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Something was wrong with her. Dane watchedher, wanting to shake her, to demand to know what happened. But heknew. At least, he knew where it began.This is my fault.Behind him, Lloyd spoke, but he didn’t hear the words. Just thebuzzing of his accent and the blood rushing in Dane’s ears. Then hewas gone, leaving them alone. And she was right there. Closer thanshe’d been in weeks. And yet … the fucking distance seemed as faras it’d ever been.
“Why are you doing this?” He didn’t mean toask it out loud, but there was no taking it back now. His eyessharpened on her, waiting.
Zara paused, the stirrer stilling in theglass, her vacant eyes staring into his. “If you don’t want a Jackand Coke, Cathy’s got the martini stuff out.”
“That’s not what I meant, Z,” he saidthrough gritted teeth.
“What else is there?” She sighed. “Maybe youshouldn’t drink. You’re not making sense.”
“The hell I’m not.” He started toward her,but she held the glass up between them to stop his advance. He tookthe hint and grabbed the drink, taking a step back as he glancedinto the dark liquid. “Are you okay?” She could at least tell himthat.
“I’m fine?” She clasped her hands in frontof her, shoulders raised, her head turned slightly to the side, nolonger making eye contact. “Just tired. Planning a wedding mystepmother and Mrs. De Lucca will accept when flooding took out thecity for half of September is exhausting.”
Dane’s lips thinned, and he looked down intothe glass. “Remember who you’re talking to,” he said, keeping hisvoice low. “I know when you’re lying.” He also knew he had no rightto say that, let alone push her. He lost that thirty-five days ago.But he’d been officially protecting her for four years—for most ofhis life, unofficially—and hell if he’d let her pain go unnoticednow. He could handle his own misery, but he couldn’t ignoreZara’s.
Her pert nose wrinkled. “Then you’reprojecting. You’ve been gone a while. Jet lag’s probably got youseeing stars, too.” Zara returned to the cabinet and mixed her owndrink—a martini, he noted. And stronger than what she’d given him.“Why don’t you text Sawyer and relax for a bit? Daddy’s almostfinished with Mr. Kincaide.”
“Only you could make a few weeks sound likea decade,” he muttered before tilting the glass to his lips.
“From what I understand it was quite afraught few weeks. They ought to count as a decade. At least.”
“I can’t say that’s wrong.” He paused.Somany things to say, and no idea which ones would help.“I justwanted to say that … I want you to be happy, Z. You deserve it.” Hecouldn’t look at her. He meant the words, but the thought of herfinding joy with somebody else… Turning away, he walked to thewindow and looked out over the grounds.
“Thank you. Welcome home, Dane.” He heardher exhale and tried not to picture her chest rising and falling inthat damn dress. “I hope you’ll be joining us next week. Hannah’sput you and Sawyer with Vince and his wife. I think Gia would liketo see you there. She’s, uh, been having a hard time with all thechanges. Poor Dex’s life’s been rough. And Dad’s had Cage handlingguard duty, so…”
“That explains why he was so happy to see metoday.”
“No doubt.” She paused. “So, willyou—”
“No.” He couldn’t take the thought herwalking down the aisle. He’d shoot Joseph De Lucca on fuckingprinciple. His fingers gripped the glass hard enough he wassurprised it didn’t shatter. “I’m sorry, Zara. I’ll beworking.”
“Oh. Well, then. Never mind.” Her voice wassofter. Sadder. He heard her move across to the table, the tokenssliding around on the paper. “There. Easy fix.” A sip from herglass, her phone pinging. He didn’t turn around. “Hm. Sounds like Ihave to go inspect the gazebo. It was nice to see you,Dane.”
Stop her, you idiot!
He didn’t. He listened to her footstepsuntil they faded into the house’s interior. His jaw clenched sotight, he was afraid his teeth might crack.
And what if you go after her? Stop her? Whatwould that change?Nothing. The answer is nothing.
Instead of throwing the cut crystal glass,he slammed it down on the table and kicked one of Catherine’s fussyLouis XIV chairs over.
“Dane? Is everything all right?”
No. It isn’t.He looked over atLloyd, snatched up the glass to empty it, then set the chairupright before the butler could get there. “Sorry. Clumsy moment.Fuckin’ jet lag.”
Lloyd lifted a single, gray eyebrow. “Do bemore careful. We can’t have anything happening to you now.” Hegestured back toward the foyer and said, “Mr. Fitzgerald is readyto see you.”
Dane nodded, hoping once the debrief wasover, Adam would have another job for him. He had a sick feeling hewas going to be gifted with time off. Never mind that he’d rathershoot himself in both feet than have time alone with his thoughts.Maybe if I begged?
“You!”
Dane’s foot froze on the bottom step, hishand on the banister as he wrenched his head around. HannahFitzgerald’s high heels clacked on the marble floor, and shemarched right at him. Before he could ask her what she wanted, herhand was on his arm, tugging him back toward the parlor.
“What are you—”
“Dad can wait. I need to say a few things toyou.”
Dane huffed but didn’t resist. She tried tofling him into the room, and he humored her, his steps quickeningbriefly before he turned, facing her with his hands on his hips.“If this is about Zara, your brother’s already—”
