Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

ZANE

Loose rocks crunch beneath booted feet and then a voice whispers, "Still can't get through to her?"

Gritting my teeth, I redial Grey's number and put the phone to my ear.

You have reached the voicemail of…

"Dammit."

"Guess that's a no," Cadey mumbles.

"Why did you let her leave this morning?" I whirl around, nostrils flaring.

Cadey immediately narrows her eyes and glares right back at me. "I'm sorry. Next time her mom calls and threatens to dial 911 if she doesn't show her face, I'll be sure to sucker punch her at the door and tie her up in the basement."

"That's not what I meant."

"You bet it wasn't. I'm not Grey's parole officer."

As if he can sense the tension, Dutch approaches, looming over his wife like the Grim Reaper. He could pass for it too with his glaring eyes and all-black get up.

"Stop freaking out," Dutch orders.

"Huh." My fingers curl into fists. "Yeah, I never thought of that. Just… stop freaking out? That simple?" I scowl at him and in a harder tone, I warn, "How ‘bout I stop after I punch your freaking face?"

Cadey's lips twitch.

Sol and Finn join us.

"She's still not here?" Sol gives me a sympathetic look. I want to punch him too. Just for daring to pity me. "Miss Jamieson's a little late with the runaway bride thing. Should have done that at the wedding."

"She's not going to run away," Finn says in a bored tone. As if we're all idiots for even considering it.

I agree with Finn. Grey would never pass up this opportunity. It's our one shot. Our only chance to get Slavno's information on The Grateful Project.

Which is why her being a no-show is so concerning.

What if she got into another accident? What if the bastard who rammed into her on the road isn't hiding inside a car this time?

Dutch looks at his watch. "We're getting close to our window."

"I know," I snap.

Cadey's phone buzzes and she glances down.

"Grey?" I ask hopefully.

"Rick's in position."

I twirl the fingers of my good hand, wishing I could flip my drumsticks like usual.

"What do you think happened?" Sol asks.

Dutch stares at me. "Marian hates him."

"Babe, that's so random."

"How is that relevant to?—"

"Maybe she convinced Miss Jamieson to get a divorce. To get away while she still can."

My expression is hard when I meet his gaze. "What's your point?"

"You still want to go through with this even if she ditched you?"

I walk right up to my twin until we're nose to nose.

Dutch and I are the same size, same height, same everything. In a fight, he's more deliberate, always thinking ahead. But I'm unpredictable, intuitive. I don't think at all. Which is why we're evenly matched.

"Just get into position," I growl.

My brother takes a good, long look at me. And then he nods.

Sol and Finn disperse too—Sol to the back of the nursing home where the kitchens are located and Finn to sneak into the home's computer room where his juiced-out laptop is ready to scramble the security camera signals.

Cadey pats my arm. "She'll be here."

"I know." I give her fingers a squeeze. It's a silent apology for snapping at her earlier.

She nods like she understands and follows Dutch to the getaway van parked closer to the side entrance of the nursing home.

I send Grey a text.

We're about to go in. Wherever you are, be safe.

Pocketing the phone, I slip a surgical mask over my face and move toward the main entrance.

Just then, I hear tires squeal on tarmac and a taxi races to a stop down the road. The door bursts open and Grey pops out.

Relief explodes through me. I abandon my post and run to her.

She meets me halfway on the grassy trail, breathing hard. "Sorry… I'm late," she pants. "Mom had me taking all these tests at the hospital. It was a whole thing." She keels over, grabbing her knees.

"I went to the hospital. You weren't there."

"Yeah, we went to a different one."

Probably to make sure I wouldn't find them.

Well played, Marian. Well played.

I eye the white coat she has on and pluck at the collar of my own doctor's garb. "Did you forget your nurse costume?"

"Oh." She straightens and walks closer to me. In a conspiratorial whisper, she tells me, "we're not wearing those."

"Why not?"

"Are you aware those are… used? "

I can't help but smile at her scandalized face. Grey is definitely not the adventurous type and, with any other girl, that would turn me off.

With her, it's cute as hell.

"I got us a new set that I may or may not have borrowed from the hospital on my way out."

"Wouldn't that still make the clothes ‘used'?"

"Yes, well…" she sputters. Giving up, she lifts the bag fisted in her right hand. "Just put it on."

I take it from her and peek inside. The nurse's scrubs are way too big for her slender figure. "You're saying… I'm the nurse?"

She straightens and gives me a smug little grin. It takes everything inside me not to grab her face and kiss the hell out of it.

"You have a problem with that?"

"No, ma'am. I do not."

My phone buzzes.

Finn: Might need a bit more time. Sol's having trouble setting the fire.

My expression must give away my concern because Grey immediately presses against me to peer at my phone. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

I try not to get distracted by her tits brushing my arm, even if it feels amazing. "I need to call Sol."

Grey stays right there while I dial and I intentionally put the phone to my other ear so she has to press even harder against me to hear what Sol is saying through the speakers.

"What's the hold-up?" I ask impatiently. "We only have a couple more minutes before the night watch changes."

"Would you like me to set a small kitchen fire or would you rather I blow granny and grampa to high heaven in their sleep?" Sol explodes.

I shrink back. "Just get it done quickly."

"And with no casualties," Grey reminds, pushing up on her tiptoes to talk into the phone.

Sol ends the call abruptly.

Grey presses her feet flat against the grass and attempts to step back. I hook my hand around her and pull her up to me instead.

"Zane, what are you doing?" Her small fists fall like rain against me. "Zane?—"

"You could have let me know you were leaving," I growl.

She goes still.

Her eyes dart guiltily away.

"I told Cadence to inform you guys," she mutters.

I lean down so my forehead presses against hers. It's okay now that she's here. My world is right again.

I breathe her in. "I'm not ‘you guys'. I'm your husband. I was worried about you."

"Don't be. I can take care of myself." She wiggles some more and I let her go only because I don't have time to wrench her sensible grey pants to her ankles and remind her what being her husband means.

"We'll discuss this later," I warn.

"No, we're not," she answers cheekily.

One corner of my lips curls up as she scampers away and I trail her at a more leisurely pace.

The doctor's coat flaps with every step, hinting at the curves just underneath. My blood whips to a boil.

I need that woman naked and mewling under me. Soon .

With effort, I shift my attention to the task of getting the nurse's scrubs on. The pants are easy enough to do, but the shirt is a little small and it's impossible to navigate my cast through the sleeves.

Grey's voice hisses from up ahead. She'd given me privacy—not that I asked for any—while I changed.

"Zane, Sol just texted the group chat. He said he's almost finished. We need to move."

"Gimme a sec," I mutter in frustration. This damn sling…

"What's wrong?"

"Any chance I can pass as a nurse without putting this shirt on?"

"Maybe if we'd gone in undercover as adult entertainers." Her voice gets louder and I smell her sweet perfume.

A second later, I look up and she's there, slipping into the shadows with me.

I grit my teeth, my temper on edge. The one thing I hate in this world is feeling helpless and I've been having a lot of those moments since my wrist snapped.

"Here, let me," she whispers.

"I got it." I turn away from her.

Grey already sees me as an eighteen year old screw-ball, a delinquent student, someone who can't protect her. I don't need her mothering me and deepening the divide between us.

"Zane." Her tone is firm.

"I said I got it."

The next thing I know, her hand lands on my shoulder and I'm being whirled around. For a second, she gapes at my abs. And then her head whips to the side. Her eyebrows slash over stormy brown eyes as she snaps, "Shut up."

I blink in shock. What did I say?

She looks up as she takes the shirt from me. "Not you. I mean…" She sighs and gently scrunches the shirt, wiggling it over my wrist. "Duck your head."

I do.

She gets my head into the hole and pulls it down gently. Her eyes dart to the side and she frowns as if she's seeing someone.

I look that way too.

There's some dirt from a garden that was started and then abandoned. A couple bushes. A broken-down tool shed.

No one's there.

"Did you see someone?" I ask, ready to grab her and run.

She ignores the question. "We're good to go." With a disgruntled huff, Grey stalks ahead.

I follow her, easily catching up to her with my long-legged stride. "Hey, are you feeling okay? Did the tests show that you're not ready to be walking around?"

"The doctor said I'm good."

"So you're not feeling lightheaded or…" I think about her snapping at me to shut up when I didn't speak. "Confused?"

Grey stops. Her mouth turns down into a severe frown. "No."

With that, she stalks ahead angrily.

"Okay then."

I'm probably overthinking it. I'm no doctor and it's not like I have any chance of diagnosing her. She's got a lot on her mind, which probably explains her behavior.

Grey turns the corner to enter through the emergency exits. I follow right behind her and nearly bump into her back.

Why did she stop in the middle of the path?

I glance up and bristle when I see a security guard, swinging his flashlight around.

He looks just as startled to see us. In a blink, his wide eyes narrow in suspicion.

Nerves threaten to take over, but I inhale, let it out and motion for Grey to walk past him normally. The security guards have already been informed to look the other way if they see anything. Money will make this guy blind.

We get three steps in before the security officer lifts a hand to block us. "Who are you guys? I don't recognize you."

My eyebrows tighten. Did we not pay them enough? I told Finn to take it out of my royalties.

Grey steps in front of me, eyes brimming with confidence. "I'm Dr. Carmel and this is Nurse Kimmel. Please step aside. We need to do our rounds."

"Dr. Carmel? I've never heard of you before."

I slip my cell phone out of my pocket and send Finn an SOS text.

It buzzes a second later.

Finn: The security team had a last minute shift in personnel. Be careful of this guy.

Dammit. That means this guard has no reason to let us pass. We'll have to wing it.

I exchange a loaded look with Grey, both eyebrows raised.

Time's ticking. Sol's probably already set the fire. We need to get inside that nursing home and grab Slavno's grandmother before the plan goes completely off the rails.

"You've never heard of us before?" I say, giving the guard a cursory scan. He's older, thin. I believe I can win a fight one-handed against him. "That's funny. We've been working here for at least a month."

His eyes waver. His hand inches down to his baton.

Grey's hand slams into my chest as I take another threatening step forward. She doesn't look back at me but keeps her hard gaze on the officer.

"What about my job description is so unbelievable?" she demands.

The officer pauses.

"Do you think black people can't be doctors? Or is it because I'm a woman?"

His jaw drops, eyes widening instantly. "What? O-of course not."

"Is that the kind of man you are!" Grey's voice climbs and she steps closer to him. He retreats, hands in the air like she's holding a gun. "Should I report to your bosses that they've employed a racist, misogynist?—"

"No. No." Immediately, the guard's entire demeanor shifts from defensive to apologetic. "I'm not a racist. My best friend is black."

"Good. That's—that's good." Grey nods a little awkwardly. "Well, then…" She clops forward.

I hurry behind her, amused and impressed.

"But—" the guard calls.

We both freeze.

"—I'm still going to need to see some ID."

Grey exchanges a panicked look with me.

I lift my good hand, fingers primed into a fist.

She shakes her head, pushing my hand down.

Fine. If my wife doesn't want me to fight then…

I whirl around, clawing at my throat and gasping for air. "Huuuuuh. Huuuuh." I make distressed, breathless sounds. "I can't…"

Grey taps right into the role and flings herself in front of me. "Nurse Kimmel. Nurse Kimmel!" She twists her neck to glare at the guard. "Why did you do that? You trigged him to enter one of his episodes."

"Huuuuh. Huuuuh." I gasp.

"What do I do?" The security guard hurries ahead, wringing his hands.

"Just stay back," she hisses.

I'm about to give her a subtle thumbs up when her hand flies out of nowhere and she slaps me in the face.

My surprise is genuine. So is the little ‘oof' of pain that flies out of my mouth.

"Snap out of it, Nurse Kimmel!"

I give her the stink eye.

And the little hellion gives a smug little grin in return.

Seconds later, I get another slap.

"Snap out of it!"

I grab her hand, straightening to my full height and glowering down at her.

Just then, an alarm clangs.

The security guard sniffs. "Do you smell smoke?" He sniffs harder and then takes off at a brisk run.

Grey and I follow.

I stare a hole into her back, still miffed about the slapping.

"This way," Grey says, flagging me to take a left turn. All around us, residents in their pajamas are being escorted to the emergency exits.

No one is paying us any attention and, thankfully, Slavno's grandmother hasn't been taken out of her room yet.

We burst inside and she's already up, peering at us through watery eyes.

"Don't worry," Grey says sweetly. "We're here to help. But first, is there anything valuable that you absolutely must have? Anything that you wouldn't want to burn in a fire?"

I keep watch at the door, glancing back and forth as Grey patiently gathers all the grandmother's most prized things. My instinct is to hurry her up, but even I recognize this act of kindness.

The alarm bells are loud enough to wake the dead, but I've had practice from all the concerts we've played where the volume was turned all the way up. Doctors and nurses are methodically making their way through the rooms.

They'll get to Slavno's grandmother soon.

We gotta get out of here.

"Doctor Carmel…" I warn.

"I know," Grey answers. "One more minute."

We might not have that.

Seeing no other option, I slip outside and stop the nurse who's about to enter the room. Shaking my head, I gesture for her to move along.

She pauses, taking a look at my face as if she recognizes me.

I duck my head.

Thankfully, someone screams in the room over and she hurries there instead.

As the crowd thins, Sol runs up to us, a bag over his shoulder and a hat pulled low over his face.

"What are you two still doing here?" he asks.

"Relax. She's almost done."

I open the door for him and we both step into the room. Grey notices Sol's arrival and pulls the wheelchair toward the bed.

"Can someone help me with her?"

I transport the patient into the wheelchair and Sol stays back in the room when we leave. The wheelchair handles are a thick foam and I grip them tightly, taking over pushing through the crowd.

Instead of following everyone through the emergency exits, I slip into a hallway that'll take us to the side doors.

Dutch and Cadence are waiting outside and they take over pushing the wheelchair. I hear Cadence assuring the old lady of her safety as they get her into the van.

My heart thumping fast, I look over at Grey. "You did it."

"Yeah." She glances at my cheek and winces. "Sorry about slapping you."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not all that sorry?"

She laughs. "I'm sorry I hit you that hard."

I smirk.

The side door bursts open. Sol and Finn race out, barreling towards our van. Finn has his laptop tucked under his armpit and Sol is covered in ash.

"It's done?" I ask my best friend.

He nods, looking energized and a little unhinged.

I hope this is the last time Sol sets a fire. Every time he lets that demon out, it seems a little harder to wrangle it back under control.

I slap Sol on the back and follow him to the van. Dutch drives through the south exit where Rick, Cadey's brother, is stationed. He runs out in his security guard uniform and lifts the arm barrier manually.

"You folks have a good night," Rick says, giving us a salute and a knowing grin.

Cadey rolls her eyes, but she looks equally amused.

We notice an ambulance and fire truck zoom past us on the road, but they don't stop us. Finn keeps an ear on the police scanner just in case.

Grey leaves my side to go to the back of the van where Slavno's grandmother is sitting alone. Me and the rest of the guys are giving her a wide berth. We've done a lot of crap as a group—framing a teacher, springing Sol out of a psych ward, as well as kicking Cadey out of school just to name a few—but kidnapping someone's grandma is a first.

Grey adjusts the blanket around the old lady's shoulders. She says something to the woman that makes Mrs. Slavno squeeze her hand and smile.

"It's like you can see the light inside her, right?" Cadey notes, looking in the direction where I'm staring.

I grunt in agreement.

The problem is… I'm pure darkness.

Her polar opposite.

Too much light, and darkness disappears. I'm okay with that. Doesn't faze me at all.

But it could also swing the other way.

Too much darkness and…

Unease clamps around me.

Keeping Grey by my side for too long may just destroy her light.