62

“You don’t get to tell me that. Not after what you said earlier. And when Zane does those things to me, at least he makes me come and makes the earth shake. From what I heard from the other nurses, they were lucky to start getting excited before it was over. Now move before I let Zane and Ryder do to you what they are itching to do,” Ava told him. James looked at her with rage. She was half expecting him to come at her. She felt Zane getting ready to make sure James didn’t see a new day. But luckily, James seemed to sense the same. He backed off, and Ava strolled past him without looking at him. She heard Zane’s quiet voice behind her as he passed James.

“If you ever lay a finger on her again, I will show you just how much of a criminal I am,” she heard Zane say. A sharp intake of breath followed it. Ava felt Zane’s hand come to rest on her back as he guided her along. She heard James whimper a second time and was about to turn her head to figure out why, when Zane lowered his lips to her ear. “It’s just Ryder. He took offence to the doctor’s way of talking to you, Angel. Just keep going,” he whispered. Ava didn’t even try to hide the satisfied smile which appeared on her face. Zane got their coats and helped her on with her soft, fake fur. He gave her a kiss before they walked out into the waiting limo and started their way back home. Zane made sure the partition wall between them, in the back seat, and Ryder and Carlos up front was raised.

“I really had a wonderful night,” Ava told Zane.

“I’m happy, Angel. Are you ready to let me know what the doctor told you?” he asked her. Ava frowned and looked at him.

“We aren’t home yet,” she pointed out.

“My patience is wearing thin, Angel. I want you to tell me what he told you,” Zane said in a voice that let Ava know he wasn’t playing any games.

“Fine. But I want you to know first I’m getting tired, and I will be very upset if you make the boys turn this car around.” Zane nodded. “He wanted me to sleep with Mr. Cleaso. He thought it would increase the donation he would make to the hospital,” Ava told him. Zane was quiet. He looked at her and was still as a statue. Ava would have thought he didn’t care if it weren’t for the slight tick at the corner of one of his eyes, the throbbing vein on the side of his neck and his eyes which had gone pure ice cold. “Zane?” she said after a while.

“He will not be breathing when morning comes,” Zane told her, taking out his phone.

“Zane,” she said.

“No, Angel. I can let you make excuses for a lot of things, but not this. I’m sorry if this frightens you and I understand if you need some space from me for the night. But he will not keep living on the same planet as you,” he told her while looking straight into her eyes. Ava sighed and shook her head.

“I’m not afraid of you, Zane, and I don’t need space. I just think it’s a waste to kill someone who may be a shitty person, but is an excellent surgeon. He saves lives,” she told him.

“I don’t care, Ava. I will make sure the hospital finds another good surgent if it bothers you.”

“Fine,” she told him. Ava saw him return to his phone, typing out something that no doubt would end James’ life. Ava turned to look out the window and wondered why it didn’t bother her. She had told Zane the truth. He didn’t frighten her, neither did she feel like she should put distance between them. But shouldn’t she? Shouldn’t she be upset he just ordered someone to kill another person, someone Ava knew? Maybe Zane and his men had rubbed off on her? Was she turning into a stone-cold killer? She didn’t think so. Neither did she think she would be this relaxed if Zane had threatened to kill a random stranger. Was it because James had treated her like an object, that he wanted to force her to have sex with a stranger? But then, wasn’t it exactly what Zane had done when they first met? Didn’t he suggest she worked the debt off, and then used it to make her his toy? It didn’t feel the same. Was it because she was attracted to Zane? Ava couldn’t deny the thought of having sex with Zane never had seemed unpleasant. She had been nervous, and scared of the unknown, but Zane, as a person, had never made her feel uncomfortable. Mr. Cleaso, on the other hand, had not enticed her at all. She had been almost revolted by the thought and by trying to force her to go through with it, James had been tainted by the same feeling. Despite the appearance of being forced by Zane, he had always given her plenty of opportunity to say no. From signing the contract to everything they had done since, he had always given her an out and he had listened to her safe words. She felt completely safe that if she were to give him a hard no, he would listen and back off.

“Are you upset?” Zane asked. Ava realised they were almost home, and she had been submerged in her own thoughts for a long while.

“No,” she said, and to ensure him she was telling the truth, she took his hand and gave him a relaxed smile. He studied her for a while, and then he nodded.

“It has to be done.”

“I understand, and I’m not bothered by it. If it is needed, it is needed,” she told him as the limo stopped in front of the mansion. Zane helped her out and together, they walked inside.

“Do you want something before bed?” Zane asked her.

“No, I’m happy if I can go upstairs and take these shoes off,” she said with a smile.

“Are your feet hurting? You should have said something.”

“They aren’t hurting, they are a little sore. I’m not used to walking around in stilettos,” she told him. Ava yelped as Zane swept her off her feet and into his arms. She quickly put her arms around his neck. “Zane, what are you doing?” she asked.

“Don’t worry, Angel. I won’t drop you. We can’t have your feet hurting, even if it has been a pleasure watching you walk around in those shoes all evening,” he told her. Ava relaxed and leaned her head against his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs.

Two hours later, Ava was snuggled up against Baine. They had spent the two hours in different stages of undress, having sex on whatever surface was closest at the moment. As she now lay naked with his arms around her, resting her head on his chest, she was exhausted and very satisfied. Zane was letting his fingertips play on her shoulder, and she could sense he was just as relaxed as she was.

“I’m feeling obnoxiously good right now,” she sighed, and she heard and felt Zane chuckle.

“That’s good, Angel. That’s how you should feel.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to get up in the morning to go see Gabriel’s new office.”

“Do you want me to cancel it for you?” Zane asked and kissed her forehead.

“No, I’m really curious about it. I just think it will be a struggle,” she said with a giggle.

“I’ll make sure you’ll get up on time.”

“Thank you, Zane, and not only for offering to be my personal alarm clock,” Ava said, kissing his chest.

“Anytime, angel. Now go to sleep or you will never get to see Gabriel’s office.” Ava relaxed a little more and felt the sleep take her over. She floated away feeling warm, safe and satisfied in every sense of the word.