Reparation (The Kane Trilogy, #3)(60)

“Excuse me?” she asked, a little shocked. Sure, she had seen him angry. He snapped at her on a regular basis, it was one of their things. But rarely did he yell. He stalked towards her and she skittered away, got penned in between him and the back of the couch.

“You used my credit card. What the fu-ck were you thinking?” he growled, looming over her.

Oops. I thought I'd have more time. Does he check his online statements every day!?

“I paid you back. I already deposited the cash into your bank account. I don't have a card, I had to -,” Tate started to explain.

“I don't give a fu-ck about the money!” he shouted, and she shrieked in surprise. “You could spend all my money, and I wouldn't give a fu-ck! All you have to do is ask! But you cannot use it to run away to him!”

“But I paid it back,” she stressed. Jameson moved to get closer to her and she slid to the side, heading towards the door. He grabbed her hand, his fingers tangling in the necklace she was still clinging to.

“That you used it without my knowledge, that you used it to get away from me, that you used it to fly to him ..., I don't even know where to start,” he hissed. She tried to pull away.

“It's not a big deal, Jameson,” she insisted. He yanked on her arm and she stumbled forward.

“Apparently it's a big fu-cking deal, if you feel like you have to lie to me! Sneaking around this house like a fu-cking shadow! I'm surprised you're even taking this!” he yelled, holding up her hand with the pearls in it. “Of course, you used me for my money. I suppose it's not a leap to assume you'd use my gifts. It is worth a lot of money, you could get far on it.”

“I wasn't going to take them!” Tate shouted back, offended that he thought she would use him like that – he was the one who equated everything with a price, not her.

“Sure fu-cking looks like it! But by all means, go ahead, you certainly earned them!” he snapped. Tate gasped.

“fu-ck you, Kane!” she hissed, then she gripped the necklace between both hands and yanked. Pearls flew around the room.

“Lost out on a lot of money, baby girl. Your boyfriend certainly won't be able to pay for you the way I have,” Jameson said softly.

She was out on the porch before he caught up with her. Tate halfway expected him to grab her, to pick her up and carry her inside. But he didn't. He hurried down the steps alongside her, matching her step for step as she headed towards the cars.

“Just let me go,” she insisted, walking next to the Jag. He finally grabbed her, pulled her to a stop.

“We are long past that. So what happened to promises, huh? You won't freak out, right? Wrong. I knew you'd fu-cking do this. The minute shit gets real, you fu-cking flip. Have you ever stuck anything out? Ever given anyone the benefit of the doubt?” he demanded. She slapped at his arm.

“Sure, when they're not the goddamn devil!” she yelled back.

“I am not the devil! If anyone here is the devil, it's you! You lied to me! You goddamn liar!” Jameson shouted. Tate got up in his face.

“You lied first! Such sweet words, 'only you, Tatum. It was only ever you',” she mocked him. “Hadn't slept with a soul, you were 'waiting for' me. Bullshit.”

“I never lied, but what about you? You said Nick was nothing, that there was no relationship, yet you always call on him, don't you? Looks real fu-cking suspicious,” he snapped. She steeled her nerves, willed away the tears.

“Your lies are worse,” she hissed. “Why don't you just go be with her!? You obviously can't stay away from each other.”

“I wasn't with her. I don't want her. I want you,” he replied through clenched teeth. She shook her head.

“Well, too bad, cause I don't want you,” she told him.

“Don't lie to me, Tatum.”

“I'm not. It was always just fun, wasn't it? It's not a big deal, we can just -,”

“Stop lying.”

“It's just sex! You don't even give a fu-ck, you couldn't care if I -,”

Jameson let out a shout and slammed the side of his fist against the car window. It shattered and Tate shrieked, throwing her hands up. Blood ran down the side of his palm, dripping onto the ground, but he looked like he didn't even notice. He stared down at her, his eyes on fire.

“Stop. fu-cking. Lying,” he growled. She glared up at him.

“Look. It's over. I'm going. This, whatever it is, is over. Deal with it,” she told him, then turned around and strode towards the Bentley.

“Does he know!?” Jameson called out, following her. “Did your boyfriend help you plan this? Or are you surprising him, too?” She managed a laugh, wiping at her eyes.

“Always about you, isn't it.”

“You fu-cking make it that way, not me. Does he know you like I do? Does he know that at the first hint of trouble, you're going to flip the fu-ck out? Does he know that you'll use him, lie to him, then leave him?” he demanded, hurrying around and getting in front of her, stopping her mid-stride. She took a shuddering breath.

“He knows me better than you,” she told him. Rage washed over his face.

“Not possible. So what kind of lie did you tell him? You said you loved me; what kind of lies does he get to hear?” Jameson said in a deadly soft voice.