Page 38 of Shattered Hearts

“Someone blew up Gage’s truck this afternoon,” Stella says, zeroing in on the subject and the bar my father used to keep stocked positioned near the window. Zane’s no different, and Stella pours whiskey into crystal lowball glasses while Zane paces in a tight circle, anger lighting his eyes.

He stops and opens his mouth to speak. I want to defend Gage, but I don’t get the chance. One second Zane’s eyes are burning holes into me, the next he’s crushing me to him, his arms shaking. He holds me until Stella says gently, “Zane, can you let her go? We need to talk.”

Without a word, he sets me down and kisses my forehead. He bows his head and leans heavily against his desk, his fingers gripping the edge. When he finally lifts his gaze from the floor, his eyes are wet. “Are you both okay?”

“Yeah,” Gage says. “We weren’t near it.”

“Fuck.”

My poor brother. He presses the heels of his hands against his eyes as if trying to keep his tears inside his head. I’d almost prefer him pissed, angry at me or Gage, instead of this. Instead of beaten down, sad. Defeated.

No.

Not beaten down or defeated.

He’s scared.

Stella abandons the bar and wraps her arms around him, and he clings to her, just as tightly as he hugged me. I’m glad he has her. I think Stella can be strong enough to hold up everyone in this room. She has to be. Zane needs her to be.

Gage tugs off his leather jacket and hangs it on the coat tree near the door, and Baby curls up on the carpet inthe conversation area where Zane holds some of his informal meetings.

Zane sits on a couch near Baby, dragging Stella with him, but she disentangles herself to serve Gage and Linc a drink.

My blood fizzes, and I’m full of a joy I can’t explain. Inappropriate, I know, but my family is here in this room, all the people I love are in this room, concerned about me, wanting to support me.

“What have you got?” Zane asks, his eyes never leaving Stella’s figure.

“Not much,” Gage answers, sitting on the couch opposite Zane. Stella offers him a glass, and he smiles his thanks. “I talked to the cops and they’re going to look my truck over. To be honest, I’m surprised something like this hasn’t happened sooner. Pop and I deal with a lot of bullshit. Retaliation is practically in the job description.”

Stella passes a glass to Linc, who rumbles, “Thank you,” and he sits next to Gage. Holding her own glass, she steps between Zane’s legs. He wraps his arms around her waist and positions her on his thigh, kissing her cheek. He steals her glass and downs half the contents.

“Then why are you here?” he asks.

Gage clenches his jaw. “Because I love Zarah. She was with me and it scared the fuck out of me.”

Still wearing my coat, I crawl into his lap, and his body starts to tremble.

“The shock’s starting to set in,” Stella says.

“Were you with them?” Zane asks her.

She shakes her head. “Zarah was still at the park when she called me, and I told her we’d meet up here. I think it’s a good idea we rule out Ash or Clayton aren’t behind this.”

“Or Willow Black,” Gage says, his voice rumbling under my ear.

Zane’s voice is full of surprise. “Willow?”

“Gage and I might have gone to see her,” Stella mumbles, “but I don’t think she has anything to do with Gage’s truck.”

“Were you going to tell me?”

I chime in. “Or me? You went to talk to Willow after you told me to stay away from her.”

“She didn’t give us much,” Stella says, lifting her hands. “We asked her about Zarah’s recovery and she pointed us in the direction of Quiet Meadows, but we don’t know what to do with that.”

Zane scowls.

Linc leans back, the lowball glass resting on his knee, and listens to the comments fly back and forth.

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