I leaned back to look up at him. “He knew,” I sobbed.
“Knew what?”
“Who I am.” I sagged against him.
Without a word, Zayne scooped me up into his arms and carried me into the building as I fell apart. Inside the apartment, he strode into the kitchen and set me down on a countertop. He walked away for a moment and returned with a glass of water.
“Drink this.” When I shook my head. He held it to my mouth. “Drink, baby,” he coaxed. I gulped down a large sip and hiccupped on a sob. “Tell me what happened.” He set the glass aside and gently wiped my wet face with his palms. “Does this have something to do with your past?”
“Yes. Trent’s wife died at childbirth. I didn’t even know he had kids, he never told me.” I hiccupped. “I’m not mommy material.”
“Ashrika, listen to me, baby.” Zayne cupped my face. “You will be a perfect mom. Tell me what happened.”
“His kids are seven which means she died and then and around the time I was attacked.” Realizing what I was saying, a fresh bout of tears started up. “I’m his wife’s twin.”
“What!” His shout hit my eardrums like a slash of a whip. I’d seen him angry before, it had nothing on the current look on his face.
“I didn’t bother with letting him explain, I had to get out of there,” I cried, my hands fisting the front of his shirt.
“Shh, baby, it’s okay.”
“How could he lie to me, knowing I was desperate to find out about my past?” I was shaking hard, the tears relentless.
He palmed my cheeks. “I need you to calm down, Angel. Can you do that for me?”
Pain seared my head, my heart. “I had a life, I had a sister. I had family and he knew, but he didn’t tell me. Why?”
Zayne tightened his grip and dropped a soft kiss to my lips. “I will find out the truth, angel but first, I need you to calm down, okay?” I tried to squirm out of his hold. “Rika!” his voice boomed around the room. I quieted down to soft sobs. “Have I ever lied to you?” I shook my head. “Then listen to me when I say this. There must be a perfectly reasonable explanation why Trent lied and I’m going to find out everything. Once you’ve had some rest, you’ll feel better and we can discuss this with him.”
Before I could argue, he lifted me into his arms and headed for his bedroom. Expecting him to leave me there, I waited while he pulled back the covers, crawled into bed, and turned when he settled down next to me. With my head on his chest, Zayne ran gentle fingers through my hair. Exhausted, I closed my eyes to the soft echo of his beating heart against my ear.
Zayne
ISLIPPED OUT OF BEDan hour after Ashrika drifted off, my body coiled tight. When Trent called to let me know she’d driven off from his place without her phone, I went completely nuts on him. Still, he hadn’t mentioned the shocking revelation Ashrika divulged. She was his wife’s twin? How the fuck did he make that fucking error? Regardless I had one intention when I saw him, knock the bastard to his knees and put a bullet through his head.
“Fuck. What the hell am I thinking?” Shaking my head, I reached for my phone and scrolled down to his number the same time the intercom buzzed. I walked over to the door. “You better have a damn good reason for fucking up?” I growled as soon as Trent answered the phone.
