Page 148 of Offside Devil

When we’re done, Zane carries me down the stairs again. He loads me in his car, kissing me for a long time over the center console.

And when we get back to the condo, we don’t make it past the living room. Zane lays me back on the couch and kneels between my legs until I’m fisting his hair and screaming up to the ceiling.

We stumble our way towards the bedroom, but I stop him in the hallway and sink to my knees. I return the favor, loving the way this strong, sturdy man loses control when I touch him.

By the time we do finally make it to bed, it’s only for a few hours of sleep broken by kissing and touching in the dark. Desperate gasps into pillows. Kicking the tangled blankets to the floor and keeping each other warm.

At some point, we do actually fall asleep.

Zane’s heavy arm is over my bare stomach and my fingers are curled in his hair. I don’t even need to dream because this is all I want. Being here with him and the rest of the world far, far away—it’s peaceful. This is all I’ve ever wanted.

My dream comes crashing in sometime after sunrise, the same time the front door of the condo does.

The crash wakes us both up.

Zane jumps out of bed and tugs on his boxers as a deep, growling voice tears through the house.

But I don’t move. Can’t breathe. I’m frozen on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. Because it’s over.

After all this time…

He found me.

59

ZANE

“You fookin’ lied to me!”

Owen’s voice echoes down the hallway as I haul ass out of bed.

I’ve been here before. Last time, though, I dragged myself out of bed and started flushing shit down the toilet like the police were raiding my apartment, not a middle-aged Scottish man.

This time, I pull on boxers and toss the rumpled comforter over Mira’s naked body.

For a second, I think maybe she slept through this.

Then I see she’s staring at the ceiling, eyes wide, frozen in a look of fear I’m starting to recognize too well.

“Everything is fine,” I rush to tell her.

She doesn’t react. I try not to think about it.

One problem at a time.

Cabinets are banging open in the kitchen. It sounds like Owen is ripping into the walls.

He might as well be. When I get to the kitchen, the pantry is in tatters. Cereal boxes and Aiden’s favorite fruit snacks are scattered across the floor. Owen is digging into a canister of sugar with his hands like a bear on a feeding frenzy.

“Where are you hiding it all this time?”

I grab his shoulder and shove him back against the wall. “What do you think you’re doing?”

His face is red. When he sees me, his eyes narrow. “You lied to me, boy.”

“Lied about what? What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to keep you from going off the fookin’ rails!” He roars, shoving hard against my chest. “All this time, and you’re throwing it away. Yer fooked in the head if you think I’m going to sit by and do nothin’!”

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