Page 68 of Fractured Fear

Me: Seriously. Stop calling me that.

Rio: If you insist…puppy.

Z: We’re just out. We’ll be back sometime later.

Me: Where are you?

Z: Don’t worry about it.

Me: Tell me you’re not at Spencer’s apartment.

Z:...

Rio: We’re not at Spencer’s apartment.

Me: Now tell me the truth.

Rio: We’re at Spencer’s apartment.

Motherfuckers. With a big sigh I heave myself off the couch, and ignore the snaps and cracks of my joints.

I’ve already dressed down into shorts and a T-shirt so all I have to do is slide on some shoes and I’m out the door.

They better have a damn good reason for this.

CHAPTER 26

ASHER

When I park my Camaro next to Zane’s travel-size car, they don't even notice me. Idiots. They’re usually more aware.

I walk over to the passenger window and bang on it, surprising them both. Zane looks chastised without me saying a word. Rio looks ready to kill me for interrupting their Peeping Tom session.

Rio rolls down his window and greets me with, “Get in,hijo de puta.”

“I’m not cramming myself into the clown car. Let’s go home.”

“No can do, Wolf.”

“Fine,” I huff out. Opening the back door I shove myself in the pint-size backseat. “Okay, I’m fucking here. Let’s talk—'' I'm cut off when Rio bursts out laughing. Zane’s laugh isn’t audible, but I know he’s laughing by the way his shoulders are shaking.

“Got enough room back there?” Rio asks through his sniggering.

“Ha. Ha,” I deadpan. “Focus, shitheads. We need to get on the same page.” They don’t need me to clarify.

They sober their expressions, and Zane says, “I want to believe it’s Cain and his men, but I don’t think this one is them.”

“Same. The fact that it was one guy instead of two or three and the car was completely different,” Rio explains.

“She’s convinced it’s her ex, but I’m not so sure,” I add.

“I’ll dig into him real quick and see what I can find.” Before Zane is even finished with his sentence, he has his laptop out and is pounding away on the keys.

“The guy was strong enough to lift her off her feet and carry her almost the whole way to his car. So he’s fit,” Rio mutters.

“He had no problem hitting her. He cares enough that he wants her, but doesn’t care enough what state she’s in when he has her. I would venture to assume he intended on hurting her,” I say. Rio nods his head as I continue. “If Anthony wants her back and is in love with her, then he would want her safe and unharmed.”

“You’re assuming he’s a good guy. The way she shivers and panics at the mere thought of him tells me he wasn’t much of a gentleman. He probably hurt her,” Zane grits out, a vein in his forehead pulses more and more with each inference.

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