Zach squeezed Jake’s shoulder. “I know you would.”
Jake slapped a hand down on the crate. “I almost forgot. I brought something for you.” He rummaged in a droopy backpack leaned against the wall. “Here it is.”
Jake lifted a handle of whiskey as he stood. It was the good stuff, if the label could be trusted. “For you, boss. We have to celebrate. Some of the guys are already on their way.”
Zach accepted the gift, noting the seal wasn’t broken. Jake had really gone all out. The weight in his hands was as familiar as breathing. He’d walked around with a handle of whiskey more nights than not in his twenties.
Drugs had been easy to come by in prison—much easier than on the outside—but Zach’s taste was geared toward a burning liquid that had the magicability to make sure he didn’t care about any of the responsibilities that had been strapped to his back.
The familiar rap at the metal door said some of the others were arriving, but Zach couldn’t rip his attention from the dark liquid that filled the bottle. He could forget about Lauren. He could find somewhere else to live and quit the job at Silver Falls Ranch. A high-paying position was waiting for him right here.
It just came with a ticking time bomb that he knew would eventually blow up in his face without warning.
Those were things he could think about later. Tonight, he could forget about Lauren and be the devil she hated.
21
Lauren
Apersistent pounding crept into the edges of Lauren’s consciousness, but exhaustion kept her wrapped safely in the warm bundle of blankets and sheets.
The thuds came again, and she scrunched her nose against the interruption. It couldn’t be morning yet. Her body and mind were in agreement. She wasn’t rested enough.
The pounding continued, louder and closer this time. Lauren opened her eyes and listened. There was only silence. Had the noise been part of a dream? If it wasn’t real, why was her heart pounding so hard?
She’d just closed her eyes again when she recognized the pounding as someone at her front door. She sat up in bed and grabbed her phone. She squinted against the bright screen as she read the time. One in the morning. No one knocked on doors in the middle of the night with good news.
She also had six missed calls from Zach. She’d been calling him all day with no answer, but the first calls from him started an hour ago.
The phone in her hand rang, shining Zach’s name in the darkness of her room.
“Hello.”
“Open the door,” Zach demanded. The order was low and cautious, lacking authority and confidence.
Lauren threw the blanket off her legs and grabbed her robe. “What are you doing here?”
“Just let me in, please.”
Wow. Zach was using the magic word. That was new.
She whispered into the phone as she padded toward the front door. “Are you being held against your will?”
“Yeah, I am. Come on, Lauren. Open the door.”
She stopped in the hallway. “Is somebody out there with you?”
Zach let out a long, tired sigh. “No.”
Her heart still pounded like a war drum as she ended the call and flipped the locks. The cold air crashed into her as soon as she opened the door.
Zach stood on her welcome mat with one arm locked and propped on the door frame. His hair was tousled, and he held his phone in his limp arm.
Lauren stepped back as the smell hit her. Liquor and cigarette smoke wafted from him. His head hung low with his chin resting on his chest.
“Are you kidding me?” Lauren mumbled as shereached for his shoulder and gently pulled to guide him inside. “Where have you been?”
He leaned into her, and she braced herself to keep them both on their feet. Man, he was heavy.
