Kane wasn't interested in hearing his excuses. He grabbed Ryan by the collar once more, lifting him off the ground with a strength that belied his fury. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into Ryan's face again, a sickening crack echoing through the night as bone met bone. Ryan let out a strangled cry, his body going limp in Kane's grasp.
Kane didn't stop. He couldn't. The image of Lucas, vulnerable in that car, was burned into his mind, fueling his rage with every punch. He didn't care that Ryan was barely conscious now, that his face was a bloody mess of bruises and cuts. All Kane could think about was the betrayal, the violation, the thought that someone had dared to touch what was his.
"Kane..." Lucas's voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it cut through the haze of anger that had consumed Kane.
He turned to look at Lucas, his chest heaving, his knuckles bloodied. Lucas had finally stepped out of the car, his movements slow and unsteady as he leaned against the lamppost. His blue eyes were half-lidded, his expression a mix of pain and pleasure, the drug still coursing through his veins, until he got some sort of release.
For a moment, Kane just stared at him, his rage momentarily forgotten as he took in the sight of Lucas—disheveled, vulnerable, and utterly intoxicating. But then something snapped inside him, and the anger returned, sharper and more vicious than before.
"You've been cheating on me, haven't you?" Kane's voice was low, dangerous, his eyes narrowing as he took a step toward Lucas.
Lucas's eyes widened slightly, but he didn't respond. He just continued to lean against the lamppost, his breath coming in shallow pants, his body trembling .He opened his mouth to say something but didn't know what to say,so he immediately closed it again.
Kane's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides as he took another step forward. "Answer me, Lucas," he demanded, his voice a harsh growl. "Have you been cheating on me?"
Lucas opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a word, Kane's fist connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling back against the lamppost. The force of the punch was enough to make Lucas see stars, his vision swimming as pain exploded across his face.
He slumped against the lamppost, his legs giving out beneath him, but he managed to stay upright, his hands gripping the metal for support. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, staining his pale skin, but he didn't cry out. Instead, he looked up at Kane with a dazed, almost serene expression, as if the pain had somehow calmed him.As if he was finally really looking at Kane .
Kane stood over him, his chest heaving, his knuckles still raised. For a moment, neither of them moved, the tension between them thick and suffocating. Then, slowly, Lucas lifted a hand to his bleeding lip, wiping away the blood with a swipe of his thumb. His blue eyes locked onto Kane's, and a small, twisted smile curled at the corners of his mouth.
"Is that all you've got?" Lucas didn't know why he was saying these things but he taunted----it was like a defense mechanism, trying to seem unaffected, his voice low and smooth, dripping with derision. "You hit like a little bitch."
Kane's eyes blazed with anger, his fists clenching at his sides. The taunt struck deep, igniting a fire in him that he could no longer control. Without thinking, he swung again, this time aiming higher. His fist connected with Lucas's eye, the impact sending a sharp, searing pain through Lucas's skull.
Lucas's head snapped to the side, and he stumbled but remained standing, one hand bracing against the lamppost. He blinked slowly, the world spinning slightly from the force of the blow. Blood trickled down from a cut above his brow, mingling with the bruise already forming around his eye.
Kane's chest heaved as he stared down at Lucas, the satisfaction of his earlier anger rapidly giving way to a gnawing sense of regret. The sight of Lucas leaning weakly against the lamppost, blood dripping from his lip, cut through his rage like a knife. What had he done?
Lucas's eyes, still locked onto Kane's, held no fear—only that same twisted smile. Beneath the defiant exterior, there was a flicker of deeper turmoil. Lucas's mocking grin was a facade, a way to shield his inner pain and confusion from Kane's gaze. The pain was real, but Lucas's smile remained, masking his vulnerability.
No weakness, no vulnerability—just that smile, a subtle defense against the raw hurt that Kane's anger had inflicted.
For a moment, Kane felt his resolve crumble. The sight of Lucas, so resolute yet so clearly hurting, made Kane's own guilt and confusion surge. Lucas wasn't giving in to Kane's demands for acknowledgment or apology; instead, he was burying his pain behind that twisted smile.
Kane's throat tightened as he struggled with his emotions. He had let his rage control him, and now, faced with Lucas's resilient, yet wounded facade, he felt lost. He couldn't find the words to apologize, unsure if any gesture would be enough or if it would only deepen the rift between them.
The silence grew thick, laden with unspoken regret and unresolved tension. Kane's gaze shifted away, landing on Ryan, who was barely conscious, a bloody mess on the ground. This was all Ryan's fault, Kane tried to convince himself. His anger at Ryan was easier to handle than the confusion he felt towards Lucas. He was the reason everything had gone so horribly wrong tonight.
Without another word, Kane reached down and grabbed Ryan by the collar, dragging him up with a force that sent a jolt of pain through his body. Ryan groaned, barely able to stand, his legs wobbling beneath him. Kane didn't care. He was beyond caring about Ryan's pain.
Kane glanced back at Lucas one last time, hoping to find something in those blue eyes—a sign, a reason to stay—but Lucas simply stared back at him, his expression unreadable. The regret gnawed at Kane's insides, but he couldn't face Lucas anymore. Not now. He needed time to think, to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do.
With a grunt, Kane began dragging Ryan across the pavement, away from Lucas, toward his own car parked a short distance away. Ryan's feet scraped against the ground, his body limp as he stumbled along, barely conscious.
He reached his car and fumbled with the door, shoving Ryan into the back seat with a roughness that had more to do with his own frustration than any lingering anger toward Ryan. He slammed the door shut and stood there for a moment, his hands gripping the top of the car, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Kane climbed into the driver's seat, his hands shaking as he gripped the steering wheel. He cast one last glance in the rearview mirror, but Lucas was out of sight now, hidden behind the darkness and the distance.
Without another thought, Kane started the engine, the car roaring to life. He needed to get away, to clear his head, to figure out what the hell he was going to do. Leaving Lucas behind felt wron
g, but staying there, doing nothing, felt even worse.