Guy Talk

ZANE

The door to her room closed with a soft click, and I let out a sigh of relief. She was safe now, tucked away from harm. Forest turned to me, his eyes questioning.

“Since she’s staying, I guess you’ll need a room too?”

I smiled at him, my gaze steady. “I’ll be returning to this room. She hasn’t left my arms for days, so I’ll be here with her tonight.”

“Hold on, you’re my guest. I’ll arrange a room for you.”

Forest signaled two guards over. “No one enters or leaves this room until breakfast tomorrow. Got it?”

They nodded in unison. “Yes, boss.”

“Do you want all your men to stay the night?”

“No, I’ll send them home. Conner, Noah, and I will stay, so we only need three rooms.”

“That’s your call. Now, how about we head to my office for a chat? We’ve done plenty of business together, but we’ve never really talked.”

“Sounds good. I’d like to get to know you better too.”

As I followed Forest down the hallway, I instructed Conner to send our men home and let him know we’d be staying the night. He nodded and headed outside to relay the message.

Forest led me to a spacious office. He settled behind a desk, and I chose a chair across from him.

He laced his fingers together, his gaze icy. An unsettling grin spread across his face.

“She’s quite the beauty, isn’t she?”

I met his grin with a smirk of my own, our eyes locked.

“She is. That’s what drew me to her the first time I saw her at the club.

“She was so good at her job, interacting with customers, keeping her tables happy. She was good at everything.

“I did some digging, and when I found out just how good she was, I made my move.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving mine.

“I was livid the night she was attacked. Those guys really pissed me off.

“After I chased them down and found her in that state, I swore they’d pay for what they did. They hid in witness protection for a few years, but I finally tracked them down.

“She was worn out when we got here, but also hungry, so we ate, and you know the rest.”

“Women have a way of making men do things we wouldn’t normally do,” I said, leaning back in my chair.

“She’s special to me, and we made a pact. I never pressured her, but I told her it was forever when she was ready. I don’t do one-night stands with women who mean that much.”

“Neither do I.” His grin was still in place. “There was a time when I would’ve given anything for her to look at me the way she looks at you.

“I’ve been around her for years, dreaming of the day I could have her. But it doesn’t compare to the way she looked at you tonight.

“We kissed on the way here. I had to know if there were any feelings left for me.”

I shot up, my hands slamming onto his desk. He didn’t flinch, just kept that infuriating grin on his face.

He was pushing my buttons, and I guessed he wanted to see how far he could go before I snapped or pulled a gun on him. My finger was itching to draw my weapon and press it against his forehead.

I closed my eyes, thinking of Shay.

When I felt my anger subside, I sank back into my chair. When I opened my eyes, his grin was gone, replaced by a serious expression.

“You really do love her. I can see it in your eyes, in your body language.

“She means a lot to you, but you have to understand that even though we may not share the same connection, it’ll be hard for me to let her go.

“I finally have a chance with her, but it seems her heart is already taken.”

My eyes snapped to his.

“I do love her, more than life itself. She’s the only one who can calm me down.

“I was thinking about shooting you just now, but then I thought about how upset she’d be if I killed her best friend in his own house.”

“Even if you had succeeded, my men would’ve heard the shot and killed you too.”

We locked eyes for a few tense moments, then both broke into smiles.

“You’ve got guts, kid,” Forest said. “You remind me of myself when it comes to protecting what’s yours. I wonder if we can work together.”

“What do you have in mind? You run a massive operation here, and mine is just as big.”

“An exchange of information when needed. If I have a problem, I can reach out to you for help, and vice versa.

“We’ll still run our own operations as we have been, but we can call on each other when needed.”

I rubbed my chin, considering his proposal. It could be beneficial for both of us. Our territories would double, and with our combined forces, we’d be untouchable.

“So, we’d combine our forces only when necessary?”

He nodded.

“I’m not giving up any of my power, and I know you won’t either. This is to benefit us when we need to handle something.”

“As long as it doesn’t interfere with our own operations, I can agree to those terms,” I said, meeting his gaze.

We continued to discuss the details of our arrangement. By the time we finished, we were both worn out.

Forest stood and gestured toward the door. “I’ll show you to your room. I know you’re tired. Your bags were brought in earlier by your men.”

He guided me past her room, stopping at the next door where two guards stood watch. As he opened the door to my room, his hand rested lightly on my shoulder.

“I appreciate your willingness to cooperate. This arrangement will be mutually beneficial, and who knows? Maybe it could even evolve into a friendship. No promises, though.”

“I’m content with our agreement,” I replied. “And if we do end up as friends, it’ll be strictly business.”

He gave a nod of understanding, and I closed the door behind me. After a long, hot shower, I had no other option but to crawl into my empty bed. I snuggled up to an extra pillow, pretending it was her.