Page 81 of Dirty Like Zane
“Uh…no.”
Someone walked up to our table and I looked up to find Dylan standing over us. Auburn-haired and crazy-tall, Dirty’s drummer stood out like a gorgeous sore thumb and didn’t even notice half the diner was staring at him. He scanned the three empty booths, then looked at Matt and me. “Where’d everyone go?” he askedlightly.
I put my hand down on the bill and slid it towardhim.
“Thank you for thepancakes.”
Then I got up and walked out the door, still inshock.
* * *
When we got backto the hotel and everyone piled into the lobby, it was freakishly quiet. No one said a thing to me. Which was fine with me; I made eye contact with not one person and went straight for anelevator.
Zane got on withme.
NoShady.
No oneelse.
They all very purposefully stood back and let the elevator doors close behindus.
Fuck.
They allknew.
Because Zane fucking toldthem.
The shock was gradually wearing off and giving way to an ugly, helplessrage.
Neither of us said a word inside the elevator, but when the door opened again, Zane was quick to close a hand around my arm and escort me up the hall so I couldn’t disappear. He pretty much dragged me through the door of my room and tossed meinside.
Then he shut the door and stood his big body in front of it, blocking my only way out. He was already digging around in his vest, and I knew what he was looking for. He was gonna smoke up—and mellow the fuckout.
Which meant if I started yelling, I’d probably be doing italone.
“Fuck, you’re an asshole.” I bit that out, then turned and walked into the room, throwing my jacket and purse so hard at the bedside table it knocked the lampoff.
“Yup.” When I turned to look at him again, he’d produced a joint and was lighting up. “You want help trashing your room? Got some experience in thatdepartment.”
“No thanks. Bad enough I’m gonna get a bill because you’re stinking up my non-smoking room with yourweed.”
“I’ll pay the bill, Maggie,” he said, like it was the most inconsequential thing in the world, and took a deep drag. “You just need to calm down.” Because now that he had a joint in hand and had rolled right back into king-of-cool mode?Iwas the one who needed to calmdown.
“Calm?” I snapped, as calmly as I could. “What, like you? You, who just flipped out in front of everyone and told them I’m yourwife?”
“Yeah, I flipped out.” He ran his tongue over his bottom lip. “Obviously, if Matty Brohmer thinks he can feel you up, I’m gonna flipout.”
“Feel me up? Are you kidding me? He put his arm around my shoulders.” Really. Matt was just beingfriendly.
I’d never seen Zane go off like that, even over a guy touchingme.
I hadn’t seen Zane in many fights over the years, although there had definitely been a few. And yes, they’d usually been over a woman. Because some dude had rubbed him the wrong way, or he’d said the wrong thing—or put his hand up the wrong girl’s skirt—and utter chaos had ensued. Violentchaos.
But if he had some kind of jealous hate-on for Matt, it was news tome.
“You think I don’t see how he looks at you?” he said, eyes hard and cold. “How he sits next to you all the fucking time? Touching your hair? Staring at yourass?”
“Well—”
