Page 97 of 1 Last Shot

I open my mouth to say Idoknow about hardship, that I know what it's like to feel like everything in your life is going wrong, but… nothing comes out. Because the truth is, I've never experienced anything even close to what Kane and his mom have gone through.

She must see the capitulation on my face, because a smug smile stretches her lips. Her gaze slides over my face, down my clothes, and back up again. I expect her to say something, but instead, she takes a step closer and lifts her hand to my hair.

"Such a pretty little thing," she muses. "I wonder what you would've turned into if you hadn't fallen into such a privileged life. Would you still be pretty? Or would the pain and heartache of a hard life have taken that away?"

I'm caught off guard by her bold touch, too surprised to move away, but I'm even more surprised by the fact thatthisboundary, this physical boundary, is what causes Kane to snap out of his fear-frozen state by the door.

"Don'ttouch her," he barks. Striding across the apartment, he grabs my arm and tugs me slightly behind him. "I swear toGod, I will rip you apart if you touch her.”

And apparently, Kane's reaction is enough to snapherout of her taunting demeanor. At her son's threat, her expression drops every bit of playfulness, and it hardens into one that immediately makes it obvious how serious she is.

"Fine. I'll stop beating around the bush." Her gaze narrows. "I need $5,000 by next week. I need a new apartment, and I need new clothes, since my bastard ex burned most of mine. I'll come by next week to pick it up."

Kane's expression goes from furious to incredulous. "Are you insane? I'm not giving you $5,000. I don't evenhave$5,000."

His mom rolls her eyes. "Don't act like your girlfriend here can't shake that out of her pocket. The bracelet on her wrist alone is worth that much. She won't even notice the blip in her bank account."

I'm now equally shell-shocked. "Why on earth would you think I would justgiveyou that kind of money?"

When she turns her attention back to me, an ice-cold chill runs through my bones. Because the look she's giving me isn't just smug, or insane, it's borderline evil.

"Because, sweetheart," she starts, "if youdon'tgive me the money, then I'll make sure Kane gets fired from his little job at the strip club. I can make that happen, and it's not that hard to make sure he's blacklisted from bouncing at any other club in the city." She lets out a patronizing laugh. "And then what is he going to do? What is he good for besides punching people in the face when they get out of line?"

"Howdareyou talk to him like that—"

"Don't even get me started on what I could do toyou, you little bitch," she snarls. "You think his life is the only one I can ruin? You're delusional. It would takeonephone call to make your perfect life tumble like a house of cards." She takes a second to settle the smug mask back on her face, hiding her hate with a heavy exhale and a smile. "It's too bad about your ballet career—it must've felt like your life was ending when you got injured. But if you think you don't have anything else of value since then, I'd be happy to prove just how wrong you are."

For what feels like the fifth time in ten minutes, my rage again cools to icy foreboding. This emotional whiplash is making an already-volatile situation feel even worse, and I can't quite catch my breath enough to keep up with it.

If she knows my name, it wouldn't be hard to find out what happened to me. There are plenty of articles that explain not just how big my name was before my injury, but also how bad my injury was, and how permanently it ruined my career.

But she can't possibly know that my entire move to Philly was meant to help me figure out who I am without dancing. She can't know that I had exactly those thoughts before I met Kane, that I have nothing of value without my dance career.

What could she possibly threaten me with that's not physical harm?

She watches all these thoughts play across my face, her grin growing with every second.

"I wonder if you even realize how much you're leaning on your ballet legacy, even without an active career. Does your self-worth tie into who you were in the past? Or do you think this thing you've based your entire life on is untouchable now that it doesn't have a future?"

My breaths start to come quicker. I don't know what she's about to say, but I'm already struggling to breathe just from waiting for it.

And she knows it. Her tone is smug when she says, "That phone call I mentioned? It would be to your dance schoolhere. In Philly. It's not that hard to drop a rumor—especially in an uptight place like a fuckingballet academy—that will spread like wildfire and ruin everyone involved. Turns out, theyreallydislike any kind of illegal activity by their dancers. And with the company you've been keeping lately, I really doubt it would be hard for them to believe it's true…"

The look she slants in Kane's direction implies her true meaning, and my heart drops into my stomach when I see how much it instantly affects him. I watch as his throat bobs on a hard swallow, and as a veil of guilt drops over his expression when he glances my way.

"Kane, that's not—" I start in an attempt to comfort him.

"Don't bother, he knows it's true," his mom cuts me off. "And he also knows I won't hesitate to do it. Don't you, Kane?" She turns her evil smile on her son. "Would you hate being the cause of your girlfriend's shattered reputation as much as I would enjoy causing it? After all, why should she have a better life than us?Shedidn't do anything to deserve it."

And despite her threats against his job, andhislife, it's the threats tominethat cause him to snap out of his frozen childhood fear.

"I swear to God, if you eventhinkof hurting her, I'll make you regret ever giving birth to me," he snarls, the venom in his voice so real, even his mom sucks in a surprised breath.

Kane steps into her space, leaning down to get into her face. "You think your boyfriends fucked up your life before? I will fuckingruinyou if you hurt her."

His mom studies him for a moment, the surprise on her face dulling as she looks over her son. When she finally responds, she doesn't sound worried about the threat.

"I'll be back for the money next week," she says flatly.

---