Page 72 of Shattered Dreams

“No. We’re back at square one,” I say, disgust heavy in my voice. What a waste of time.

“Not entirely,” Zane says.

I grunt.

Stella sips her coffee and says, “Banks is trying to find Jerricka’s lake house, and he’ll be landing in the city soon. He said he’ll text the minute he does. Willow’s calling around, but no one will talk to her.”

“King’s Crossing’s elite isn’t opening their arms and welcoming her back?” I ask, not surprised they would turn on her.

“They’re keeping their distance. They don’t want to be associated with anything that even remotely concerns the Blacks. Not everyone who did business with them went to prison, and they don’t want to borrow trouble.”

I swear. “Don’t blame them any, but it’s harder when people won’t talk.” Experience has taught me that.

The plane begins to taxi down the runway, and the pilot asks us to fasten our seatbelts in preparation for takeoff. Zane tightens his hold on the mug, his knuckles white. I have to givethe guy credit. He confronted one of his worst fears to help his sister.

Stella and I steady our mugs, but it’s unneeded. The ascent is as smooth as the last time. We level off, and Zane lets out a huge breath. I hope our flight is as uneventful as it was when we flew to Bellwood. Zane wouldn’t do very well if there’s turbulence, no matter if Stella’s here.

“What did Ash tell you?” she asks.

Zane leans forward. “He was very focused on one man. Ash kept saying ‘he’ over and over.Hetold him to kill Max.Heblew up Gage’s truck. Ash said that his father new Willow was sleeping withhim, whoever that is.”

I straighten. “That’s not what he said.”

“It’s not what he said, but it’s what he meant. Clayton couldn’t stop it becausehewanted her. It’s no wonder Ash sees women as a commodity and not human. Willow was a piece of meat, and Ash learned to treat women that way.”

Stella’s pen flies across the paper. “Back up—you’re going too fast. Let’s start with Max. His death wasn’t an accident. Ash was shooting into the crowd, but it wasn’t in desperation. He aimed at Max.”

“Right, but Black said it was because he knew Max wanted Zarah, and Zarah was his,” I correct Zane. I remember that as clearly as he said it. “He claimed Zarah a million times while we were talking to him.”

“I didn’t take it that way,” Zane disagrees.

“You’re saying Ash didn’t kill Max out of jealousy,” Stella asks Zane, tapping her pen against the pad.

“I don’t believe he did,” he says. “If Ash wanted Max dead, he would have said so. Bragged about doing it. Someone told him to kill Max that night because he was snooping around,andbecause he wanted Max out of the way so he could have Zarah.”

Stella scrawls on the lined pad, her usual pretty script turning messy in her haste. “She remembered all but one of the men Ash sold her to. I was with her when she gave her statement, and we hoped he was already in prison for working with Clayton, or maybe he bought other girls and was put away for that.”

“Ash said he was there the night of my dinner. The night you interrupted them. Ash saidhewas angry he didn’t get another night with her.” Zane sighs and sips his coffee.

“It wouldn’t be that easy to access the Lyndhurst records and check the room reservations,” Stella says doubtfully.

He leans back in his chair and tugs on a length of her hair. “Even if we did have the list, how could we narrow that down? And that’s only if they reserved the room in their name. Companies reserve rooms, hell, Ash could have reserved that room. Do you remember a suite number after all these years?”

I listen to Zane and Stella talk, envious of their harmony.

I also realize what they’re getting at. One of Zarah’s jobs could still be out there, a man so filthy he paid Ashton Black for a chance to abuse her. He might have ordered a hit on my brother simply because she and Max were in a relationship, and he turned his anger onto me, blowing up my truck. “Whoever it is has a sick fascination with Zarah, and he must be pretty powerful. No one tells the Blacks what to do.”

“He was one of Zarah’s jobs,andhe slept with Willow? You’re sure Ash was talking about the same man?” Stella asks.

Zane nods. “I know Ash. I’d bet all our billions he was talking about the same person.”

Stella’s mouth twists in distaste. “How many lovers did Willow have?”

“You’re best buddies now, you should ask.”

“I only know about Rourke, and that’s enough.”

“Don’t forget the security detail at her building,” I say.

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