Freeing Zane
Sloane Kennedy
Freeing Zane is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Sloane Kennedy
Amazon Inc.
Published in the United States by Sloane Kennedy
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Images: © AS Inc, Stefano Cavoretto Shutterstock.com
Cover Design: Cover to Cover Designs
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
Audi
Pontiac
Dodge
Acknowledgements
A big thank you to Rita for doing such a quick and thorough beta read for me and for all your support and encouragement!
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
Prologue
“I’m sorry Mr. Devereaux, he insisted.”
Zane looked up from his computer and bit back the irritation that threaded through him at the interruption. But his eyes didn’t even make it to his assistant as she cowered near his office door. Instead, they fell on the man who was staring openly at him and Zane felt a punch in his gut as his eyes clashed with brown ones that were clearly even now struggling to place him.
“I know you,” the man said with obvious frustration as he fought to put a name to Zane’s face.
“Close the door please, Mary Ellen,” Zane murmured to his assistant, though he kept his gaze on the other man. He looked much the same as he had a few weeks ago when Zane had first laid eyes on him. Coffee brown hair that fell in thick waves across his forehead and dipped well below his ears, eyes the color of his favorite brand of bourbon and lips that were nearly too full and pretty for a man. Lips that that son of a bitch Sutter had been abusing with a cruel, unwanted kiss…
“Come in, Mr. Talbot. Have a seat,” Zane said as he sat back, locked his computer screen and motioned to one of the two leather guest chairs in front of his desk.
“You’re him,” the man whispered. “You were there that day.”
“What can I do for you, Mr. Talbot?” Zane asked.
“You can start by calling me Connor.”
No way in hell did he want to call the man by his first name. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he loved the way it sounded rolling off his tongue or that he’d been wondering how Connor would respond when he whispered his name into Connor’s ear as he leaned over him while he was ramming into him from behind. No, he wasn’t going to use his first name because it would be impolite and unprofessional. Shit, he couldn’t even sell that crap to himself and he’d been selling a whole lot worse since he’d finished top of his class in law school.
“What can I do for you?” Zane repeated as he smoothed his hand down his tie. Why the hell did something that he’d paid so much for still manage to feel constrictive? He might as well have been wearing one of the five dollar ones he been forced to use early on when he’d started his practice.
“Zach,” Connor said softly but then his brow furrowed. “No, Ren called you something else.”
Zane remained silent as he watched Connor struggle with trying to remember the day they’d met. The day Zane had momentarily lost sight of the man he’d worked so hard to become. It was the first time in a long time that he’d used his fists to get his point across instead of his wit.
“It’s Zane,” he finally supplied.
“Zane,” Connor murmured.
Zane shifted uncomfortably as his already hard cock surged in his pants and he knew there’d be no way he’d be able to stand any time soon. Hearing his name fall from Connor’s lips was even better than him saying Connor’s name, and a sudden image of the other man walking around the desk and dropping to his knees in front of Zane had him leaning forward and rolling his chair closer to his desk so his predicament wouldn’t be obvious. Time to get this guy out of here.
“Mr. Talbot, may I ask what is so important that you saw fit to barge in here without the courtesy of making an appointment?” His words and the condescension he let drip off his lips had the effect he wanted and Connor instantly stiffened.
“I want to know how much Jagger owes you,” Connor said as he finally began moving across the sizable office and took a seat. Zane forced himself to ignore the strange shuffle in Connor’s gait and folded his hands together on his desk.
“That’s between Mr. Varos and myself,” Zane answered.
“Jason and his father sued Jagger because of me. I know your firm threatened the Sutters with a countersuit. I want to know how much you’re charging Jagger for it.”
“You should ask Mr. Varos-”
“He won’t tell me,” Connor bit out. “He keeps telling me not to worry about it.”
“You should listen to your friend,” Zane suggested. “Have a good day, Mr. Talbot.”
Zane unlocked his computer but didn’t bother typing when he saw that Connor wasn’t going anywhere. “Why is it so important to you?” he asked.
“How much do you charge an hour?” Connor returned.
Zane sighed and leaned back against his chair but made sure to keep his groin concealed because the sight of Connor’s pretty lips drawn up into a frown had Zane wanting to reach across the desk and run his tongue along the pink skin to see if it was as soft as it looked.
“Answer my question,” Zane said. “And I’ll answer yours.”
He was surprised when Connor’s eyes bore into his. He was nothing like the quiet, confused young man on whose behalf he had intervened when he and Connor’s friend, Ren Barretti, had found Jason Sutter assaulting Connor in the storeroom of the bar he worked at.
“Because I don’t need people fighting my battles for me,” Connor said crisply, the challenge clear in his voice.
All of Zane’s cylinders were firing as he contemplated the other man. He was an intriguing mix of strength and vulnerability. And Zane fucking wanted him.
“I typically charge based on the complexities of the case against my client. My retainer starts at ten thousand and goes up from there. If your friend’s case had gone to court, I would have also taken a portion of the damages awarded.”
“Assuming you won,” Connor interjected.
“I would have won,” Zane quipped. “Mr. Varos chose not to pursue the suit once the Sutters dropped theirs. I suspect you know why.”
Connor’s eyes dropped for the first time and a shadow passed over his face. Zane felt the unreasonable urge to tell the other man to look at him.
“How much?” Connor persisted. “How much are you charging him for the work you did?”
“I’m not,” Zane said. “Consider it a favor,” he added, then returned his attention to his computer. But Connor still didn’t move.
“A favor for whom?” Connor asked. “I get the impression that you’re not exactly
Jagger’s favorite person.”
Zane nearly laughed at that understatement. Jagger Varos had hated him from the get go. Not that he blamed the guy considering the circumstances of their first meeting.
“You did it for Declan?” Connor suddenly said and Zane felt a rush of energy go through him at the mention of his former lover. Things were getting more interesting by the moment.
“He told you about us?” Zane asked in surprise.
Connor studied him for a moment and Zane realized he’d been had when Connor murmured, “No.”
It wasn’t often that someone got the best of him and he didn’t like it one bit. “You’re lying,” Zane said coldly.
Connor shook his head.
“How?” Zane demanded, his curiosity overtaking his anger.
“Jagger’s a good guy – only reason he’d dislike someone as much as he does you is if you were hurting someone he loved…or fucking them. Declan seems like the kind of guy who can take care of himself so I figured it was the latter.”
Anger seeped through Zane. There was nothing he hated more than being made a fool of and he instantly went on the attack. “Is that why he was the one getting sued and not you?” Zane sniped.
“What do you mean?”
Zane delivered the final blow. “Maybe you should keep letting other people fight your battles for you. From what I saw in that storeroom, you need it.”
***
Connor felt like he’d been struck but he managed to keep his expression neutral as he took in the man staring coldly at him. He guessed him to be a little taller than his own six feet but he was definitely more built. Connor had always struggled with his own lanky body and while it had filled out over the years, he’d always look lean. That combined with his “prettiness” had gotten him his fair share of attention from larger, more assertive men like the one sitting across from him, but it wasn’t until recently that he’d allowed the distinction to evolve into something ugly. Jason Sutter had been like the man now staring at him with unfettered condescension. And one of the first lessons Connor had learned from Jason was that it didn’t matter if Connor spoke up or remained silent – he got the same response either way.
“How much?” Connor forced himself to ask once more.
Emerald eyes regarded him coolly and then Zane was punching something into his computer. The printer on the credenza at the other side of the desk started spitting out pages and Zane snatched them up and dropped them down on the desk in front of Connor.
“Have a good day, Mr. Talbot,” he said dismissively.
Connor grabbed the pages up and stood. He ignored the jolt of pain in his leg and made his way to the office door. As he scanned the pages in his hand, he nearly stopped when he saw the enormous figure at the bottom of the last page. Despair went through him as he realized the sum would eat up all the money he’d saved in the past year…the money that was supposed to help him get at least part of his life back on track.
“Oh, and Mr. Talbot…”
Connor stopped as the silky, cool voice washed over him and he tried to ignore the way his cock immediately responded.
“We don’t take payment plans.”
Chapter 1
The second he felt a heavy hand close over his shoulder, Zane turned and swung his arm defensively as his other came up to deflect the imminent blow. His swing missed its mark but still managed to make contact with a beefy shoulder and he geared up for another punch when a heavy voice rattled through him.
“Fuck, Deveraux, what the hell is your problem?”
Jagger Varos stepped back, probably to avoid a second hit, but Zane was disappointed to see that his first contact barely even seemed to register with the huge man.
“Jesus, Varos,” Zane muttered as he straightened his suit. He hadn’t even realized he’d dropped his bag until Jagger snatched it up and shoved it at him. It had been several weeks since he’d last seen the man but he looked exactly the same – big, bald headed, tattooed arms, wide shoulders. As Zane’s eyes traveled over the ragged scar on Jagger’s cheek, he realized he didn’t look exactly the same – he looked light, content almost. In love, Zane thought with a huff. And not just with Declan but with Ren Barretti as well. Fucker had managed to bag himself not one, but two hot guys to go home to each night.
“How did you get in here?” Zane snapped in irritation as he looked around the parking garage. The last thing he’d been expecting as he got off the elevator was to come face to face with the behemoth of a man who’d been ready to tear him a new one more than once.
“What the fuck is this?” Jagger snapped as he held out a piece of paper.
Zane took it from him and began walking to his car. His Audi was just around the corner from the elevator and by the time he reached the sleek black car, he’d figured out what he was looking at.
“It’s a receipt,” he murmured as he scanned the document until he found what he was looking for.
“Why the fuck does it have Connor’s name on it?” Jagger snarled.
Zane shook his head as his eyes searched out the accounts receivable information. He’d been pissed when he printed off the bill and hadn’t even thought for one second that Connor would pay it. The only reason he’d even had the information about how much time he’d spent on Jagger’s case available was for tracking purposes since he was meticulous about his time.
“He came to see me a couple of weeks ago to ask how much your bill was.”
He wasn’t surprised when Jagger got in his face. “Why the hell would you give him my bill instead of sending it to me?” Jagger shouted.
A mix of anger and frustration went through Zane and he shoved Jagger away from him. “I wasn’t going to bill you, damn it,” he snapped. “I only gave it to him so he’d shut up about paying it. I figured he’d see the amount and let it go.”
Zane could tell he’d caught Jagger off guard with his admission about not charging him and he supposed if there hadn’t been the issue of Connor to deal with, Jagger would have laid him out since he likely knew Zane had done the work for free because of his association with Declan. An association Jagger wasn’t likely to forget any time soon.
“You really are a piece of work,” Jagger said. He snatched the receipt and held it up. “This was all the money he had and he had a hell of a lot more important things to spend it on than you!”
***
“Night Bob,” Connor said as he turned off the ‘Open’ light and watched the wobbly man walk to the waiting cab. As if on cue, he heard the phone behind the bar ring and he hurried across the room and reached over the top of the bar to snatch it up.
“I just put him in a cab, Dorothy. He should be home in a few.” He listened to the woman on the other end rant and rave about how her husband should be spending more time at home with her instead of at the bar, but he kept his suspicions about Bob’s reasons for being such a regular to himself. At least the man was smart enough to have a standing order for a cab every Thursday night after making the walk from whatever factory he spent his days working as a machinist at. And for all her complaining, the fact that Dorothy waited up for her husband week after week had to mean something more than just being a nag. At least Connor liked to think so. He’d only met her once but the way she’d doted on her husband never failed to remind Connor of his own parents…minus the weekly bar visits, of course.
“Okay, bye,” he murmured into the phone. It took some maneuvering with his leg but he managed to get the cordless phone back in the charger without having to go around the bar. As he turned to head back to the door to lock it, he nearly slammed into someone standing behind him. Big hands came out to steady him and panic went through him until he realized just whose fingers were pressed against his skin. And then his panic turned into something else. Something that should have had him stepping back.
“We’re closed,” he managed to say to Zane who had yet to release him. When Zane did finally drop his hands, Connor bit back the part of him that was wishing he hadn’t
. He was surprised when Zane turned to leave but his chest seized up when the other man walked up to the door and locked it instead of leaving through it
“Relax,” Zane murmured. “If I’d wanted to do something to you, I’d have done it by now.”
Fuck, how had he known?
“It’s written all over your face,” Zane said softly. So not only could the guy read his expressions, he could read his mind as well.
Connor shifted uncomfortably and he couldn’t stop himself from retreating until his back hit the bar. “What are you doing here? I paid the entire balance.” But instead of answering him, Zane suddenly closed the distance between them. His arm reached out and Connor instantly grabbed it. “Don’t!” he warned as he tightened his grip on Zane’s wrist. It wasn’t until he saw the roll of money in Zane’s hand that he realized the guy had only been reaching past him to put it on the top of the bar.
Shit.
***
Zane tried to ignore the heat that flared to life where Connor’s fingers wrapped around his wrist. He didn’t try to pull free of Connor’s tight grip even though his desire was warring with the instinct to fight back.
“Sorry,” Connor whispered as he released Zane. He wondered if Connor even realized his other hand was pressed against Zane’s chest because Zane sure as hell was aware of it. His entire body, and especially his cock, noticed the large palm that was burning him through his dress shirt. If Connor hadn’t been so distracted, he probably would have felt Zane’s heart pounding beneath his hand. And when several long, tense seconds passed, Zane actually found himself stepping forward. He told himself it was just a test to see if Connor backed off and had nothing to do with wanting to get a better look at the lips that had parted in anticipation. And it definitely wasn’t an attempt to figure out how to get his hands on the ass that had been on display for him just moments ago when Connor had been hanging over the top of the bar.
Freeing Zane (Barretti Security Series, Book 4) Page 1
