Page 10 of Shattered Hearts

She smiles and tries to joke. “Who doesn’t?”

It falls flat because we know there are a lot of people who don’t, and not all of them are in prison.

“You probably think I’m being blasé about the whole thing, but I try to keep my spirits up for Zarah,” Stella says, sitting next to me in my truck. “I know how serious this is.”

She asked Douglas to drop her off in the city, and she rode the bus to the industrial park and met me at my apartment. I asked why, but all she said was that she missed the old neighborhood. Whatever that meant.

“I try to treat her like a person, talk to her like she’s not someone suffering from some horrible disease. Zane can’t get it through his head she’s better off if we pretend like nothing’s wrong, but he’s so caught up in blaming himself I can’t get himto realize he’s doing more harm than good. He’s never going to let this go until it’s over.”

I don’t entirely agree with that, but I don’t say anything. Treating Zarah like there’s nothing wrong isn’t the way to go, but then again, I don’t know what is. Maybe Stella has a point, maybe she doesn’t, but I do know I’m glad Zarah has her because without Stella, Zarah would be in a not-so-good place. No offense to Zane, but he can’t see what’s past his nose and that’s what got us into this mess in the first place.

“This may never be over,” I say, looking for a place to park on the street. Willow Black’s building is easy to find. Not many have armed security standing outside. I wonder if there are other residents who live here, or if the whole building belongs to her. If that’s the case, I bet the Blacks own it. No one else in the city would lose that much money accommodating Willow that way.

“For Zarah’s sake, I hope you’re wrong.”

“Trust me, no one wants Zarah to be okay more than me.”

“I see a double wedding in our future.”

I cast her an amused look out of the corners of my eyes. “Whyaren’tyou and Zane married yet?”

“Zarah, mostly. I don’t think either of us could really celebrate the way we want. He talks about going away on a honeymoon, but I would never leave Zarah alone and I don’t think she should travel. Zane isn’t right about a lot, but he’s right about a few things. Keeping Zarah stable is a good idea for now.”

“You can marry without the fanfare.”

“We could. We probably should. Zane would feel better. He’s always thinking I’m going to get tired of putting up with him and run off. He doesn’t understand that if I felt that way, I would have disappeared a long time ago. Besides, like I said, I would never leave Zarah behind. After I escaped the Blacks’ building, Quinn tried to convince me to go to New York. I cry at night, thinking about where Zarah would be now if I had left King’sCrossing. I hate wondering how long Ash would have trapped her in Quiet Meadows if I hadn’t woken Zane up.”

Thatis definitely something I don’t like thinking about. “And you found your parents. That wouldn’t have happened if you’d taken off.”

A smile tugs at the corners of her lips. “I was okay without them. I mean, really. If Max wouldn’t have looked into that foundation, I would have been okay, but I’m thankful he did for the other families. No, I’m afraid it all leads back to Zarah, somehow. This story isn’t mine.”

I don’t know what to say to that, and I park in a dark parking ramp without commenting. There’s something haunting about the idea that this all comes down to Zarah, and what that would mean for her, for me.

“Did you call ahead?” I ask as I walk with her down the sidewalk. We had more snow and icy patches cover the cement. The city looks bleak without the Christmas lights twinkling, though some of the shop owners have already decorated for Valentine’s Day. Maybe mine won’t be as sad as I thought it would be.

She stops. “Was I supposed to? It’s not like she can go anywhere.”

“I think you particularly enjoy that.”

“If I was petty, maybe I would. But after the time I spent at Black Enterprises, no one deserves to be locked away. Not even Willow Black. If she’s innocent, that is.”

“How likely is that?”

“You’re the PI, not me. What do you think?”

“I think women are like children. The men don’t realize it, but their kids know everything, and so do their wives.”

“You think she’s guilty.”

“I think she knows just enough to make her trouble, and just little enough that she stays out of it.”

Stella squints at me and mouths, “What?” and I shake my head. I’m fucking tired and visiting Willow Black wasn’t on this week’s Bingo card. I should be working with Pop and wrapping up the Mesas. Meredith was so desperate she wanted to pay us, but we would never take a high schooler’s milk money. The fact she offered endeared her to Pop, and he promised we’d do what we could. Which has been nothing.

We pause uncertainly in front of Willow’s building. I wouldn’t be surprised if the security guy standing in the cold told us to get the fuck out of here, but all he does is stare straight ahead. Stella shrugs and opens the door.

“You could’ve let me do that.”

“Yeah, because my arms are broken.”

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