White Lies (Blood Brothers MC Book 1) Read Online Free PDF
Author: Amy Love
somehow she might see him again.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kane had to fight past every impulse as he stood toe to toe with his brother.
“Why say that?” Kane asked. “Why would you lie about—?”
“It’s no lie,” Jeremy said, cutting him off. Focusing his stare on his brother, Kane steadied his stance. Jeremy would never set out to hurt him. He had to have seen something. Thought he had seen something. Angeline wasn’t here to defend herself. So it fell to Kane to talk him down.
“Jem, you’re way off,” Kane said. “Angeline stayed true. She waited. She—”
“Fine,” Jeremy said as he moved back to the car, “if it makes you happy, think that.”
Jeremy kept moving, but Kane was quick to grab him by the arm.
“It don’t make me happy, Jem,” Kane said. “Not when you lie.”
“Right,” Jeremy said as he brushed him off, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Why should you believe me? I’m just your brother. Not your Blood Brother .”
Kane stared hard into his brother’s face. It was always there, hanging between them like a pendulum ready to slice whatever bond they might still have for good and all. Kane ran; Jeremy stayed.
And the little brother was never going to let him forget it.
“So that’s what this is?” Kane demanded. “Some kind of payback? Hey, man, I didn’t—”
“You didn’t what?” Jeremy asked. “Run away and choose the easy way out? Pretend like they’re your family?”
Jeremy shook as he stepped forward with clenched fists at his side.
“Don’t see Noel picking you up, Kane.”
Kane rolled his eyes. Of course Noel had to keep clear of the jail. There was an entire operation at stake, and one sideways glance from a suspicious cop could blow them all out of the water.
“Don’t hear him spitting out lies either,” Kane said. “If you hate me so fucking much, why’d you come at all?”
It took Jeremy several seconds to respond. Uncurling his fists, he took two deep breaths.
Then he kept going.
“I still have your back,” he finally said. “Even if you never had mine.”
Another lie, but when Kane saw Jeremy struggling to force tears back in his eyes, something softened. Maybe he had a right to his anger. Kane only had to look at the three-pronged slice just above Jeremy’s chin to know that their father had to have taken a fork to his face in a moment of rage.
But if Kane had stayed, his father would have sucked the meat from his bones.
“Jem… I get it,” Kane said. “You’re pissed. And… and I’m…”
He tried to apologize, but Jeremy would have run, too. If he’d had the chance.
Kane stopped short of pointing that out.
“But it’s the past,” Kane continued. “You’re good now, right?”
His eyes moved to Jeremy’s hand. A single band of gold. He found himself a wife, he had his job…
And he still got to see their mother. Sure, she had basically stood by and let the worst happen. Still, sometimes, Kane missed her.
“I’d be a hell of a lot better if you’d just listen to me,” Jeremy said.
He seemed so sure, but Jeremy had to have it wrong.
“Angel would never…”
Jeremy sighed as he started back to the car.
“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Hanging across the driver’s door, Jeremy’s mouth was like steel, but the tears still brimmed in his eyes.
“Let’s go for a ride,” Jeremy said.
The brothers were silent as they glided through the city. The ride started flat, but soon they were falling off cliffs, plummeting deeper into the underbelly. Jeremy’s accusations were still cutting into his heart, but then the familiar began to appear.
The car moved past ranch houses on dirt lawns. One house had a hole in the roof where the shingles started, stopped, then began again. Kane saw Jeremy tense every time he had to come to a halt. Men
CHAPTER FIVE
Kane had to fight past every impulse as he stood toe to toe with his brother.
“Why say that?” Kane asked. “Why would you lie about—?”
“It’s no lie,” Jeremy said, cutting him off. Focusing his stare on his brother, Kane steadied his stance. Jeremy would never set out to hurt him. He had to have seen something. Thought he had seen something. Angeline wasn’t here to defend herself. So it fell to Kane to talk him down.
“Jem, you’re way off,” Kane said. “Angeline stayed true. She waited. She—”
“Fine,” Jeremy said as he moved back to the car, “if it makes you happy, think that.”
Jeremy kept moving, but Kane was quick to grab him by the arm.
“It don’t make me happy, Jem,” Kane said. “Not when you lie.”
“Right,” Jeremy said as he brushed him off, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “Why should you believe me? I’m just your brother. Not your Blood Brother .”
Kane stared hard into his brother’s face. It was always there, hanging between them like a pendulum ready to slice whatever bond they might still have for good and all. Kane ran; Jeremy stayed.
And the little brother was never going to let him forget it.
“So that’s what this is?” Kane demanded. “Some kind of payback? Hey, man, I didn’t—”
“You didn’t what?” Jeremy asked. “Run away and choose the easy way out? Pretend like they’re your family?”
Jeremy shook as he stepped forward with clenched fists at his side.
“Don’t see Noel picking you up, Kane.”
Kane rolled his eyes. Of course Noel had to keep clear of the jail. There was an entire operation at stake, and one sideways glance from a suspicious cop could blow them all out of the water.
“Don’t hear him spitting out lies either,” Kane said. “If you hate me so fucking much, why’d you come at all?”
It took Jeremy several seconds to respond. Uncurling his fists, he took two deep breaths.
Then he kept going.
“I still have your back,” he finally said. “Even if you never had mine.”
Another lie, but when Kane saw Jeremy struggling to force tears back in his eyes, something softened. Maybe he had a right to his anger. Kane only had to look at the three-pronged slice just above Jeremy’s chin to know that their father had to have taken a fork to his face in a moment of rage.
But if Kane had stayed, his father would have sucked the meat from his bones.
“Jem… I get it,” Kane said. “You’re pissed. And… and I’m…”
He tried to apologize, but Jeremy would have run, too. If he’d had the chance.
Kane stopped short of pointing that out.
“But it’s the past,” Kane continued. “You’re good now, right?”
His eyes moved to Jeremy’s hand. A single band of gold. He found himself a wife, he had his job…
And he still got to see their mother. Sure, she had basically stood by and let the worst happen. Still, sometimes, Kane missed her.
“I’d be a hell of a lot better if you’d just listen to me,” Jeremy said.
He seemed so sure, but Jeremy had to have it wrong.
“Angel would never…”
Jeremy sighed as he started back to the car.
“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Hanging across the driver’s door, Jeremy’s mouth was like steel, but the tears still brimmed in his eyes.
“Let’s go for a ride,” Jeremy said.
The brothers were silent as they glided through the city. The ride started flat, but soon they were falling off cliffs, plummeting deeper into the underbelly. Jeremy’s accusations were still cutting into his heart, but then the familiar began to appear.
The car moved past ranch houses on dirt lawns. One house had a hole in the roof where the shingles started, stopped, then began again. Kane saw Jeremy tense every time he had to come to a halt. Men