Kane shook his head.
“No, you’re a good person. You’re so … chill. I like being around you.”
“I don’t like bein’ around you; you’re a liar.”
Another sigh. “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t respond.
“I truly am.”
I looked at him, and he looked to be sincerely sorry, and that made staying angry with him very hard.
“You’ve all really hurt me.”
“I know we have, Lana, but you have to believe us when we say it was to protect you.”
I swallowed. “None of this feels real, Kane. I can’t believe you have all done the things Morgan said you did.”
“His name isn’t Morgan.”
“I know,” I grumbled. “It just feels weird to call him the other name.”
Kane nodded in understanding.
“I’m not going to explain what he has told you,” he said. “I’m just here to convince you to give the man who needs to do that the chance to do it.”
I looked up at the ceiling.
“He’s still in your apartment?”
“Yes,” Kane answered. “Aideen’s dad left before you arrived. Dante has taken Jax and Locke for a sleepover, Keela went home to put Georgie to bed since she and Alec are babysitting her tonight, and Ryder brought Branna home with the twins. He is back in my place.”
“Why has everyone stayed?”
“We’re hoping you’ll give Damien a chance to talk, then hear the rest of us out.”
“What if I say no?”
“I’ll tell the landlord you’re being a bad neighbour, and he might kick you out.”
My lips parted in shock.
“You arsehole, why would you do that?”
“Because I’m tight with him.”
“You … you are?”
“Extremely.”
This was news to me.
“Who is he?” I demanded. “I never knew you knew ’im.”
“He’s, well, me.”
I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“I’m the landlord.”
I didn’t speak.
“I am,” Kane pressed. “I own this building, and four more like it throughout Dublin. I own the community centre that’s being knocked down during the summer and rebuilt so I can open it as a youth centre to target kids prone to ending up in gangs and steer them away from that life so they can focus on their education and future.”
My jaw practically hit my lap.
“You don’t know this because it was another fucking secret, but we’re done keeping them from our family, and you are our family, so you have a right to know.”
Still, I couldn’t speak.
“When Damien has been helping me, it was looking at other locations to build apartments. He wasn’t doing anything illegal. He was just helping me and didn’t tell you because I asked him not to. I’m sorry if I made you doubt him.”
I closed my mouth and just stared at Kane.
“Let me have it,” he said. “Scream, shout, do what you must.”
I raised a brow. “I’m not goin’ to scream and shout at you.”
“You’re aren’t?”
“No, I rarely scream and shout at anyone.”
“You really aren’t like the other girls.”
I frowned. “I know I’m nothin’ like them.”
“Hey.” Kane frowned. “That is not a bad thing. You’re a cool girl, Lana. So chill.”
“You’ve called me chill twice.”
“Because you are.” He shrugged.
I looked at my fingers before I realised something and looked up at Kane with widened eyes.
“Oh, my God,” I croaked. “I knew this apartment was too good to be true. You’re rentin’ it to me way cheaper than it’s worth because I told Aideen I couldn’t afford the rent increase at me old place and—”
“Hold it,” Kane cut me off. “I own the building. I can rent to my tenants at whatever price I want.”
“Bullshit,” I snapped. “You’re rentin’ it to me for eight hundred a month because you pity me.”
“Alannah,” he deadpanned. “If that’s the case, I’m renting to all of Aideen’s brothers because I pity them. They’re my family; you are my family. I give you a discount just like I give them a discount.”
I raised a brow. “You rent apartments to all of Aideen’s brothers?”
“Dante is moving into this building next week,” Kane explained. “JJ and Harley, too. This place is going to become a whole lot more interesting, that’s for sure.”
“Do not put Dante or Harley on this floor,” I warned. “I’d lose me mind and kill them in their sleep.”
“Noted,” Kane teased. “I’ll keep them far away from you.”
I was amused but didn’t smile.
“Gavin still lives at home with his da, does that mean that he doesn’t get an apartment? That wouldn’t be very fair since you’re givin’ them away like Oprah. You get an apartment, and you, and you, and you.”
Kane laughed and fighting off a smile became a whole lot harder.
“He isn’t living at home anymore as of an hour ago,” Kane said with a shake of his head. “After Gavin dropped the baby bombshell, Aideen demanded that he move into one of the apartments in this building so she can help him when his baby is born. I’ve also put his baby’s mother in the apartment opposite him. Aideen got her number from her brother, phoned her, and apparently, the woman is staying at a friend’s place, something about family troubles. She accepted the apartment before Aideen could finish asking her if she wanted one. Both Gavin and this woman are going to have it tough raising a kid they didn’t plan, especially when they hardly know one another. I help people when I can, Alannah … I guess I’m trying to make up for all the wrong I’ve done in my past.”