Page 70 of Shattered Dreams

I wipe my sweaty palms against my jeans. “Did you blow up my truck?”

Black shakes his head. “No. That wasn’t me. He wanted to teach you a lesson. He said you never listen, and it’s time you started.”

“Who’s ‘he?’” I don’t know who he’s talking about. Who’s trying to teach me a lesson?

“He paid to have her, the night at the Lyndhurst, but Stella interfered. He was angry I took Stella instead of giving Zarah to him, but it worked out. No one could have predicted Zarah would break down after I took Stella away. It gave us the perfect opportunity.”

“To do what?” Zane pauses. “Ash. We don’t know who you’re talking about.” He grips Black’s shoulder, and I can see the dregs of their friendship in the gesture. Zane has done this many times before.

The guards would discourage the physical contact, maybe cut our visit short, but it seems to calm Black down somewhat. The guy is bonkers, insanity bright in his eyes.

Black licks his lips in agitation. “Cook knows.”

“That doesn’t help us now. Max is dead. You shot him at the fundraiser.”

Ash nods. “Yes. He told me to. He said Max knew too much, and he wanted Zarah. I couldn’t let him have her. She’s mine. She’ll always be mine. You told me I could marry her, Zane, remember? At the club, I asked if I could marry her, and you said yes.”

“Yes, I did. I thought you loved her.”

“I do. She’s mine. We’re King’s Crossing’s royalty. No one said no to us. Everyone loved us. We’ll have that again, as soon as I’m free. My father said be patient, and it will happen.”

Zane lowers his voice and says soothingly, “Why do you think you’ll get out of prison? You’ve hurt too many people, did too many bad things.”

We should call the guards, tell them we’re ready to go. Zane sounds like he’s talking to a child, trying to draw out any bit of information he can. Nothing Black tells us now will hold a kernel of truth. This guy is on his last stop to crazy town.

“Our arrests are part of the plan. I’m where I need to be and he’ll get us out. My father has faith. Wait, he says, and our sacrifices will be rewarded.”

Zane draws the same conclusion I have, thank God. “Thanks for talking to us, Ash. It means a lot.”

Black grabs Zane’s forearm, and he stiffens. “How’s my mother? Have you seen her?”

I don’t know why I bother, but I say, “Stella and I went to see her not long ago. She’s okay.”

Every word he’s said since we’ve sat down has churned my stomach, but despite that, maybe it was his genuine concern for Willow that made me want to give him a real answer. Maybe I wanted to give him a little peace.

“Good, good.” He leans forward. “My father knew. Tell her, my father knew. He wanted her, and my father had no choice, but he knew and he forgave her. Tell her that. Tell her that my father loves her.”

“We will.”

Black screams, “Guard!”

I jump at his sudden outburst, and the four guards burst into the visitation room, hands on their weapons. They realize nothing is happening and relax, but the guard, Lenny, who uncuffed Black, wastes no time securing his hands behind his back.

“Tell Zarah I love her. Tell her, Zane, that she’s mine and she needs to be ready when I get out. Did she get my message? I sent someone to tell her. You can’t have her,” he yells at me, spittle flying out of his mouth, struggling against the guard in an effortto move closer. “You can’t have her. I had her first and she’s mine.”

“All right, tough guy. It’s past your bedtime.”

Two other guards join them, leaving behind the officer who patted us down. “I guess he forgot how to play nice.”

“He never knew,” Zane says, his tongue tucked into his cheek.

The guard laughs.

We retrieve our jackets in silence. I wish I would have counted how many times Black claimed Zarah during our conversation. Five? Six? Twenty? In his mind, somehow, he and Zarah are going to be together.

I wait until we’re outside and alone and then ask, “If Black hadn’t gone nuts, do you think he and Zarah would be married?”

Zane looks at me, his mouth pulled into a frown. “I don’t know. My dad seemed to think they would, but I don’t think Ash was ever right in the head. He had a cruelty about him, even as a kid. Lucille said she saw him one day, pulling legs off a spider.”

---