Possession (Club X #3)(59)
Author: K.M. Scott

“Some time to do what, Alexandria? Realize she can’t live with the man I am and doesn’t want me in my child’s life?”

“Time to find the strength to be the person she needs to be to be with you.”

“What does that mean? I just want my Abbi, the person I fell in love with. Why is that a problem?”

Alexandria said nothing, and I knew I wasn’t going to get anything useful from her. She hated me, no matter what she said, and somehow had poisoned Abbi against me.

“I never asked to be born. I’m sorry my father wasn’t the kind of man who cared about the women he claimed to love. I’m not like him, though, and when I find Abbi she’ll see that.”

Racing down the stairs, I got to my car and called Abbi, but her phone went directly to voicemail. With her phone off, I couldn’t even try to track her. I didn’t know if she’d ever get my message, but I texted her anyway, desperate for her to know I needed her.

Abbi, don’t do this. Don’t leave me. I need you. I swear I’ll promise you anything if you’ll just tell me where you are so I can bring you home to our little house.

I couldn’t just wait and hope she’d see my message, so I called John Kearney, the private investigator we used at the club. If anyone could help me find her, if was him.

“Kane, I heard you guys were closing up shop, so I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“I need you to find someone for me. I’m in a hurry.”

“Find someone? Who?”

“Her name is Abigail Linde. Goes by the name Abbi. She’s petite, blond with shorter hair but she might be wearing a wig. She’s also pregnant. I need to find her as soon as possible. She might be headed north from Anna Maria Island to her mother’s house in Panama City.”

“She owe you money or something? You sound like you’re a man on a mission here, Kane.”

I slid behind the wheel and took one last look at the house. “Nothing like that. I just need to find her now. Don’t worry about the cost. Price is no object. Spend whatever you have to but find her. I’ll throw in an extra twenty grand if you can find her within the week. Deal?”

John’s breath caught and he said, “I can’t turn that down, so deal. I’ll find your girl. What do you want me to do when I do find her, though?”

“Let me know and I’ll come to you. She’s not to be hurt. Do you understand me, John?”

“I don’t hurt people, Kane. I just find them. I leave the hurting up to the people who want them found.”

His comment made me wince, but I brushed it off. I needed to keep focused. “Call me as soon as you know something.”

“You got it. Stay by your phone.”

I threw my cell on the passenger seat and drove out of there back to my rooms at the club. I couldn’t go back to our house. It just wasn’t the same without Abbi there to share it with me.

With the club closed, I had the entire building to myself, alone with nothing but my thoughts. During the day, I sat in my office and waited to hear from John about where she was hiding, and at night I lay on the floor next to my bed where I held Abbi in my arms that first night. Every minute my mind stayed preoccupied with the real fear that I’d never see the woman I loved again or ever see my child.

That when everything else was stripped away—the money, the club, everything— who I was wasn’t who she wanted. That the man I was made her run away.

Three night later, I lay on the floor of my bedroom in the dark when John called with the news I’d been waiting for. “What did you find out?”

“Kane, was this job some kind of trick or something? You testing me?”

Sitting up, I tried to figure out what he meant. “I told you I needed you to find Abbi Linde. Did you find her?”

“Yeah, but I don’t get why you couldn’t. She’s right there on Anna Maria Island at Cash and Stefan’s mother’s beach house. From what I can figure, she never left there. Why did you send me looking for her if she was right there the whole time?”

Abbi had never left the house. She’d hidden from me and stood by as Alexandria made me believe she wasn’t there. Stunned, I mumbled, “Thanks” and dropped the phone to the floor.

I knew I could go there at that moment and find her, but what good would that do? She didn’t want to be with me now.

I STOOD on the porch with my heart in my throat as I watched Kane drive away. I’d hidden myself in the next room and listened to everything he’d said to Alexandria as the tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew he loved me, but he deserved better than the life he’d have if he stayed with me.

Alexandria placed her hand on my shoulder. “Did you hear what he said?”

Nodding, I choked back the tears. “Yeah. Everything. Why didn’t you just let me go when I wanted to?”

“I couldn’t let you do that to him. If you did what you planned to, he’d never get over it. You two would never have a chance. I didn’t want to see you do that to him or you.”

I turned around and saw that same sympathetic look she always wore around me. How she could when she knew what I’d wanted to do confused me. “He doesn’t need me or a baby in his life. He deserves to finally be happy, and it’s obvious that can’t happen with me. I just bring misery to him.”

“You underestimate yourself. And him.”

“I still don’t know if I should keep this baby. Nothing’s changed.”

“Abbi, he’s never known love like you gave him.”

“And now because of me he’s killed someone. It was bad enough that he’d hurt others for me, but that…I can’t be the reason someone does that.”

The pain in her expression bothered me. If she felt that way about what I said, what would Kane feel?

“I’m going to let you have some time alone to think about this.”

“Do you hate him like he said?” I asked, needing to know why she would help someone if she didn’t care at all about him.

She smiled and shook her head. “No. Not anymore. I told him the truth. I care about him like I do my own sons.”

“Why?”

Alexandria thought about my question and frowned. “Maybe I think he deserves it. Neither of his parents seemed to care enough about him, so perhaps I should.”

“Is it because he reminds you of Cash since they look so alike?”

“No. He actually looks more like his father than even Cassian does. Maybe that’s why I don’t want to see him lose this chance to be happy. I always did have a soft spot where his father was concerned.”