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Aiden and Zar faced each other across a workbench. Tanner was braced between the two men, with a hand on each of their chests. A bunch of tools were scattered across the floor. I had no idea what was going on but, whatever it was, the fury etched on their faces hit me like a fist to the pit of mystomach.
“She had marks,” Aiden was saying. “A scratch, right here.” He pointed at his wrist with his big, blunt finger. “And bite marks too, on her innerthighs.”
“Not bite marks,” Zar snapped. “Lovemarks!”
“Guys,” Tanner cautioned. “Let’s keepitcool.”
“I don’t like it,” Aiden spat. “I won’t let youhurtNina.”
Zar rumbled, “You’re bat-shit crazy if you think I’d everhurtNina.”
Aiden’s face flushed in fury, but it was the hurt I spotted in his eyes that made me sick to mystomach.
“Oh, fuck.” Zar exhaled, seemingly disgusted with himself. “I didn’t mean itlikethat.”
Aiden snarled. “Why not tell the truth while you’reatit?”
I winced behindthedoor.
“Zar, you need to watch what you say,” Tanner cautioned. “Aiden, we can talkthisout.”
“Like hell we can.” Aiden stomped to the back door. “I swear. I won’t let anyone hurt Nina. Not Calamity. Not Dimayev. And not either one of you.” He kicked the door open and stalked out of the shop. The look on his face broke my heart in threepieces.
“There he goes. Up the mountains again.” Tanner confronted Zar. “Would it kill you to be a tad moresensitive?”
“For fuck’s sake,heaccusedmeof hurting Nina,” Zar snapped, pacing around hisbench.
“We’re under a lot of pressure,” Tanner said. “We can’t let it get to us. We’ve got to sticktogether.”
“Then you talk some reason into Aiden.” Zar picked up a wrench from the ground and tossed it on the bench. “I’m trying to please Nina. She likes it. That’s what Aidendoesn’tget.”
“Then explain it to him,”Tannersaid.
“Cut me a break, will you?” Zar spat. “I’m not a mind monkey likeyouare.”
“There you go, again flying off the handle with insults.” Tanner puffed an angry breath. “Where the hell are yougoing?”
“Out,” Zar said, heading for the back door. “And no, I won’t fuck this up for all of us by sleeping with anyone at the club, but I need a drink and I’m gonna go get it where I won’t get any flack about being whoIam.”
Zar marched out of the shop, leaving Tanner alone. Zar was going to find refuge in his club, wherever that was. It hurt me that he couldn’t find solace with me, with us. He’d said he wasn’t going to sleep with anyone other than me, but did I really want Zar pissed and smarting in a sex club brimming withwillingsubs?
I took a deep breath and tried to still my runaway heart. Under any other circumstance, Tanner would’ve known that I was there, concealed behind the door. But as it was, his situational awareness was off. He shuffled to my desk, plopped down on the chair and, crossing his arms on the table, rested his forehead on hisforearms.
He looked weary and pained. I wiped a tear from the corner of my eye. This was all my fault. I was disturbing the house’s balance, turning the men I cared for against each other, breaking apart the remarkable team they made. I’d made this mess. And now, before I left, I had to fix what I hadbroken.
* * *
Iwaiteduntil Tanner’s soft breath gusted over my ear to slip out of his bed. I tiptoed down the hallway and placed my ear on Aiden’s door.Global Mayhemblared from inside and the zapping of virtual laser guns announced he was on his videogame console. I let out a sigh of relief. At least hewasback.
Moving quietly across the house, I went down to the bunker and found Zar sitting on a bench inside the weapons locker, cleaning a formidable-looking gun. He glanced up at me then returned his attention tohistask.
“Planning on going hunting?” I asked, leaning against the steelframe.
“Planning on being ready,” he said without meeting my gaze, disassembling the weapon with a few practiced clicks. “What’sup,Nina?”
“Oh, nothing,” I said, studying the set lines of his face. “I wanted to ask you aquestion.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be with Tannertonight?”
