“I hope you’ve given that woman a raise with all the shit she’s had to deal with for you,” I teased as he walked to the door.
“I’m sure if she felt she wasn’t getting paid enough, she’d have quit already.” He smiled over his shoulder and without checking the peephole or asking who it was, he swung the door right open.
But he shouldn’t have, because when I saw the person, my smile collapsed and my mood went from chipper to glum. I didn’t have to know him, to know he was a threat.
A man stood on the other side, slightly taller than Cane, and with a tad bit more muscle. He had a head full of mop-like brown hair, and his eyes…they were exactly like Cane’s, only much darker and much more threatening. He wore a black jacket over an army-green shirt, dusty jeans, and brown boots.
When Cane realized who he was, he immediately squared his shoulders, then a deep growl ripped right through him as he yelled, “You dumb motherfucker!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
KANDY
Cane didn’t hesitate. I remembered him telling me repeatedly that if he ever saw Buck again, he wouldn’t hold back. I was certain that in that moment, nothing but rage had consumed and swallowed him whole.
Cane took the first swing, and with one punch to the face, Buck stumbled backward, his back slamming into one of the pillars. I couldn’t fight the scream that crawled out of my throat as I watched Cane tackle Buck to the ground. Both of them rolled down the stairs with loud thuds, and then footsteps sounded behind me.
“What the hell is going on!” Lora yelled, pushing past me and rushing to the door.
“Wait—Lora!” I ran after her, but she came to an abrupt halt on her own, watching her brother and the man who was supposed to be a father to her, fighting on the grass. Lora’s entire body froze up, and she literally looked like she was staring at a ghost.
“Should I call the cops?” I asked, panicked.
But Lora didn’t answer.
“Lora!” I wailed.
“Kandy, Lora! What’s wrong?” I looked back, and Miss Cane was rushing our way. She saw Cane and Buck tussling on the walkway, just as Buck rolled on top of him and delivered a mean, solid punch to his face. “Oh my God,” she gasped. She rushed down the steps, going right to them, trying to break it up, almost like she had done this many, many times before. Buck ended up swinging his arm back to push her off, but he ended up hitting her right in the mouth, making her bleed.
Lora finally broke out of her frozen state, gasping as Miss Cane hit the ground with a loud, broken moan. Cane saw it happen—saw the arm of the man he hated swing back and hit his mother—and I don’t think I’d ever seen him get so angry. He shoved Buck off of him and then climbed on top of him, pinning his arms down with his knees and punching his face repeatedly.
“You. Stupid. Mother. Fucker!” Cane roared, still punching.
“Cane! Stop!” his mom yelled, still on the ground, holding her hand out.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I went inside and grabbed my phone. When I rushed back out, about to dial 9-1-1, Lora glared at me. “No, Kandy! Hang it up!” she shouted, and I frowned at her, but she frowned even deeper. I lowered the phone, feeling defeated. Cane was down there, literally fighting like this was life or death, and all I could do was stand there and wait until it was over. I went down the steps to help Lora bring Miss Cane to a stand instead.
“Fuck, Mom! He hit you hard! Your lip is split!” Lora cried out.
A loud grunt sounded in front of us, and Buck shoved Cane off somehow. Cane landed on his back, and Buck was about to return several of the punches Cane had delivered, but then Miss Cane screamed, “Stop this! Now!”
I cupped my mouth, looking Cane all over. He was a bloody mess, but most if it was Buck’s. His knuckles were covered with red, the letters for RISE slathered with his father’s blood.
“How the hell did you find out where we lived?” Cane rasped, shoulders hiked, like he was ready to attack all over again.
Buck smiled, a bloody smile that made my skin crawl. He spat the blood out and said, “Boy, you think you were hard to fucking find?”
“Fuck you,” Cane spat.
Buck looked at Miss Cane and then Lora. “Hey, pretty girls.” His smile was sharp and slick, and Lora glared hard at him, nostrils flaring, while Miss Cane physically cringed.
“You’ve got one second to get the fuck off my property before I end your ass,” Cane growled.
“Oh, boy!” Buck cackled. “Oh, shit! So you get yo’ self a little bit of money, and think you runnin’ shit now! Is that it?”