My Lustful CEO

Chapter 19

Kris POV

Kane doesn't look at me, but instead at the two boys laying peacefully in their bed. I can tell that he is racked with guilt, but there's honestly no way in hell he could have predicted this to happen. If he had, he would have been there. I know it.

"Kane, this isn't you." I let out as I walk over to him. I put a hand on his shoulder and he takes his hand to cover over mine.

"But-"

"No, Kane. This is Nora, all Nora. I will make sure she pays for this, okay?" He nods and I slip my hand out of his grasp and off his shoulder.

I sigh and leave the room. He needs to figure this out on his own. As much as I want to be there for him as a friend, it won’t do him much good.

Peter is already in this hospital dining area, chugging down a big cup of coffee.

“You’re going to need something much stronger than that.” I pat him on the back and take seat across from him. His heavy chest rises and falls as he leans into the table towards me, hands on his forehead.

“How do you do this?” I have known Peter for a long time, long enough to know exactly what he is referring to. He may see monsters and death all the time, but he hardly has to work with kids being on the receiving end. Detective work deals more with adults at least in his area of expertise.

“Knowing that those kids are safe at the end of the day.” That little voice in the back of my head cringes at my own words. As true as it may be, the pain of seeing kids in such a terrible situation is never easy. There’s no way to slowly be faxed into it.

“Still. You have to stay calm all the time and you can’t break down.” His voice is shaky.

“What did you see?” Peter isn’t the type to get uneasy. He’s lived in the closet for most of his life, living and being in the most uncomfortable situations. If he is this effected, I refuse to believe it’s from simply finding them.

“There wasn’t any food in the fridge. She has all of these expensive clothes and jewelry lying around, but her kids have scraps, if that. How? How does a mother do that?”

I know that one hit home. His parents aren’t exactly supportive of his life choices. Peter and his mom used to call once a day, but now she won’t even look his direction. Telling his Hispanic family he is gay and then having them turn on you is life changing. It makes you wonder about how the people that are supposed to love you the most could turn on you in a heartbeat, what about those that aren’t family?

“Not everyone is meant to be a mother.”

“Kane really cares about them.” Peter doesn’t have to tell me that. I can tell Kane was scared about being a father but to be honest all he has to do is care about them to be a good father. He pays attention when they speak to him and respect any boundaries that they have.

“I know he does. Imagine going years of not knowing you had children.”

“Earlier..” Peter starts and then proceeds to look around to see if anyone is listening. “Did it seem like Kane was too familiar with the kids' treatment?”

“Yes.” I say after a whole minute of complete silence between us. "I noticed it too."

"Well, I am going to see if I can follow Nora's trail. I'll let you know if I find anything." Peter stands up and starts to leave. "I'm glad they have you." He takes his leave. I'm not even sure if I have it as altogether as everyone thinks I do. Another bad news and I might just tip the scale in anger. What will happen then?

Kane POV

Kris comes back with some bottles of water and some snacks along with some healthy meals for the kid. Honestly she got a bit of everything. The others are in the hospital room too but visiting hours are about to be up and they will all have to leave.

Suddenly, Asher starts to wake up. His soft little eyes open up, only to be terrified. Those eyes widen in fear. I try to go to him and I see those eyes get wider. Keegan tries to go up to Asher too, but he flinches hard at his movements too.

"Asher, what's wrong?" I ask him but he starts to tear up and cry. What the hell?

"Asher, honey." Kris gently calls Asher to which Asher doesn't flinch, but his eyes practically cry out to Kris for help.

"Kris." Asher starts to cry hard and Kris walks over to him. Though he is in pain to try and get up, Kris leans over the bed to touch his head.

"What's wrong?" Asher clings to Kris but he doesn't stop crying. I don't know what to do. Taking another step towards Asher, he starts screaming and thrashing.

"He's going to kill us!" He starts to painfully throw his pillow at me but it doesn't get to me.

"I'm not going to-" Kris holds a hand up to stop me from talking.

"Out." She orders us to get out. I can feel their eyes wander at one another for a bit before we make any sudden movements. "Now!" They all rush out and I make my way in that direction hesitantly. I look back at Kris and meet her apologetic eyes. f**k.

"What the hell?" Hunter asks, frustrated for me, as I just pace in the hallway and with my hands in my hair.

Through the small window on the door, I can see Kris smoothly talking to Asher as he wipes away tears from his red eyes. She listens intently as she strokes his hair. He starts to lay down at what I believe to her instruction. Coming towards the door, she opens it up and closes it quickly.

"I'm going to kill Nora." She grits through her teeth.

"You're going to have to get in line." Hunter jumps in and I see that they meet each other's eyes. f**k off, Hunter. Woah. That's hostile, even for me.

"What happened?" All of that hard work that I did to make them trust me is gone. And I can't even begin to describe the unbelievable pain I feel in my chest. What was the point of this if I couldn't keep them safe?

"Nora painted Kane as a monster, that she was punishing them because Kane said to." I grip my hand into a fist.

"Woah. Woah." Hunter and Elijah push me back against the wall.

"I'm fine." I push back against them, but they don't budge off of me.

"Let him go." Kris crosses her arm across her chest as I stand squarely in front of her.

"I want to see them." She shakes her head.

"Asher is freaking out. He won't let any of you near Mason or him." Kris peeks through the small window in the door to make sure they are still sleeping.

"I would never hurt them. You know that." I whisper softly into her ear, forcing her to shiver a little.

"Of course I do." Her voice urges for me to believe her. Though she whispered it to me, everyone is looking at us intently.

"Go. I'll let you guys know if I need anything." I tell the others as there is no use for them to be here since the boys are too terrified to even talk to me.. Just when I think I got some headway with them, Nora always seems to be putting me back.

"Let us know when they wake up. We want to be here for you, man." Elijah says as he pats me on the shoulder. Kris gives them each a small wave, all the while intent on not looking at me.

"Why is it that they aren't scared of you?" s**t. I wondered out loud and it was definitely loud enough for Kris to stare hard at me. She's not mad by any means, but she looks hurt on the idea of that alone.

"I don't know why. Nora is pretty intent on destroying you, no matter the costs.." Kris is expecting an answer from me now. Taking two steps back from her, I lean against the wall opposite of her.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." How the hell am I going to tell her?

"I understand bad parents, not everyone is meant to be one. But, Nora paints this horrible light of you to the kids by and by, so what did you do?" Kris is stern with her her arms still crossed on her chest.

"Nothing." I lie to her when I know better than that. She has one ultimate rule. No lies.

"Bullshit, Kane." Her voice does not waiver and ice cold. "What did you do?"

"I broke up with her on her birthday." Kris sneaks an eyebrow up at me.

"And..?" I gulp down my now guilty conscience. When I broke up with Nora, I was so angry and am still so angry that I feel no remorse for what I did, but for whatever reason, I don't want Kris to know that side of me. She has been there for me through and through, not just as an attorney, but as a friend. She could have taken Nora's side, but she didn't.

"It was her 18th birthday party. She had a mic on behind the stage and I yelled at her about being a w***e, how she slept with my brothers, my father, and tried to seduce Hunter." I do my best to lay out the facts, but I can tell that she knows I'm not telling her everything.

"Kane, just tell me. How bad could it be?" Bad. Even thinking about it, I wouldn't have wanted to be in Nora's place during the aftermath. Thankfully, I did it the day before I had to leave for Los Angeles with the boys, so I didn't have to see it in action.

"My father is the priest of a very large congregation in Virginia. That type of accusation that Nora would seduce a priest is an absolute sin. He ridiculed her and called her a liar. Nora was flogged and beaten down in public, during mass. She was the w***e and nobody was allowed to touch her. Her family disowned her and pushed her into the streets." Kris blinks widely at me.

"Anything else?" Her voice is lighter now, but I can tell that she’s disappointed. I'm not sure if she's disappointed in me or just disappointed that Nora had to be put in that situation. Maybe she regrets choosing my side after all. f**k.

"After a couple of months, she just disappeared." Kris c***s her head at me in confusion. "I don't know and to be honest, I never cared before."

"But that might be crucial into knowing why your kids are conditioned to the way they are now." She squints at me. "You have a theory." Damn. Am I that predictable?

"I don't know."

"Let's hear it." She suggests and shrugs her shoulders as she she sighs. Taking a seat next to the door, I go a couple steps in her direction. I land on the seat next to her, but we both look foward.

"I think my dad, Calum, found out she was pregnant and thought it was his. He's not exactly the best father."

"Can I ask you something personal? You don't have to answer this question if you don't want to." Kris shifts to look at me seriously. Staring into her eyes, I feel this overwhelming calm wash over me.

"If it's you asking, I will answer it." This catches her by surprise and she breaks eye contact with me. Instead, she looks over to the side, contemplating on asking whatever is going through her mind. What I told her was the truth. If she wanted to ask me something personal, I would answer it. I have already gotten over the hump of telling her what happened between Nora and me, what else could be so horrible?

"Did your father used to hit you too?"