It wasn’t his style.
He sighed and then opened his mouth to ask if there was any more sage wisdom he wanted to spout, but movement at the entrance to the tarp wall cut him off. His gaze swept over there, just in time to see someone step through.
The blaster went off and whoever had been attempting to walk in on them stumbled and fell out of sight.
“You weren’t expecting anyone, right?’ Aodhan asked, though it was clearly his attempt at a joke.
“Seeing as how you already shot them, I don’t think—” The person who’d been shot groaned and the sound stopped him dead in his tracks. “Wait.”
Zane rushed forward, practically tossing the tablet he was still holding at his brother on his way toward the exit. He shoved the plastic to the side, staring down at Pavel who was clutching his right side.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Pavel smirked at him, unable to mask the obvious pain he was in. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“Clear the table,” he shot over his shoulder, spinning on his heels to glare wildly at Aodhan when he didn’t hear any immediate movement. “Get that fucking filth off the table!”
His brother only hesitated a second before he shrugged and literally shoved the body off. It rolled and then plopped to the floor, organs spilling after her to smush against the plastic-covered ground. He shrugged innocently after.
Cursing, Zane moved to help Pavel up, practically carrying him into the tarp room and over to the now, mostly,clean table. He got him on it and then growled at all the layers. “Damn three-piece suit.”
“You knew I was watching you,” Pavel said, voice thready.
“Shut up and let me take a look at this.” Zane quickly undid the buttons on Pavel’s vest and then tore through the ones on his silk shirt, exposing the bullet hole in his side. Blood gushed and he swore again, crossing the tiny space to snatch up a few handfuls of gauze. Only, when he turned back, he came to a screeching halt.
“Baby brother.” Aodhan had the tip of the blaster pressed against Pavel’s temple. “He was eavesdropping on our conversation.”
Which meant he knew about Lyra’s illegal organ ring and the fact that Aodhan was a killer.
Zane’s fists clenched around the gauze.
“He’s a friend of yours, right? A fellow Retinue member?” Aodhan nodded like he understood. “You’ve always taken your position with them very seriously. I can see why you don’t want to do this but don’t worry, I can take care of it without you. Why don’t you step out and—”
“Wait.” He could do it. He could leave and let his brother murder Pavel Hart. Zane would never have to worry about being stalked by him again.
Or hunted down in the forest.
Or almost drowned in the pool.
“You’ve never looked at Kazimir the way you looked at Pavel in that video.”Lyra’s words echoed in his mind and he scowled. After her confession, he’d gone and found the tapes.
And she’d been right.
Zane had watched them to the end, thinking she was crazy and messing with him, only she hadn’t been. He’d watched it several times over and the truth was always plainly there in blinding color.
When Pavel pulled Zane from the water and he’d clung to his shoulders as they’d fucked, the look on Zane’s face had been…
“Wait,” he repeated.
“What am I waiting for, baby brother? Your friend to find a way to call for help? Let’s get this over with and we can go out for milkshakes after, yeah? Just like when we were kids.”
“He’s not my friend,” Zane said, ignoring the way Pavel tensed at that comment, “and I know how to solve our bitch problem.”
“Oh?” Aodhan cocked a brow. “Do tell. If he isn’t your friend, then…?”
“Brother, I’d like you to meet,” he risked a step closer to the table, “my future husband.”
Chapter 22:
“Stop squirming,” Zane growled, keeping his voice down even though there was no way his brother couldn’t hear with just the three of them in this tiny blocked-off space. He jabbed the end of the needle through Pavel’s flesh a bit harder than necessary, already halfway done with stitching him up.
