he took hurt him more than his damaged knee. Knowing he loved her with every step was killing him, but a woman like Shannon deserved a whole man.

He would never be able to offer her that again.

Shannon went through the motions of saying her goodbyes. She didn’t like big emotional scenes, not when no good could come out of them. Kade was going to believe what he wanted, and in the time they’d had, they couldn’t work through their problems. And he didn’t want to. While she and Kade barely spoke, she did say goodbye.

“You want to tell me what happened there?” Mal asked when they were alone.

“He’s a pig-headed fool.”

He studied her for a second. “I can beat him up.”

“That’s sweet.” She gave him a kiss. “Your buddy there beats himself up enough. Maybe one day he’ll come to his senses. Though, he is a man. So there is a good a chance that he will never come to his senses. Youarethe lesser sex.”

He sighed. “Okay, but call me if you change your mind. I can make his life hell.”

She nodded. “Stay safe. Please.”

He nodded and gave her another kiss on the cheek, and then strode toward the car. Kade refused to look at her. He had mumbled his goodbyes, but she hadn’t been truly open to conversation with him, either. She watched as her brother pulled away from the curb and said a little prayer for the three men for their journey, and lord, whatever mission they next went on. She walked backinto her house, shutting the door and walking to the kitchen. Shannon was cried out. She didn’t think she had another tear left in her.

Her phone rang, and when she saw the eight-oh-eight area code, she frowned. It was the middle of the night for her sister.

“What are you doing up?”

“No hello, Jocelyn? I miss you.”

Her chest clutched and near tears formed in her eyes. “I do love you, you know that, you idiot.”

Jocelyn sighed. “Malachai called. You need to talk?”

She sniffed. “Yeah, I do.”

She heard someone talking in the background and knew it was Kai.

“Kai said he could beat him up for you.”

Shannon chuckled through her tears. “Malachai already offered, and since they have to spend two days in the car together, he’ll have more of a chance.”

“So tell me about it.”

She wanted to. She wanted nothing more than to sit down and talk to the one person she was closest to in the world. “I will, but I think I want to do it in person. You up for a guest for a couple of weeks?”

“Always. My father-in-law has been testing out his two-stepping on the women at the community center, but he says you are the only one who does it right.”

“I would really like that. I would like that a lot.”

“You make your plans then let me know.”

“Sure. I have to arrange everything at the bar, but I’ll let you know.”

“Love you, Shan.”

“I love you, Jocey.”

When she hung up, she took a deep breath, and before she could think differently, she pulled out the phone and called Simon. She needed to get away, and she needed her sister.

Kade cursed the moment he tried to do a roundhouse kick to the punching bag. His knee almost crumbled under his weight.

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