Page 38 of The Fight For Survival

"Of course not. I only wrote about the physical abuse. I didn't have it in me to tell her about the rest." He lets out a puff of air in relief.

"What if I had mentioned it to her by accident?" Shit, I didn't think about that.

"Lucky you didn't, huh?" I laugh. A weight that was holding me down for so long lifted. As Cade leaves, he asks, "can we stay in touch?"

"Yes. No more running. I promised you that."

He leaves with a big smile that lights up the dark morning.

Time to look up a decent therapist. I can't believe I'm taking this step. But as I search the internet, I can't help the smile on my face and the flutter in my heart. That tells me I'm doing the right thing.

Braylon

WhenDamoncametome last night with the tragic secret of Kane's past, I saw him in a new light. The kid had been through hell and back. No wonder he had to get away. Should he have said goodbye to Cade and Mia? Yes. But that was the only thing you could fault him for. Guilt consumed me when I realized I had triggered him that night when we were fighting. I wanted to be sick.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask Damon one more time. "Yes," he growls, a noise that sounds foreign on his lips.

Damon is out for blood. The determination in his posture speaks volumes of the lengths he will go to get revenge for his best friend. "Okay, I'll talk to my friend at Noxious. He'll be able to track them down. Does Cade know about this?"

My phone rings before Damon can reply. Looking at the incoming call, it reads Mia.

"Hello?"

"Braylon!" Mia sounds frantic.

"Mia? are you okay?"

"Cade's gone. The letters Kane gave to us with the answers we've sought are gone with him. His phone is off. What if he's hurt!"

I look at Damon, eyes wide. Cade knows. Fuck!

"Mia, I need you to take a deep breath and calm down. We'll find him, okay?"

"What was in those letters to make him take off?" she whispers, tears in her voice.

Closing my eyes, a stabbing in my heart causes me to rub at it. I ignore her question because I know she doesn't expect an answer, and I wouldn't want to anyway. Cade did the right thing taking hers before she read whatever was in there.

"I've got a few calls to make, sweetheart. We'll find him. Sit tight."

I hang up and rub at my eyes. "What happened?" Damon asks. "Cade knows the truth about Kane, and he took off."

"Fuck," he hisses.

Trying to think straight with the ache forming behind my eyes, I shout out, "wait! this is Cade. Cade who is completely in love with that man. Where is the first place he is going to want to go when he finds out news like this?" I ask in a lightbulb moment. Damon looks confused. Then realization kicks in. "Cade is in love with Kane?"

"You didn't know?"

"No! I feel kinda bad that I sucked him off now."

"That's the only reason you feel bad?" I ask in amusement.

"Yes. What if Cade imagined Kane that whole time?" He asks with a deadly serious expression.

Shaking my head, "we don't have time for this. Cade has obviously gone to see Kane. Mia would have realized that if she knew exactly what was in those letters." Damon holds up a finger, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Dialing a button, he puts the phone to his ear.

"Kane? Yeah yeah, I know I'm an ass. Has Cade been to see you by any chance?" His eyes light up, and he gives me the thumbs up. "No, Mia was worried because he took off without saying anything and took some letters?" Damon squeezes his eye shut, distress on his face. "Everything? Fuck how did he take it? Of course, he wouldn't think that way, you dick. How could you ever think that?" Damon walks off while still on the phone. I take the time to message Mia.

Me:He went to see Kane.