“Katie,” he barked into the intercom. Silence greeted him and then a very irritated male voice answered him.

“No, it’s not Katie. I’m here to pick up Katie’s purse and to drop off something to you. So open the damn door.” His voice was openly hostile.

Cain felt his own anger rising. “Who the hell are you?”

“Lucas Squires,” he replied shortly.

This was the man the Katie worked for. The one she was close to, and if Cain was honest with himself, the one he was jealous of. He pressed down on the security button, unlocking the outer door. “Come on in. Take the elevator at the far end to the top.”

There was no reply, but Cain hadn’t really expected one. He opened the door and waited impatiently until the elevator began to rise. The door finally opened and the man who stepped out was not quite what he expected. This guy ran a coffee shop, but he was built like a linebacker. He carefully removed four large packages from the elevator, one at a time, and propped them against the wall of the small hallway. He picked up one and effortlessly carried it in his massive arms. Lucas might have been shorter than him, but he was built like a solid brick wall and looked as tough as nails. And right now the look in his eyes said that he’d gladly take a swing at him if given half a chance.

Cain sighed and stepped back, holding the door open. “You might as well come in.”

“I don’t plan on staying long,” came the sardonic reply.

“How is she?” Cain asked before he could stop himself.

Lucas carefully laid the package down before facing Cain. He placed his hands on his hips and just glared at him. “Why do you care? And why the hell is it so dark here? Be a man and show yourself.”

Cain reacted to that taunt immediately. He flicked on a light, pulled himself up to his full height and flexed his fingers into fists. If Lucas wanted a fight, he was more than willing to oblige.

Lucas looked unimpressed and repeated his question. “Why do you care?” This time his voice was low and taunting.

Cain was surprised and pleased that Lucas wasn’t intimidated by him. In some perverse way, he was glad that Katie had a strong protector. “I do care.”

Lucas just shook his head in disgust. “Katie will be fine. She’s a strong lady.” Turning away, he went back into the hallway and got the next package. When they were all inside the apartment, he began to unwrap the canvases. “You don’t deserve her. You’re obviously not good enough for her.”

Cain’s reply was stark. “I know.”

“Well, for some reason Katie saw fit to love you, but there’s no accounting for taste.” Lucas continued his work.

Cain winced as the other man spoke bluntly. “You don’t mince words, do you?”

“Nope. Especially not when you were idiot enough to throw away the love of a good woman like Katie.” Lucas stopped his task for a moment and stood facing Cain. “Look, I don’t know you, but I do know Katie. She would never try to manipulate you or use you in any way. That’s not her style. Katie doesn’t play games. But she was devastated that you’d kept secrets from her.” Lucas stared hard at Cain as he finished. “From what I can see, you’re the one playing games with her.”

Cain had no defense against his words and said nothing as Lucas began lining up four paintings against the wall, one after another. He recognized Katie’s work immediately and was shocked to discover that he was the subject of all of them. A hiss of pain escaped him as he studied each of them in turn.

Lucas stood back, satisfied with his work. “Where’s her purse?”

Cain indicated the coat rack by the front door, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the paintings in front of him.

Lucas tucked Katie’s purse under his arm and turned to go, satisfied that he had fulfilled his part of the bargain. He glanced back at Cain, who was transfixed by Katie’s work. “If you can’t see the truth in those paintings, then you really are a fool.” On that final note, Lucas quietly left the apartment, leaving Cain to his own thoughts.

When the door closed behind Lucas, Cain fell to his knees in front of the paintings. It was like reading a story of their relationship. From the first one where he was nothing but a shadow in the dark, to the next one where he was partially visible on the street, and to the third one in which he was inviting her to share not only dinner, but his dark world with him.

But it was the final painting that moved him the most. He was lying in bed, but he was fully in the light. Katie had been brutally honest in her depiction of him. The patch on his eye, the scars on his face, neck, arm, and chest were all visible, but she had captured much more than that. Even at rest, the strength in his body, his sheer size was evident. The silky strands of his black hair were pushed back from his face. The gleam in his green eye was filled with male satisfaction as he held one hand out, beckoning to an unseen woman. The crisp white sheets next to him were rumpled, indicating that the woman had just risen and he was trying to entice her back to bed.

Then he noticed that the woman was in darkness. Katie had painted herself as a shadow fading into the darkness. She was succumbing to his darkness as she tried to guide him into her light, her love. How long he sat there and stared at the painting he didn’t know. It was only when Gabriel licked his face and whined that Cain discovered his cheek was wet. He hadn’t cried since he was a child.

Katie had painted a masterpiece of love. She was willing to let him go if he could not accept her love. No blame. No recriminations. All he sensed was a sadness that he was unable to reach out and take the love offered him.

He was a bloody fool. He had thought he was so clever, hiding himself from her. Thinking that she would not be able to accept him as he was. In truth, Lucas was right, he was a coward and an idiot. In seeking to protect himself, he had thrown away the very things he had been looking for all of his life— love and acceptance.

He may very well be a fool, but he also learned from his mistakes. Katie had met him more than halfway and now it was his turn to reach out to her if he had a chance of saving their relationship. He was gambling on the fact that she truly seemed to love him and he was ruthless enough to exploit that fact if it meant getting her back in his life.

Pushing himself to his feet, he took a moment to scratch Gabriel’s head and ear to reassure the dog that everything was all right. Gabriel continued to hover close to him, following him up and down the hallway as he moved the paintings.

Carefully, Cain carried one painting at a time until they were all leaning against the wall in the study. He eased himself into his chair and began to mull over ideas. Gabriel flopped on the floor next to his feet and kept one canine eye on him for a long time before finally going to sleep.

It was late when he finally left the study and crawled into bed. He had made up his mind about what he had to do. It had to work. The alternative, a life without Katie, was no longer acceptable.

Chapter Thirteen

Katie refilled the sugar dispenser and then added napkins to the holder before wiping down the table. She moved to the next table by rote and began the routine all over again. Glancing at the clock, she breathed a sigh of relief. It was ten minutes to closing. She finished the last table and took a quick look around, pleased when she saw only a single couple at a table in the corner. They had already paid for their order and looked as if they were almost finished their coffee.

Her mind drifted back to this past weekend, which had passed in a blur of emotion. It was hard to believe that only a few days ago, she was happily going about her life and anticipating spending a weekend with Cain. Instead, the last week had been an emotional roller coaster.

Lucas had plied her with pizza and two comedy videos he picked up on his way back to her place Saturday night. Katie couldn’t even remember what the movies were. She was just glad for his company. She didn’t know what had transpired between him and Cain. He hadn’t said anything and she hadn’t asked.

Lucas had shown up again early on Sunday morning and dragged her out to breakfast, insisting that she join him for pancakes and syrup. They followed breakfast with a long drive, stopping occasionally to shop at an indoor flea market, a thrift shop, and finally a bookstore. An early dinner had capped off the day and the sun had gone down for the day by the time Lucas had taken her home. She loved him for keeping her company and trying to take her mind off of her problems.

Scooting behind the counter, Katie emptied the last of the trays from the display case. Carefully, she transferred the remaining cookies and treats to a large plastic container. They would be bagged and reduced for a quick sale to the morning crowd. Before closing the container, she selected two cinnamon rolls and put them in a takeout box. She approached the couple in the corner with a forced smile on her face.

“We’re closing now, but I brought you a couple of cinnamon buns for the road.” Katie had long ago found that you could get rid of customers at closing if you offered them a free treat. She didn’t resort to this tactic very often, but today she was desperate to just go home.

As expected, the couple gratefully accepted her offering, tugged on their jackets and wished her well as they headed out the door. Katie called her goodbyes as they left, but was already ducked behind the counter, grabbing the closed sign from underneath. Katie shrieked as something cold hit her hand. Jumping back she hit her hip on the counter and cursed.

Sitting before her, totally unconcerned, was Gabriel. His tail was wagging, and in his mouth he carried a single red rose with a note attached. Her hand automatically reached out to pet him even as her eyes searched for Cain, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Why am I not surprised?” she muttered to the dog. Still, she could not resist the flower and carefully took it from the dog’s mouth. Gabriel licked her hand as she did so, happy that he had discharged his duty.

Lucas stepped out from the back. “Are we closed?”

“Almost.” She smiled at the dog who was still wagging his tail happily. “We had a last-minute customer.”

Lucas scowled and glanced around the room. His gaze lit on the rose in Katie’s hand and the attached note. “Well, are you going to read it?”

“I’m almost afraid to,” she answered honestly.

Lucas’s eyes softened. “Do you want me to read it for you?”

“No, I’ll do it.” Taking her time, she removed the note from the envelope. It was simple and to the point. She read it aloud. “If you can find it in your heart to talk to me, I’ll be waiting.” It was not signed.

“What are you going to do?” Lucas’s voice was soft behind her.

“I honestly don’t know.” Katie felt so conflicted. Part of her wanted to race outside to find him, while another part wanted to run home and hide. But she had never been a coward and didn’t know if she could live with herself if she didn’t at least hear what he had to say.

“Yes, you do know.” Lucas came up behind her and placed both of his large hands on her shoulders and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

She reached up and touched one of his hands, silently acknowledging his comfort. “I hate it when you’re right.” Sighing, she stepped away and pulled off her apron.

Lucas gave her a little push towards the back. “Go get your coat on and I’ll finish closing.”

When she returned a few moments later with her coat and purse, Lucas had the storefront closed, the lights turned off, and the cash pulled from the register. The shop was dark, as the sun had already gone down, and the only light was the soft glow of the security lights. She walked over to him and he pulled her into his arms.

As he hugged her, he reached down to whisper in her ear. “One chance, Katie. But, if he hurts you again, I’ll beat him up for you.”

Katie laughed, as he’d known she would. “Thanks. You’re a good friend.”

“I know.” He released her and gave her a rare smile. “Call me if you need me.”

“Promise.” Pulling her purse securely over her shoulder, she headed towards the door where Gabriel was patiently waiting.

The moment she opened the door, Gabriel shot out of the shop and to the curb where his limo was waiting. Quentin was standing there, holding the door open, with a slight enigmatic smile on his face. Gabriel barked impatiently from the interior of the vehicle. Katie hesitated. She’d been expecting Cain.