Page 50 of The Devil's Pair

“Oh, she’s coming back to get Scars,” Dux reassured him. “She’s probably back now.”

Without a word, King pulled out his cell, checked the messages, and he nodded. “Yeah, she is. My people followed her and Briley to your place, followed Zee back here. She’s having a Coke Zero down the hall as we speak.”

“You know exactly where Zoe is and what she’s drinkin’, but you lose fuckin’Crusher?” Wolf snapped. “C’mon, man, you know I respect your skills, but that’s one hell of a ball to drop.”

“Agreed, and I’ve got no excuses,” King said heavily. “We’re working on it, and Denton has a few solid leads. Meanwhile, I suggest you boys get Briley back to Pennsylvania, ASAP.”

“Really?” Drake said, dismayed. “What if something’s really wrong, and that’s why she’s here with zero heads-up?”

“Then you tell Wolf, and we’ll figure it out,” King said. “But on the whole, from what Wolf has told me about how everything in her life is under her birth name – work, nursing license, home purchase – she’s light-years saferthere. If she’s spotted in Denver, who knows what might happen.”

“Yeah, OK.” Dux nodded reluctantly. “You’re right.”

“So go home and find out what the hell the woman is doin’ here,” Wolf ordered. “Then no matter what it is, get her ass back on a plane. Fuckin’pronto.”

**

Scars walked over to Zoe, watched as her beautiful face lit up, felt his own brighten in response.God, no matter how many times he saw her, or held her, or made love to her, it was like the first time doing it… and it was never,neverenough.

The thought that he wouldn’t see or hold or touch her, maybe for weeks, made his gut twist. But the alternative was too terrible to contemplate, that she’d be taken away from him forever – herandKeira.

Zoe’s eyes changed now, got sharper somehow, and Scars sighed internally. She’d noticed that something was wrong – she’d seen it in his expression, or his walk, or the way he wasbreathing– and he knew that she was already worried.

“What is it?” she asked him, getting to her feet. “What did Wolf say that was so bad? Is this about Briley showing up out of nowhere?”

“Briley?” Scars echoed, mystified. “Is shehere?”

“Yes, I drove her to the twins’ house, not even twenty minutes ago. So is she here because something’s wrong and it’s safer for her to be with us?”

“Baby.” Scars shook his dark head, took her hand and tugged her down the kitchen hallway. “I didn’t know that Briley was here until this second… I can’t say how or why she’s justshown up, but Icantell you that there’s something else going on.”

“Scars,” Zoe said softly, leaning back against the wall next to the open kitchen door. “What’s happened?”

So he took her hands in his, and started to talk. He told her everything – absolutelyeverything– and even though it was probably too much information in some ways, the idea of lying or withholding from Zoe was unthinkable. She was a tough, strong woman and she could handle pretty much anything… and what she struggled with, he’d be there to help her carry.

“So…” she said, staring up at the man she loved. “You want me and Keira to be taken to some place you don’t know and you won’t be told where it is, for who-knows-how-long, because the FBI can’t keep track of two monsters that they had under surveillance?”

“That’s about it, baby,” he said, smoothing back her hair. “The last anyone saw Crusher and Michael – sorry, Darryl Webber – they were in Utah, in the MC clubhouse in Salt Lake City. Where they are now is anybody’s guess, and until we knowthatfor sure, we need to operate on the assumption that they could be anywhere.”

She nodded, looked down at her feet. “I get that, and me and Keira will go with King’s people tonight. No arguments or protestations from me. I promise. But –”

“But what?”

“No, it’s stupid. I mean, it’s a stupid thing to be thinking about with everything else going on.”

“Nothingthat you think or feel or say is stupid to me, Zoe. What is it?”

“Ummmm.” She wrestled with herself, then she sighed. “I feel so selfish, but… I’m supposed to be going shopping for my wedding dress next week. I mean, it’s August now, and November is only a couple of months away, and I know I’mnot getting the whole traditional bridal gown, but I did want something abitspecial, you know? What if – what if we’re still in hiding in November? Do we – we won’t get married, will we?”

Scars stared down at her silently.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “Forget it. I know this isn’t anything to worry about right now. Like I said, it’s stupid…”

“Are youserious?” he asked her, incredulous. “You think I didn’t think the same thing?”

“You thought about my wedding dress?”

“OK, OK.” Scars grinned at her little stab at a joke. “Not theexactsame thing, sure enough, but the wedding. Right after I freaked out about you and Keira being safe, then I thought how soon our wedding is, and what we do if you’re still hiding out then.”

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