Chapter 12
Zane hit the bag. Blow after blow, the call from Jesse still in his head, pissing him the fuck off.
The asshole had an alibi. But it was him. It had to be him. Zane had seen the rage in the jerk’s eyes when he’d yelled at her. Had felt the fury in him when he’d grabbed her.
Then the guy wanted to press charges against him?
Cross punch, kick.
It really pissed him off that scumbags did shitty things but still got to walk free. It had almost happened with Monty back in Billings. And now it was happening with Carlos.
Jab, jab, cross.
He’d received a warning from Jesse. To stay away from Carlos. To walk in the other direction if he saw him.
Carlos had been in his gym though. And if he entered again, Zane wouldn’t hesitate to throw his ass out a second time.
Jab, cross, hook.
The gym had closed half an hour ago. He should have already left. But everything was annoying the shit out of him. Carlos. The murder of Ethan’s contact. Even Bonnie’s brother coming to warn him off this morning.
Three more punches, then the click of the gym door opening sounded. He stopped and turned, his hand wanting to reach for the Glock in his workout bag. The blinds were closed, so he hadn’t seen anyone from the street.
Bonnie stepped out of the hall.
The sight of her made a quiet pressure settle on his chest, the air no longer reaching his lungs quite as easily.
She offered a small smile. “Hey.”
He swallowed, arms dropping. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, that’s a bit like a hello but not.”
The memory of holding her all night had him fisting his hands, like he was trying to stop himself from reaching for her. “It’s getting late. It’s not safe for you to be out at night by yourself.”
She glanced at the window, then gave him a look. And yeah, even with the blinds shut, it was clear that it wasn’t dark just yet. But he stood by what he said.
She set her bag on the front desk like she was staying. “I want to know what happened between you and Carlos.”
Jesus Christ, he did not want to talk about that asshole.
He used his teeth to tear off the wrist wrap of the first glove. “There’s nothing to say.”
“Except he went to the sheriff’s office to report you, which means something happened. What?”
“He came in. I told him to get out. He wouldn’t because he’s an idiot. So I dragged his ass out.” He dropped the first glove into his bag before tearing off the second.
“Zane, you didn’t need to do that for me.”
He almost laughed. “You think I’d let the fucker who bruised you work out in my gym?”
She closed the distance between them. “I don’t want you getting into trouble for me.”
If she knew the kind of legal battles he’d fought in Billings, she’d realize that someone as small as Carlos was nothing. “He’s not welcome here. He steps into my gym again, I’ll do worse.”
“No. I don’t want you getting into serious legal trouble for me.”
“Did you come in here to fight with me?”
She gave a half eyeroll. “And to thank you for last night. You left before I could wake up and say it this morning.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” he said quietly.
She touched his arm. “I feel like I do.”
He glanced down at her small fingers on his arm. Not that he needed to see them. One touch and he felt her everywhere. One touch and his body betrayed him. Did that thing where it got fucking hot and his defenses folded like paper in the rain.
Then her gaze lowered to his lips, and he didn’t know what the hell happened.
One second, she was in front of him, the next, someone moved—he didn’t know who—and they were kissing, their mouths crashing together.
There was no hesitation in the kiss. She parted her lips and he dove right in, letting the taste of her blur out the world that had been pressing on his chest all day.
He swept his arms around her waist and tugged her closer, her front pressing against him. And even that, the small shift of her body into his, caused a complete quieting of every frustration and anger that had been weighing on him.
She silenced it. Dulled it. Changed it.
He lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She fit so perfectly in his arms, like this was the only place she was meant to be.
Her hair was soft as he slipped the fingers of one hand through her locks. He deepened the kiss, absorbing every moan and whimper that escaped from her throat.
What the hell was it with Bonnie? She made him want her like he’d never wanted anything or anyone else. He burned for her.
Three big steps took them to the desk, where he deposited her. Then he was leaning over her body, her back touching the desk, legs still around his waist.
The slivers of pain from her fingers digging into his shoulders were in complete contrast to everything else she made him feel.
He slipped a hand beneath her shirt, and his palm slid up her stomach before he cupped her breast over the bra. Her whimper almost ended him there and then.
When he found the tight bud of her nipple, he ran his thumb over it in a circle, rewarded with more of those glorious feminine moans.
His cock was so hard it felt like stone. He was hurting for her. He actually fucking hurt.
He tore his mouth from hers, tugged the shirt up, and lowered his head to take her nipple between his lips. Then he sucked, only the thin lace of the bra separating them.
Bonnie’s fingers dug into his hair, her core grinding against him. “Oh God, Zane.”
He wasn’t sure what it was. The way she said his name, her voice cutting through the quiet, or something else…but those three words suddenly tugged him back to reality.
The one where he had an enemy. One who somehow had a reach outside the four walls of his prison cell.
He lifted his head. “Shit, Bonnie.”
He didn’t rise immediately, instead touching his forehead to hers.
“Zane.” She cupped his cheek with her warm hand. “Are you okay?”
No. He was far from okay. He wanted things. He wanted her. But damn, Monty was fucking with him. “We shouldn’t have done that.”
Her body tensed beneath him. “Why not?”
Slowly, he forced himself up. He didn’t look into her eyes as he pulled her top down and gripped her upper arms to help her up. “It’s complicated.”
He stepped away from her, finally looking at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes.
“What’s complicated?” she whispered.
“I’ve already told you, we both have stuff going on.” He scrubbed a hand over his face.
“What stuff do you have going on?”
There was no way in hell he was telling her about Monty. Not while she was dealing with so much. “Even your brother warned me not to do anything that would ruin everything.”
Bonnie frowned. “My brother? When did you talk to him?”
“He was waiting for me this morning. He wanted to make sure I was a good guy. That I wasn’t going to screw this up.” And here he was, doing exactly that.
Bonnie’s jaw dropped. Or maybe it completely hit the floor, she wasn’t sure. Because last she checked, she was a thirty-one-year-old woman who did not need her protective older brother vetting the guys she was dating…or wanting to date.
She shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Let me walk you out.”
“Actually, I do know what to say. He had no right to talk to you about me. But I’ll deal with him later.” She jumped off the desk and jabbed him in the chest with her finger. “You, on the other hand, should know that what you and I do is none of his business.”
Something passed over his face. Something that told her Zane didn’t actually care what her brother said.
“But you already know that, don’t you?” she continued. “What are you not telling me?”
His lips sealed shut. He was never going to tell her.
“I’m going to walk you out now, Bonnie.”
That was it. He’d made a decision, and she just got no say in it. “You know what? Don’t. I’m an adult. I have pepper spray in my bag. I don’t need you doing me any favors.”
Zane glanced over his shoulder to the hall at the back of the gym.
Great. He wasn’t even listening to what she was saying anymore.
“I’ll see you later.” She turned away from him, but he grabbed her arm. “Hey, I—”
His hand came over her mouth, his body suddenly pressed to her back. Then his whispered voice was in her ear. “Shh. There’s someone in the gym.”
Her heart stopped, fear wrapping around her chest like clingwrap.
The lights suddenly flicked off—and then she couldn’t breathe. Someone was here. And that someone had plunged the gym into darkness.
Oh, God.
Zane’s mouth lowered to her ear again. “Stay behind me.”
His hand shifted from her mouth to her wrist, and he tugged her toward his bag. She expected him to pull out his phone, maybe use the flashlight function. It had gotten pretty dark outside, which made it even darker in here.
He didn’t take out either of those things.
It took her a second to realize he held a gun.
“Come on,” he whispered.
Hand still in his, they moved toward the back of the gym. When they stepped into the hall, the darkness surrounded them, making it hard to see. She inched closer, the heat of Zane’s back radiating onto her.
Safe. She was safe with Zane. She just needed to keep reminding herself of that.
They passed a few closed doors. At the end of the hall by a back door, Zane stopped at the circuit breaker. He cursed before flicking a switch.
Light flooded the gym, making her blink.
“Someone turned it off?” she asked.
“Yes.”
Her breathing shortened, and she almost didn’t want to ask the next question. “How…how did they get in?”
Without a word, Zane opened the back door, just a crack. It opened easily. So not locked.
Before stepping out, Zane crouched in front of the lock and studied it. “They broke the lock.”
“Why turn the lights off? Do you think they’re still here?”
“I don’t know.” Zane lifted the gun again before stepping outside.
Her limbs trembled as she followed him, scared of what they might find. But no way in hell was she remaining inside without him.
The cool evening air slipped over her skin, making goose bumps rise over her arms. Was someone out here? Carlos? Jane? Maybe even some of Dean’s old high school friends?
The small parking lot was empty other than Zane’s truck.
“No one’s here,” Bonnie whispered.
Zane turned toward her and opened his mouth like he was going to say something. But he stopped, his gaze landing on something behind her. She turned.
The chill of her skin slipped into her blood at the spray-painted words on the building.
“You have blood on your hands,” she read, her words almost a whisper. “Now it’s your turn to bleed.”
Her stomach rolled. What the hell?
“But is it for you or me?”
Her eyes widened and swung to Zane at his question. He’d asked so quietly, she’d almost missed it. Like maybe it had only been meant for him. “Zane—”
“I’ll call Jesse.” Before she could say anything else, he tugged his phone from his pocket and dialed the sheriff’s station.
As Zane spoke on the phone, Bonnie looked back at the writing.
They were about Dean…weren’t they?
But is it for you or me?
She looked back at Zane, his words repeating in her head. Did he have blood on his hands?