This time, Zeke got in Jacob’s face. “That’s not true, and you know it.”
“The only thing I know is how I feel and what I want.”
“Then that’s too fucking bad—you can’t have her.” Zekefished the room’s key from his pocket and locked the door, keeping his brother out.
Jacob fisted his hand around his apple. He took a step back. “This isn’t over.”
“Yeah, it is.” Zeke huffed out a sigh and tried his best to reach Jacob, get through that thick skull of his. “You—”
He stopped at movement in the corner of his eye. At the end of the hall stood Kele, hurt on her lovely face.
Shit. How much had she heard?
Zeke stepped around Jacob to go to her. She pivoted and ran in the opposite direction.
“Get her,” Zeke ordered. “Calm her down before she upsets the women even further.” Especially Isabel. “She’s been talking about Liz to them and they’ve been talking to the men. I don’t want her stirring up any shit that’s going to harm Liz.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to Liz while I’m around.”
Zeke advanced, crowding his brother. Jacob stood his ground for a moment, before stepping back. “Get her,” Zeke repeated. “Be nice and talk to her for a change. Notice she’s alive.”
“And then what? Marry her? Have a few kids so she’s okay with all this?” He bared his teeth. “I can’t change how I feel just to make you happy.”
“I’m not asking you to. Just speak with her. Convince her that this isn’t about Liz. It’s not about any woman. What you feel for Kele isn’t what she needs or deserves. She should move on and find another guy.”
“You think I haven’t made that clear already?”
“Try again. Please.”
“And if it doesn’t work, then what?”
Zeke hadn’t a clue.
“That’s what I thought.” Jacob turned on his heel and spoke over his shoulder as he headed in Kele’s direction, “Like I said,this isn’t over.”
Liz opened the nightstand’s bottom drawer and searched through Jacob’s underwear, just as she had his socks and tees in the other drawers. No key here either. Damn.
She’d awakened a short time earlier, hearing him and Zeke going at it, arguing about her and Kele. When they finally fell silent and moved away, Liz had gotten dressed and tried the door, confirming what she thought she’d heard but hadn’t quite believed—one of them locking her inside.
This lunacy had to stop before Zeke and Jacob beat each other to a pulp over her, or their people locked them both up for acting like testosterone-addled teens. She rounded the bed, heading for the bath. There had to be a piece of metal in there that she could use to spring the lock or pry open the door.
With one touch, she had the walls glowing and scanned the area, not finding anything she could use.
Returning to the bedroom, she bounced in place, finally focusing on the lamp nearest her. She removed the prong that supported the shade and fell to her knees at the door, working its metal end into the lock, making her plans.
Once she was in the hall, she’d retrace the steps she’d taken upon first coming here. She’d reach the garage. Hopefully, the metal door would be open, and she’d slip into the tunnel, running down it and into the desert, heading for Carreon’s stronghold.
Wherever in the fuck it might be.
Don’t think about that.She had to concentrate on getting this freaking lock open first. Every time she turned the prong or applied the least bit of pressure, the stupid thing jerked out, causing her knuckles to ram into the wood.
“Shit.” She sucked her scraped fingers then froze at thesound of a key on the other side.
As fast as possible, Liz backed up, falling to her butt.
The lock clicked; the knob turned; the door opened.
On her feet, she caught a glimpse of Zeke before she darted past him into the hall.