He wasn’t annoyed. If anything, he liked that she felt at ease enough to do that.
Ellen glanced over her shoulder, a broad smile on her face. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made use of the last of your bread and eggs. I just was really hungry. And I figured you’d be, too.”
“Yeah, I could use a bite to eat.”
Zane leaned against the counter to watch as she moved with ease in his space. There was something about the sight of her in his clothes cooking breakfast that really did a number on him. He could feel the front of his pants grow a little tighter as his cock jumped to attention.
He cursed the damned thing. She’d just been through hell, and all his lower half could think about was sinking in between her sweet thighs. He needed to keep some damn perspective and not just think about his body’s wants.
“Sounds good,” he said, his throat a little tighter than he wanted. He hoped she didn’t notice.
Ellen placed the French toast on the plates and handed him one piled high. “It’s not as good as Mom’s, but it’s close.”
Zane glanced up to her and watched as she drizzled a little syrup onto the toast.
“You think they’ll kill Zoe?” Ellen said softly.
She handed over the syrup, this time pinning him with a stare. This hadn’t been what he expected.
Ellen was always practical, but the matter of fact way she spoke about her sister concerned him. Things must have really gone to hell between the two of them. It was like she didn’t think she could even do anything to help Zoe.
If Ellen thought Zoe was that far gone, then Zane wasn’t sure he’d be all that much help himself. Still, maybe he could get her to worry less.
Zane shook his head. “You know, Zo,” he said. “They might trace you to her, but if she’s in this deep, she’s likely seen worse and hasn’t talked, so they probably think they can trust her, or that they’ve scared her enough. The point is, they have no reason to kill someone who they know can keep their mouth shut.”
Her face paled, and he kicked himself for even suggesting it, despite it probably being true. Things might be bad between them, but this was her sister, and despite everything, he knew there was love between the two women.
Ellen swallowed and took a bite of her toast. “You’re right,” she said softly. “There’s no pretending that she’s the sweet innocent girl I once knew. She’s been gone a while now.” She put down her toast. “I’m pretty sure she’s an addict, too.”
While that might all be true, he doubted that Zoe had gotten in too far. There were things he doubted she’d ever do. If she’d just kept her mouth shut, that was one thing, but Zane was sure, addict or not, that she’d participated in anything too messed up.
That meant they still had some chance of saving her.
A long sigh from Ellen followed. “So what do we do now? Do we call the police?”
He looked up from his plate as she took another bite of the toast. A bit of syrup dripped onto her chin. Quickly she swiped it off and sucked on her finger.
A different sort of hunger burned inside him over the action. Watching her sweet lips wrap around her finger only made him think of something else. He could feel his cock react to the movement as it twitched in his pants.
Zane looked away and swallowed. Fuck, this was going to be much harder than he anticipated.
“I’m off today, but I’ve got to stop by work,” she continued on as if nothing happened at all. Likely she had no idea of the dirty thoughts that passed through his mind. “After that, maybe you could take me to the police. Or do we go to the FBI? How does this work?”
“No cops or anyone who might call the local cops,” Zane said. “Stefano has someone in the department in his pocket.”
“Stefano?”
“The current head of the local Russia mob.”
She gulped and nodded.
“There’s no telling which cops you can trust. We don’t so much as sniff in the police’s direction until we know they can guarantee your safety. By now the Russians also likely know where you live and where you work.”
Her fork froze midway to her mouth. “My work?”
He nodded. Zane hated to make her worry, but they likely knew everything they needed to in order to do what was necessary: tie up a loose end.
“So what do I do?”
“First things first,” he said and placed his now empty plate in the sink. “We need to find out just why they wanted that man dead. Once we figure that out, then we might have a bargaining chip we can use.”
It killed him to even say it. Cutting deals with the mob was the last thing he wanted, but he would do what he needed to in order to keep her safe.
“Bargaining chip?”
He nodded. “In exchange for your life.”
She took in a small breath, and he could hear the shake as she did so. “My life?”
Hearing her small voice broke something in him. Zane stepped forward and took her plate from her hands. With ease, he pulled her hard against his chest and relaxed when she leaned into him.
It was a comfortable feeling having her close to him in this way.
“It will be okay,” he said softly.
Ellen nodded against his chest and wrapped her arms around his middle. “What about Zoe?”
It was the one thing he hadn’t really figured out. He honestly didn’t know if he could do anything.
Zoe was her own woman. She did what she wanted and didn’t give a shit who it might piss off. It seemed that in recent years, she’d taken that trend to its logical conclusion.
“We’ll figure out something,” he said. “No matter what, though, I’ll keep you safe.”
Ellen believed Zane’s words. She’d always had faith in his ability to keep her safe. Even when she didn’t really want that.
She could still remember the time in high school when one of her boyfriends, Brad, had decided to make out with Lauren Tucker and then proceeded to break up with her in front of the whole school. When Zane had found her crying at home, he’d done everything he could to make her feel better.
Even kiss her.
It had been brief and likely only to cheer her up, but for weeks, it was all she could think about. The soft way their lips met and the zing of excitement that came crashing around her. The kiss haunted her, made her fall even more for him.
Not that anything ever came of it. He’d given her a small kiss and then left shortly after.
It wasn’t until that Monday that she learned he’d paid Brad a visit and nearly broken his nose when the new couple had been spotted at the movies.
For months, Brad used to turn the other direction when he saw her in the hall and sported two black eyes for several weeks after.
But this wasn’t a fight with a boyfriend. These were mobsters, and she’d already seen what could happen to someone who crossed them. Even though Zane was now a security contractor, these men were the worst of the worst.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” she said softly. “I didn’t have anywhere else to go, but I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you. I can hide somewhere else, a hotel or something.”
Zane stiffened in her arms, and she wondered if she had said the wrong thing.
“It will be fine,” he said. “You’re just where you need to be.”
He stepped away, and she could already feel him putting the walls back up to make sure she never got too close.
Good. She didn’t need to be getting involved with someone. There was already too much going on, and Zane wasn’t the sort of guy that settled down.
“So where do we start then?”
Ellen busied her hands with filling the sink with soapy water. She quickly started washing the dishes they had just used and was surprised when Zane came to stand beside her to rinse and dry.
“We don’t start anywhere,” he said. “You need to stay here where I can keep you safe while I do some asking around.”
Ellen pressed her lips together. “So
you plan on risking yourself while I sit safely at home?”
Zane placed the dry plate on the counter and looked over to her. “That’s exactly what I plan to do. You’re in enough danger as is.”
She stopped when he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to stare directly at him.
“I need you safe,” he said. “If I’m going to do this, I need to know that you’re as safe as you can be, and this is the only way.”
She stared into his dark brown eyes and could see the worry there. It was something she’d never seen from him before. Zane always seemed so self-assured.
Ellen nodded. “Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll wait here.”
Zane gave her shoulders a small squeeze. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
A few moments later he was out the door.
Chapter Six
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.”
Zane had stepped no more than five feet in the door at work, and Reece was already on him from the weight room.
After a moment of thought, Zane turned and walked into the weight room. If he tried too hard to act nonchalant, Reece would sense it and pounce.
The last thing he wanted was for anyone else at the firm to ask too many questions. He needed to keep this situation contained. The more people involved, the fewer options he had.
Given that no one was peppering him with questions, that suggested Cage hadn’t mentioned the little late night visit.
“Out late last night?” Reece asked. The man shot him a wide grin.
Zane shrugged. “I was working out here last night.”
“Sounds like a hot date for you.”
Reece was younger than many of the other men on the team, but just as good. Although maybe a little fuller of himself than necessary. His good looks had gotten him far in many ways. Dimples, brown wind-swept hair and charm out the ass. It drove Zane crazy sometimes.
“Screw you, Reece.” Zane frowned at him, but that only spurred the other man on more.
“Oh, that’s right. You’ve taken a vow of celibacy. How’s that working out for you? Does that extend to Miss Rosie Palm?”
Zane could deal with this kind of typical macho banter. It rolled off his back, and it’d set the other men at ease. He raised his middle finger.
“Thanks, but you aren’t my type,” Reece said with a grin. He glanced over to Bryce, who only rolled his eyes.
“Not all of us jump on the first thing that moves,” Bryce said. “It’s called having standards.”
Reece turned to where Bryce was sitting at the weights and snorted loudly. “Whatever, you took the same celibacy vow.”
Bryce raised a brow. “Or maybe I just don’t kiss and tell. You know, being a gentleman and all.”
For a minute, the stress of the previous night faded away, and Zane allowed himself a grin.
Reece and Bryce were always like this. Going back and forth with one another. Zane suspected that was why they often got paired for work. Someone had to temper Reece, and the older contractor was just the man for the job.
Bryce was even tempered and far more methodical than he ever let on. Plus, despite being nearly forty, he was easily one of the strongest men there.
Well, besides Ryan.
The big guy on the other side of the gym was hard to miss, even though he’d been quiet and sticking to his work out, with his shaved head, bulging muscles, and tattoos on nearly every open space besides his head. He was intimidating times ten, even to a guy like Zane.
Reece followed Zane’s eyes and leaned in toward him.
“You know I heard yesterday he was special ops in the military. Some elite big shot when he was in or something.” Reece spoke quietly so only they could hear.
Zane gave him a shallow nod.
There were always a few rumors about the quiet Ryan. He was new, not quite as new as Zane, but still he hadn’t been with the firm all that long.
He kept to himself mostly and never worked with any of the other men. When it came to Ryan, he was a bit of a mystery, but he was reliable and that was all they really needed to know.
Obviously the Allens trusted him enough to hire him to do sensitive security work.
But Zane didn’t have time for this right now, no matter how curious he might be about Ryan. With the Russians looking for Ellen, he needed information, and he needed it fast. He didn’t want his personal business spilling over too much, but he wasn’t going to not take advantage of some of the resources available to him.
“Hey, Bryce,” he said. “I got a question for you.”
“What?”
“You still got your connections with the department?”
The older man nodded.
Bryce had served on the police force for a number of years before quitting. Something about a case that went wrong, though no one seemed to know all the particular details.
It wasn’t something Bryce talked about, and it wasn’t exactly something that Zane wanted to pry into.
They all had their secrets, and sometimes it was better if they stayed that way. Lord knew he had his own dark things from the past he was still trying to outrun.
There were a few other people with police connections that people in the firm could call on, such as one of the Allen brothers, Kace, but Zane wasn’t as close to them. He wanted to deal with people he knew wouldn’t ask questions. Or at least too many questions.
“What’s up?” Bryce asked.
If he could, Zane would rather not involve his partners. There were so many directions this thing could go, and he wasn’t so sure he wanted them around to see what he might do, especially if he had to negotiate.
He didn’t like the idea of working with the mob, but he’d do what he needed to in order to keep Ellen safe. Just asking a few questions shouldn’t be too dangerous.
“I just wanted to know how entrenched the mob is in the force.”
Zane tried to stay as nonchalant as he could, but no one offhanded mentioned the mob presence in the force without a reason.
Bryce rubbed a hand over the scruff on his face. “More than a little,” he said. “Last I’d heard, they have deep pockets and are willing to pay well for looking the other way.” He shrugged. “It’s worse now that the Kellys have stepped back a bit, and the Russians are stepping up, splashing a lot more cash around. The Kellys never needed as many corrupt cops, because they tended to be pretty specific in what they were doing and liked to stay away from law enforcement, corrupt or otherwise. You know, they stayed in their lane. These new guys though…” He shook his head.
Disgust swept over Bryce’s face, and Zane knew that the corruption still bothered him despite having left the force.
“What’s going on?” Reece asked, his light manner from before now all gone. “Need some help?”
Zane shook his head. Better to keep his distance. Even Cage knowing something was up was already too much.
“Just a new case,” he said. “Just getting some background intel. I don’t want to be surprised by anything and step on the wrong toes if I don’t have to.”
“It’s not about that new drug out, is it?” Reece said.
Zane looked over at him and shook his head. “New drug?”
Reece nodded and leaned against a weight rack. “Yeah, it’s not made the news yet, but it will. Been a ton of this shit on the market in the last few weeks. More addictive than heroin and half the cost. The hospitals have been flooded with people on the stuff. Fucking scourge.”
Zane hadn’t really heard about any new drug. But he had been so focused on finishing his previous case that he had barely come up for air. There could have been a nuclear war and he might not have noticed.
“Don’t think this has anything to do with that,” he said. “But you never know.”
Bryce leaned in, his gaze intense. “You’re not planning on doing anything crazy, are you?”
Zane debated asking what crazy entailed but decided against it. The last thing he needed was people worr
ying over him. Worried people started doing crazy things of their own.
He clapped Bryce on the shoulder. “Not if I can help it. That’s why I want to make sure I know what I’m getting into.”
He turned to leave when he saw Reed Allen signal him from the top of the stairs. As bosses went, he was one of the better ones Zane had worked for. Reed liked to take in a person’s skills and make sure they were able to use them in the best ways possible.
Zane made his way over to the bottom of the stairs where Reed met him.
“I heard from Cage about the late-night visit,” Reed said.
Zane grunted and ran a hand through his hair. He’d hoped Cage wouldn’t say anything, but it was a bit much to ask a man to lie to both his brother and his boss, especially when his brother was his boss.
“Yeah, about that,” Zane said, holding up his hands. “She ran into a bit of trouble, and she was close. It won’t happen again.”
Reed shook his head. “No problem,” he said. “For people in our line of work, trouble seems to come knocking on the door.”
Wasn’t that the fucking truth? Zane gave a little laugh.
He stilled when Reed placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
“I know you haven’t been with us long, but we’re a family here, whether or not your last name is Allen,” Reed said. “You need help or anything, don’t be afraid to ask.”
Family. That wasn’t really a term Zane understood. Family to him just meant the people closest to him that would fuck him over the most. He was still running from his family in a way.
He shook his head. “It’s fine,” he said. “I got this.”
Reed looked like he wanted to say more but didn’t. He gave a nod of understanding. “I’ve got a guy coming to fix the window later and another to patch up the holes in the car.”
Zane sighed. He hadn’t even thought about Ellen’s car. It had clearly been through the ringer. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll just leave it here until things settle down if you don’t mind.”
Reed gave another nod.
Shit, even now he couldn’t stop others from getting involved. They were already in more than he wanted, but there wasn’t a choice. The mob was looking for her car, and if it was out of sight, it would be best for everyone.
Zane: #7 (Allen Securities) Page 3
