Before I even get my door open, Leo is storming into the garage.Shit.
“What the fuck, Gage?” Leo growls as soon as I close the door behind me. His eyes narrow even further when he sees Zane step out. Maybe I should have planned this better.
“Wait,” I say, holding my hands up, trying to stop the tirade I know is coming. “Les needs...”
“I know what Les needs.Youshould have told me what she fucking needs, not sneak out of the fucking house,” Leo rages, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “Go. Dex will take you to her,” Leo says to Zane. Zane passes me without a backward glance.
“You’re welcome, asshole!” I yell before he can shut the door.
When it clicks shut, I look back at Leo. I don’t see just anger; I see hurt.
Shit.
Chapter 9
Zane
When I heard the banging on my door, Gage was the last person I expected to see. I’ve been so drunk for the past two weeks after my conversation with the department I thought I imagined it until he shoved coffee down my throat.
After Les left with her guys, Ghost gave me a ride to the police department after letting me borrow a shirt and some shoes. That’s when I found out they were opening an investigation against me for disappearing with a known criminal and now what they were calling the disappearance of Jay. That motherfucker set a mile-long trail that made it look like I did something to him and then skipped town. They said they weren’t looking to save me; they were looking for me to start the investigation. I was put on administrative duty until further notice because until now, my record was clean. I turned in my service weapon and badge the next day and told my boss, Hartley, to fuck off.
Les and I went through six weeks in hell, and no one gave a fuck but her guys. It’s a sad day when the Mafia cares more than the police department I’ve worked for the past seven goddamn years. All that hurt, all the time away from Les, was for nothing.
I don’t know what’s going on with Gage and Leo, so I let myself into the house I’ve walked through so many times. I walk in; Dex isstanding with his arms crossed over his chest. He doesn’t look happy to see me but doesn’t look like he wants to kill me, either. I guess that’s a good thing.
“I’m doing this for Les,” he rumbles, standing to his full height. “One word from her, and you’re gone. No arguments. Got it?”
I jerk a nod. “Does she know I’m here?”
“No.”
I frown at that. “Don’t you think you should tell her?”
“No.”
Alright then.
He eyes me again before walking away from me toward the stairs. Following him upstairs, he gives me one last warning look before pushing a door open. The first thing that hits me is her sweet vanilla scent and my eyes land on her. She’s sitting on the little balcony that sits outside of her bedroom. I walk in further and steel myself just in case she doesn’t want me here. Dex shuts the door behind him softly when he walks out.
“Les,” I say quietly, and her head whips around.
“Zane?” she whispers, her eyes filling with tears.
“Yeah, Beautiful,” I answer and sit on the bench beside her, even though all I want to do is gather her in my arms.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, wiping her tears away.
I chuckle. “I had an interesting visitor.” She raises an eyebrow in question. “Gage.”
Both eyebrows shoot to her hairline. “Gage came and got you?”
Yeah. The fucker almost drowned me in coffee. “He did. How are you doing?” It’s a stupid question, but I need to know.
She looks back over at the view. “Not good. You?”
I want to lie and tell her I’m fine, but I can’t. “Same.” We lapse into an awkward silence, neither of us knowing what to say to the other. “I quit the department.”
“You did what?” she asks, looking back at me. It feels like a thousand degrees outside, and she’s in an oversized hoodie with her knees tucked underneath it. It has to be Dex’s by the sheer size of it. Even covered completely, she’s never been more beautiful to me.
