Temper Him by Caitlyn Dare

Chapter Sixteen

Conner

Our eyes hold for a beat. Every part of my body screams at me to take her in my arms and run, but I know I can't. The sounds of others enjoying themselves around us ring out, reminding me of just how fucked up this situation is. He could be mere feet away, balls deep in that whore, while I treated Kenny in exactly the same way.

"I-I can't fucking do this," I say quietly. It's more for myself than it is for her, but she gasps as if she hears me anyway.

Spinning on my heels, I force myself to run through the darkness before I do something that's going to cause more harm than good.

Once I'm out of the darkest part of the woods, I pull my cell from my pocket.

Conner: I need you to keep a close eye on her. I just left.

Levi: What the fuck did you do?

Guilt swamps me as I read his words. What the fuck did you do?

The words I spat at her, the way I touched her… it comes back to me and I retch. I'm no fucking better than him.

Bile burns up my throat as I replay it over and over in my head.

Conner: Just look after her.

I rip the car door open when I reach it and drop into the driver's seat.

My roar fills the small space as my hands slam down on the wheel.

All I want is my fucking girl in my arms, beside me, safe.

Pulling my cell back out, I find her new number.

Conner: I'm sorry.

Tears burn my eyes and emotion clogs my throat, but I refuse to allow myself to succumb to it. Instead, I use it to feed my anger as I start the car and race back toward the Bay. Ellen let it slip earlier that Dad is heading back tonight, and I want to be there waiting for him.

I'm done watching Kenny get hurt for the sake of whatever he’s hiding.

It's time to get some answers.

It’s time to end this fucking thing for good.

His car isn't in the driveway when I get back, but that doesn't stop me.

I run up the main staircase, grateful that no one intercepts me, but I shouldn't be surprised; they're all celebrating Valentine's the way it should be, not with a fucked-up encounter in the woods.

I shut down the memories of tonight as I let myself into Dad's office.

As always, it's tidy as fuck with not so much as an out of place piece of paper on his desk.

What does this motherfucker actually do?

I take a seat behind his huge mahogany desk and start pulling drawers open. If he's as shady as I’m starting to believe he might be, then I doubt he's going to leave anything incriminating around.

I've trashed every drawer and cupboard in the room by the time the door is pushed open.

I look up from the pile of folders I'm surrounded by, I'm sure looking as guilty as a toddler who's been caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Conner," Dad growls, his eyes scanning the destruction.

"I'm done, Dad. I'm fucking done. He's hurting her. He's fucking..." The words get stuck in my throat.

"I know, Son. I know. I'm so sorry," he says, his face twisting with his admission.

"You fucking know, and you're standing by and letting it happen? I fucking love her, Dad. Fucking. Love. Her."

"I know. But you're not going to find any of the answers here." He steps over a pile of papers I'd thrown across the floor and makes his way to his chair.

"I need something. You need to tell me something. What do you even do, Dad?" I seethe, standing to my feet and stalking toward him.

"Take a seat," he instructs.

"I'd rather stand." I hold his eyes, showing him that I'm not scared of whatever it is he has to say to me. Right now, I don't give a shit what he does, so long as he can get K out of this mess.

"As you wish." He leans forward, resting his elbows on the edge of his desk and watching me as I pace back and forth. "There's a lot you don't know."

No fucking shit.

"The Jaggers... there's a history that goes back a long way. It's complicated, it's corrupt, and whether we like it or not, we're connected to some very dangerous men."

My lips part, but I can't figure out what I even want to say to that.

"One of the reasons I didn't fight to get you all out of the Heights sooner—when I should have—was for fear of dragging you into all this. Charlie had walked away, but I didn't have a choice. He always thought I was destined for all the incredible things our father handed down to me, but he didn't know the truth. He had no idea what the 'business' was, and that I never wanted anything to do with it."

"So why do you have anything to do with it?"

He chuckles, but there's no humor in it. "I didn't have a choice. My name, the fact that I was the oldest. Since the day I was born, it was expected of me to step into my father's shoes when the time came."

"I don't get how this ties to Kenny."

"I work for a lot of dangerous people, Conner. I know things—I'm trusted with things—that should never see the light of day and—"

"Warren knows them."

"Some of them. Him knowing about what Cole did is a drop in the ocean compared to what else he's unearthed. If it were to be exposed, none of us would live long enough to even appreciate the hellfire that would be coming our way."

My mouth opens and closes like a fucking fish as I stare at him.

"How'd he find out?"

"Honestly, Son, I don’t know. I'm better than that. I cover my tracks too well to allow a piece of shit like him to find it. But he knows enough to know I can't risk it. I can't risk all your lives because of one jumped-up asshole who thinks he can play us."

"What's his deal? He can't just be so obsessed with Kenny that he's willing to do all this."

"He's got his own secrets too, Conner."

"Secrets that you know, I assume."

He doesn't confirm my suspicions, but he doesn't need to.

"So these people you work for, are they some kind of cult or gang or something?"

"That doesn't matter right now."

"You said that you had to take over because you were first born and all that bullshit. Does that mean Ace—"

"It means nothing right now, Conner. What I've told you needs to stay in this room. Once this is all over, I'll talk to the three of you about our heritage and where you really come from. Because the reality is, you're all far from the Heights boys you think you are. But right now, that little cocksucker and your girl need to be our priority."

"Tell me this is coming to an end soon. I can't sit back and watch him hurt her much longer."

"Sit back?" he asks, one brow lifting. "Where were you tonight, Conner?"

I blow out a breath as we stare at each other. "Clearly you already know."

"I've got men all over the Heights, watching them. I know every single time you set even a foot on Heights soil, Son."

"Great."

"I've let it go, for now. But you need to know that people's lives are at risk every single time you feel the need to go to her. And I'm not just talking about mine and yours, I'm talking about your brothers, Sarah, Remi, Hadley, everyone. This might sound like some action thriller movie, but I can assure you it's not. The threat is very, very real, and these people will not spare a second thought at putting a bullet through all our heads."

I nod at him, my head spinning. I feel like he's told me a lot but nothing, all at the same time. I turn to leave, knowing from the narrowing of his eyes that I'm not going to get anything else from him.

"Kennedy's birthday," he says when my hand touches the door handle. "Her friend is going to plan a party at the bar. That's our night. That's the night you get your girl back."

I want to ask more, but I know it's pointless. He'll tell me the details when he thinks I need to know them.

"I hope you're right, I hope I really can trust you," I mutter before ripping the door open and storming out.

The slam of my bedroom door echoes around the silence of my room. I fall down on my bed, trying to get my head around everything that's happened tonight, all the while trying not to let my mind wander to what might have occurred after I walked away from her.

She went straight back into his arms, I have no doubt of that. But did he know I was there? Did he know she was with me? And if so, how exactly is he going to punish her for it?

My stomach turns over once more, and I'm just about to run to the toilet when my cell vibrates.

K: I know. Me too.

"Fuuuuuuuck," I scream. I need to do something, but what can I do. What the fuck is going to make this any better?

I jump from the bed and strip out of my clothes on my way to the bathroom. I turn the shower on as hot as it will go and stand under the stream, allowing the water to burn my skin.

I need the pain. I just wish I could take hers away, because I already know that what I can do to myself pales in comparison to what she's going through right now.

When I get back into my bedroom with my skin still tingling in pain, I know that there's no way I'm going to be able to wait until her birthday. I know it's selfish when I'm putting others at risk, but as far as I see it right now, Kenny getting hurt worse than she already has been is the biggest risk.

He took her to my fucking fight and forced himself on her. She might not have admitted to anything else or been showing any other obvious injuries, but I'd be stupid to think that it wasn't happening and that it's not immediately about to get worse.

Grabbing my cell from the bed, I start a group message.

Conner: I need you to organize something for me. I need to see her for longer this time. Somewhere private.

Levi: You're playing with fire, man.

Shelbie: I'm on it.

Jay: Whatever you need.

A smile twitches at my lips. I have no fucking clue what I'm going to do. All I know is that I need to make up for tonight.

She deserves more than how I treated her. More than my anger.