Page 23 of Love & Betrayal

“Goddammit,” Zayne muttered as he crumpled the paper. “Let’s go.” He put a protective hand on my lower back, and I flinched. Zayne immediately stopped touching me, and his lips pursed into a thin line as he led me up the sidewalk, then to the underground parking garage of the mall. The moment we were out of sight, Zayne spun around and shook the crumpled note at me.

“Do you want to tell me what the fuck this is about?” he growled.

16

Giselle

Istepped away from him, realizing I’d screwed up. Zayne wasn’t on my side at all. My breath stuttered in my throat while I attempted to come up with a good answer, but the threat in his voice said it all. Zayne was in Donovan’s pocket.Fuck! How could I have been so stupid? Just because he was gorgeous and occasionally kind didn’t mean that he wasn’t my enemy.

Before I could run, he grabbed my arm. “I’m not going to hurt you, Giselle. I didn’t mean to scare you. Please tell me what this is all about,” he said gently. He dropped his hand and waited to see if I would dart off like a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car driving sixty miles an hour.

I gulped, searching for a lie to feed him, but my brain refused to cooperate. I reminded myself why I’d slipped the note to Zayne in the first place, to see if I could trust him.

“I overheard Donovan talking on the phone when I was … sick.” Looking at my feet, my tongue darted over my dry lower lip, wetting it before I raised my gaze back to his. “He’s bugged your car and he planted a tracker in it as well. This is the first time I’ve had a chance to tell you, but you were about to say something we would both regret later. Not that it was the wrong thing to say, but because he would hear.” I tipped my chin up, a shred of confidence stirring in my chest. Regardless of how terrified I was, I couldn’t allow Zayne to see my vulnerability. Everything I did was forher, and I needed answers and fast. Could Zayne help me or not?

He removed his sunglasses, his green eyes flashing with anger. “Why?”

I shook my head, still scared about how this would play out. “He tracks my every move. It’s not personal against you, but for Christ’s sake, under no circumstances can we have a conversation in the house or cars.”

“Or what?” he probed.

I smashed my lips together, refusing to answer his question. He slipped his sunglasses into place, then removed his cell from his back pocket. I watched him as he placed a call.

“Hey, I’ve got a situation that I need your help with.” He paused. “There’s a fucking tracker and bug on the goddamn Mercedes. We can’t remove it, or it will tip Donovan off. Can you hook me up with a scrambler?”

My pulse raced faster than a horse at Arlington Park with the possibility that Donovan would figure out that I’d told Zayne.

“She’s with me. We’re at the mall downtown. I’ll move the car into the parking garage so you can work your magic.” Zayne stared at me, clearly still pissed. “You’re the fucking best. I’ll see you in a few.” He hung up, then pocketed his phone.

Zayne began to walk in the direction of the street, then looked over his shoulder. “No fucking way am I letting you out of my sight. Come on.”

I hurried to catch up with him. Apparently, when Zayne was pissed, his stride was longer, and I hightailed it to keep up.

After moving the vehicle into the garage, he signaled me to get out. We walked over to a cement wall at least a football field away from where he’d parked his car. Sighing, I sat on the edge while Zayne remained standing.

“Sutton will be here soon. She’ll need to talk to you.” He kept his eyes on the entrance as he spoke.

“Are you going to say anything to Donovan about your car being bugged?” I wrung my fingers, my nerves getting the better of me.

“Donovan may be my client and, in a way, my boss, Giselle,” Zayne placed his hands on his hips, “but pulling that shit with me won’t fly. I won’t say a word.”

I breathed in as deep as my lungs would allow, trying to believe that he was being honest with me. Little did he know, my tests were far from over, but somewhere inside me, I was beginning to think that maybe … just maybe, there was more to this gorgeous man than I’d anticipated, and I warmed to the possibility. The moment the thought occurred to me, though, my anxiety about Donovan finding out what I’d done gave me whiplash.

“Thank you.” As I started to pace while logic bitch-slapped my hope and fucked with my head, I hoped like hell I hadn’t made a mistake. What if Zayne was lying to me? He owed me absolutely nothing. I was playing Russian roulette, praying to the universe that people wouldn’t die while I kept trying to find out if he was on my side.

“There’s Sutton.” He nodded at the blue Audi that pulled up next to us. The blonde-haired beauty with a baby bump who climbed out of the driver’s seat appeared to be all business as she approached me. She removed her sunglasses, and surprised blue eyes penetrated mine before she looked up at Zayne. “You’re fired, dude. Pierce too. I haven’t finished my homework yet, so I had no idea who Donovan’s sister was.” She shook her head in awe. “You’retheGiselle Lambert.” A smile graced her lips.

I extended my hand to her. “I am. You’re a ballet fan?”

“No. I mean, yes.” She chuckled slightly. “My sister is a dancer, and we used to watch your televised performances together. You’re magical.”

“Thank you. I appreciate your kind words.”

Sutton glanced at Zayne again. “Fired.” She shook her head, exasperation on her beautiful face. “I’m sorry. I’m here on business, and my excitement got the best of me. It’s clear that Zayne has no idea he’s guarding a worldwide celebrity.”

“Sometimes it’s nice not to be recognized,” I admitted, already liking this perky, warm woman. “Hopefully it won’t change how Zayne perceives me now that he knows I’m a somebody in the dance world.” I swore Zayne nearly cracked a grin before he responded.

“It won’t,” he stated before Sutton could respond for him.

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