Page 3 of Cold Hard Truth

“Talia.” Kane breaks first, taking a step toward her.

“Kane.” She grimaces, still maintaining her cold standoff. “I’m only doing this because you gave me no other choice.”

“They’re my daughters.”

Daughters? Kane doesn’t have daughters.

At least, not that I know of.

“Half yours, half mine,” he argues, his voice dropping to that tone the guys at the club know better than to question.

“I’m not having my girls raised in this hellhole.”

“And like I told you, I’m not having them staying in the city unprotected if you’re jetting off across the fucking country.” Kane takes another step forward, getting into Talia’s space now.

The longer I stare at her, the more I realize something about her is vaguely familiar, even if I must have been really young the last time I saw her. Because I’ve definitely seen her face here before.

Talia has to tip her head back to look at Kane. But while I’m used to most people fearing Kane either for his title, the club, or his burly size, she doesn’t so much as flinch as he stares down at her.

“It’s a good job. I can’t turn it down.” She narrows her gaze. “It’s good for meandthe girls.”

“And that’s fine. But when they’re not with you, they’ll be here at the compound. Like I said, I don’t care about the job. But I’m not having someone else raise my fucking kids.”

“It’s a quick trip—”

“Then you’ll see them soon.”

Talia’s mouth snaps shut when he cuts her off. And even if she doesn’t seem scared to stand up to Kane, she is clearly aware of the limit to his patience.

“Fine.” She rolls her eyes, turning around to open the door to the backseat.

She and Kane block my view for a moment until two girls step out of the car and make their way around Talia.

They look just like their mother, with long dark hair and pale skin. Matching silver rings on their fingers. Rosy cheeks and eyes that dart around at all of us as they stand hand in hand, taking us in.

They’re twins. And I almost think they’re identical until I look closer and catch the clear difference.

The eyes.

One girl meets my stare, and her gaze is the ocean—a stormy bluish gray. But when I glance at the other, and the sun sweeps over her, I swear her eyes are purple.

I didn’t think purple eyes could exist, but this girl with her violet eyes steals my focus.

“I’ll be back in a few days.” Talia hugs her daughters before climbing back in the car to leave. “Stay out of trouble, okay?”

They both nod at their mom but look nervous as Talia drives away. Their stares dart around from Kane to the rest of us, and I’m still trying to process the fact that Kane has daughters when they’ve never come around here before.

I’ve seen Kane do all sorts of things I know better than to talk about but settling down isn’t one of them.

“Girls.” Kane nods, offering a forced smile, but they don’t return it.

They clearly know him, even if they’re uncomfortable. And I’m guessing that’s why Dad called Reed and me out here—to be a buffer for Kane’s parental failings. As if anything can make the Twisted Kings compound less intimidating. It’s all beat-up buildings, iron skulls, and weed-covered dirt.

Situated in the LA desert, it’s far enough outside the city to mask what happens here.

“Sage, Reed, this is Ellie.” Dad points to the blue-eyed girl, before moving to the purple-eyed one. “And this is Lyla. Kane’s daughters.”

“Hi.” Reed jumps forward, bursting with excitement because we don’t get visitors, especially girls who look right around her age. “I’m Reed. I’m so excited to have more girls here. This place is so lame.”

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