Branna looked at Ryder, and I saw the moment her heart broke.
She looked at me then, her eyes filled with tears and said, “I’m sorry, Aideen. I’m glad you’re okay, babe, but I have to leave.”
I barely got a chance to nod my head to show her I understood before she opened the door and fled from the room. Ryder shook his head but made no attempt to go after her. Bronagh, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate, she paused at Ryder and kicked him in the shin.
“Bronagh!” he snapped and grabbed his leg.
She pointed her finger at him and said, “That’s for being an arsehole. Would it fuckin’ kill you to be nice to her?”
Ryder set his jaw. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Bronagh shook her head. “When she plucks up the courage to leave you, and finds someone who truly loves and cares for her, you’ll finally realise how incredible she really is and it’ll be too late. Be a man and fight for her, she is worth it!”
With that said, Bronagh left the room with an annoyed Nico in tow.
Ryder had waited about twenty seconds before he left, too. Alannah sighed from the windowsill and pushed herself to her feet. “I’m goin’ to get some food, anyone comin’ with me?”
My brothers, Keela, and Alec all answered ‘yes’ in unison. They told Kane they would grab him something then they all left the room. It was just me and Kane again.
“Our families are crazy.”
I nodded my head. “Damien is the only normal one.”
Kane snorted. “Dominic called and told him last night what happened.”
I frowned. “You shouldn't have worried him.”
I looked at Kane's face then. I noticed his face looked so good compared to how pale and sullen it was weeks ago without his insulin.
I widened my eyes then.
“Injections,” I rasped.
Kane took my hand in his and smiled. “I did it myself.”
I blinked in astonishment.
“I know,” he chuckled. “When you were still asleep this morning I knew I’d needed it or I would be no good to you when you woke up. I didn’t want my diabetes fighting against me when I needed to fight for you, so I bit the bullet and injected the insulin myself. I wasn’t scared... I’m not scared. Not anymore. I'll never be scared of something so mundane again, not when I experienced almost losing you.”
Tears welled in my eyes and I reached my hands out for him. He smiled and leaned into me, kissing my cheek and snaking his arm around my body.
“I love you,” he whispered.
I hugged him tighter.
“Philip,” I whispered gently, “told me things.
Kane pulled back and swallowed. “What did he tell you?”
“He was watchin’ me for weeks,” I whispered. “I met him in the hospital and in the p-pub without realisin’. He was the one who bought me the flowers that were sent to my classroom.”
Kane’s face hardened. “He must have seen you with me and wanted to know who you were.”
I nodded my head. “He told me about your whippin’s and the shock treatment.”
Kane closed his eyes. “The bastard.”
I waited for him to open his eyes and look at me.
“You didn’t need to know those things, babydoll. No one needs to know any of what I was put through. No good comes from it.”
I agreed so I nodded my head.
“He told me you killed his son,” I painfully swallowed. “He said he was goin’ to kill me and the baby the same way to make you wish you were dead.”
Veins bulged in Kane’s neck.
“He will die for this. I promise you.”
I blinked. “Did you kill his son?”
Kane held my gaze. “Yes, I did.”
Oh, God.
“Why?”
Kane swallowed. “Big Phil’s son, Colin, wasn’t a nice kid. He was sixteen at the time… and I caught him doing something really, really wrong.”
I didn’t want to know, but I didn’t stop Kane from speaking.
“He had one of the guard’s five-year-old daughters… and he was violating her.”
Oh, Jesus.
My stomach churned.
Kane ran his hands through his hair. “I couldn’t help it. I went crazy. He was passed out so I locked him in the room I found him in, then I brought the girl to her father and assured him I’d kill Colin. So that’s what I did. I didn’t lay a finger on him, but I made sure he would die painfully for being the vile creature he was. I just got a canister of gas and I poured it everywhere in the room I locked him in and set it on fire.”
I grabbed hold of Kane’s hand.
“I didn’t realise Big Phil was in the bathroom of the room, but he was. I didn’t know if he hurt the little girl either, but I didn’t care. He tried to save Colin, but I poured gas over him so he was already dead within minutes. He died painfully. Big Phil got badly burned, but the fire was put out before he could die, too.”