Page 9 of Marrying the Underboss

Grabbing my first aid kit from the linen closet, I set it on the counter and pull out some Band-Aids and antibiotic ointment. Then I get a wash rag and turn on the water in the sink. Once the water is warm, I get the rag wet and ring it out. “This isn’t going to feel good, but I have to do it,” I say and wince as I push his dark hair out of his face and drag the washcloth across his forehead. He’s got scratches all over his face, a black eye, and possibly a broken nose.

His strong hands grip my hips firmly as I work. “Sorry, Kane.”

“It’s fine,” he grits out. “Just do it quickly, this babying me shit is only making it worse.”

“Fine,” I grumble, then set to work on cleaning his cuts and getting them bandaged up.

A few minutes later, I’m all finished. The man has four Band-Aids on his face, three of them covering the biggest cut. “That’sthe best I could do. You might want to go see a doctor. I’m no expert, but I think you might need stitches.”

“Stitches will have to wait,” he says gruffly.

I rest my hand on his shoulder and look at the man who’s been a part of my life since I was sixteen. “I don’t know what happened tonight, but I feel responsible. If I had never brought him home, you wouldn’t be dealing with all of this. I’m sorry.”

Kane brushes a stray hair out of my face, then softly runs his knuckles down my cheek. “What happened to me is not your fault, it’s mine. I should have been paying more attention. I was trained to know better. Okay?”

I nod.

“You're not going to like this, but I need you to come with me. No questions asked. Pack a bag, and let’s get out of here.”

“Because of Jacob?”

He gives me a stern look. “I said no questions.”

I sigh. “Right. Just pack a bag. Tell me my dad knows what’s going on, at least.”

“He’s the one who sent me over here after Jacob nearly ran me over with my own fucking truck.”

“Jesus Christ, Kane! You didn’t tell me he almost killed you,” I shout, then smack his chest.

He puts his hand over mine and then pulls me closer so I’m standing in between his spread legs, his other hand snug against my back. “He got away, and I need to make sure you’re safe. So I’m taking you with me. I don’t want you anywhere near him if he's on his way here. He’s more unpredictable than any of us gave him credit for. Either you pack or I will, but we’re leaving in five minutes.”

His hand feels warm, covering mine. I’ve never been this close to him before and for the first time, I can smell his cologne. God, he smells good. Like sweat and man and whatever spicyshit he sprayed on himself today. I lean in without thinking, wanting to be closer.

All too soon he stands, his very tall, very muscular body nearly flush with mine, and drops a kiss on the top of my head, then brushes past me. I stand there in a stupor, utterly confused by what’s happening right now. How did one of the worst days of my life turn into this?

The sexiest man I’ve ever met, the one I’ve spent many nights dreaming about, just kissed the top of my head. He’s kept his distance from me and has barely said more than a few words to me in the last ten years, but tonight he just bursts into my home and tells me I’m coming with him, no questions asked. It took me longer to agree to marry Jacob than to listen to Kane.

“Four minutes Angel, then we’re leaving.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I say, grabbing a large duffle bag from my closet and begin filling it with clothes.

There’s something wrong with me. I have no business thinking about another man right now while my very recent ex is God knows where and possibly out for revenge. Kane is just doing his job and probably sees me like a little sister, or hell, what I really am, his boss’ daughter. I mean nothing to him, just like I meant nothing to Jacob.

With that thought weighing heavy on my mind, I quickly grab everything that means anything to me and throw it in the bag. If there’s one thing I know, Jacob is not who I thought he was. He seemed like the perfect guy, perfectly normal, perfectly sweet. It was all a lie. He was a lie. The life I thought I had was just an illusion and I let myself get swept up into it wanting it to be my reality so badly.

Chapter Six

KANE

The woman doesn’t packlight, but she’s quick about it. When I tell her to leave her phone behind, I swear she’s going to throw a fit, but instead, she curses under her breath and tosses her phone on her bed. I can’t run the risk of Marino tracking her. I fucked up before, thinking he was a dud, but I won’t do it again, not with Jennifer’s life on the line.

She grabs what she needs for a few days and tells me she’s ready to go when she's done.

I grab her bags off her bed when she reaches for them.

“I can carry my own things,” she grumbles adorably.

“If I have a free hand, you’ll never carry anything around me.”

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