Reckless Road (Torpedo Ink 5)

When her friends came to visit, he tried to make himself scarce, but she never tried to hide his presence. She wasn’t embarrassed to have a biker and his friends around. He just plain liked her, even though she’d just made a huge mistake and most likely, although inadvertently, thrown him under the bus.

“Kidnapper?” Jonas echoed, sitting up straight. He exchanged a brief look with his deputy. “Did someone attempt to kidnap your granddaughter? Is that what happened here a few weeks ago?”

Anat frowned. “What are you talking about? Nothing happened a few weeks ago. I was just reassuring you, I would never value anything more than I would my granddaughter. There isn’t anything in this house. There isn’t, Jonas. I know you’re worried. Player’s worried. So is Zyah.” She looked at Maestro and then into the shadows. “All of you are. I would tell you if I had anything worth them coming back for, but I don’t.” A little shiver went through her. “They scare me. I don’t want them coming back.”

“You don’t have to be afraid, Anat,” Destroyer’s voice came out of the shadows. “We’re here, and the sheriff has been doing extra patrols. No one is going to hurt you again.”

TEN

“I don’t understand you, Player.” Anat gave an exaggerated sigh. “You and my granddaughter seemed very close, kissing on the couch in front of the police, and now you barely speak to each other. I thought you’d worked everything out at last. You say you have to leave and yet you still seem to have such vicious headaches. I know this isn’t the best thing for you. Did you have a fight? An argument? Couples get angry with each other. It’s called passion. You have passion between you—anyone can see this.”

“She kissed me in order to stop Jonas from asking questions, that was all.” It was an honest answer, whether Player wanted it to be or not.

Anat had gotten so much stronger just in the weeks he’d been there. Her arm was definitely better, as were her spirits. Even her broken leg was better, according to the doctor, and would soon be ready again to try physical therapy. There was brightness back in her eyes and she smiled often. He hated to leave too, but it wasn’t safe being around Zyah anymore. And it was extremely difficult to be in the same room and know he could never have her. He wanted her permanently, not for a quick fuck—and he couldn’t even have that. His body was getting to the point he was afraid he might shatter.

Anat was silent for a moment and then she shook her head. “I promised myself I wouldn’t interfere, but I’m old, Player, and I don’t have time to wait around until the two of you figure it out. Zyah came home in tears some weeks ago, devastated by the behavior of a man she had been with. You, clearly, are that man.”

Player took a breath. That hit him hard. Zyah crying. Devastated. He’d done that to her. Anat, a woman he respected and admired, knowing. That struck him deep. He pressed his palm hard over his heart. “That was me.” He was responsible. “I’d been several days without sleep and for some reason when I don’t sleep, I get confused. I always have. I can’t think straight. Things get mixed up in my head, so reality and dreams mix together. I didn’t think she was real. That isn’t a good excuse. I went looking for her immediately and tried to apologize, but it was too late. I really hurt her, and then this happened.” He touched the wrap on his head.

“What exactly did happen? I know what Zyah told me happened that night, but clearly, there is much more to the story. I thought about it after Jonas left the other night. He was so certain you had something to do with those men the fishermen had pulled out of the sea. Did someone try to kidnap my granddaughter?” She asked the question directly, her eyes looking so much like Zyah’s, boring straight into his.

He wanted to dismiss her. Walk away. But this was Zyah’s grandmother. This was Anat Gamal, and he respected her too much to lie.

“Yes. They were waiting in the garage for her and they attacked her. I managed to get in under the door before it closed, but they came at me with a baseball bat and then a gun. I did roll over the hood of her car. Things happened very fast. Seconds. No more than two minutes. They ran. I never saw their faces, but there was a woman with them and she was yelling, wanting them to hurt Zyah. I felt she knew Zyah and that it was personal for her.” He was hoping to distract Anat’s attention from the two dead men Jonas had brought up.