“As long as she’s out there, I’m not safe. I’ll never be safe. She knows I talked. She knows I’m a risk. She’s not the kind of person who offers forgiveness. She shoots first and asks questions later.”
“And you want to go back to her?”
“No!” Nina laughed mirthlessly. “Hell, no. I want to stop her. I want her dead. I want her to end this hell she’s put so many people through. His wife, her, all the others Frannie told me about. So many more no one knows about. Women who’ve been sold off, who were killed, who will never have a life to go back to. Why would I want someone like that running around free and I’m trapped in a house and hiding for the rest of my life, hoping and praying she doesn’t find out where I am? You don’t know what she’s capable of, Monty. No idea. She’s evil. She will kill anyone she thinks will cross her. Why would I not do everything possible to stop her?”
Zeke heard the words, but it was Nina. It was the woman he loved. It was the most important person in the world to him. If it was someone else, anyone else, he might agree it was the right thing. He might understand.
But it was Nina.
Montgomery was silent after her outburst, and Zeke’s gut sank.
“You can’t possibly be considering this,” Zeke growled at his best friend. “We already agreed!”
Montgomery looked at Zeke. It was all right there. All in his eyes. The truth and the guilt and the acknowledgement that he was going to say yes.
“No! Fuck no! I’m not letting it happen. I can’t.” Zeke turned to Nina and grasped her hands, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t do this. Don’t go to her. Don’t leave me again. Just stay. We’ll leave. We’ll go on the run. I’ll protect you forever. I’ll never let her get to you, and when they find her, we can come back.”
Nina shook her head as Zeke spoke. “I can’t do that, Zeke. What if they never find her? What if she hurts someone else? What if someone dies because of me? I can do something. I can help. I can draw her out. She’ll be stopped. She’ll be done. People will be safe.”
Zeke shook his head, unable to believe his ears. They were all looking at him, all dismissing his thoughts. All acting like this was no big deal. No concern, no worries. She would be fine.
She wouldn’t be fine. Zeke knew how these things went. He knew even if she survived, she wouldn’t be okay. Not with the devil staring at her. Gwendolyn Lennox was not going to play fair. She wouldn’t follow the rules.
And Nina was not going to be the same if they went through with the plan.
Zeke looked around the room and had to walk away. They weren’t going to listen to him. He had no authority. He wasn’t the boss. He wasn’t her brother. He was just the man who wanted to love her forever. He didn’t count.
They all called after him as he walked away, but Zeke didn’t stop. He didn’t care what they had to say. He was not going to change his mind. He was not going to approve the whole thing. He just couldn’t. He couldn’t.
He slammed his way into the bathroom, stopping short when he almost hit Samuel with the door.
“Whoa. You good?” Samuel asked.
“No,” Zeke growled, ignoring his friend and pacing the bathroom in front of the stalls. He punched a door, enjoying the slam of it hitting the wall and bouncing back. He punched another one. Then another.
“What’s going on?” Samuel asked in that way of his. The way that said he’d been around and seen some shit and probably knew exactly what to say to make you feel better.
Zeke didn’t want to feel better. He wanted to stew in his anger and be pissed off at the world. Because he was terrified. She was going to walk away from him again, and he couldn’t stop her again.
“Want me to guess?”
“No,” Zeke blurted. “Fuck no.” Samuel came up with the worst guesses. Weird ass shit that no one wanted to hear.
“You finally worked up the nerve to tell Mont you’re in love with him and he wants to run away together?” Samuel asked.
Zeke laughed at the absurdity of it. “I think that would be easier.”
Samuel’s brows went up at that comment. “Okay, that’s not what I thought you’d say.”
Zeke shook his head slowly. “They want to use Nina as bait and draw out Gwendolyn Lennox.”
Samuel stared at Zeke, waiting for the rest. When Zeke didn’t continue, Samuel narrowed his eyes. “Are you surprised by that? I mean, that’s an easy option. And with a case like this one, it sounds like a really good option. I know she’s the boss’s sister and all, but…”
Zeke glared at Samuel, not liking the look Samuel was giving him. “What?”
“You want a vote but can’t get one unless you admit you love her.” Samuel was too on the nose for Zeke.
“She wants to. She said she’ll do it. And she convinced Mont that it’s a good idea.”
