by J. S. Cooper
“I called you and texted you. I wanted to apologize.”
“I saw.”
“You didn’t call me back.”
“I had nothing to say to you.” I looked at the redhead to see how she was reacting to the conversation, but she sat there with a smile plastered on her face.
“I didn’t do anything to you, Lucky.” He looked angry.
“Look, I have to get back to my table.” I made to walk away.
“I’m not the bad guy here, Lucky.” He stood up. “I don’t know what Zane has told you, but I’m not the bad guy.”
“Leave Zane out of it.” I glared at him. “I just don’t like you.”
“You think Zane is so perfect, don’t you?” Braydon chortled. “Do you think he’s some lost boy you need to protect and rescue? Don’t be an idiot, Lucky. Zane’s not some lost boy. He’s a calculating snake, and he’s only using you to make Angelique jealous.”
“Angelique was Noah’s ex.” The words tripped out of my mouth, hurriedly.
“Yeah, but did you also know she hooked up with Zane?” Braydon’s eyes were hard and he leaned forward as he pushed the dagger further into my heart. “That’s one of the reasons Noah stopped speaking to Zane. He found out that Zane had fucked her.”
“You’re lying.” The blood left my face and my hands felt clammy. “Zane would have told me.”
“He’s not the perfect guy you think he is, Lucky. He’s not the perfect guy you think he is at all.”
“You’re a liar.” I turned around and walked away from him, quickly. I plastered a smile on my face as I got back to the table. “Hey, guys. Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” Leeza giggled. “This wine is so good. Have some.”
“Thanks.” I took a glass and drank quickly, trying to forget the poison Braydon had tried to put in my mind. There was no way Zane had slept with Angelique. He couldn’t have. He would have told me. We were being honest with each other now. I trusted him.
***
It was 2 a.m. and I laid in Zane’s bed alone with my cell phone. I had tried calling and texting him several times since we had gotten back to the house, but he hadn’t responded, and he wasn’t home. I had no idea where he was or who he was with. And I very much doubted he was still at a business dinner with the Japanese businessmen. If there had ever really been a dinner. A single, solitary tear fell and I closed my eyes. I was too tired and distressed to stay up any longer. I didn’t know what to think anymore. All I knew was that Zane and I had to have a very serious conversation.
Chapter 9
Zane
I opened the front door, slowly, and peeked inside before stepping in. I half expected to see Lucky and Leeza sitting there, waiting for me. Lucky would be in tears and Leeza would have a smug look on her face. I was surprised to see that the living room was empty. I half-hoped that Lucky had fallen asleep early, and didn’t realize that I had been gone the whole night. I took a deep breath and closed the door before leaning back and closing my eyes. I hadn’t intended on spending the night with Angelique, but I hadn’t been able to leave. I just wanted to go to my bed and think, I needed to process everything that had happened. It just didn’t seem real.
“Why, good morning stranger.” Leeza walked towards me from the kitchen. “Good night at your business meeting?” She smirked and flung her hair over her shoulders. Even though I knew she wasn’t involved in anything shady, I still thought she was a big bitch.
“Where’s Lucky?” I didn’t even acknowledge her question. I knew now that she wasn’t working with Evan to bring me down, but I still couldn’t stand talking to her. It made me wonder what Lucky’s other friends were like.
“In the kitchen.” She paused. “I’d go say your goodbyes if I were you.” She laughed and the sound was as close to a cackle as I had ever heard.
“Goodbye?” I stared at her in disdain, but my stomach was flip-flopping with worry.
“You don’t think she’s going to stay here with you after last night, do you?” She looked at me like I was an idiot.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.” My voice was cold and I wanted very much to tell her to go back to Miami.
“I knew you were a sleaze ball. All you care about is sex. You aren’t made for commitment. Guys like you and Evan just use nice girls like me and Lucky.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Leeza. But I have no idea what you’re talking about.” My voice was low and I walked past her, quickly, my heart thumping fast. The last thing I needed was to get into it with Lucky’s best friend. I was in enough trouble as it was.
“You’re a player Zane. I don’t care what excuses or issues you have. Lucky’s a smart girl. I’m sure she sees through you, now.”
I ignored her and walked into the kitchen. Lucky was standing by the island with a glass of orange juice in her hands. She was wearing the same outfit she had on the night before. I could tell from the tenseness in her body that she knew I was there and she was very upset with me.
“Morning, beautiful.” I gave her a wide smile, trying to mask my worry. She looked up at me with red eyes and I could tell she had been crying. Shit! I should have known she would have been worried. I had been more concerned that she would be angry, but I knew in my heart that she must have been out of her mind with worry, too.
“I called you.” The words were coarse in her mouth and her eyes looked at me unflinchingly. “I called you about ten times and you didn’t answer.”
“Sorry. My phone battery died.” I walked closer to her. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to call you back last night.” I reached over to take her into my arms. “I didn’t mean to make you worry.”
“That’s not good enough.” She walked backwards and away from me. My stomach dropped as she looked at me with cold, hard eyes. “Where were you?”
“I told you.” I sighed and saw her face crumple. I knew that it was time to come out with the truth. “Okay, I’m sorry. I told you a lie last night.” I continued after taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I really am.”
“You lied to me. It’s like you can’t help yourself. You just keep on lying to me.” She nodded, as if she were confirming something to herself. “Zane, have you had sex with Angelique?” Her voice was loud and my heart stopped at her words. How did she know?
“What?” I took a deep breath, hoping that she was grasping at straws. This was not a conversation I wanted to have.
“I saw Braydon last night and he told me that you slept with Angelique. I didn’t believe him, but now, I think he was right.” Her voice broke and her shoulders trembled. “You slept with her, didn’t you?”
“You spoke to Braydon last night?” My voice was murderous and I was furious. “Where the fuck was Leo?” I clenched my fist in anger. How had Braydon gotten to Lucky? What if he had done something to her? Oh my God, what if he had seen her just a few hours after everything had gone down with Angelique and me? He would have harmed her or even tried to kidnap her. I knew what he was capable of and I was furious. What had Leo been thinking?
“Don’t change the subject.” Lucky shouted at me and I stared at her, in shock. “I’m fed up of your bullshit, Zane. All your lies and suspicions. This has nothing to do with Leo.”
“He was supposed to be your bodyguard, Lucky. He was supposed to be looking after you. Anything could have happened.”
“What could have happened, Zane? What?” Lucky came forward and pushed me. “I’m so tired of your bullshit. Braydon’s not the one who hurt me, Zane. You are. You’re the one who hurts me every day you lie to me. I can’t take this, Zane.” She started crying and my heart broke. I didn’t know how to respond. “Say something.”
“I’m sorry.” My voice was low and I reached my hands out to her. She recoiled from me, and I felt as if someone had just sucked away all the oxygen from my body.
“I want more than an apology.” She came towards me and pushed. “Where were you last night?”
“I was with Angeliq
ue.” My voice was bleak and I watched as the light died in her eyes. “It’s not what you think.”
“So you’re still sleeping with her?”
“No.” I grabbed her hands. “Please believe me.” I begged her. “Please, just listen.”
“You knew when you were leaving last night that you were going to spend the evening with her, didn’t you?”
I nodded. How could I deny her the truth?
“So it was all a lie, the bullshit about the Japanese businessmen?”
I nodded again, willing her to understand why I had to lie. “Please let me explain, Lucky.”
“Have you had sex with Angelique?”
“I did not have sex with Angelique last night.” I pleaded with her to understand.
“But you have before?” Her breath caught. “Have you fucked her?”
“Lucky, please.” I grabbed hold of her. “Let’s not talk about her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” She cried and my heart broke at her tears. She looked so small and tired. Her bright smile and happy eyes were dimmed and I was responsible for making her miserable. My heart dropped as I realized that it hadn’t been worth it. The events of the night before hadn’t been worth it. Not if it meant I was going to lose Lucky.
“It was a long time ago. It was one night, before she and Noah started dating. It meant nothing, Lucky.”
“Not to her,” she gasped through tears, daring me to refute her claim.
“I’m sorry.” I reached my hands to my forehead and closed my eyes. It was true; I knew Angelique still had a crush on me. It had been my in with her. I had been her weakness. But now, now that I was standing here with Lucky, crying and upset with me, it wasn’t worth it. None of it was worth it. Noah wouldn’t have wanted me to ruin the relationship with the one girl I had ever loved to get my revenge.
“I thought we were finally getting through to each other. I thought you were finally being honest with me. But you’re never going to be truly honest, are you?”
“I am honest with you, Lucky. I couldn’t tell you about Angelique.” My voice was hoarse and I hoped she could see how sincere I was. “I couldn’t tell you Lucky. Please believe me.”
“You couldn’t tell me or you didn’t want to tell me?”
“Look, it’s true that we slept together once, but that was a long time ago. Last night’s dinner was something that had been planned for a long time, since before we even came to Los Angeles.”
“I see.” Her face paled and she looked down.
“It wasn’t a romantic dinner, Lucky.” I sighed and brought her face up to mine. “Look at me, please. I’ve been working with the FBI and the DEA to catch Braydon for selling drugs. Their investigations showed that Braydon was connected to some powerful drug lords in Mexico and Braydon is one of the biggest traffickers in the city. They needed my help because he is an actor and he’s well-protected. It has been hard for them to get any real dirt or concrete evidence on him. Angelique and he were good friends, and the FBI thought that, if I maintained my friendship with Angelique, I could get even closer to the real dirt in the group.”
Lucky frowned and looked away, but I knew she was paying attention and really listening. My heart pounded as I continued my story, hoping that Lucky would understand everything and forgive me for leaving her in the dark.
“So I’ve been playing friendly with Angelique, hoping she would be able to provide me with some information.”
“She knew you were trying to bring down Braydon?” Lucky’s voice was hurt.
“No, no.” I shook my head. “No one knew that Braydon was suspected of being a major drug trafficker. I couldn’t tell anyone. But last night, Angelique let something slip. She told me she was leaving the country for a couple of months. I thought she meant because she was so upset over Noah, but she gave me an odd look. And then it all hit me at once.”
“What hit you?” Lucky’s face was confused and I slowed down.
“I had a conversation with the Agent in charge of the case yesterday, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. He told me that Braydon had a partner, someone who was actually running the show. I thought it was Evan and I suspected Leeza of being here to do something bad to you.”
“Oh Zane.” Lucky looked upset and then angry. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this? Shouldn’t I have been warned if you suspected that about my best friend?”
“I asked Leo to keep an eye on Leeza and all her movements.”
Lucky was silent and I could see her eyes becoming more distant. “I was wrong about Evan and Leeza. I owe her an apology, I suppose.” I made a face, but Lucky didn’t laugh, so I continued. “Angelique was the partner. She was the perfect foil. No one would ever suspect a beautiful supermodel of running a huge drug cartel.”
“Angelique is a drug trafficker?” Lucky’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I know.” I shook my head. “It turns out that she and Braydon have been working together for years, and she was the brains behind the whole thing.”
“She was the brains?” Lucky made such a funny face that I laughed and she scowled at me. “I’m not forgiving you that easily, Zane. Why were you out all night?”
“I wasn’t in her bed, even though she wanted me to be.” I cut myself off before I made the situation worse. “Look, Angelique came from a very poor family, and in all her life, all she has ever wanted was money. After our alliance, I blew her off and I guess I became a bit of a challenge to her. Men didn’t reject her - she rejected them. I think she convinced herself, in her own sick way, that she loved me, or rather she was trying to do everything she could to get me, to prove something to herself. I have never wanted to be with her. And I’ve never really liked her. Last night, when I realized that Angelique was Braydon’s partner, I called my contact at the FBI. He told me to stay until they could get over there. Well, let’s just say they didn’t get over until about 3 a.m.”
“It’s 10 a.m. now.” She glared.
“I was taken in for questioning.” I grabbed her hands. “I’m so sorry, Lucky. Please forgive me. I never thought this would happen.”
“You thought I’d just continue being a fool in the dark, here? Waiting for you to get back from your fake business meeting?” She cried out, but she didn’t remove her hands from mine.
“No, Lucky, never that. I wanted to tell you but …” I paused at the look in her eyes.
“But you didn’t trust me.” She snapped.
“I do trust you.”
“You don’t trust me to look after myself or to be safe. You don’t trust me, Zane. What do I have to do to show you that I love you and I’m here for you? I’m not a little kid or some fragile doll. I can handle the truth, Zane. Life has thrown some shit my way, as well, and I survived. I’m strong. I’m a strong woman. And I can’t be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t see that.”
“Lucky…” My heart stopped once again at her words and I imagined my life without her in it. It would be bleak and uneventful. A life without Lucky in it would be no life at all. “Please don’t leave me. I do trust you. I swear to God. The FBI told me to keep it to myself for the sake of your safety and the case.”
“You still should have told me.” Her stare was obstinate and I caressed her face.
“Please be patient with me, Lucky. I’m trying my best to be the man that you want. But it’s hard for me to give up that control. I’m scared you’re going to walk out and leave me. I’m scared I’m going to lose you. I’ve never felt these emotions before and I love them. They make me feel alive. They make me feel like I never have to worry, ever again. But sometimes, that old devil jumps on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, and I get worried, and angry, and afraid.”
“There is nothing to be worried about, Zane.” She held my hand next to her cheek. “I’m not your mom, I’m not going to leave you.”
“I just want you to be safe, Lucky. Please know that I would never have done anything with Angelique last night. I can’t even look at ano
ther girl. You’re it for me, Lucky. You’re the one.”
“I need to see it.” She rested her head on my shoulder and looked up at me. “Last night, I thought my heart was breaking. I was so scared and worried. I didn’t know what happened to you. I even thought that, maybe there had been another car accident, and that something had happened to you.”
“Oh no. I’m sorry I didn’t even think about that.” I held her in my arms as she cried, and I felt her body trembling against mine.
“I was so scared, Zane. I didn’t know what had happened and you weren’t returning my calls. And then after Braydon told me about Angelique, I didn’t know what to think.”
“Don’t remind me of Braydon. I’m going to have a serious conversation with Leo.”
“Please don’t.” She looked up at me. “He doesn’t know I saw Braydon. Don’t be mad at him.”
“He should have known and seen everything. He was supposed to be your bodyguard.”
“Oh please Zane, don’t blame him. I don’t want this to affect his payment.”
“Payment?” I looked at her and laughed. “Leo’s richer than I am.”
“He is?” She looked surprised. “Then why is he a bodyguard?”
“He’s not really.” I shook my head. “It’s a long story and it’s not mine to tell.”
“Oh.” She looked disappointed and I took her hand and led her to the backyard. I wanted to go to the living room, but didn’t want Leeza to be hiding somewhere, listening to our conversation.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, but it’s not really my place.” I squeezed her hand as we sat down on the lounge chair. “But if you want me to, I will.”
“No, that’s okay.” She smiled at me briefly. “I hope one day he’ll tell me himself.” I watched her face as she spoke and I was annoyed at the pleasant tone she had for Leo. “I like him a lot.” She continued. “I hope we become real friends.”
“I see.”
“Oh Zane, don’t be stupid.” She poked me in the ribs and I looked up to see her shaking her head. “I don’t like Leo like that, okay? You don’t need to get all pouty and jealous.”
