Page 11 of Shattered Hearts

The security guy sniggers.

“We’re here to see Willow Black,” Stella says to another goon standing in the lobby holding a phone.

“ID.”

He uses his cell to scan our IDs, and I don’t like that. With all the security cameras around, I wouldn’t have been able to hide my visit, but now my driver’s license is recorded.

“Wade will take you upstairs.”

A burly man hiding a piece under his blazer jerks his head at us, and Stella races after him, her boot heels clipping against the silver-veined black marble. Wade keeps his mouth shut and stares at the elevator doors until they slide open. We stand in silence, and when we reach her floor, follow him down the carpeted hallway. He stops at an apartment door that isn’t numbered, and Britney Spears singing about a circus blasts from the other side.

“Are you going to stand here the whole time?” Stella asks.

“Yes, ma’am,” he replies, leaning against the wall, his hands clasped in front of his flat stomach.

She wrinkles her nose and knocks.

Nothing.

She knocks again.

“I don’t think she can hear us over—”

Just then the music cuts off and five seconds later the door flies open. Willow stands there, sweat dripping off her body, her hair wet and clinging to her head. “I’m sorry,” she gasps. “I was working out.”

“We can come back another time,” Stella says politely, like she met a neighbor at the grocery store and is saying goodbye.

“No, this is fine. Come in.” She casts a quick glance at Wade, but he doesn’t meet her eyes.

In that moment, I know without a doubt they’re lovers.

Interesting.

Willow hangs our jackets in a small closet near the door and says, “Please, make yourselves comfortable. I need a moment to freshen up.”

She doesn’t wait for a response, only shuffles down a narrow hallway and out of sight. A minute later I hear the sound of water rushing through the pipes. I guess she’s taking a shower.

Stella wanders around the room, lightly touching the artwork on the walls. Wearing heavy work boots, I trip over the edge of a rug and stumble into a stand. A vase topples, but before it crashes to the floor, Stella catches it, clutching it to her chest. “Are you crazy? This vase is worth a hundred thousand dollars.”

“How do you know?” Shit. I feel like a bull in a china shop and sit on the couch vowing not to move.

“Zarah and Zane had one just like it in their penthouse.”

“Christ.”

“Tell me about it. Just sit there.”

“You don’t gotta tell me twice.”

She keeps exploring, her eyes flicking to the hallway and back again.

“Do you want to leave before she comes back?”

“No. I’m just a little uncomfortable. How did Zarah stand it?”

“I think there was a bond between them. I mean, if Willow’s innocent, she could have honestly liked Zarah, you know? Tried to protect her.”

“I did what I could to shield that girl from my son, but I learned a long time ago I was to look pretty and keep my mouth shut. Zarah and I had a lovely visit, and she said she’d come back for Christmas. She never did. I hope she’s well.”

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