here?”
“You disappeared from the reception. I figured you and Zel had come back here to play. I knew that Ivan wanted him in bed early so I thought I would come up here and see if you wanted to go gamble with me. Like old times,” he said with a reminiscent smile that faded as his gaze landed on Ramsay. “I guess this really is like old times.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said on a rushed breath. “I didn’t know he would go this far.”
“He’s a crazy bastard,” Besian grumbled. Walking to Zel and Ramsay, he crouched down and touched Zel’s neck. “It’s a bleeder but you’re not going to need stitches. It will be impossible to hide tomorrow.”
“I cut myself shaving.” Zel practiced his lie, and Sara hated herself for putting him in this position.
“Help me.” Besian motioned toward the heavier man’s body. Together, they rolled Ramsay onto his side and found the gash on the back of his arm. “Sara, get some towels.”
“Put on some shoes,” Zel added. “There’s glass everywhere.”
She did as instructed, finding her slippers and towels and rushing back to the men. They tightly wound a towel around the nasty gash on Ramsay’s arm to stem the blood flow. There were smaller gashes and cuts on the back of his head and up and down his back. He wasn’t going to bleed to death, but he would need stitches when he woke up.
Sara sat back on her heels and looked at the mess surrounding them. Broken glass. A passed out and bleeding ex-con. Zel’s face was bloody, and he was awkwardly holding his left hand. Oh, no…
“Your hand? Is it—?”
“It’s fine.” Zel’s answer came clipped and harsh as he stretched out his fingers. He moved carefully, and she worried that he had broken something.
Judging by the look on Besian’s face, he thought the same thing. Sighing, the boss said, “We need to get Ramsay out of here.”
“Without anyone seeing him? Without security being called?” Sara rubbed her face between her hands. “If he makes a scene, they’ll drag us all down to the police station. What will happen to Zel’s fight?”
Zel’s jaw visibly tightened. He had to be thinking the same thing she was. The scandal would ruin him. One dogged journalist with the right sources could find out everything about Zel’s history and hers and blow up their secrets. The fallout would put their lives in danger. Besian was their connection to the Albanian mafia, and he had shielded them for years. But Luka, his boss—his blood—back in Tirana would end them in a heartbeat to protect the Beciraj family.
“Zel, get dressed and go back to your room.” Besian was already pulling out his cell phone and making a call. “I’m sending Ivan to meet you.”
“I’m not leaving Sara.”
Besian’s gaze darkened in that terrifying way he had perfected. It was that stare he used to remind grown men like Zel that he could make them disappear with a snap of his fingers. “I wasn’t asking.”
Zel wasn’t going to back down. Still amped up from his fight, he stepped forward, and Sara reacted instantly. The instinct to protect Zel was so strong. She moved between both men and put her hand on Zel’s chest in a soothing gesture. Gazing up at him, she pleaded, “Please go.”
Seemingly taken aback, Zel asked, “You want me to leave? You want him to stay?”
Sara swallowed anxiously. “I trust him.”
“More than me?”
In that moment, Sara understood what had to be done. Zel was the finest man she had ever known. He was good inside. He was the kind of man who was going to make some woman very happy someday. He would be a wonderful husband and a father—just never with her.
Because you’re poison .
It was a memory from long ago that resurfaced. Lalo’s voice filled her head as he hissed his venom at her. Some part of her had always believed him. Every single relationship she’d had with a man had ended badly. Maybe Lalo had been right. Maybe there was something wrong with her.
“I
“You disappeared from the reception. I figured you and Zel had come back here to play. I knew that Ivan wanted him in bed early so I thought I would come up here and see if you wanted to go gamble with me. Like old times,” he said with a reminiscent smile that faded as his gaze landed on Ramsay. “I guess this really is like old times.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said on a rushed breath. “I didn’t know he would go this far.”
“He’s a crazy bastard,” Besian grumbled. Walking to Zel and Ramsay, he crouched down and touched Zel’s neck. “It’s a bleeder but you’re not going to need stitches. It will be impossible to hide tomorrow.”
“I cut myself shaving.” Zel practiced his lie, and Sara hated herself for putting him in this position.
“Help me.” Besian motioned toward the heavier man’s body. Together, they rolled Ramsay onto his side and found the gash on the back of his arm. “Sara, get some towels.”
“Put on some shoes,” Zel added. “There’s glass everywhere.”
She did as instructed, finding her slippers and towels and rushing back to the men. They tightly wound a towel around the nasty gash on Ramsay’s arm to stem the blood flow. There were smaller gashes and cuts on the back of his head and up and down his back. He wasn’t going to bleed to death, but he would need stitches when he woke up.
Sara sat back on her heels and looked at the mess surrounding them. Broken glass. A passed out and bleeding ex-con. Zel’s face was bloody, and he was awkwardly holding his left hand. Oh, no…
“Your hand? Is it—?”
“It’s fine.” Zel’s answer came clipped and harsh as he stretched out his fingers. He moved carefully, and she worried that he had broken something.
Judging by the look on Besian’s face, he thought the same thing. Sighing, the boss said, “We need to get Ramsay out of here.”
“Without anyone seeing him? Without security being called?” Sara rubbed her face between her hands. “If he makes a scene, they’ll drag us all down to the police station. What will happen to Zel’s fight?”
Zel’s jaw visibly tightened. He had to be thinking the same thing she was. The scandal would ruin him. One dogged journalist with the right sources could find out everything about Zel’s history and hers and blow up their secrets. The fallout would put their lives in danger. Besian was their connection to the Albanian mafia, and he had shielded them for years. But Luka, his boss—his blood—back in Tirana would end them in a heartbeat to protect the Beciraj family.
“Zel, get dressed and go back to your room.” Besian was already pulling out his cell phone and making a call. “I’m sending Ivan to meet you.”
“I’m not leaving Sara.”
Besian’s gaze darkened in that terrifying way he had perfected. It was that stare he used to remind grown men like Zel that he could make them disappear with a snap of his fingers. “I wasn’t asking.”
Zel wasn’t going to back down. Still amped up from his fight, he stepped forward, and Sara reacted instantly. The instinct to protect Zel was so strong. She moved between both men and put her hand on Zel’s chest in a soothing gesture. Gazing up at him, she pleaded, “Please go.”
Seemingly taken aback, Zel asked, “You want me to leave? You want him to stay?”
Sara swallowed anxiously. “I trust him.”
“More than me?”
In that moment, Sara understood what had to be done. Zel was the finest man she had ever known. He was good inside. He was the kind of man who was going to make some woman very happy someday. He would be a wonderful husband and a father—just never with her.
Because you’re poison .
It was a memory from long ago that resurfaced. Lalo’s voice filled her head as he hissed his venom at her. Some part of her had always believed him. Every single relationship she’d had with a man had ended badly. Maybe Lalo had been right. Maybe there was something wrong with her.
“I
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