Chapter 12: Chapter 12

Xander was in the middle of a phone call in his office when Kurt stormed in unannounced. From the look on Kurt’s face, Xander could tell he was spoiling for a fight.

He hung up the phone and rose from his chair. “I need you to cool down so we can have a civilized conversation. I get it, seeing Kat and me together was a shock.”

Kurt was panting, his hands gripping the edge of the desk as he glared at his boss. “I want you to keep your distance from her.”

Xander shook his head, holding Kurt’s gaze. “I can’t do that; she means too much to me. What gives you the right to dictate who she can and can’t see?”

“She’s my sister, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her from getting hurt. You can have any woman you want, so leave her alone.”

“I understand how close you two are. I promise you, I have no intention of hurting her.”

“You say that now, but what happens when you get bored with her? You’ll drop her, and it will shatter her. She’s vulnerable, and she might not recover from something like that.”

“Damn it, Kurt. Give her some credit; she’s stronger than you think.”

“Kat has always been a wallflower; it’s where she feels safe. She can’t stand large crowds or noise and has to medicate for her anxiety.”

Xander straightened his posture. “Living in the shadows isn’t really living. I think you prefer her that way.”

“What?” Kurt snapped.

“You like having control over her, dictating who she can see and talk to. You enjoy playing the hero, having her depend on you.”

Kurt swiftly moved to Xander’s side of the desk and, without thinking, punched his boss in the mouth. A scuffle broke out, but it was quickly interrupted when his assistant rushed in.

“Mr. West, should I call security?”

“No, it’s fine. Cancel my next appointment and make sure we’re not disturbed.”

Once Munro had left the office, Xander pushed Kurt into a chair and wiped the blood from his lip.

“Mr. West, I’m not a violent man, and I shouldn’t have hit you. If you want to fire me, I understand.”

“I should, but I won’t.”

Kurt looked up at him, surprised he still had a job. “I’m just trying to protect my sister. I promise you, I’m not just messing around with her; I love her.”

“Sir, she has issues.”

“I know; she’s told me a bit about your childhood home. But not everything, so I hope you can fill in the gaps.”

“It’s really up to Kat to tell you.”

“What happened to her, to both of you?”

Kurt rose from his chair and walked over to the window, staring out. He had tried to forget a lot of his childhood. “Our father was a violent drunk, violent even when he was sober. We weren’t allowed to have friends or go anywhere. The smallest thing would set him off, and Kat got the worst of it.”

“What did that bastard do to her?”

“He would beat her and call her all sorts of horrible names. Often, he would lock her in the basement closet for days without food or water. I tried to get her out when he left for work, but he had locks on the door.”

“Why didn’t you tell someone what was happening?”

“He always threatened us, said if we told anyone he would kill us. I was just a kid and I was scared. Living in that house was hell. Kat was so small and frail, and even though she was younger than me, she tried to protect me when my father was beating me with his belt.”

Xander felt a wave of nausea hearing Kurt’s story.

“She would jump on his back and hit him with her tiny fists. The beatings he gave her and the way she screamed…it was horrifying. That bastard made sure not to break any bones; he didn’t want to have to take either one of us to the hospital.”

Xander walked over and placed a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. He felt a deep sadness for the man who now had tears streaming down his face.

“I’m so sorry you and Kat had to endure that. How long did the abuse last?”

“Until he got sick and too weak to continue. I know it’s a terrible thing to say about one’s father, but I was relieved when he died. We were finally free from his torture.”

“Did you ever tell anyone what happened?”

“No, we didn’t see the point. The damage was done, and we needed to forget it to move on. I took care of her, got a job, and went to school at night.”

“What about Kat?”

“She withdrew from the world and wouldn’t go out. I found a therapist for her, which seemed to help a bit. Kat lived with me until I met Clara and we got married. I wanted her to stay with us, but she insisted on moving out on her own.”

“She’s lucky to have a brother like you who cared for her. I understand now why you’re so protective of her.”

Kurt wiped his eyes with his fingers. “Mr. West, I’m begging you, please don’t hurt her. She’s been through so much, and after that asshole, Tony, I’m not sure she can handle any more pain.”

“Kurt, I need you to tell me about this guy. What happened between them?”

“I think she should be the one to tell you.”

“I have a feeling she won’t, and I need to know so I don’t make the same mistakes.”

“The one time she let Clara and me take her out to dinner, he was at the next table. He noticed her and came over to chat. He seemed like a nice guy and was really sweet with her.”

“And?” Xander prompted when Kurt fell silent.

“They started dating, and he got her to go out. At first, he treated her well. Then, after a few months, he changed.”

“How?”

“He would belittle her in front of his friends and humiliate her. Called her stupid and ugly. It got to the point where he stopped taking her out. He made fun of her childhood and said she probably deserved the beatings. Then, one day, he said he met someone else who satisfied him in every way that a woman should. He destroyed what little confidence she had regained.”

“Oh, my poor Kat. Let me assure you: I will never do anything to harm her. I will love and protect her with my life.”

“You really do love her, don’t you?”

“Yes, I love her.”

When Kurt chuckled, Xander turned to him, confused by his reaction. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing really, just that she said the same thing. She told me she was in love with you.”

A grin spread across his face. “She’s in love with me. I’ve known it, even when she wouldn’t admit it. Thanks for being straight with me.”

“I’ve seen a shift in Kat recently.”

“While you were in Texas, I took her to Paris. We saw the sights and even caught an opera, which she adored.”

“Hold on, she was in Paris when I rang her, and she fibbed to me.”

“She didn’t want you to fret, and the main thing is that she had a blast. Then, when I took her to Florida to meet my folks, she had a whale of a time at the fair.”

“We never went to one as kids. I took Clara and wanted her to join us, but she declined.”

“Well, she had a blast and even rode the Ferris wheel. It took some persuasion, but she finally agreed to go. But there was no way I could get her on the roller coaster.”

“Wow, all that and flying too. I’m glad she’s getting to try new things. Was she not scared, or did she take her meds to help soothe her nerves?”

“The only time she took them was for the Paris trip, but not since then. There was one episode; she had a panic attack in the house of mirrors.”

“That’s likely because of the confined space, all the mirrors, and the crowd. It probably triggered memories of being trapped in the closet.”

Xander’s heart ached at the thought of all she had endured. He couldn’t punish her father since he was no longer around, but Tony was a different matter. He would find a way to make him pay for what he had done to her.

“Kurt, you should head home to your wife. You’re going to be swamped from now on.”

“Sir, I apologize for hitting you and thank you for being kind to my sister. I wonder what the locals will say when they find out you’re dating Kat. I don’t want them to think I only got this job because of that.”

“I didn’t get to where I am by caring about others’ opinions, and you shouldn’t either. The ones who matter know you were the right choice for this job. You’ve proven yourself and earned the promotion.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Outside of work, I want you to call me by my first name. After all, we’ll be family someday. Now that you’re CEO, I won’t be around as much, so I’m relying on you to handle things, and if you run into any issues, give me a call.”

“I won’t disappoint you.”

“I’m sure you won’t. Now go, so I can do what I came here to do.”

Kurt cleared his throat.

Xander glanced at him. “Is there something else you wanted to discuss?”

“There’s one more thing you should know, but you can’t ever let Kat find out I told you.”

“That sounds serious.”

“It is. After Tony’s treatment of her and discovering his infidelity, she attempted suicide.”

He was stunned, and a silence hung in the room. It took him a moment to process what he had just been told.

“What? How?”

“She was overwhelmed, so she overdosed on sleeping pills. I found her just in time and got her to the hospital. A doctor friend of mine saved her. That’s when I got her into therapy.”

There was a pause where neither of them spoke.

“Does knowing this change your feelings about being with her?”

Xander looked at him and shook his head.

“No, I love her.”

“I know she regretted it, and her therapist has been a huge help. I will say, don’t hurt her and be patient with her. Don’t push her to do something until she’s ready.”

“I will, and thanks again for being upfront and telling me.”

When Kurt left the office, Xander sat down and mulled over what he had been told. He couldn’t change her past, but he could ensure her future was brighter. She would never feel insecure or unhappy again; he would see to that.

After clearing his schedule, he left the office and made his way to her place.