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I don’t know if Kane is following me and I no longer care.

I should’ve known better than to ever care at all.

44

KANE

I stand when I hear Delilah’s car start.

Connor pushes his chair back.

“Stay here,” I tell him.

He stops, face going pale. He might’ve forgotten our past for long enough to convince himself he was the big man here. But as long as I’m in the room, that will never be true.

Vivian reaches for the packet beside her plate as she huffs, “Well, someone had to tell her.”

I don’t answer. Delilah is gone. Nothing I say to her sister now will help her. Even though there are several choice words I wouldn’t mind firing in that bitch’s direction.

Leanne takes a step toward the hallway, but I hold out a hand to stop her, too.

“Give her some time,” I say.

“This is my family,” she says, drawing herself up tall and haughty.

I nod. “Then give her some time.”

It’s a standoff for a few tense moments, but after a sniff, she sits back down. Through the front window, I watch Delilah turn the corner.

Five…

Four…

Three…

Two…

One…

That’s enough space for a fucking lifetime. Time to go fix this shit.

I get my coat and leave.

My phone rings while I’m on the steps. Niko.

“We have the report,” he says.

“Well?”

“Vetrov paid Boyd to yap. We have confirmation from Kolchin’s end. Boyd identified you as the man behind V Haven. He gave them the loan terms, including the collateral you rejected.”

“And the bakery I accepted.”

“He told them you wouldn’t say yes to anything else. Told ‘em you were all hung up on it.”

I grind to a halt beside the short brick wall out in front of Leanne’s house.

“Vetrov already had years of paperwork on the corridor,” Niko continues. “Deeds and corporate records. Boyd gave him the connection he needed. Vetrov’s people put the packet together and delivered it to Vivian.”