SEVER Jane, Melissa (management books to read .TXT) 📖

his head, lips turning into a small smile, and I see a glimmer of the Kane I was once enthralled with. “He suits it. Anything else?”

“Last but most important…” I swallow hard and steady my shaking hand. “You, Kane Alexander, are never going to contact me again. I disappear from your life as if I was never in it. And you disappear from mine, so you can never hurt me again.”

“I don’t know if I can do that, Blythe. I finally had everything I wanted, and now you’re asking me to simply let it go? I’m a ruthless man. I don’t often not get what I want.”

“You don’t have a choice.” I lick the tears from my bottom lip, his handsome face searing into my memory. “I was never yours to begin with.”

 

 

 

 

 

EPILOGUE

THREE WEEKS LATER

 

 

“H ey, whore, how’s the sun?”

“Like rays of gold shooting from the sky. Warm and sunburny,” I taunt. Amanda laughs because I know she loathes the cold. The barman indicates for another round of cocktails and I agree a little too eagerly. Why the hell not.

“I’m not jealous of the sunburn. You can keep that all to yourself. So, I’m calling because…” she continues, a little hesitant, “I’ve come bearing some news that may be of interest.”

“I’m always terrified when you say that.”

“Don’t be, tell your cabana boy to stop fanning you so you can concentrate. We’ve received a project, and that infamous textured wallpaper will look fabulous in their lobby area, so it won’t be going to waste after all.”

That’s excellent news. “Ah, thank God for that.” Since the secret—not so secret now—project came to a sudden halt, we were left with a shipment of textured wallpaper and nowhere to hang it and a big bill to boot. “How’s little Toby?”

“Missing his mom, but I’m a great aunty so stop stressing. I’ll send you a pic. He’s getting bigger.”

“I’m missing his whole life.” And so far to date, I have, since I left a heartbeat after Tempest-Gate.

“The way this boy eats, he’ll be bigger than you by the time you get home. So…” she says, and I sense some nervousness in her tone. “How’s things settling down?”

“I don’t know, I pretty much ran from the situation and didn’t wait for the dust to settle.”

“Probably a good thing you did. Wanna know my other piece of news?”

“That sounds so ambiguous, but okay.”

“The day after you left, Tempest was closed. So were Othello and Ophelia.”

That’s odd. “Kane closed all his clubs?”

“He sure did.”

“Only one could be classified illegal, and that would only be if someone told the authorities, so I don’t understand why he would close them all.”

“Word is… he’s left town.”

“And how do you know all this?”

“I have my connections. Plus, it’s in the news about the club closures. The news like beautiful people with some cash in the bank.”

Amanda talks some more about work projects, but I can only focus on what she’s said about Kane. He obviously wasn’t raided or arrested for his criminal behavior at Tempest because the media would love to splash that over the news. Instead, he’s closed doors on all affiliated businesses and disappeared.

Perhaps he feared I would tell.

I certainly gave no indication that I wouldn’t.

After he agreed to my terms, I followed him back down the hall, the Glock between his shoulder blades, and ordered the men to untie Sam and Shawn. Once we were almost out the back entrance, in an effort to not draw attention to ourselves, I waited for my husband and sister to be safe.

Kane said he would never hurt me and I believed him.

So, I handed back his Glock. In the dark exit lit only by a faint far-off street light, I could feel the palpable tension between us. I knew he could also which made the whole thing even harder. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to spit in his face and tell him exactly what I thought. But if I did, my words wouldn’t have been all unkind.

With hesitation, he took the Glock and tucked it back into his waistband. I turned to leave, ready to make a dash. I could hear Shawn coming back having thought I’d followed him. He called my name as Kane took my arm and swung me against his chest. Cupping my face, he kissed me deeply and with a raw passion that brought tears to my eyes. He wiped them with his thumb as they fell, his forehead against mine. It was a sorrowful kiss. One that said a final goodbye.

When he pulled away, he waited a moment, his handsome face barely illuminated as he said his final words, “Always my queen.” And then he slipped away, the darkness and shadows engulfing him.

I felt suddenly numb again, like a piece of me was cut out. Shawn took my hand and pulled me out the door into the alleyway where Samantha waited with Toby in her arms. Her cheeks were stained in mascara, still visibly shaken from the ordeal. I had a lot to make up for, but right now, my family was alive and well.

“So, I’ll see you soon?” Amanda asks, interrupting my thoughts as my mojito is placed on the bar.

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll keep you posted, though. Right now I’m enjoying working away from the office and out of country.”

“I hear you. Take care, love.”

“You, too. Oh, and thanks for everything. You’re more than just an employee to me, you know that, right?”

“Geez, that sun is getting to you. Stay in the shade a while.”

We laugh and say our goodbyes before I take a heavy sip of my cocktail.

“Hey,” I hear a familiar voice call. I turn to see Samantha