Page 80 of Offside Devil

She turns into my room, and I break into a jog.

“Zane’s suit won’t be in there.”

If Aiden hadn’t woken up the other night, then it might have been a different story. But then, Hanna wouldn’t have needed to worry about dry cleaning it. I would have shredded it off of him with my own two hands.

“Oh, is this your room?” Hanna looks around, nose wrinkled as she takes in the mess.

I fight the urge to tidy up. It’s laundry day, but Little Miss Snooty doesn’t deserve an explanation. She shouldn’t even be in my room to begin with.

“How long have you been Zane’s assistant?” I ask, shifting in front of her. “Weird you don’t know where his room is by now.”

She takes a step towards me, rocking onto the toes of her black heels. “It’s my job to know everything about Zane, inside and out. That’s why I’m here today.”

Speaking of weird, that explanation makes no sense. But she doesn’t give me time to linger—she pushes past me and continues on into Aiden’s room. I hate that I’m trailing behind her like a flailing penguin, but she’s Zane’s assistant. If he didn’t want her to have access to his house, then she wouldn’t, right?

“You’re here to snoop through a four-year-old’s bedroom?” I snap. “Does Zane know you’re here?”

She studies the bookshelf in the corner like she’s ready to burn all of the new books Zane ordered. Aiden’s therapist said reading would help him regain his speech, and Zane didn’t hesitate. Packages have been arriving every day stuffed chock-full with books to read.

Suddenly, she spins around. “Who watched Aiden while you were at the party last weekend?”

Understanding washes over me instantly, and I almost feel bad for Hanna.

While my dirty thoughts have been on overdrive the last five days, Hanna has been stewing about what Zane and I may or may not have gotten into once we left the party. Depriving myself of Zane has pushed me to distraction, but at least it hasn’t pushed me to misdemeanor breaking and entering. So, in that way, I’m better off than she is.

“I thought it was your job to know Zane’s life inside and out.”

Her lips mash together into an angry line. “I’ve been taking care of Zane for years. I’m not going to stand by and let you waltz in here and manipulate him.”

I snort. “I’m sorry. You think I’m manipulating him? Do you know your boss at all?”

Zane is the last person on the planet I can imagine being manipulated. I didn’t know him before he was sober, but he keeps a tight hold on his self-control these days. Proven by the fact that he was the one to pull away—not once, but twice, when we got close to being very, very stupid.

I never could have done that. Not in the heat of the moment.

“I know him a hell of a lot better than you do,” she spits. “And I know that you’re taking advantage of him. He thinks you’re here to help him and his son, but I know the truth. You don’t love him; you’re here for yourself.”

Hanna handles all of Zane’s admin stuff, so he’s going to need to find someone else to file a restraining order against this chick. She is next-level bananas.

“Thankfully, loving Zane wasn’t in the list of job requirements for either of us.”

She closes in on me, her face twisted into a rage that is genuinely terrifying. “At least Zane knows he can trust me. I’m not here for his money or his fame. I’m not some leech like you or… or that little fucking runt out there. I’m not going to suck him dry and ruin his life!”

Before I can stop myself, my hand cracks across Hanna’s face.

Goddamn, that felt good.

She lunges at me, but she doesn’t get close before a wall of flesh is between us.

“Everyone, take it easy.” Evan the Friendly Giant holds Hanna back with one finger. “Let’s all take a breath.”

“You bitch,” Hanna hisses at me.

She tries lunging again, but Evan redirects her into the room and closes the door.

He holds the knob in his meaty fist and turns to me. “What’s her deal?”

Hanna goes feral on the other side of the door, kicking and screaming a string of obscenities I know Aiden can hear from the living room.

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