38. Zayne
CHAPTER 38
Zayne
I ’m on edge as I drive through Devil’s Den in my shiny new extended cab truck. Although it’s an hour away from Green Haven, it’s close enough that the past is haunting me. I blow out a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.
Jaxson sits in the passenger seat, droning on about needing to hire someone with experience hacking and using the dark web. I focus on that, desperately needing a distraction. “Didn’t Ryker recommend someone?” I search my memory, finally coming up with the name. “Stryker.”
“Yes, but we need to meet him. While I trust Ryker, I want to ensure Stryker is the right man for the job.”
I give him a shit-eating grin. “Translation: you’re a control freak who needs to vet and get to know everyone who works for us.”
“I’m not a control freak,” he snaps, looking at his phone. “I’m going back through Ryker’s texts now. Maybe we can set up a meeting with Stryker. I’ll see if Ryker can arrange it.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, you’re not a control freak. Not at all.” Sarcasm punctuates each word that comes from my mouth.
My knuckles are white as they grip the steering wheel. Small towns remind me too much of the one I left behind.
“Do you ever visit your brother and father’s graves?” Jaxson glances at me before returning his attention to his phone.
“Nice attempt at casual.” I release a long sigh. “I haven’t, but I intend to while we’re here. Green Haven is only an hour away. I’ll go at night, so dickhead and his minions don’t know I’m there.”
“You’ve built up quite a file on your enemies.” He looks out the window before he adds, “And Delaney.”
My spine goes rigid as I slowly turn my attention from the road to him. Scowling at him, my voice trembles with barely restrained fury as I bite out the words. “You know my motto about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. It’s a timeless phrase for a reason.”
“All of them are your enemies, except one.”
My nostrils flare as I bark, “She’s my biggest enemy. Her betrayal led to my father serving jail time.”
Jaxson raises his eyebrows. “Where’s your proof of that?”
“In my gut.”
He shakes his head. “Not good enough, and you damn well know it. You have proof of everyone else’s transgressions but nothing on her. Don’t think I don’t know the way you stalk her. You know everything about her except her motives for never being involved in a serious relationship. Or what happened the night she ran out of town.”
A vile smile curls my lips. “Don’t worry. I’ll discover those answers.”
“How? And you better not say you’re going to kidnap her.”
“Fine. I won’t say it.”
“Zayne.”
“You’re the one who can’t handle it. I know what I’m doing. I’ve been preparing for this moment since I was nineteen. Fifteen fucking years, Jaxson.”
He sighs. “I know.” His tone is low. He looks at his phone, and the silence stretches between us.
I jolt when he finally speaks. “Are you prepared for the unexpected, though?”
“What do you mean?”
He twists in the seat, his disapproving gaze searching mine. “What if she was beaten, came to you for help, but misunderstood what she saw? Broken-hearted, she fled to a place where she was safe.”
I stare at him, not saying a word.
“What if she’s never married because she’s still in love with you?”
I scoff. “Yeah, right. She probably never married because every guy she meets figures out she’s a conniving bitch that will betray them the first chance she gets.”
“That’s one perspective.”
I glower at him, mulling over his words. “It’s the only perspective, Jaxson. Delaney Warner is a backstabbing bitch who destroyed my life.”
He shrugs, not saying anything. Annoyance makes my jaw tick as he lounges in the seat while I stew in anger.
My turbulent thoughts mull over his words, putting doubts inside my head. Stop it. You’re right, and he’s wrong. You know Delaney better than anyone.
She’s as guilty as the rest of her family and their criminal friends and associates.
His deep baritone pulls me from my thoughts. “Her father is a shady motherfucker. I’ve seen his type before. They appear smooth and in control. The perfect family man and citizen of the community. But underneath it all is a fucking monster who runs his house with a heavy hand.”
My brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
“At home, they control everything. And if someone displeases them, they aren’t afraid to resort to violence. Especially those they deem inferior to them.”
Despite the seventy-five-degree temperature, a chill runs down my spine. I turn onto the road leading to Luca’s rental cabin. “You mean abuse?”
“Yup. Child abuse and domestic violence often run rampant in that environment. The abuser’s power silences it.” He looks at me with something I can’t identify shining in his eyes. Something I’d never seen before.
“How do you know so much about this?”
A haunted look flickers in his eyes before he masks it. His face hardens as he blows out a breath. “Because I lived it.”
I stare at him in stunned silence. I’ve known this man for fifteen goddamn years, and he’s never said a word. Of course, I noticed he never went home, but like me, I assumed he had a fucked up family life.
“If you go off halfcocked and torture this woman until she breaks, only to find out her father abused her, how will you feel?”
I swallow hard. If that were true, I’d feel like absolute shit and would never forgive myself.
Pushing the thought away as I pull up beside Luca’s truck, I cut the engine. “Luckily, I don’t need to worry about that. Delaney was in on it and betrayed me.”
He stares at me for a few beats before pushing the door open. “I hope you’re right, Zayne.”