Page 76 of Cruel Hearts

He opens his mouth to protest, but Stella rests a hand on his chest. “Don’t do this. You need to stop at your apartment, shower, and pack your things. You were with me—we were both on the news. Ash knows we’re together, that I’ll have told you things, and you’re not any safer than I am.”

Denton hasn’t thought of that, and he presses his lips into a thin line.

“Besides, Zane discharged Zarah. I want to be there when we move her to the hotel. I don’t want her alone.”

He scoffs and cuts me a glance full of disgust. “You finally did something right.”

“Because of you and Stella. Thank you for going to see her.” I hold out my hand, but he turns away, mumbling under his breath.

Ash and his father have destroyed most of my relationships. The sooner I realize I won’t be able to repair them, the faster I’ll be able to move on after all this is over.

Denton leaves first. I tell him I’ll call ahead to the hotel and the manager who’s overseeing the renovations will show him to a room. We’ll stay on the same floor, grouped together. It may be smarter to spread out over the twenty floors, but Stella will be more relaxed if she has easy access to her friends.

Max will head over later tonight, and I give him permission to bring his furball. I try to sound gruff, but Stella smiles.

He hugs her and whispers, “Be careful.”

“I will. You, too.”

Outside his apartment door, I crowd her against the wall, needing to feel her body pressed against mine. I brush my lips across hers. They’re soft and taste a little of the bacon on the BLT she ate for lunch at the penthouse.

For five years I lived without her.

For five years I mourned the loss of what we had.

“Zane,” she says, turning her head and pushing me away, “don’t.”

“There’s no chance for us, is there? Did you fall out of love, Stella? Were the five years we were separated too much?”

She closes her eyes. I know she can feel my cock against her belly. My body will always need hers.

“Do you really want to know when I fell out of love with you?” she asks, and I nod, even though I don’t want to hear what she has to say.

“That morning in my apartment. I was covered in blood. My best friend’s blood. You asked me where I’d been and I thought, maybe he loves me enough to listen.But you didn’t. All you cared about was using me like you use the woman Ash gave you. I was nothing but a cheap fuck, and I can’t love a man who would treat me like that.” She looks at me, tears sheening in her eyes. “You loved me once. Didn’t you?”

She runs down the stairs. I chase after her in time to watch her push out the door and step into the alley. I hurry and unlock the vehicle doors—I can’t let her stand out in the open.

Grief numbs me, and not feeling a goddamned thing, I drive around the city. Not to avoid being followed, though that is a valid concern. Stella lies in the back, her breathing easy. She’s exhausted enough to fall asleep, and I let tears fill my eyes knowing she won’t see how her words affected me.

I lost her because of my own weakness.

And the stupid part of the whole thing? I’m proud of her. I’m proud of her strength. That she would push me away because she has pride in herself, integrity, self-respect.

I lose myself in the streets of my city, trying to find peace where there is none to be found.

Once Ash and his father are exposed as the criminals they are, Stella will go her own way, and I’ll go mine.

My heart knows we won’t be going in the same direction, no matter how much I wish it.

Stella’s sleeping deeply when I park in the parking garage, and gently, I carry her up to the penthouse. The living room is empty, and no one sees me bring her to my room.

She cuddles into me, her breath fanning my skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake. In sleep, she forgot she hates me, and she nestles her head on my shoulder.

I lay her down on my bed and cover her with a blanket. She can have a couple of hours. There’s a lot to do, and I have a few phone calls to make. I sit on the edge of the bed and smooth some of her hair away from her face. Her eyes flutter open, the cornflower blue. They aren’t full of innocence like they once were. They’re wary now. Of me.

“You won’t believe me, baby,” I say, rubbing my thumb over her lips, “and that’s probably for the best. But I’ll keep you safe through all this. I promise. Not because of what you’ve done for me and my sister and not because we need you to stop Ash and Clayton, but because...”

She watches me, waiting for me to continue.

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