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“So we don’t know who’s responsible.”
“We don’t, at least nothing concrete.”
“But you have an idea.”
“Yes. Don’t worry. The guys and I have it under control.”
There was another situation weighing heavy on my mind and my heart, something I hadn’t given a voice. My sister. When Daria returned from taking the phone call at the fundraiser, I noticed a difference in the way she held herself. To most, it wouldn’t have been obvious, but I knew her better than anyone, and I didn’t like what I saw. Something about the call upset her. Had it been about Charlie? I’d meant to bring it up after, except after was a debacle. She knew she could go to Zak if she was in trouble. It made me wonder if she had.
“Has Daria come to you?” I asked.
“For what?”
“Anything.”
Zak’s thumb rubbed circles on my back. “What’s this about?”
“It’s nothing. I’m probably overreacting.”
“She’s protected, if that makes you feel any better.”
“It does. A little.”
“Just talk to her, Pru.”
“You’re right. I will.” I changed the subject. “What about the hurricane? Is there anything we need to do at home or at the resort to get prepared?”
We had tornadoes in Nebraska. They were deadly and destructive, but they were over quickly. I’d never witnessed a hurricane, except on TV, and the one moving up the coast had sustained winds of one-hundred-and-five miles per hour. It was massive and growing. The weather forecasters originally predicted it would make landfall in South Carolina and track inland. Unfortunately, Mother Nature chose a different course. The storm center brushed the Outer Banks, drifted back into the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and continued to build strength. It tracked northeast, staying around seventy-five miles off the coast, but that meant high winds, storm surge, and flooding for New Jersey.
“The staff’s already doing it,” he assured me. “We’ll go to the grocery store later to stock up on the essentials. The house has a generator, so even if the power goes out, we have a backup.”
“Is it safe to stay in the house? We’re so close to the ocean.”
“It’s perfectly safe. These houses were built tough. If you’re worried, we can always go to Kas’s. He’s further inland. Just think about it. Whatever you decide, we’ll do it.” He kissed the top of my head. “Get some sleep. Dimi will be here at nine.”
“Thank you, Zak.”
“For what?”
“Placating me.”
“I’ve told you before, I’ll do anything for you.”
Zakhar
Bullet hole or not, I was going to beat Dimi black and blue. He arrived fifteen minutes early with a sling on his right arm. Where the fuck he’d gotten the sling, I didn’t know. The point was he didn’t need one, though his reasoning became blatantly obvious when Pru began tending to his every need. It was bad enough that she insisted on making him breakfast, but when she started cutting up the sausage links on his plate, my head was ready to explode.
“Pru. He’s playing you.”
Her head snapped up. “Why would you say that? Dimitri got hurt protecting you.”
“Yeah, Zak.” The bastard grinned like we’d won the jackpot. “I saved you.”
My eyes rolled hard. Taking a bullet for me didn’t mean he got to use his injury to gain sympathy points. He needed to find his own woman and leave mine the hell alone. I was about to tell him as much when I noticed a mischievous glint in Pru’s eyes. My woman was scheming. Curiosity got the better of me. I decided to delay his ass-kicking a bit longer.
“Dimitri?”
“What’s up, Pru?”
