The Wrath of Cain (The Syndicate, #1)(16)

“No. The Savages have a lot of enemies. For years they have thought they ruled the streets of Detroit, but they’ve been falling apart for a while, now. There’s a few of them left out there. The few that want to taunt Cain with you. The main one seems to have vanished. He’s out there somewhere.”

So a man who is not above killing to get what he wants is on the loose, and no one can find him. The back of my neck itches as if a target were painted on it. I need to know more.

“Who is this man? What’s his name?”

“His name is Kryder, and he’s a remorseless son of a bitch.” A grim look crosses his face. “I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now. Cain will kick my f*cking ass if he finds out I’ve told you any of this. He’s lost in his own head right now after seeing you today.”

I sneer at his comment.

“He’s lost? I doubt it. He’s been harsh, rude, and inconsiderate since I’ve gotten here.”

“I know, but trust me. Your safety has been his top priority for years.”

I crane my head to look up at him.

“It’s been you, hasn’t it? You’ve been watching me this whole time, haven’t you?”

He simply nods.

“You dirty liar. Not two minutes ago, you just said long time no see. It may have been a long time since I’ve seen you last, but you’ve been stalking me this whole time.”

“You didn’t even know I was watching you. Don’t get your panties all bunched up, woman. I didn’t stalk. I protected.”

Both of us laugh. Now I know why Cain knows so much about me. I’m grateful for whatever reason he felt he needed to have me protected.

“Exactly how long have you been watching me?” I ask.

“I’ve been living in Canada for the past few years. Cain didn’t trust anyone else with your safety, and neither did I. Although today you threw me for a loop when you hopped in your car and drove here.”

“Yeah, well. I had been thinking about it for a while now. Today seemed like the day, so I just took off. If I had known all of this was going on, I would have just given you the papers myself, or let them be delivered by a process server and left it up to him whether to respond or not,” I say righteously. “Either way, the Canadian courts would have granted me a divorce.”

Manny’s no fool. He knows damn well I could have had someone else deliver these papers instead of coming here in person. Why didn’t I?

He shrugs.

“It’s your life, Calla. Never really put much thought into watching you go into the courthouse. You’re in and out of there all the time, with law school and all. Do your parents know? About the divorce, I mean.”

I shake my head.

“No, they don’t know. And you’re right, Manny. It is my life. A life I need to start living.”

“I agree,” he says a little too quickly.

I don’t think he believes I want this divorce, but I’m not in the mood to argue with him over it. I want my life back, that’s all.

“You really did keep an eye on me, huh?” I reach up and kiss his cheek, lightening the heavy mood that has shrouded us. “Seriously, though. I can’t believe you have given up years of your life just to watch me walk around school, or go to parties and study groups. God, you must have been bored out of your mind. My life has been nothing but one big uninteresting bag of books.”

“Nah. I had a job to do, so I did it. Besides, we take care of our own around here. I would never be able to live with myself if something were to happen to you. Simple as that. And you were boring for the first year, but you broke free over the past year and a half. Especially after you started dating Mikel.”

I don’t miss the crossness in his tone.

“We broke up after he asked me to marry him. I lied to him the entire time we dated. That’s when I decided enough was enough and I couldn’t continue to put my life on hold for a man who didn’t give a shit about me. Mikel didn’t deserve to be hurt like that.”

I’ll never forget the regret I felt when I broke his heart. I know what that feels like, to think you know someone, and then to find out everything about them was a lie.

Manny sits down next to me and polishes off the rest of his beer, tossing the bottle onto the ground.

“It’s a damn good thing you did break up, though, because that’s the first time Cain really thought he was going to lose you for good. I had to talk the f*cker down time and time again from driving over the border. He was ready to kill him.”

“That’s a little hypocritical, don’t you think? I mean, he wanted to kill Mikel when he’s the one who lied and slept with someone else in the first place. I mean, come on. I get the fact that he’s been protecting me, I really do, but that’s bullshit and you know it. He lost me the day he married me. The day he decided our love for one another wasn’t strong enough.”

“Come on, Calla. Loosen up a little. I didn’t mean it literally. I just meant for the first time since you left, he didn’t think he had a chance of getting you back.”

“I was never his in the first place,” I say softly.

“You’ve always been his woman. You just don’t realize it.”

I stand up, straightening my skirt as best I can.