Fractured Fear (The Devils of New York #1)

Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

ZANE

S he thinks we’re leaving, and we are.

Sort of.

We’re leaving her apartment, but we’re not leaving the street. Another night in my car is going to suck ass, but sacrifices are made for angels all the time.

Sliding into my car, I answer my phone when it rings and put it on speaker.

“Where the hell are you?” Asher’s greeting is filled with a special kind of love. I haven’t seen him since he got in, which isn’t like me.

“Where the hell are we? Where the hell are you?” Rio answers.

“I’m at the Black Horse.”

“Why?” Rio and I ask in unison.

“What do you mean why? I’m waiting for my welcome home drinks that we get every time I come home,” Asher responds outraged.

When all three of us met, I had stopped searching for where I belonged. I had given up, thinking that was my lot in life. My parents didn’t want me. My foster parents had thoroughly fucked me up. I figured no one else needed to deal with my shitshow of a life, but Rio wouldn’t take no for an answer. It helped that he was my roommate and was around twenty-four-seven. He helped me embrace my desires and accepted me for me . Then we met Asher and he fit right in. We were all forged in the fires of Hell, but we fought our way out and found each other.

“Something came up,” I explain oh-so-thoroughly.

Asher perks up. “And you didn’t call? Was it Cain? The fuck man,” he whisper shouts.

“Calm the fuck down. We’ve been with Spencer all day. She needed a ride home from the hospital. We’re sitting outside her place in case the guy comes back. You know how these people operate,” Rio says.

There’s a pause on the line and I know what he’s thinking. I don’t actively seek out women. They come to me and if I feel like it, we fuck. That’s it. But I took care of Spencer, bought her dinner and am now going to sleep in my car to keep watch. Fortunately, he doesn't know about our lunch dates.

“You should’ve called,” he grumbles. “It would’ve been nice to know so I didn't get stood up. No excuses, dickbags.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a pie from Sal’s to make up for it.” My attempt to make up for our no-show is weak since we get our pies for free, but it’s still an olive branch.

Sal’s makes the best pies in New York. I don’t care what anyone says. He has the perfect sauce to cheese ratio. After what happened with his daughter Emilia, the scales of justice needed balance. We brought that balance. We never told Sal specifically what we did, but he knows. Sometimes a father just knows. Now he gives us free pizza whenever we want.

“You fucking better. Place the order and meet me at home then you can tell me about her interview.”

“No can do, man. We already ate and we’re camping outside her apartment tonight.”

“Are you shitting me? Wait. Did you eat Sal’s without me tonight?”

“Shut up. You know we’d never cheat on you by eating Sal’s with someone else.” Rio’s argument is valid however false.

“I can smell the lies and marinara from here, assholes.”

“She needed the cheesy goodness to cheer her up! You know Sal’s cures any ailment.” Rio tries to reason with him.

Asher’s sigh crackles through the phone. “Fine. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

He hangs up and I settle in for the night. Eyes on the building, I let my mind wander to the woman inside.

She kicked me out in a kind way. Can’t say that’s ever happened before. When I go to a woman or man’s house, I leave before they wake. Which makes Spencer asking me to leave, a first. I could tell she was battling herself. She couldn’t hide the way her luscious thighs clenched, seeking relief. Relief I would gladly provide.

She’s not ready for that yet, and that's okay. I’ll wait. I’m a patient devil.

Twenty minutes after her lights flick off, Rio unfolds himself from the car.

I follow suit and question, “We really doing this?”

“You’re the one who slipped her the sleeping pills,” Rio states plainly.

“I know, but?—”

“I’m not leaving her alone with her nightmares. We’ve heard her scream in her sleep almost every night since we started Operation Spy Through the Pottery Teacher’s Windows .”

“I was just making sure you were okay with breaking and entering.”

“Do you really have to ask?”

I roll my eyes at his sass and we proceed up the stairs under the cover of night. The broken lamp post must be how the trafficking asshole was able to get the drop on Spencer. I nod to the diffused light and Rio grunts. Sometimes we don’t need words to communicate. We both know what the absent light means. Premeditation.

I’m positive it’s the same group. This matches their MO. Single, attractive woman, who lives alone, with no health problems. People think traffickers just take anyone and everyone, but that’s not necessarily true. People are products to them, not living beings with feelings and dreams. Traffickers usually inspect their “product” first, which means they must have been watching Spencer for a while before trying to take her.

But how long were they stalking her? A week? Two weeks?

I go down on one knee at Spencer’s shitty front door and pull out my lock pick set. A twelve-year-old could break into this place. The locked pantry at my foster home made me learn how to unlock doors from the outside by the time I was seven. I had to learn young. If I didn’t learn, then I didn’t eat. My foster parents often forgot about Sarah and me until their friends came by.

Leaving that particular darkness behind, I get Spencer’s door open just like I did last night. Thankfully, she never asked how we got in to take her to the hospital. I wouldn’t have lied, but I don’t think it’s an answer she’s ready for.

Our empty pizza boxes remain on her kitchen counter where we left them. Rio reaches for the cardboard and places them by the front so we can take them to the trash when we leave. We’re men, but that doesn’t mean we have to be slobs. No woman should have to clean after a man’s mess.

On light feet we enter her room and I’m overcome with the sweet scent of jasmine. Spencer’s perfume. My cock hardens as I take in a deep breath inhaling more of her. Needing to will my semi away, I think of anything to handle the situation.

Sharks. Old grandmas. Driving in traffic. Vegetarian pizza.

That did it. Vegetarian pizza. Huh. Good to know

Rio strips off his shirt and slides under the fluffy white comforter behind Spencer. When he lifts the blanket, Spencer’s perfectly round ass comes into view and I groan. She’s wearing a simple black thong and an oversized tee. That’s it. With that, blood rushes south again.

“ Métete a la cama, idiota .”

“I have a bit of an issue.” My hands gesture to my hard dick.

“I do too, but you don’t see me complaining about it. Especially not with her ass so close.”

Now I wish I would’ve climbed in first. I round to the other side and silently lay beside a sleeping Spencer. Her bed is only a queen so we’re short on space, but that just means we both get to be closer to her.

On my side I’m able to take her in. Her face is pinched, and sweat has formed on her brow. I smooth the stress lines away with my touch. My hand moves away, but she reaches out in her sleep and brings my hand close, right against her perfect breasts. She inhales deep and when she lets it out, she relaxes all over. Her body leans into Rio more and drags me closer. I happily follow her lead and tangle my legs with hers.

“Sweet dreams, Angel,” I whisper in her ear and allow myself to give in to a blissful sleep next to the person who has quickly come to mean more to me than any other woman.