Kane(29)

I chuckled, "Once you're happy, that's all that matters."

"I'm gettin' there," Keela said. "The four sessions I've had this week  with me shrink are helpin'. We're discussin' things and it's makin' me  feel better. Much better. Last night was the fourth night in a row that I  didn't have the nightmare. I'm takin' it as a good sign."

I reached over and squeezed Keela's knee.

"It will get even better. Before you know it that horrible nightmare will be a thing of the past, just like its content."

Keela smiled then waved her hand. "Enough about me, let's get back to you."

I groaned, "Let's not."

"Come on, you're pregnant. This is huge."

I grunted, "I know that, trust me."

Keela was silent for a moment then she said, "Are you really goin' to keep it?"

"The baby?" I asked, surprised. "Of course, I already told you that last night."

Keela beamed. "I know, but I just wanted to make sure. I would support  you no matter what you decided to do, but I'm glad to hear you say  you're really keepin' it. I can't wait to be an auntie."

I blinked. "Givin' the baby up never even entered me mind, neither did  an abortion. I was just thinking about livin' space, and money... and  tellin' Kane and me family."

Keela chortled, "That's normal. You wouldn't be human if you didn't  worry about being able to finance a child, but you can. You have a solid  job with good pay. You can do this."

I was still unsure.

"I guess, besides, it doesn't look like I could get rid of Kane even if I  tried. I've a strong feelin' he came here with you and you just made  him wait downstairs."

Keela stared at me, unblinking. "Are you a Jedi?"

"Yes."

"Seriously, how did you know he was downstairs?"

I shrugged. "I told him to leave me alone, so he will do the exact  opposite of that. He is like his brothers-he doesn't listen to a word we  say."

"I'm seriously freaked out right now," Keela said and stared at me like I was Obi Wan.

I snorted. "Were you goin' to tell me he came with you?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to judge how you were feelin' first. I thought you'd be pissed, but you just seem... sad?"

I frowned. "I'm not sad, I'm just overwhelmed. It's been one hell of a twenty-four hours. I'm ready for it to be over."

A light knock sounded on the door then and Keela growled.

"I told him to wait in the car."

I winked. "Told you, he doesn't listen. Just like his brothers."

Keela sighed and stood up from the sofa. "Will I drag him along with me?"

"Go for it. I want to see how long it takes for him to get past you."

Keela silently laughed as she stood up and headed towards my front door.  She opened it and instantly pressed her hands against Kane's chest when  he tried to step foot inside my apartment.

"She doesn't want to see you."

Kane growled, "Tough shit. She is going to see me whether she likes it or not."

Stubborn arsehole.

"Don't have me call me brothers, Kane," I called out from my sofa.

"Because that worked out so well the first time around?" he hissed back.

Keela screeched, "Don't even think of comin' over here and takin' your  bullshit out on her. She has been through enough already. She's stressed  to the max and your presence is not helpin' things. Can you not just do  as she asks and leave?"

"No."

I couldn't help it, I laughed.

"What's so damn funny?" Kane snapped.

"You," I said still laughing. "You're such a prick and so very predictable that it's funny."

"You should really-Hey! Kane! Let go of-"

I widened my eyes when my front door slammed and Kane was the one who  shut it... in Keela's face. He was going to die when she got her hands  on him.

"You're dead Kane Slater, do you hear me? D.E.A.D!"

Kane snorted as he flipped the lock on my door. "Whatever you say, short stuff."

Keela screeched and smacked at my front door with her hands. "I'm gettin' Alec and Nico and comin' right back here to get you!"

"Good luck."

I shook my head. "What was the point of that? I'll just ignore you and when Keela gets her hands on you, she'll kill you."

"I'm not worried about Keela Daley, babydoll."

You should be.

"Kane, I've been a wreck all day thinkin' about this mornin'. I'm tired. I just want to go to bed and not wake up until Monday."

I stood up and made a move to walk towards the narrow hallway that lead  to my bedroom, but Kane stood at his full height in front of me and  showed no signs of moving.

"Will you at least look at me?"         

     



 

I grunted, "No, just get out of me way."

"No."

I growled, "Kane."

"Aideen," he calmly replied.

I balled my hands into fists. "You're makin' me mad on purpose. Just move."

"Not until you hear me out."

I threw my hands up in the air and turned my back to him. "There is  nothin' to hear out. You're a pig just like your brothers, and just like  me own brothers. You don't respect me-"

"Bull-fucking-shit. I respect the hell out of you."

I humourlessly laughed, "Is that why we always argue and fight with one another? Your respect for me requires that?"

"We argue because it's just what we do. It's our foreplay."

I gasped, "Foreplay? You have got to be jokin' me."

I held my breath when Kane gripped my arm and turned me to face him.  "I'm not kidding. You know good and well why we fight so much."

"Nope, you'll have to enlighten me."

Kane growled, "It's because you want me just as much as I want you."

Sex.

It was always about sex.

"Sex with you just results in pregnancy. I'd rather be celibate, thank you very much."

Kane placed his fingers under my chin and lifted my head until I looked  at his face. My eyes zeroed in on his bruised jaw and black eye.

"Sex with me doesn't usually result in pregnancy. I lost focus that  night. There is just something about you. I couldn't think about  anything but being inside you."

How often was he going to bring that bloody night up?

I gritted my teeth when I felt my cheeks heat up. "It was a moment of stupidity."

Kane glared at me. "It was a long ass moment that was repeated three times in the space of a few hours."

I turned my head away from him. "We talked about this, it is not  happenin' again. We have bigger problems than arguin', sex, or even  fightin'. I'm pregnant with your baby, Kane. This is serious."

His face hardened. "I know damn well this is serious. Do you think I'd be here if I didn't know that?"

I shook my head. "You're here because you hit me this mornin' and you feel bad about it."

Kane's eyes flicked down to my still swollen cheek that now had an array  of dark colours on it. He lifted his hand and gently brushed his  fingers over the tender area. I winced a little and it caused him to  frown.

He lifted his other arm, cupped my face with both of his hands, and  lowered his head down to mine. I froze because I wasn't sure what he was  doing.

"Kane?"

He swallowed. "I'm so sorry."

I blinked. "It's okay."

"It's not," he instantly replied. "I've never laid a hand on a woman in  my life, and to hurt the woman carrying my baby... it makes me sick with  myself."

Oh, God.

"Look, I'm more pissed about the fight you got in with me brother than  gettin' a knock from you. You didn't mean to hit me. It was me own fault  for tryin' to stop you and James."

Kane lowered his hands away from my face and lifted his head. "That still doesn't make me feel any better."

"If you're goin' to feel like shite, then feel like it because you almost killed me brother."

Kane rolled his bright blue eyes. "He hit me first."

"So? You couldn't be the bigger man and back off?"

Kane grunted, "He was gunning to hurt me, Aideen."

"He doesn't like you, and he found out you fathered me unborn child, it's not like it was completely unreasonable."

"I don't like him either, but do you see me attacking him or any of your other brothers when I see them?"

It was a rhetorical question so I stayed mute.

"You're silent because you know I'm right," he huffed.

"Maybe so, but it still doesn't change anythin'. You really hurt James, Kane."

"He hurt me too, Aideen. Do I not matter?" Kane snapped.

"That's not fair." I frowned. "You do matter; you're the father of-"

"I only matter because I'm the kid's father?"

Uh.

"Please, I don't want to do this."

"Tough shit," Kane snarled, "because I do."

Here we go.

"Before yesterday I was just a woman you could barely tolerate. Stop  tryin' to make it out to be more just because I'm growin' your kid. You  pretty much hate me, Kane."

Kane lifted his hands up to his head, ran them through his hair, then  turned and walked over to the window in my sitting room. He placed his  hands on the windowsill and stared through the pane of glass. "Before  yesterday you were a woman I could barely tolerate, and today you're a  woman I can still barely tolerate, but that's not all. You're also a  woman who gives me daily life-saving injections. Do you think I would  let someone who I hate jab me?"