Page 9 of Shattered Hearts

Sliding the doors open, I hear Stella say, “Let’s drink more whiskey and have drunk sex.”

I laugh all the way up the stairs.

Zane is one lucky guy.

When I nudge the door open to Zarah’s bedroom and see this beautiful woman who loves me sitting on her bed waiting for me, I know that I’m one lucky son of a bitch, too.

I kiss her goodnight and promise her things I’m going to try like hell to deliver. We plan to see each other soon, and I go back to my resolve to see her as much as possible without ruining the normalcy she needs or the paycheckIneed.

Stella’s sitting on the bottom step when I come out of Zarah’s room, and she walks me to the door.

“I can let myself out,” I say, but I’m grateful she’s thoughtful enough to tell me goodbye. The house is quiet as a tomb, and in the dark, creepier than hell. “Besides, I don’t want to interrupt the drunk sex.”

She blushes. “Oh, he had some things to do for work and asked for a raincheck. He’s so strung out about Zarah.”

I clear my throat. “I know how he feels.”

“Hey.” She stops and chews on her bottom lip. “I know I look like a rich bimbo now—”

I open my mouth to deny it, but she keeps going.

“—but I think people have forgotten I helped bring down one of the biggest organized crime families in the United States.”

“Yes, you did.”

That a little five-foot slip of a girl managed to do that still knocks the breath out of me.

“So...I think you could have the courtesy to listen when I say that I don’t think things are right.”

My ears perk up. “How do you mean?”

“Zarah should be getting better, but she’s not. At least, not in the way her doctor seemed to expect, and that doesn’t feel right. I’m not always involved in every conversation Zane has about her, but growing up in foster care taught me to listen, so I know that much about her progress. That’s the biggest thing. Max asked you to look out for her, and he never did anything without a reason. He suspected something was going on. That’s two. And three, something that has always, always, bothered me from the minute she did it. Willow let me go. She looked me dead in the eye and I stood there frozen, my backpack strapped to my back, old tennis shoes on my feet. She had no idea what I was doing or where I was going. She blinked, turned, and walked away. Willow Black let me go, and I want to know why.”

“There’s no way to know unless you ask,” I say, naïvely, stupidly, and oh so easily do I fall into her trap.

“I know. That’s why I want to go see her.”

“You’re not going alone. Zarah was insane—” I wince.

“Iknow. That’s why you’re going with me.”

I sigh.

“And one more thing.”

I brace to hear bad news. “What?”

“Don’t come out here without Baby. Lucille said she missed feeding her.”

“Then you do one thing for me.” I don’t trust Zane to do it.

“If I can.”

“Zarah needs her phone.”

Stella slides a silver iPhone out of the pocket of her pajama pants. “I didn’t know Zane took it or I would have given it back days ago.”

I sigh. “I adore you, Stella Mayfair.”

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