Without another word, he strolled out of the shop.
Chapter Fourteen
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Tanya said.
Ellen turned to stare at the other woman. She wasn’t at all what Ellen had been expecting. Tanya looked to be no older than twenty max with a sort of rocker chick vibe. She had brown hair with a red streak on one side, a few tattoos on her arm, and a nose ring.
Whatever else she might have thought, Tanya didn’t at all look like she was Zane’s type. Given how little else he changed the last few years, she doubted that sort of thing would be different.
Not to mention he gave Ellen a kiss before stepping out.
She still couldn’t wrap her mind around that. Zane had pretty much shut her out after they’d had basically the best sex ever, and he’d stayed the same all that morning. She’d busied herself with cleaning the kitchen and a quick call to work so they knew she would be out sick the next few days.
Good thing she did, too. Apparently, some men had come in asking about her. She could only guess who that was.
She had basically resolved that whatever had happened between them was just adrenaline, and she shouldn’t expect a repeat.
Then, bam! Out of nowhere he gives her the sweetest kiss possible. She just couldn’t make heads or tails out of him.
Though, they hadn’t used protection. It might have been that Zane didn’t mind a little one-night stand, but was worried about fathering a child.
Of course, just because they hadn’t used protection didn’t mean she was pregnant. She’d have to talk to him about it later, once everything was over. Neither of them could afford to be distracted by extra stress, not when they were planning to jump feet first into the lion’s den.
Tanya eyed Ellen. “So the big guy said you wanted to try a change but don’t want to go to your normal salon because you didn’t want them fucking up your hair.”
Ellen nodded. That actually sounded just about right.
The other woman patted a salon chair. “Well, take a seat and let’s take a look at what we’ve got.”
Ellen stepped over to the maroon chair and sat down. For the first time, she took in the surroundings. It wasn’t a big shop. Four chairs with two wash stations. There were two dryers and various products lined the walls.
She smiled as she looked at all the postcards on the walls. Thailand, Egypt, the UK, Japan, France, Australia, and Mexico, among others.
“Did you visit all those places?” she asked, nodding to the cards on the wall.
Tanya got a sort of far-off smile on her face. “My dad,” she said softly.
The way she said it made Ellen think of how she talked about her mom. “I’m sorry.”
Tanya shook her head and shrugged. “They are from when he was in the Navy. Used to send mom cards from all over,” she said. “He’s been gone a while though. It’s just nice to have a piece of him here.”
Ellen nodded. She pulled a locket off her neck. “My mom,” she said. “It was her mother’s and now it’s mine.” She opened the locket, revealing a picture of her mother.
Tanya stared at the little picture and grinned. “Your mom was a hottie.”
Ellen chuckled a little. Her mom would have liked that.
“Unfortunately, my sister got all her good genes.” Ellen frowned at herself in the mirror.
Tanya turned the chair and stared directly at Ellen’s face. She pulled out a few strands of hair tucked behind Ellen’s ears and held them out a bit, her eyes narrowed, her expression intense.
A small but firm hand held Ellen’s face and tilted it from side to side. After a moment, Tanya stood back with an amazingly bright smile. “I’ve got it.”
Ellen stared at her skeptically. Although she liked the other woman’s hair, it was a bit out there for her.
“Auburn,” she said. “Something a little deeper than usual. You’ve got the skin tone for it, and if we darken your brows a bit, it will look all sorts of natural.”
Red? She’d never really thought about that before. Not that she had much a choice really. She needed to change her look, and that would definitely be a change. She doubted she’d even recognize herself in the mirror at first.
“We’ll go chin length with some bangs,” Tanya said. “You’ll look deadly sharp. Zane will be practically creaming his pants over it.”
Ellen stiffened a little.
“Relax,” Tanya said from behind her. “That’s a good thing. A serious guy like that needs to be tossed off his game every now and again. And judging by that kiss he just gave you, I’d say you’re well on the way there.”
Her heart sped up a little. The idea of throwing Zane off his game was exciting, especially considering she could never come close to doing it before.
Tanya started spritzing Ellen’s hair with water and combing out the ends. “So how do you know Zane?”
Ellen nibbled her lip. He never said if she should talk about their past, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt them. After all, he said she’d be safe there.
“We knew each other as kids,” she said. “He and my brother Dean were best friends before Dean went off to the military.”
“You have a brother in the military?”
“Yes. He’s a Marine.”
A wicked grin crossed Tanya’s face. “Tell me all about this outrageously handsome Marine brother you have.” She grinned. “Like most importantly, is he single?”
Ellen grinned back. It was fun having girl talk. It wasn’t something she had gotten much of over the years. College, job, and then her mother.
There just never seemed to be enough time to keep many friends, and after work she just wanted to get away from the rest of the staff. She couldn’t even remember the last time she went out.
“Yes, Dean’s single, and he is pretty handsome, but I think sisters have to say that.”
The door jingled open, startling both women.
Ellen’s breath caught, as two large men stepped into the room, one younger, probably around Zane’s age, the other middle-aged. Had the Russians found her?
Tanya crossed her arms. “You most certainly don’t have to say that about brothers.”
The younger of the two men held his hands up as if she were pointing a gun at him.
“What don’t you have to say about brothers?” he asked.
His gaze darted over to Ellen. A slow smile spread on his face.
“That they’re good for much of anything,” Tanya said.
He placed a hand over his heart like he’d been wounded. “You know words hurt, right?”
Tanya huffed loudly and turned away from him.
Ellen could see in the mirror the small smile that played on the corner of Tanya’s mouth. It was the same one she often got around Dean.
“And who might this lovely lady be?” the man asked. The easy-going man stepped forward while the other man stayed where he was near the door.
Tanya slapped him against the chest with the comb she had been using.
“Back the fuck up, Reece,” she said. “This isn’t your hunting ground.” She snorted. “Besides, Ellen’s Zane’s woman.”
Both men stared at her in shock, and Ellen couldn’t help the warmth that rose to heat her cheeks.
“I’m not really his woman,” she said quietly.
“I know what I saw.” Tanya gave the same smirk she’d used with Zane. “And somehow I don’t think he kisses all his old friends that way.”
Tanya was right. Zane might have been a little distant, but the kiss he gave was more than just passion or pity. She was sure of it.
Ellen tried to ignore the flip in her stomach, but it was hard not to have just a little hope. Sure, last night they both should have used a little more thought, but it wasn’t the end of the world. A little Zane running around would be a dream.
“Zane?” Reece said.
The expression on his face suggested he was having a hard time wrapping his mind around the idea. She could only guess that this wasn’t
something that happened often with Zane.
Ellen wasn’t sure whether that should make her happy or worried.
“Yup,” Tanya said. “Asked me to help fix her up for some secret fancy party tonight.”
This time both men seemed a little more focused as they stared at her in the mirror, their brows both furrowed.
“Zane is going to a fancy party?” Reece said.
Ellen nodded but stopped when Tanya placed a hand on her chin to still the motion. The snip of the scissors followed.
“First we cut, then we color.”
Ellen could barely see the two men exchange glances.
“So you’re getting a makeover for this party,” Reece said. “Must be special.”
Ellen shrugged. Again, Tanya placed her hand on Ellen to keep her from moving.
Then she glared at the men. “Bryce, will you take my idiot brother out of here before I stab him with these scissors? I’m trying to do my job here.”
The older man cleared his throat. “I think she’s serious,” he said to Reece.
The siblings scowled at one another for a bit before Reece dropped his stare.
“Fine,” he said. He frowned and stormed out of the shop.
Bryce stared for a few moments longer before heading to the door. “Like the new streak Tanya,” he said before stepping outside.
When the door was closed behind them, it was Tanya, not Ellen, who let out a sigh.
“He always works my nerves a little when he’s around.”
Ellen smiled. “I get the same way with Dean.”
Tanya glanced at her in the mirror, her cheeks tinting just the faintest bit pink.
“Yeah, Reece is always a pain in the ass, but…”
Ellen raised her brows in surprise. It wasn’t Reece but Bryce who worked her nerves. She wondered if there were feelings between the two. It wasn’t unheard of, that sort of age difference, but there were still stigmas attached.
“Okay,” Tanya said, snapping herself back into action. “We’ve only got a short amount of time to make you pants-creaming worthy.”
Ellen opened her mouth to protest but closed it.
There was a secret part of her that hoped she would become what Tanya said, and that Zane wouldn’t be able to resist the new look.
She smiled in the mirror at the younger woman. “I’m in your hands.”
Tanya cackled. “Oh, this is going to be good.”
Chapter Fifteen
Zane walked with ease into the casino, Ellen hanging from his arm. He smiled easily at the employee sitting at the front desk as he casually watched the people moving around the front of the building.
Now that he was at the casino, his plan worried him less. Ellen’s new look, besides being hot as hell, did make her look totally different. And who would think that the woman they were looking for would stroll right through the front door?
Maybe confident was overstating things, but he wasn’t all that nervous either.
A quick glance in the corner revealed a security camera. So far he’d counted four cameras. If they even suspected it was her, they would see it all from those shots. Above all, he wanted to make sure that if the shit was going to hit the fan, they had a way to bail.
His gun pressed into his side, but with his jacket buttoned, no one was the wiser. Except maybe Ellen, who had gasped when he first took her arm.
Zane stepped up to the front desk. “I believe a friend dropped off something for me,” he said. “Name is Zane Lewis.”
He watched as the man shuffled around a few papers and then typed a few things into a computer. Zane chanced another glance around the area. No movement so far. Things were going well for once.
“Ah, here you go, sir.”
The man handed over an envelope containing two passes to the party.
“It seems we have you booked in one of the best rooms as well,” the man said, holding out a keycard.
Zane really owed Charlie for this. Being in one of the better rooms meant that he was more likely to get the chance to snoop in ways he wouldn’t normally get.
He nodded and took the keycard.
“If you could just take our luggage to the room, we’re running a little late for the party.”
The man nodded. “Of course, Mr. Lewis.”
They moved through the casino lobby into the main floor, which was filled with every type of slot machine imaginable.
The booming noise and near seizure-inducing lights were grating to say the least, but they did allow him the opportunity to speak to Ellen without the worry someone might overhear. She’d been clinging to his arm tightly the past few minutes even though she was doing a good job of not looking too nervous.
“Relax,” Zane whispered. “We’re just here to see who the players are. No hero shit. This is just to get something we can use.”
She nodded. He looked over and found her lips pressed tightly together and the color all but drained from her face. So much for not looking too nervous.
“Remember, we’re a happy couple. We’ve got to play the part.”
Ellen turned to him. “What if they ask me questions?”
He frowned. She’d never been good a lying. It was always clear when she wasn’t telling the truth.
“This isn’t CIA headquarters. This is a casino,” he said. “They aren’t going to ask you anything too personal, and if you get confused, just play like you’re a bimbo.”
Her mouth turned down and something about it made him want to kiss the corners of her lips.
He shrugged. “You aren’t a bimbo, but a number of the women here are,” he said. “You can blend in then. Sometimes the best way to fool someone is to just play into their expectations.”
“Right.” She sighed. “I’m just the eye candy.”
Zane gritted his teeth. He hadn’t thought about the fact that she was likely to get a lot of looks at an event like this. She looked stunning, and more men were going to notice than he wanted to think about.
“Just stick next to me, and it will be fine.”
They reached the door to the event hall. He held up his passes to the large well-dressed man standing there.
Zane almost chuckled. The man was one of the nicest-dressed bouncers he’d ever seen.
Ellen’s fingers bit into his arms as another man stepped up to where they were standing.
“Any more?” he asked the man taking the tickets.
The bouncer nodded to them. “Just these two and that should do it.”
The other man glanced over to them and gave Ellen an appreciative smile, his eyes lingering on her body for far too long for Zane’s liking.
Fucking prick.
He breathed hard, trying not to think how much he wanted to tear this guy limb from limb.
“Shut it up after them,” the sleazy man said before stepping back into the room.
“Enjoy your evening,” the bouncer said and held open the door.
It was classier than Zane expected for mobsters. A string quartet in the corner played soft Russian classical as people mingled in the low-level lighting. After the brutal assault on the senses of the area they just left, it was a welcome relief.
There were a several people, including a few people he recognized from reports at the firm, standing around tables situated around the room. Near the front of the room stood the head of them all, dressed to the nines with his flamboyantly bright blue shirt opened just enough to expose the hair there like he was on some 70’s sitcom.
“Stefano,” Zane whispered.
Shit. Right into the big boys, it seemed.
Ellen leaned over and pulled his ear to her mouth. “The guy that came to the door was the one who grabbed me in the parking lot. And him,” she nodded to Stefano, “he was the one who killed...”
The quaking in her voice filled him with pity. He’d hoped to stumble onto the right people, but that didn’t mean he liked Ellen having to deal with the fear of facing the men who were after her.
He t
urned to give her a kiss. She melted against him and sighed. When they pulled apart, he could see that it had worked.
“Let’s just mingle a little,” he said.
She nodded.
They walked around the room listening to snippets of conversation. Most weren’t anything all that relevant, just crap about investments in business or foreign trade. All things he didn’t really give two shits about.
What the hell sort of party was this? Just another frivolous waste of time?
He jumped when a firm hand landed on his shoulder.
“So you Charlie’s boy then,” a man said. The thick Russian accent suggested he wasn’t one of the local guests. “I heard from him you need job.”
Zane turned to find himself face to face with the man himself.
Stefano.
“Yup,” he said. “I go way back with Charlie.”
Stefano gave him a charming smile while several of his men lingered on the outskirts of their conversation.
“I’m also told you are good guy for hard jobs,” Stefano said.
Zane could feel Ellen shaking beside him and knew he needed to get her out of there quickly.
He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her flush against him.
“Baby, why don’t you go get something to drink?” he said, hoping she could read between the lines. “Maybe see what the girls are up to. I’ll come find you in a moment.”
She gave a small nod and glanced at Stefano, who couldn’t seem to stop checking her out. Zane could only hope that he didn’t recognize her.
With ease Zane pulled her in for a deep kiss. It was all for show, but there was more than a small part of him that wanted to make sure it was known she was branded as his.
When they pulled apart, she turned on shaky feet, but not before checking over her shoulder one last time.
The men watched as she walked over to where a group of women were chatting before Stefano turned back to him.
“Lucky man,” Stefano said with a smile. “Is beautiful woman.”
Zane didn’t trust this piece of shit. In a world like this, it wasn’t uncommon for a guy like Stefano to demand some time with another man’s woman. There were a lot of things he would do, but there was no fucking way this piece of shit was getting anywhere near his woman.
Zane: #7 (Allen Securities) Page 7
