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Looking into his eyes, though, I knew I was wrong. He didn’t look like the same handsome, should be GQ model. He looked crazy.

Crazy as fuck.

As Z came towards me, he casually stepped over James as though he were nothing more than a mild inconvenience. Like there was a puddle of rain, and not blood, in his path. When he got closer, I saw the glint of the gun in his hand.

“Sorry about the stain on your carpet.”

“That’s okay.” I tried to keep my voice level. “Things happen.”

“They do, but they shouldn’t. Things should go according to plan. Always!” he suddenly roared, spit flying from his mouth.

“What—”

At the sound of car doors closing, Z’s head snapped to the side. Unmistakable loathing took over his face, twisting it. The gorgeous man became a memory replaced by ugliness. “Speaking of, it’s the man of changes. The man who couldn’t stick with a plan. Even now, he’s fuckin’ shit up. You were supposed to break things off at Hyde and he was supposed to move on. Why don’t we help him out with that, huh?”

Please, turn away Jake. Just cut your losses and go!

“How should we do that?”

“Crush him. Tell him you need someone different, someone better. Oh,” he said with a maniacal, humorless laugh. “Tell him you want to be with James here.” He nudged James’ shoulder with the tip of his shoe. “No, I’ve got better. Tell him you want Blake. Say you want someone closer to your own age, working a better job. He’s so insecure about that shit.”

“Why do you want to hurt him?” I asked, but Z talked right over me.

“He’s talked to us before about how he worried you’d change your mind about slumming it with him. Classy chick like you with a glorified mechanic? Young, beautiful,cleanwoman with a dirty old man? He thought you’d wake up one morning and regret everything. He’s used to bitches wanting to fuck their way up the food chain. It’s all he’s ever known. But you? No, not hissweets,” he said with a sneer. “Won’t that fuck with his head, huh?”

“Z, why are you doing this?” I tried again. My heart was breaking just thinking about what he was asking me to do.

I’ll just figure out some way to signal to Jake that there is something wrong. He’ll fix it. He always does.

“That doesn’t matter now. Open the door, Doll Face. And if you say anything, I swear to fuck, you’ll regret it.” He raised the gun and shook it. Like I could forget it was there. “If I even catch a hint that he thinks something’s going on, I’ll shoot Jake and Kase and make you watch. Got it?”

There goes that plan.

I nodded, deep breathing.

I was again thankful for my mother’s lessons. They prepared me to act as though my heart wasn’t being ripped out and shredded to pieces.

*******

After putting on what had to have been an Oscar worthy performance, Z pushed me to the window. His fingertips dug into my jaw painfully as he forced me to watch Jake and Kase outside.

When they finally left, he used his hold to move me towards my bedroom. Panic gripped me and I screamed inside.

Once in my room, he let go of me. I stumbled and almost fell to the ground as my legs threatened to give out.

Z grabbed my suitcases from the closet and threw them on the end of my bed. Opening my dresser drawers, he dumped clothes in one handed while his other gripped the gun.

“Sit. I’m just gonna pack you some stuff and then we’ll be on our way, okay? Then things will be like my plan. I said sit!” Z barked, his face back to harsh.

I jumped and scurried up my bed. Pressing my back against the headboard, I tried to put as much distance between us as I could. The bed shook from the force of my tremors.

As I watched him pack, I wished I was cool and calm. I tried to think of ways to escape, but I had nothing. Short of throwing the lotions and vibrators I had in my bedside drawer, there were no weapons within my reach.

I’m thinking dildos flying at his head wouldn’t be enough to make him drop the gun and run for his life.

“Why?” I asked again, trying to keep my voice upbeat as if I were simply curious.

He stopped rifling through my drawers and turned to me with a smile. His grin made his handsome face near breathtaking. He almost looked like the old Z, except his gray eyes were crazed and his movements erratic. “‘Cause you’re mine, Doll Face. That was the plan. I saw you and knew right away you were mine. When you needed work done, I knew it was fate. Jake wasn’t even supposed to be in that morning. He wasn’t supposed to see you but he did. I thought he didn’t like you much. But I saw the way you were watching him. I couldn’t tell you that you were mine then. Not when you were practically presenting!”