Trent
DURING THE DAY, INCOGNITOlooked like any other fancy hotel on Fifth Avenue. The eye-catcher was the elaborate sign above black revolving doors that beckoned you to come take a peek. The second you stepped inside, the sophisticated atmosphere, opulent luxury created by the black and red décor, and the security guard standing at the door, changed your perception. Three hallways branched off as soon as you stepped past the black velvet rope. One to a five-star restaurant, the other to the dance floors and the last to the sexier side of the club. All this I’d learned courtesy of Tia.
“Welcome to Incognito, Mr. Shaw, will you be staying long?”
I grinned. The fact that the young blonde receptionist recognized me by name after one visit meant Zayne hadn’t lied about putting me on his guest list. “Thank you, I’m here to see Zayne. Is he in?”
She smiled and nodded to an elevator marked private. “Go on up.”
The second I entered the car, it automatically shot up and when it opened, I exited into a mini lobby flanked by two beefy security guards. I took a minute to gather my thoughts. When I’d left Ashrika an hour ago, I had no idea what I intended to say to the man who’d started this ball rolling, who’d given me Ashrika back until I walked through the door one security guard held open for me. Inside I stopped short when I spotted Zayne standing at a window.
Without turning, he said, “We’re done. You got what you wanted, what are you doing here?” his voice as cold as the sudden rain pissing outside the window he stared through.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?” I yelled, not caring that my voice vibrated through the room.
Slowly, he turned. His eyes, frosty daggers, speared me. “I’ll warn you to watch your tone. You don’t know me.”
“Like I fucking care.” His scowl did nothing to intimidate me. I took a step forward. “My first night here, you warned me not to hurt her, that there would be limitations to what you’d allow her emotions to suffer. So, what the fuck do you call what you’re doing to her? Do you fucking think I’m going to stand by and watch you kill the spirit she’s just discovered enough to start living again without worrying about her past? Fuck, that. Do you even know your wife?”
I wasn’t sure what I said that got his attention but he took a deep breath and shook his head. “What the fuck do you want from me? I’ve given you everything,” his words quieter, calmer.
“Everything?” I stared at him, contemplating his words then it clicked. “You love her, don’t you?
He folded his arms across his chest, leaned back against the window and studied me with eyes full of mystery that had me once again wondering about the man behind the name he’d given Ashrika.
“But you never told her, did you?”
“What’s it to you?”
“Christ, Zayne. Wake the fuck up. She’s hurting, don’t you see that?” His silence annoyed the shit out of me. “I don’t know what the fuck you did to her, but she’s hardly eaten anything in three days.”
That seemed to get his attention. He straightened and took a step forward. “I told her how I felt.”
“You probably had a shitty way of telling her, if it’s had this kind of effect on her. But trust me, there’s no way in fucking hell I’d let you hurt her.”
“It was never my intention to hurt her, Trent.” He slipped his hands into his pants pockets and turned his back on me. I cursed and was about to leave when he began speaking again. “Time changes you. Marriage changes you. Life changes you. Sure, she stayed with me all this time, because it’s possible she thought she had to. She’s a stunning woman who got caught in an unforeseen situation with the two of us and she’s now trying to make amends. We created this and she’s trying to fix it. But not everything is meant to be fixed.” He turned to face me, his face a mask of pain I hadn’t thought possible for a man with his demeanor. “I’m tired of fighting this. She chose.” He moved and took his seat behind the large black table. Still, he was a formidable sight against its size.
And for the first time since meeting him, I realized that Zayne Morrone wasn’t just someone with money and mysterious background, but he held immense power to make and break people. Only, he hadn’t expected a woman like Ashrika to weaken him to the point that he’d chosen anger over love. Whether or not I judged well, one thing was certain, he loved Ashrika deeply.
I dragged in a long inhale, readying my mind for the inevitable. “You’re wrong, she didn’t choose. You gave her an out, forced her hand. I mean you didn’t even sleep with her. She thinks she wasn’t good enough—”
“You know about that,” he cut me off.
I nodded, taking a step forward. “If you are her something special and that was meant to be, I won’t come between you two, Zayne. Maybe a fresh start.” He looked up, surprised. I continued, “We never have to tell her how this all started. I’ll walk away. Before that, I’ll give her whatever she asks for and whatever she wants to take from me. Then, I’ll walk away. You have my word.”
“You’ll give up your wife just like that?”
