“Five hundred thousand?”
“Dollars,” he clarifies. “The settlement I’m transferring to you.”
I shake my head. “That’s too much,” I protest, but Zack is insistent.
“I won’t even miss it, Lyah. And at this point, I think you need it more than me. Just agree and provide Mia with your bank details. She’ll take care of the legalities.”
“I…”
He cocks a single eyebrow at me, so much like Niko does when he does that dominant thing of silently telling me he’s in charge, that it steals my voice and I nod dumbly and pass over my bank card without another word.
“Excellent,” Zack says, rubbing his hands together like he’s inordinately pleased about everything. “I’ll escort you to the helicopter.”
We say our goodbyes to Mia, and leave her office, but as we walk across a quaint courtyard, I see Zack looking towards a low, adobe building and checking his watch. “Do you need to be somewhere?” I ask, looking around.
He looks slightly guilty. “I’m supposed to meet my girlfriend for dinner,” he tells me. “I’m cutting it a little fine.”
“Oh! Go, please. You’ve already done enough, and Gabi’s meeting me at the helipad.”
“Are you sure?” I can see his indecision. I hope the woman he’s so obviously in love with knows just what a wonderful man she has.
“Of course. Just point me in the right direction.”
“I can do better than that.”
He places a call that I understand from hearing his side of things, means someone will come and pick me up in an ATV straight away.
Zack takes my hand in his, as we stand there and wait. “Good luck, Lyah,” he says softly, looking down at me with an affection I guess is born of experiencing this rollercoaster we’ve unwittingly ridden together. “I hope everything works out for you.”
The enormity of the rest of my life stretching out before me, with no clear path to follow, hits me in that moment, and I feel the easy tears that come with pregnancy prickle the back of my eyes.
Zack pulls me into a hug, and for a few short moments I allow myself to cling to his hard, reassuring frame, soaking up the little bit of support he offers like a damn sponge.
The sound of an engine tells me my time is up, and reluctantly I pull away. “Your girlfriend is a lucky woman, Zack. I wish you all the happiness in the world.”
“Take care, Lyah,” he says, kissing my cheek before helping me into the golf buggy. He gives me a wave, and I raise my hand in return before we turn a corner and he’s out of sight.
Then after another tearful farewell to Gabi, it’s onto the helicopter that brought me here just a few short hours ago - a whole other lifetime ago now things have changed so dramatically.
And just like that, I’m alone again.
Chapter Fifteen
NIKO
“What the hell do you know, and how?” I demand, trying and mostly failing to stay calm and in control, as my hand darts out to grab Dominic by the throat in what is mostly a reflex action. I manage to stop myself before I do something we’ll all regret, and with gritted teeth, I fist my hand and force it back to my side.
Fortunately for me, Dominic is well accustomed to the world of organized crime we both live in, and is also crazy in love with Roisin, so he’s tolerant of my outburst. Though he likely attributes it to far more stupidly romantic reasons.
If I’m honest, I’m not entirely certain of the root of the emotions barreling through me at this moment. Everything is muddled and confused. I’m used to things being black and white, and there are way too many shades of grey in between right now.
Roisin glares, but Dominic just raises his eyebrow, making me feel like a total asshole - also something I’m not used to. Well, I’m well acquainted with being an asshole, but usually I simply don’t give a shit.
Fucking feelings suck! This is why I avoid them.
“We need to get Kaiden here,” he says calmly, despite my outburst, as he pulls out his phone. “He’ll know the details… and then I’d like some information in return.”
Yeah, I knew that was coming.
