Damien (Slater Brothers #5)(114)

I had just got his inquisitive grey eyes perfect when my doorbell rang. My instinct told me it was Damien, so I put my things down and went to answer the door. I pulled it open and said, “Damien, I … You’re not Damien.”

“No,” Kane answered. “I’m much better lookin’.”

I opened my mouth to talk but couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Cat got your tongue?”

I cleared my throat. “You’re the last person I expected to see.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me in?”

“Why?” I questioned. “D’ye want to have a starin’ contest?”

His lips quirked. “No, I want to talk to you.”

“Like a conversation?”

“Yeah, like a conversation.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you capable of that?”

“Ha-ha-ha, you’re hilarious.”

I turned and walked into my sitting room. I knew Kane followed me the second my apartment door closed. I sat on my settee, pulled a throw blanket around my body, and switched on the television. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kane take a seat on the settee facing me.

“How are you holding up?”

“Surprisingly well considerin’ me so called friends are a bunch of lyin’ rat bastards.”

Kane whistled. “You’re hurtful when you’re mad.”

“Good,” I quipped. “I hope I make you cry.”

We both knew I couldn’t make Kane cry, but the thought alone made me feel better.

“Alannah.” He sighed. “We all love you; it’s why we did what we did.”

“You love me?” I repeated with a laugh. “Kane, you can barely tolerate me.”

“That was when you were a kid,” he corrected. “You came into me life at a time when I was just used to being in my brothers’ company. When Dominic and Bronagh hooked up, everything changed. Ryder and Branna got together, then Alec met Keela, and I found my Aideen. I’m quiet, and I sometimes can’t handle being around everyone all at once, but if I had to choose someone, apart from Aideen, to be stuck in a room with for a week flat, it’d be you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re you.” He shrugged. “You’ve never made me feel uncomfortable or made me feel like I had to strike up a conversation to keep things from being awkward. All of the other girls have made me feel like that at some point even though they don’t mean to, but not you. You’re easy to be around.”

“Easy to manipulate and lie to, you mean.”

Kane shook his head.

“No, you’re a good person. You’re so … chill. I like being around you.”

“I don’t like bein’ around you; you’re a liar.”

Another sigh. “I’m sorry.”

I didn’t respond.

“I truly am.”

I looked at him, and he looked to be sincerely sorry, and that made staying angry with him very hard.

“You’ve all really hurt me.”

“I know we have, Lana, but you have to believe us when we say it was to protect you.”

I swallowed. “None of this feels real, Kane. I can’t believe you have all done the things Morgan said you did.”

“His name isn’t Morgan.”

“I know,” I grumbled. “It just feels weird to call him the other name.”

Kane nodded in understanding.

“I’m not going to explain what he has told you,” he said. “I’m just here to convince you to give the man who needs to do that the chance to do it.”

I looked up at the ceiling.

“He’s still in your apartment?”

“Yes,” Kane answered. “Aideen’s dad left before you arrived. Dante has taken Jax and Locke for a sleepover, Keela went home to put Georgie to bed since she and Alec are babysitting her tonight, and Ryder brought Branna home with the twins. He is back in my place.”

“Why has everyone stayed?”

“We’re hoping you’ll give Damien a chance to talk, then hear the rest of us out.”

“What if I say no?”

“I’ll tell the landlord you’re being a bad neighbour, and he might kick you out.”

My lips parted in shock.

“You arsehole, why would you do that?”

“Because I’m tight with him.”

“You … you are?”

“Extremely.”

This was news to me.

“Who is he?” I demanded. “I never knew you knew ’im.”

“He’s, well, me.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I’m the landlord.”

I didn’t speak.

“I am,” Kane pressed. “I own this building, and four more like it throughout Dublin. I own the community centre that’s being knocked down during the summer and rebuilt so I can open it as a youth centre to target kids prone to ending up in gangs and steer them away from that life so they can focus on their education and future.”

My jaw practically hit my lap.

“You don’t know this because it was another fucking secret, but we’re done keeping them from our family, and you are our family, so you have a right to know.”