Page 88 of What Lies Within

He knows his father’s right, and what frustrates me most is that I can’t understand why he won’t just cede. Why the hell does he need to keep creating chaos?

Where does his anger come from?

“You got nothin’ to say now, huh?” Tyke sighs. “Get the fuck out of my sight before I put a fucking fist through your skull for touchin’ my woman like that.”

Kane’s heated stare flicks to me before he turns and strides for the stairs.

I don't fully breathe until he's out of sight and Tyke's crouched at my side.

“He done that before?”

I shake my head. "Only with his words. It's okay, Tyke. I stirred him up."

“Ain’t no excuse,” Digger mumbles behind me.

“No, it ain’t,” Tyke agrees, gaze fixated on my neck.

“Is it bad?” I lift my fingers to where the flesh still burns.

“It’ll raise questions.” He flattens his lips and sighs out his nose. “He’ll be punished for it.”

It's there, on the fringes, for me to tell him not to, to give Kane the benefit of the doubt, and to ask him to take it easy on him as his father.

But I tamp that fucking empathy down where it belongs and nod instead.

Caring about everyone else has never got me anywhere. Giving others the benefit of the doubt led to me being used, abused, and taken advantage of.

If I want change, I have to do things I’ve never done before.

And that starts today.

Actions have consequences. Something I know best.

Let the club do what it feels fair.

Let Kane see that I’m a part of this world whether he likes it or not.

34

MADDIE

“Jesus, sis.” The water shuts off over my head. “What are you doin’?”

I’ve been asking myself the same question, and all I can do is summarize this as some kind of trauma response. "I don't know." The second the shouting started in the main hall, I froze. No matter how hot the water cascading over my body was, I shivered until I collapsed to the shower floor and hugged my knees tight, attempting to regulate my haywire nerves.

I’m at home. There is no danger here.Although…maybe there is? How do I know Sweetie was the only one? Perhaps there are more—people biding their time until they can make their move.

“Out of the way.” Jamie shoulders Harvey aside, offering me a towel. “I know she’s your sister and all, but I’m relatively sure she still doesn’t want you seeing her starkers.”

I rise to my feet and take the soft cloth from her, wrapping it around my body twice before I tuck the corner in. "I'm okay. Honestly." My gaze shifts to the open door. "What was going on out there?"

“Don’t know,” Harvey supplies. “But I’m about to go find out.”

"Hey." I catch him before he darts out of the room. "Is my stuff back here? Like, my bike and all that?"

His gaze softens, and he nods, wayward hair sliding over one eye. “Yeah. It is.”

“Can you find my phone for me?”

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