Page 91 of Code Violation

When I walk toward my couch and stand opposite him, I don’t bother taking a seat on the chair behind me. Kane won’t be here long enough to make the effort worth my while.

He interprets my silence as confirmation.

“Vesper’s pregnant, and the baby is mine.” He laughs darkly. “I’ve told her to get rid of it because there ain’t no way I’m bringing up a child. And especially not with that bitch.”

Don’t hit him. Don’t fucking hit him.

My lips tremble with rage, and I scrub a palm over my mouth, determined not to give anything away. Vesper’s right; this guy doesn’t deserve to know anything about this pregnancy. After all, it’s not like Kane knowing the truth would make him back off.

“Well, you’re right about one thing, Kane,” I reply. “We were both referring to the same person, only I was thinking more about the way you showed up at her work after hours, knowing full well that I was out of town.”

Kane rises from the couch, probably in an attempt to intimidate me.

He doesn’t even make me blink.

“Did your pathetic little teammate tell you about my visit, or was it the mother of my unwanted child?”

My fingers twitch at my sides, and he drops his gray eyes to look at them, satisfaction pulling onto his lips. He looks as rough as he did the last time I saw him, and he’s obviously been drinking again today. Nothing will ever change with this guy, despite the hurt his behavior causes other people.

“The only reason these fists aren’t buried three inches deep in your face right now is because of our mother and the promise I gave her when she died. Not that you would know. You weren’t even there when she passed.”

Sliding his hands into the pockets of his worn blue jeans, Kane looks off to the side and out of the window overlooking Seattle. “Vesper can’t live without me. Whether she decides to keep this baby or not, she’ll be back in my bed inside a month. She’s always been easy to control.”

I can smell the nicotine and alcohol on his breath. They’re stale, and they make my stomach turn.

“The next time you come within a hundred feet of her, I’m instructing my lawyers on Vesper’s behalf.”

He scoffs. “Mom would be so fucking proud of you, putting your brother’s ex-girlfriend above your own flesh and blood.”

I step forward, staring down at him like the fucking cockroach he is. It doesn’t matter how many ways I try to extract this guy from Vesper’s life; he always comes back for more. Just like his father, he feeds off toxicity, fear, and manipulation, but I won’t let him win.

“Incorrect. Mom would be too preoccupied over the way her youngest son turned into the biggest mistake of her life.”

Kane rears back, and I catch his fist in my palm, squeezing.

He sneers, and I shoot him a smirk similar to the one he wears every day of his sad little life.

Pulling his hand from mine, he tries to act like his knuckles weren’t a few seconds from being crushed, but I see the surprise in his face. He expected me to be strong, but not to this level.

Mess with my girl, expect immeasurable pain.

“If she keeps the baby, then that financial tap of yours will need to be turned back on. She’ll claim child support the second it’s born.” He grins knowingly. “And you could never let poor Vesper—and her new baby—go without.”

When Kane first arrived a few minutes ago, I was sure he hated the fact that Vesper was pregnant. To some degree, I still think he does. However, there can be no mistaking the delight he’s taking in using the news to goad me. To test the very limits of my patience. Psychological warfare is his favorite hobby, and this latest news just became his most exciting battle.

What the fuck did this guy put Vesper through?

“How are the two jobs going?” I ask, not bothering to address his request for money since he won’t need the cash when he discovers that I’m going to give his ex-girlfriend and our baby the whole fucking world.

Kane puffs out an agitated breath. I feel my phone vibrate, and I pull it out of my pocket, being sure to keep the screen well hidden from prying eyes.

Mason

So, I need to talk to you about something. I know it’s going to throw me under the metaphorical bus, but I feel like it’s the right thing to do.

I repocket my phone, wondering how the fuck a good person like Mason has been dealt the shitty hand he has recently. The guy is literally about to rat himself out to his captain so he can protect a woman he’s met a handful of times.

And then I have this piece of shit standing in front of me, using the baby he thinks he’s having but doesn’t want as an excuse to pump his own family for more money.