Page 61 of The Ties That Bind (Fraser Crime Syndicate 2)

There’s that word again: betrayal. “I didn’t betray—”

“You were plotting with your fucking father to spy on me!” he roars. I jolt at the rage in his voice, starting to feel scared he might do what I thought he was incapable of—end my life.

“Kane—”

“Don’t fucking talk to me. Every word out of your whore mouth is a fucking lie.” He closes his eyes for a moment, and I see the pain ripple across his face. “I let you into my life.” The despair in his voice makes my stomach twist savagely. He slams his fist into the wall next to me, and I jolt, my eyes closing. “You are just like every woman I’ve ever known. You only want me for what I can give you.”

“That's not true. Kane, it’s not what you’re thinking. Let me explain. Yes, my father wanted me to spy. I never did and I didn’t want to, either. I was telling him to go to hell. I want us to work. I don’t care what Hamish wants.” He pushes away from the wall and storms from the room.

For a moment, I stand transfixed, my heart racing, my head in turmoil. Then I move. I need to explain. I need to make him see my side of the story, such as it is. I trail after him and find him the hallway, heading for the stairs. I rush to keep up with his long strides. “Yes, I was sent here to spy, but as soon as I met you, Kane, I changed my mind. I couldn't do it. I was feeling things for you, things that I never expected.”

He whirls around, and I nearly stumble on the step. I grab the banister to stop from falling. He snatches my shoulders and shakes me. “I could have loved you!”

His words are enough to slay me. Sickness crawls through my veins, as the depth of what he's saying settles over me. He could have loved me. Now, he can't.

Desperate, I grab his arm as he starts to move back up the stairs again. “Kane, I didn't do anything. If you just listen for a momen—”

He keeps walking, and it's a struggle to keep up with him, but I don't give in. I have to make him see reason, understand my perspective. My marriage depends on it.

“Please stop, let me explain!”

We have reached the landing now, and he turns, grabbing me by the throat. He slams me back against the wall with enough force to wind me. Then he gets in my face, his teeth bared. “You are as bad as my slut of a mother. You pretend to be one thing, but in reality, you are another. You pretend to care about me, while in reality, you are seeking ways to undo my family. That's why Hamish wanted you to spy, isn't it? He wants to undo my family from within. And who better to gain that information than the woman who was sharing my bed.” His lips pull into a snarl, and my ragged breaths sound loud in the momentary silence. “Was any of it real?”

“It was all real. That was the problem. I can’t do what my father asks… Because I'm falling in love with you, Kane.”

My words make him recoil from me as if I struck him. Then he shakes his head. “You don't love me. You say this only to save your skin in this moment.”

His thumb caresses over my pulse point as he holds me tight against the wall. His grip isn't quite bruising, but it is an unmistakable presence. He wants me to be cowed. He wants me to be scared. And while I deserve his ire, it’s still a punch to the gut that he would treat me like this after the week we have had. Every morning we would wake together, and he would make love to me, showing me exactly how he feels about me. Those feelings don't just disappear overnight. He can't just switch them on and off at will, but the hate in his eyes right now terrifies me.

“Kane, I'm sorry.”

He releases me with a shove and paces the small landing area before throwing his hands up in the air. “I knew it was a mistake to trust anyone outside of my brothers and sister. We have no choice but to remain married, but you and I are done.”

---