Chapter 40
Lauren
There was an invisible force field around Zach as he approached Eric and Nick. He had an intimidating presence that made everyone in his path scatter on instinct.
Zach was a different person tonight. Gone were the caring eyes she’d come to love. They’d been replaced by a cold, callous look that made her want to shrink into a corner and hide.
Lauren wrapped her arms around her middle a moment before she remembered to relax and leaned against the wall. She needed that drink back in her hand. How odd that she felt like she fit in when she had something like a red, plastic cup to carry around.
Not much was going to make her actually fit in at this party. There were all kinds of people here. Older men with white hair and leather vests on, young women wearing little to nothing, and even some men who looked like they’d come straight from the office.
Slowly scanning from one side of the room to the other, she took note of everything, starting with people she’d seen during the briefing earlier in the week.
Familiar faces with an invisible list of charges to go along with them filled the room.
As soon as she could speak without drawing attention, she could report all of it to the authorities listening in.
“I think I need to introduce myself,” Zach said as he approached Eric and Nick.
Eric was the mastermind that had evaded the authorities for decades, but Nick was the one that had Lauren listening closely.
Seeing him with the big boss had the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.
Zach said Nick wasn’t happy to see him out of prison, and the guy had plenty of reasons to feel that way.
“You must be Zach Wilson. Eric Cross. I’m glad you could make it.”
Okay, so Eric was more formal than some of the others. He had a deep voice and a sophisticated way about him. He spoke a full sentence without a swear word. What was he doing hosting a party that had the vibe of a frat party mixed with a biker bar?
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Zach said.
Eric chuckled low in his chest. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”
There was a pause before Zach spoke again. “Nick. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Same to you. In fact, I don’t see your face that much anymore. Ever since you got out of prison, it’s almost like you’re too busy to do your job.”
Oh, wow. Nick wasn’t holding back. He must have a death wish if he thought it was a good idea to talk to Zach like that. She’d heard plenty of stories about the things Zach and his brothers had done over the years. Surely Nick knew about them too.
“I don’t have to punch your clock.” Zach attached a colorful name at the end that had Lauren’s eyes widening. The next few sentences made her want to crawl into a hole.
Lauren watched everything, but she was being too obvious. There had to be a way to do this where she didn’t look like a hall monitor.
“Hi.” A thin woman appeared at Lauren’s side and handed her a drink. “Thirsty?”
Lauren accepted the drink and lifted it in a mock toast. “Thanks.” There was no way on this earth she would be drinking whatever was in the cup, but at least she had something to hold on to.
The woman’s short, straight hair brushed her jawline as she rested her back against the wall beside Lauren. “You haven’t been here before, have you?”
Lauren looked down at the dark liquid, still trying to listen in on the conversation happening beside her. “Is it obvious?”
The woman laughed. She looked to be around eighteen or nineteen, but her petite frame might have skewed Lauren’s assessment. The girl’s face wasn’t one Lauren remembered from the briefings.
“You’re literally being a wallflower. I’m Zoe.”
Lauren shook the girl’s hand. “Nina.”
Using her fake name was both fun and ridiculous. The authorities didn’t want anyone to be able to link her to her history with Anthony or her educational background. Any of that would give them away.
Nick stomped off, shoving people as he made his way through the room and disappeared into the kitchen. What had she missed while talking to Zoe?
Zach was beside her in an instant. His big hand wrapped around her upper arm, dragging her a few feet away from Zoe. “He wants to show me something in the basement.”
Her heart beat wildly as she took in his rushed words. “That sounds like the beginning of every horror movie.”
“I can’t leave you.”
“Then take me with you.”
Zach shook his head. “He won’t let you.” He took a few deep breaths. “We shouldn’t separate.”
“You have to go. He’s going to be suspicious if you keep talking to me. You’re not supposed to care that much about your fling of the night. Plus, I’m talking to Zoe, so I’ll just hang out with her until you get back.”
Zach glanced over Lauren’s shoulder at the girl waiting by the wall. “Say help, and the guys will know what to do.”
“If they come, our cover is ruined,” Lauren reminded him. “Go. I’ll be fine.”
He was going to hyperventilate and blow their cover if he didn’t calm down soon. “Okay. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
Lauren narrowed her eyes. Was he seriously talking to her like this after everything they’d been through? “I learned my lesson, remember? Now go!”
Zach pressed a quick kiss to her lips and turned to follow Eric to a door leading downstairs. They knew about the basement in this house, but they didn’t know what Eric was keeping there or what he might want to show Zach. Maybe Eric just wanted to talk without all the listening ears, mainly hers.
It was fine. Zach had a mic on him—one that the authorities claimed was undetectable.
“Is that your man?” Zoe asked.
Lauren glanced toward the door and back to Zoe.
“I think it’s the other way around.” Thinking and talking like a woman who might hang out here was difficult to fake.
She didn’t belong to anyone, and neither did Zach.
Oddly enough, he treated her like an equal.
For the most part, they’d been making decisions together since he was released from prison.
Having him beside her felt like she had a true partner.
Zoe let out a girlish chuckle, but the sound lacked mirth. “You’re right about that.”
“Do you know anyone here?” Lauren asked.
Zoe gave Lauren a once-over before answering. “I’m here a lot.”
Interesting. Zoe was avoiding the question. The evasiveness only made Lauren attach to her more.
“It’s my first time. Where’s the bathroom?”
Zoe tilted her head to the right. “Come on. I’ll show you.”
Lauren followed Zoe down a hallway and past several couples making out. The way some of them touched each other in public had Lauren’s cheeks warming. One man had his hands up a woman’s shirt, and another couple writhed together on a sofa, leaving little to the imagination.
Zoe knocked on a door and turned the knob. She stepped out of the way while Lauren went in.
She hadn’t really needed the bathroom. She needed privacy. Turning on the sink, she stood over it as she whispered, “Eric took Zach downstairs. People of interest in attendance include Kyle Murphy, Bryce Jones, Adam Matthews, Nate Campbell, Lewis Turner, and Shawn Blackwell.”
Satisfied that she’d passed on the information discreetly, she turned off the water and opened the door.
Zoe leaned against the opposite wall, and her eyes widened slightly as a man stepped between them.
Nick. The very essence of her life left Lauren’s body as he stepped toward her, looming like an oak tree as she retreated back into the bathroom.
He closed and locked the door behind him without moving his piercing gaze from her.
There was a sinister darkness in his eyes that had her blood running cold.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re here with him, aren’t you? What’s he doing here?”
The war raging in her mind kept her silent. She needed to say his name so the people on the other end of her mic would know who’d trapped her, but she wasn’t supposed to know his name.
“I don’t know what you mean. I—”
Nick’s knuckles connected with her cheek, sending instant pain searing over the bone. She gasped for breath, but each pull of air felt hollow.
“Don’t play dumb!” A string of curses followed as Nick leaned over her, covering himself in shadow.
She was trapped. A man twice her size stood between her and the door. Zach didn’t know where she was, and there was no way she could fight and win.
But she had to try. Rearing up from where she’d bent after the hit, she lifted her elbow in a jab that connected with Nick’s throat. He coughed, but the blow washed right off him. A menacing sneer crossed his features as he reared back and let his fist fly.
She had milliseconds to dodge. His knuckles connected with the edge of her cheek, sending the echo of a dull throb vibrating through her head.
“Where is she?” Zach bellowed from outside the door.
Nick cussed and shoved her against the wall. The back of her head hit with a jolt, sending shock waves down her spine. As soon as he turned and opened the door, his head jerked back.
The thud of Zach’s punch had Lauren’s stomach rolling. Nick stumbled, leaving Zach framed in the doorway. His lowered brows shadowed his already dark eyes, and his hands were balled into fists, waiting for the next target.
Nick recovered quickly and swung, but Zach dodged the blow, tackling Nick to the bathroom floor. Lauren bolted out of the way. The two hit with a crash, and Zach pinned Nick beneath him in an instant.
The moment she realized Zach had won, the future became crystal clear. The man Zach despised had hurt her, and nothing would stop him from inflicting as much pain as possible.
“Zach!” Lauren shouted. “Zach, no.”
The first punch hit Nick’s face, and his head bounced against the floor. The second was quick to follow, sending blood spraying from Nick’s mouth.
“Zach!” She pulled against his shoulders, but he didn’t budge. Hit after hit landed on Nick’s already bloodied face. “Stop!”
Zach froze, fist lifted in position to strike again.
“Please. You can’t do this,” she begged.
Her own anger boiled toward the beaten man on the floor, but drawing attention to themselves could jeopardize their plans. They weren’t here to fight. They had bigger problems.
She glanced at the mirror and saw the redness on her cheek. It was already swelling, and the color would change soon. Covering the side of her face with a hand, she pulled on Zach’s shoulder again. “Please.”
Zach turned to her as if just realizing she’d been standing beside him. His chest moved up and down in deep swells. The fire in his eyes said he wasn’t ready to step down yet.
She mouthed, “Please.” She wasn’t above begging in this situation. Nick was his own problem. They were here to get close to Eric and search for any trace of Anthony.
Zach glared down at Nick writhing on the floor. “Touch her again, and I’ll bury you so far under, no one will ever find you.”
Turning, he reached for Lauren’s hand, but she pulled back. Blood covered his knuckles and dripped down his wrist. It was impossible to tell if it was Zach’s or Nick’s.
“Here.” She turned on the faucet and led Zach to the sink by his arm. She turned his hand under the stream until the water ran clear again. She unrolled a wad of toilet paper and dried his knuckles.
Nick’s stream of curses continued, and he was almost to his feet by the time Lauren led Zach from the bathroom.
Zoe stood in the hallway—eyes wide and mouth gaping. “I…I’m—”
“It’s fine,” Lauren said as she and Zach strode past her. It wasn’t as if Zoe could have done anything to help. Nick would have crushed her in an instant if she’d attempted to step in.
Zach kept a firm grip on Lauren’s hand as they pushed through the crowd and out the door.
“Wait. We’re leaving?” Lauren asked, looking back at the house as the cold, night air bit at her lungs.
“We have to talk.”