“Did Aspen know all this?” Brick asked, frowning.
“No. Neither of us told anyone. But Sierra is telling Aspen tonight, and I wanted to do the same. I know this complicates things. Not sure how Aspen is going to feel about it.”
His friend gave a quick grin. “Aspen is a hopeless romantic so she’ll be wishing for the best. How bad you got it? You want a serious shot?”
“I do. I never felt like this before. Beyond the crazy chemistry, I’m pulled toward her all the time, and she fascinates me. Half the time it’s as if I got clubbed. Some of it’s not pretty.”
Now, Brick laughed. “Sounds about right. No wonder you haven’t been dating anyone. The rumors are running around that you’re hiding a secret relationship. They’ll have a field day when you come out in public. Both of you ready for that?”
His jaw tightened. “I’m ready. I’ll protect her if she gets any heat.”
“Not worried about Sierra. More worried about you.”
His brow shot up in astonishment. “Me? Why? I can handle anything.”
“In business, sure. But—” Brick trailed off, a worried glint in his blue eyes.
“Just tell me.”
Kane waited, knowing he’d be getting some hard truths. “You’re like a castle with a fucking moat around it, man. You know how long we’ve known each other, and you still barely tell me anything about your past, or the jail thing, or even these feelings for Sierra? I’m not asking to hang every weekend and braid each other’s hair, but maybe you let some people in? Me, Aspen, Sierra. We care about you, no matter what ends up happening.”
It was the most heartfelt speech his friend had ever given him. The hard armor inside his chest softened, and Kane wondered if maybe it was time to make some changes. Especially if he wanted a relationship with Sierra. She deserved more of him.
So did Brick.
“I’m sorry. I’ll do better.”
Brick nodded. “Good.”
They sat in silence for a while. “Sure you don’t want to try that braiding thing, though? Aspen does love your thick, sexy hair.”
“Fuck you.”
They both laughed. Kane pet Dug and breathed easier. “You can ask me any question you want. Other than you and Derek, anyone I trusted made me regret it. I’m sure you’re wondering about the backstory.”
Brick scratched his head and looked intrigued. “Hmm, tempting. Aspen talks a lot about backstory being the key to a good character. There’s one thing I always wondered about.”
“Shoot.”
“You ended up at my house broke, except for those designer clothes you were carrying. But dude, you closed million dollar deals for a while. Where did the rest of the money go?”
Kane winced. It was a damn good question. “My mentor, John, convinced me to put every dime into a long-term, high-risk annuity. Said I’d be making big money for years, and if this paid off, I could pretty much be a billionaire.”
Brick shook his head. “Those things rarely pay off and they’re locked tight for any emergencies. What an asshole.”
“I was the asshole for listening. When everything blew up, I had empty accounts. I think that’s exactly what he was planning so I didn’t have anywhere to go afterward.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
His words touched deep. “Thanks. Anything else you want to know?”
A few moments of silence ticked by. Kane waited to get ready to spill his guts since he expected Brick had a ton of questions.
“Nah. Want another beer?”
“Yeah. That’d be cool.”
Brick got up and went to the kitchen. Kane relaxed and continued petting Dug. Friendship was pretty bad ass. It meant not having to explain every action because there was trust.
