Wouldn’t he have needed his stuff from inside the bag? His runners and such?

Curiosity got the best of me, so I kneeled down on the floor and pulled the bag towards me. I gripped onto the zip and pulled it open. I puffed the sides of the bag out so I could look inside and see the contents. I leaned back a little expecting a foul smell—it was a gym bag after all—but there was no stench. There was no smell at all.

That was weird.

I leaned forward and looked into the bag, but I couldn’t see anything thanks to the shadows from my wardrobe. I scooted back a little and slid the bag along the floor with me. I leaned forward again, and this time when I looked into the bag, I clearly saw the contents. I gasped when saw bundles of money with elastic bands wrapped around them. Not small bills either, it was bundles of five-hundred euro notes. Hundreds of them.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered.

I didn’t flinch when I heard my front door open and close. Nor did I flinch when I heard him call out my name.

“Aideen?”

I continued to stare down at the money and called out, “In me bedroom.”

I heard his footsteps then—each one brought him closer to me and my discovery.

“Hey, baby. I just wanted to say I’m-” Kane cut himself off when he entered my room, and I knew it was because of what he saw.

He was silent for a few moments then he said, “I have an explanation for that.”

I looked up at him, my eyes burning into his.

“Really? Because I can’t wait to hear it.”

“Well?” I prompted Kane after a minute of silent staring.

He swallowed. “I’m trying to think of the right way to word what I’m going to say.”

“Please, take your time,” I sarcastically hissed.

Kane narrowed his eyes. “I want to explain myself correctly. Just give me a second to figure out how.”

“You mean you want a second to figure out a way to weasel your way out of tellin’ me where the fuck you got all this money from?”

Kane set his jaw. “I’m not going to lie to you, so don’t insinuate that I will.”

Was there a silent ‘or else’ at the end of that sentence?

I ignored Kane’s brewing temper.

“I’m waitin’ on your explanation as to why thousands of euros are sittin’ in me fuckin’ wardrobe like it’s nothin’ more than a pair of cheap shoes.”

“And I’ll give you the explanation if you would give me a fucking second to speak.”

I struggled to my feet and slapped Kane’s hand when he came to my aid.

“I can do it meself,” I snapped and pushed myself upright. “You just talk.”

The muscles in Kane’s jaw rolled back and forth.

“It’s my money. I earned it. End of story.”

Like fuck it was.

“Don’t you fuckin’ dare try to brush this off. Do you see how much money is in that bag?” I bellowed.

Kane’s hands balled into fists. “It’s my money, I know how much is there.”

“Why’re you actin’ like this is normal? It’s not fuckin’ normal!”

He placed his face in his hands. “I don’t want to argue, please.”

Seriously?

“If there was ever a reason to argue it’s because of this, Kane!”

He turned and punched my bedroom door, instantly denting the wood.

“What the fuck do you want from me?”

I didn’t hesitate.

“The truth,” I demanded. “For once just tell me the fuckin’ truth!”

“Why?” Kane screamed causing me to stumble backwards away from him. “Why do you have to know everything about me? Why can’t I have some secrets left that are just for me?”

I pushed the wardrobe door closed and pressed my hand against it. I just needed something to hold onto. “Because I just found a bag of cash in the back of me wardrobe and I want to know where the hell you got it from.”

Kane lifted his hands to his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s my money, okay? Apart from the income from my apartments, I don’t do bank accounts with my money. I never have. I don’t like paper trails. I only deal in cash.”

I blinked. “That doesn’t answer me question.”

“Aideen.”

“Where did the money come from, Kane?”

Kane stared at me, hard. “I’ve been freelancing my... talents to some shitty people, okay?!”

A knot twisted in my stomach.

“What does that mean?”

Kane set his jaw. “It means if someone requires a beat down, people pay me to do it. I hurt shitty people for other shitty people.”

I reared back like I was slapped across the face.

“You... you hurt people?”

Kane said nothing. He didn’t even blink.

“Get out.”

“No.”

No?

“You don’t get a say in this. Get the fuck out of me apartment. Now.”

“I own the building.”

I knew he would eventually throw that in my face!

“You may own the building, but I lease this fuckin’ apartment so get out!”

Kane stood rooted to the spot. “You wanted to talk about this, so now we’re going to talk about it.”

“After what you just admitted? I don’t think so!” I snapped.

I got my phone from my pocket and dialled Nico’s number. I put it to my ear and looked Kane dead in his eyes as his brother answered his phone.

“Come and get Kane from me apartment right now.”

Nico’s voice was hard when he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“He is a lyin’ son of bitch who hurts people for a livin’. I want him out of me apartment right now. I’m serious, Nico. Come get him or I’m callin’ me brothers.”

I screeched when Kane came at me.

“Don’t you touch me!” I screamed and dashed to the right.

Kane punched my wardrobe door, and because the wood wasn’t thick like my door, his fist went through it.

“Tell my brother everything is okay and hang up the phone.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Not a chance in hell- Kane!”

I gasped when Kane shot forward, grabbed my phone and threw it against my bedroom wall. My iPhone shattered into pieces before it even touched the ground. I stared at the fragments on the floor for a moment then without looking at Kane I turned and walked out of my bedroom.

“Wait, I’m sorry,” Kane said from behind me. “I didn’t mean to do that, you just-”

“Made you angry?” I shouted and spun around to face him. “Every time you get angry you seem to lose it. You shout at people, punch stuff, and now you’ve upgraded to breakin’ stuff? How long will it be before you black out and hit the real source of your anger, huh? How long until you take your anger out on me?”

Kane widened his eyes. “I would never, hear me clearly on this, ever hit you.”

“I can’t trust that and that’s the fuckin’ problem.”

Kane looked like I had punched him.

“You can’t believe I would hurt you. You just can’t.”

I swallowed. “I don’t know, Kane. This is all becomin’ too much for me. You aren’t honest with me, you lash out at me when I ask questions, and you are borderline obsessed with me when it comes to other men.”

“Because you’re mine!” Kane snapped.

I jumped a little, but quickly composed myself.

“I understand that,” I stated, my voice surprisingly calm. “I really do. I’m your girlfriend-”

“No, you don’t get it. You’re mine. Everything about you is mine.”

I blinked. “You don’t own me, Kane.”

“Yes. I. Do.”

I took a step backward. “I’m not property.”

“I know you’re not,” Kane grunted and took a step towards me, “but being mine doesn’t make you an object, it makes you my life. You are my life, Aideen. I love you.”

I stopped breathing.

“What?” I whispered.

“I love you,” Kane repeated louder and firmer.

My stomach began to hurt, my chest tightened, and my head spun.

“What?” I repeated, again.

Kane closed the remaining distance between us. “I. Love. You.”

Fuck, Bronagh was right.