I don’t know what Mom said to him in response, but it didn’t matter. The detective had cut their conversation short.
I left before the tears could blind me. I didn’t drive off right away. Instead, I sat behind the wheel and buried my face in my hands.
This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be my life. What had I done?
I didn’t mean for Dad to get in trouble, or for him to ever find out. And Cane…Oh, God, Cane. Where was he? Was he hurt? Did he press charges?
I needed answers, so I cleared my face with the back of my arm, swiping a little too roughly, and then left the police station.
A little less than twenty-five minutes later, I had pulled up to Cane’s house. All of the outdoor and indoor lights were on. The place looked regal and made of gold, but something felt off.
I stepped out of the car, clutching the keys as I headed for the front door. The air was too still, considering the night was still young. It was way too quiet. On my way to the door, I saw blood on the cement steps. I stalled for a moment. It wasn’t much, but it sparkled beneath the bright, gold lights. Fresh, too.
“Your father was just arrested for an assault.” The words rang loud and true. What in the hell happened? It was far from cold that night, but I still shivered at the sight of the blood.
I finally made it to the door that was halfway open. I pushed it open and heard things moving around. Then I heard a female’s voice. A familiar one.
The voice got nearer as I stepped into the foyer, and when she walked out of the den and into the hallway, she lowered her phone and shook her head. I had never seen her before. Porcelain skin and almond-shaped eyes. Raven hair that made her appear paler and revealed flushed, rosy cheeks.
As if she’d sensed a presence, she picked up her head and frowned when she found me. “I’m sorry, who are you?” Up close, I recalled where I’d heard the voice. It was on Cane’s phone the second day at the lake house.
“Are you Cora?” I asked.
She blinked rapidly. “Do I know you?”
“I um… I don’t know. Probably not. I’m a friend of Cane’s.”
“Oh.” She held her phone close, looking me over. That probably sounded stupid. Cane didn’t have many friends, and she probably knew that and was wary now.
“Is he around?”
She held her arms out and rotated her upper body with them while looking around. “No, unfortunately.” She focused on me. “I’m cleaning up as much as I can and then going to the hospital to make sure he’s okay.”
“The hospital?” I frowned then. “Wait…he was hurt that bad?”
“He had blood on his face and he’ll probably end up a black eye. He blacked out when his head hit the ground. I called the police and he was picked up a short while ago.” She seemed pained, like the thought of her boss being hurt crippled her heart just as much as it did mine.
“Why didn’t you go with him?”
“Because Miss Hugo rode with him. Said she wanted to be alone with him.”
“Miss Hugo? You mean Kelly?”
She nodded. “His girlfriend, yes.”
His girlfriend? That. Bitch. “Wow…um…okay. Thank you for letting me know. I—I have to go.”
I turned and gripped the doorknob, but Cora called after me before I could walk out. “Are you Mr. Jennings’ daughter?”
I peered over my shoulder, afraid she’d call the cops on me too, but I wasn’t going to lie. I was done lying. Done hiding. “I am.”
“Oh.” She gave a very faint smile. “You look just like him.” I sensed there was more to it. Did Cora know more? Did she know why all of this had happened, or at least my father’s motives?
I dropped my head, turning halfway. “Is Cane going to be okay?”
When I looked up, her features were solemn. Her lips pressed together before she answered, “With how badly his head hit the concrete, I’m honestly not sure. We’re hoping it’s just a concussion and nothing more.”
That broke my heart, crumbled it right to pieces.
“I’m sorry this happened,” I murmured.
Cora waved a dismissive hand before her phone rang. She excused herself before answering it. I left the house and got into Mom’s car again. I wanted to go to the hospital, but with Kelly there, it wouldn’t have been pretty. Hell, I had no clue which hospital he was even at, but I should have asked Cora. I’m sure she’d have known.
Cane was unconscious. How could it have gotten so bad? Cane was Dad’s best friend. How could Dad be so reckless that he’d hurt him so much? He still cared, I was sure, and I had no doubt that Dad was regretting his actions. He showed up at his home to hurt him. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.