Page 26 of The Hitman's Vice

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ZARA

Chicago, Illinois, Later That Day

Something isn’t right.Maybe it’smy nerves? It’s got to be. I should’ve takensomething.

Waking up from a night of earth-shatteringorgasms to an empty space on the bed really shook one’s confidencefor the day. Especially when the bed was someone else’s.

He could have woken me.But he didleave a note.Which I didn’t even find until I was looking formy bra. Dane could have just…

Zara shook her head to ward off the circularthoughts. It was ridiculous. Dane couldn’t stop being a made manbecause he finally made her come.So many times.Sheshivered, biting back a smile that faded quickly as her gaze landedon Dane. He was busy scowling at all the traffic from the driver’sseat,exuding an ominous silence. He’d barely said three wordssince he picked her up.We did talk last night. I think. Didn’twe? Did the orgasms scramble my brain?

ButI’m not talking either, am I?Shit. Okay … you can do this. You texted just fine. Speech isn’tthat much harder.

She turned the radio down and cleared herthroat. “Thanks for driving. I didn’t want to ask to borrow one ofDad’s cars.” Her own was still in Peoria because her father didn’tlike her driving back and forth by herself for the break.

Dane’s lips moved in the barest upward tilt.A fraction of a fraction of a smile. His dark gaze slid across tomeet hers, pinning her in place without a word. His shouldersrelaxed, and he gave a short, single nod. “I don’t mind,” he said,his tone weary but relaxed. “I’ve only done it for half a decade,Z.”

“Not quite. And that was work. This isn’t,is it? Not really.” Nobody even knew what they were driving aroundfor. The last time they’d snuck off together under a pretext, shewasn’t sure they had even hit puberty.

“I don’t know.” His attention switched backto the traffic. “Don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who’s more workthan you are.”

She didn’t quite hold back a laugh. “Haveyou somehow blacked out Gianna’s entire existence today?” Hefinally smiled.

“I guess I have a lot on my mind. Didn’thave room for her.”

“Uh-huh.” Her eyes rolled. She knew all toowell which twin people forgot—and it was never Gia. “So that meansit was a good day, right?”

Dane’s nose wrinkled. “Mostly.”

That didn’t sound convincing, but she knewbetter than to ask. “It might’ve been better if you’d started it bywaking me up. I’d probably have been in a better mood at thosestupid fittings too.”

She’d woken up alone to a phone callreminding her she had an appointment across town. The scramble toget dressed—she’d borrowed one of Dane’s t-shirts and worn it as atunic so her stepmother wouldn’t see the state of her dress—and tothe dressmaker had been highly unpleasant. On the bright side,they’d gotten Zara’s dresses put together for winter societynonsense—at least what nonsense was left these days. The family’sinvitations took a massive hit when Ben pissed off his ex-fiancée’sfamily (and their many, many friends), proving all the snobs right:Fitzgeralds were rabid, psychopathic thugs.

“Trust me, Z,” Dane began, checking therearview mirror before switching to the right lane to take theexit. “If I’d woken you up that early, you would not have been in abetter mood.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He reached over and took her hand, gentlybringing it up to his lips. “I promise I’ll make it up toyou.”

“I hope so...” Her voice caught because thesudden buzz in her bloodstream didn’t leave much room for thingslike breathing. Or thinking. If he’d pulled the car over right thenshe might’ve jumped the console.

“Do I ever let you down?”Only once.He released her hand, but she didn’t pull back. She laid her palmon his leg, gratified to feel him tense beneath it. She didn’t wantto talk about the worst night of her life again.

“I don’t think I’ve been to Schmitt’sbefore.” A family-run diner, it’d probably seen the Chicago Fire,but her father didn’t frequent it, and Gia despised the smell ofgrease, so Zara hadn’t really been inanydiner until shegot to college. Between ballet, chorus, debate team, volunteerwork, and a half-dozen other activities, she’d barely had time tosleep until college, either. Now she only had classwork, anycharity Cathy asked her to help with during breaks, and all the barcrawls she and her roommate’s livers could handle.

“I figured. Less chance of interruptionsthis way. I don’t think anybody we know will be there.” He almostsmiled again, and she nodded. He probably meant Gia and her othersiblings. Ethan, Derek, and Hannah had flown back for his father’sfuneral, but Hannah had already retreated east for some gala eventwith her husband. Luckily, her two oldest brothers’ presencedistracted everyone enough to lighten surveillance on Zara and Gia.At least enough that nobody argued when Zara claimed a researchpaper emergency and told her father Dane said he’d take her to thelibrary, so nobody else needed to be rearranged.

She squeezed his leg, and as he turned thecar into a small parking lot, she trailed it slightly higher. Hisleft hand dropped from the wheel, covering hers and pressing downto stop her explorations. Probably for the best. She meant it as atease, but they’d be in trouble if he’d let her touch him where shewanted.

Dane eased the car into a parking space andshut off the engine. Then, slowly, he turned toward her. His lipsdrew hers like magnets. They met over the console, the kiss notnearly long enough to settle the boiling heat inside her. “Nothere, sweetheart.”

“Why not? I can’t think of a place moreromantic than this,” she joked. She waved vaguely toward the neonlights and rows of cars, pitted pavement, and sullen late afternoonskies.

“Just wait ‘til you see the 7-Eleven acrossthe street. You’ll feel like a fucking Kardashian.” He unbuckledand opened the door. She followed suit, looking at him over the topof the black Mercedes AMG-GT, staring at her as though surprised.“Oh. I was … never mind.”

“What?” Zara closed the door, a browneyebrow stretching up to her hairline.

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