Chapter 29Monroe
29
Monroe
T he more time I spend with Zane, the more I realize that he’s not the ruthless man I thought him to be in the beginning. Once you start digging, it turns out he has a heart of gold and a love like nobody else. He’s a ray of sunshine when the clouds refuse to budge, and when he makes love to me, I feel like everything is perfect.
Except I know it’s not perfect. There a looming cloud that won’t go away, the promise of rain on the horizon. It feels like it’s getting closer, but it’s difficult to tell. We’ve been holding back and waiting to cash out some of the stock market money to use on hunting down Maksim.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s dead already,” Zane says over another morning coffee that I’m not allowed to drink. No caffeine at all during the pregnancy, and no wine either. It think that’s the worst part, even more so than the morning sickness.
“You think Maksim is dead?” I ask, surprised by his theory.
Zane shrugs, taking a sip from his mug. I’m envious that he gets to enjoy it. “That stab wound didn’t heal properly, and we’ve had eyes on every hospital in the city. He hasn’t returned.”
“Maybe that’s a sign that he’s not all that sick,” I counter. “I mean, if he really was in bad condition, he’d go to the hospital, despite the risk.”
“He’s reckless,” Zane replies, but I see that he’s considering what I’ve just said. “Well, maybe not that reckless. You’re probably right. He’s probably still out there, but he’s laying low like we are.”
“What if he took off because he knew he couldn’t beat you?”
Zane chuckles. “Oh, he wouldn’t do that. He wants to kill me. I’m certain of it.”
“But why?” I ask, not really understanding the feud in the first place.
“Kiro and I are friends, even though we work together,” Zane says, taking a sip of his coffee and leaning on the counter. “You find connections in this business despite the brutality of it all. If Maksim went and shot Kiro, I’d want to kill him. I’ve probably shot enough of Maksim’s men to have hit someone important to him.”
“So, it’s all just back and forth retaliation. That’s kind of sad, actually,” I say.
“You’ll find that most gangs operate that way. People don’t live long in this industry unless they’re on top. Then, they might have a better chance, like me.”
“I want you to live forever,” I say, meaning it with all my heart.
He smiles, his eyes showing age as they wrinkle at the corners. “I’ll live as long as you need me to, darling. I wouldn’t dare go dying when you’re still in the world.”
“What about after that?” I ask, feeling a flutter of butterflies in my stomach. “Would you move on and find someone new?”
“Never,” he says with the utmost confidence. “I’d probably die right after you.”
“You’d kill yourself?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“I wouldn’t have to. I’d die from a broken heart.”
I put my hand over my heart, then move it down to my belly. “No, you have to stay alive for our baby,” I say, although the notion of him dying for me is terribly romantic.
“Oh, right,” he says with a chuckle. “But I’d become a monk of sorts. I’d never take another lover.”
Zane’s phone buzzes in his pocket, interrupting our tender moment. He reaches for it, his expression shifting from relaxed to serious in an instant. He answers the phone as he jumps away from the counter.
"Yes?" he says into the phone, his voice dropping an octave, full of authority.
I can't hear the other side of the conversation, but Zane's face hardens with every passing second. He nods a few times, says a curt, "Understood," and hangs up. He places the phone back in his pocket, his jaw tight.
"Who was it?" I ask, my heart beginning to race. “Was it about Maksim?”
“Yes,” he replies, his voice tight and thin. “He’s been arrested.”
I let out a sigh of relief, even though I know Zane is disappointed by the news. It feels a bit selfish to be happy that Zane was denied the kill, but also, it might be a little selfish for him to be seeking it out. Maksim ending up behind bars again is a great thing for our future. It means that we can move on without having to experience anymore danger.
“You know, I think it’s better this way,” I say, stepping up to Zane and placing my hand on his shoulder.
“Better what way?” he asks with a furrowed brow.
“That Maksim is in jail,” I say, studying his confused expression. Why is he looking at me like that? Did he just tell me that Maksim was arrested?
Zane sighs, shaking his head as he picks up his coffee. He takes a sip. “He was arrested on suspicion of discharging a firearm on a public street. Nothing more. He’ll be out on bail within forty-eight hours. We know where he is, and we’re prepared to take him out the moment he walks.”
My stomach sinks, and my legs feel weak. I knew there was a possibility of something like this happening, but knowing that it’s going to go down in less than two days makes me feel like throwing up. It’s not the morning sickness this time. It’s downright visceral fear.
“You don’t have to do this,” I say, looking into his deep blue eyes.
“And I won’t be,” he replies, putting his hand on my waist. “There’s too much at stake now for me to be directly involved in the hit. I’m going to put Kiro in charge of it and pray that nothing goes wrong. I just want you to understand and appreciate that I’m doing this for you.”
His words bring me comfort, but there is still the nagging worry in the back of my mind. Even if Kiro does kill Maksim, there will be more. There will always be more, and it will be like this until the day that Zane dies. He said it's a game of retaliation, and I believe that. It's all back and forth. Someone is going to be angry that he had Maksim killed and come after us.
Zane seems to read my mind because he places a hand on my cheek and runs his thumb over my skin gently. "Hey, look at me," he says softly. "Nothing bad is going to come from this. I can promise you that."
"How?" I ask, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
"I'm going to hire an army. I'll have guards posted outside the house day and night. I'm going to keep you safe, Monroe. Maksim hasn't had time to build any reliable allies, so there's not much of a chance of retaliation. If the hit goes well, and I know it will because Kiro can handle it, then it's smooth sailing from here on out."
I hug him, burying my face in his chest. "Thank you, baby. I'm scared, but I know you'll do the right thing."