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That happened a lot lately since the Bratvastarted kicking up in the southside of all fucking spots. Betweenthat, the Lobos cartel having a private civil war, and theFitzgeralds and Donohues continuing their eternal stare-down acrossthe Outfit tables, there was too much goddam work to go around.
It really does suck to be the help. ButDad’s a fucking beast. Always has been.Always is a long time,isn’t it? And he’s gotten older. Slower after that knee injury. Noretirement for enforcers, remember?
“That’s dark, Dane. Even for you.” But shewas smiling when she said it. Even if the smile was slight and sad.It took him a second to remember what he’d said out loud.
“Well, your boyfriend can pick up hisslack.” The irritation he’d sat on all month cracked the words outbefore he caught himself.Fuck.
“Dane!”
“What?”
“Don’t be rude. I know you don’t like Cadebut—”
“I figured by now you’d be aiming higher.”Not exactly where he planned to take the conversation, but it waseasier than thinking about Dad bleeding in an ambulance, layingthere with a surgeon’s knife in him.
An indignant sound escaped Zara—somethingbetween a laugh and a protest—that turned into her clearing herthroat. “Really? You pick right now to bitch about who I hang outwith?”
“Yes, now,” Dane snapped. “Not like I getmany chances to say anything without your evil twinaround.”She hadn’t let them be alone in four years. And hehadn’t pushed the issue.Fuck me, why didn’t I push it?Inthe moment, he couldn’t remember why. The space between them feltso fucking wrong.
Zara huffed. “Cade’s fine! It isn’t hisfault you hate everyone. You’ve been a pro-level dick sinceforever. So don’t take it out on him.”
Since you stopped talking to me.Daneexpected silence, fury, and tears back then. Instead, a strangerstepped off the private jet that fall, all cool politeness andtorturous hemlines. And then she spent the next four summersfucking around like he wasn’t right there watching.
“I don’t hate everyone.” Dane sounded calmerthan he felt. “Ninety-nine percent isn’t all.”
Zara sniffed. “Anyway, he’s not trying toget Dad’s money or Gia’s social media contacts. Shouldn’t that givehim a passing grade from you?”
He lifted his foot to slow down, swearingunder his breath at the traffic building up. “You’re so wrapped upin whether they care about Daddy. The fact they don’t have apersonality or any redeeming quality doesn’t register. Just a bankaccount.”
“That doesn’t—”
“You’re better than that. At least, Ithought you were.”
“I ought to slap you.” Zara’s lips thinned.“But since you’re having a major life crisisanddriving,I’m going to pretend this is grief and adrenaline, not you being araging asshole.”
“It could be both,” he pointed out with awry chuckle. Zara didn’t join in.
“The Dane I thought you were, has afunctional brain and could fucking figure out that I’m going outwith those guys to make everyone happy.”
Not me.Sure as shit not any of theolder Fitzgerald kids, either. And Adam didn’t make any overturesto any of the twins’ boy toys. “I’d like to know who you classifyas everyone, Z.”
“But it does look good on the society page,doesn’t it?” She twisted a lock of her glossy dark hair around herfinger. “That’s all that matters.”
“That’s fucking insane.”
“And we all know the score. I don’t get theluxury of dating someone just because I like them. So, I don’t likethem.” She exhaled. “Take the next right.”
“Fuck.”She isn’t wrong.Followingher direction, he turned down the off-ramp. He took a deep breathbefore hitting his palm against the wheel. He had to hit something.“I’m sorry, Zara.”
“About the directions? Or reality ingeneral?”
Both.Dane stopped the car, waitingfor the light to turn green. “I just need him to be okay.”
“He’s tough as nails.” Her hand rested onhis shoulder and squeezed.
“It’s no excuse to unload on you.”
“It’s fine, Dane.”
