Cruel (The Buck Boys Heroes 2)

He takes a breath. “I was telling my father my dreams and an hour later my worst nightmare came true.”

Chapter Forty-Nine

Kavan

Juliet sits silently beside me. She’s giving me all the time I need to confess this to her. I’m grateful for that. I’m more grateful that for the first time in my life, I have someone I can fully confide in.

“I went up to the room after I got turned down by a few women.”

“Liar,” she accuses, laughing.

“Maybe I turned them down,” I admit. “After my brief discussion with my dad, I wasn’t feeling it anymore, so I went back to the room to talk to him. I knew he was disappointed that I didn’t want to work at his side at Bane Enterprises anymore.”

“You wanted to venture out into an adventure all your own.”

“I did want that, but he wanted me to carry on the family tradition.”

“Most parents want that for their kids, I think.”

He nods. “Most parents aren’t like Ares Bane.”

I pause to gather my thoughts because this is transporting me back to that night.

“It was raining by then. Ares hated the rain.” I chuckle. “He used to tell me it was heaven’s punishment, so when I got up to the room, he went there.”

Juliet moves to cup a hand over the back of my neck. “We can take a break, Kavan. Do you need a break?”

I love her for sensing how difficult this is for me.

I shake my head. “I need you to know.”

“I’m right here.” Her fingers rake through my hair. “I’m listening.”

“He was in tears when I walked into the room. It was a suite. I was heading to my bedroom when I heard him sobbing.”

“That must have been difficult.”

“It slayed me,” I admit. “I felt as though I let him down. I didn’t realize the depth of that until I found him crumpled on the floor in the living room of the suite. He was curled in ball.”

Her breathing quickens.

“I picked him up and hugged him. I told him I was sorry.” My voice cracks. “I told him I loved him.”

I hear a whimper escape Juliet’s lips, so I tug her closer. I know this can’t be easy for her to hear.

“He let me hold him like that in my arms.” I sigh. “He was shorter than me, but just as strong. He pushed me away and starting yelling about how ungrateful I was. He told me he’d worked his fingers to the bone to give me everything and I was walking away from it all. He called me a selfish little bastard.”

“Oh god,” Juliet whispers.

I drop my head. “He was walking in circles, muttering about assholes, and ungrateful fucks and sacrifice and his legacy. He raised his voice to scream to me that I was destroying his legacy.”

I swallow hard, steadying myself so I can continue.

“I told him to calm down. I begged him to.” I squeeze Juliet’s hand in mine. “I had to raise my voice to drown out his. I just wanted him to look at me. He’d done it before. He had moments like that when I was growing up, but my mom could always reach him. She could always find a way to get him to listen, but that night I couldn’t.”

Tears well in my eyes as I think about that moment. That very last moment.

“I approached him. I was crying too by then. I wanted him to sit with me.” I shake my head. “I thought of Nigel. I thought maybe Nigel could get through to him. He was with us, but in a room across the hall so I turned my back to go get him.”

Juliet sobs.

I do too. “I heard his feet on the matted carpet. It was as loud as the thunder outside. He ran toward it and by the time I turned back around I saw him barrel through the floor to ceiling window.”

I drop my head into my hands.

“I didn’t think it would break, but it shattered and he was gone.”

Juliet brought me to bed.

After I relived the worst moment of my life, she took me by the hand, undressed me, and then crawled in next to me.

She held me while I cried, and while I slept.

I sense a sudden shift in her breathing so I glance to my left to find her eyes wide open.

“You’re awake,” I say for some reason.

The smile on her face that follows may be the only reason I need.

“So are you,” she points out before she kisses me softly on the mouth.

I run a hand over her delicate chin. “That was hard.”

“I know.” She presses her lips to my palm. “I’m honored that you trusted me enough to tell me.”

“I trust you with my life,” I say with absolutely no reservation. “But, there’s more, Juliet.”

“There’s more?”

I nod.

“Do you want to talk about it now or later?”