“What the hell?” I wasn’t sure Zane had even lifted a candy bar in his lifetime. And Mr. Zen didn’t fight.
“I stole a Lambo.”
“Jesus, Zane.”
“Time’s up.”
“What, no, it can’t be.” Zane’s eyes darted around, panic vibrating off him.
“Fuck.” I stood. “Look, they said you should be out of here in a few minutes. I have to go sign something at the bail bond place, but I’ll be right back.”
“You can’t leave me.”
I gripped his shoulder, and then immediately released him when the cop moved forward.
Stoneface nodded to the door.
“I’ll be right back, and we can get you out of here. Then you can tell me everything.”
Defeated, his shoulders sagged as the cop unlocked him from the table.
“Don’t take too long, man. I can’t take much more of this place.”
It wasn’t like it was one of the pits I’d been in Fallujah, but I suspected telling him that wouldn’t be helpful. “I promise. I’ll get it done as quickly as possible.”
For the record—no pun intended—it definitely wasn’t quick. Three hours later, I finally got him out of the actual cell—aka study hall for all intents and purposes.
The door opened and he strode out, rubbing his fingers over his wrists.
I frowned at how raw his skin was.
But then I had six feet of not altogether fresh-scented Zane attacking me in a bear hug.
“Okay, buddy.” I patted his back. “We’re almost done.”
“Can’t we just go?” He dropped his arms, staring longingly at the double doors leading to the street.
“Afraid not. They kinda like their money first.”
We were still waiting on paperwork, but at least he could sit with me in the hall minus the handcuffs.
“We need to call Lila. And speaking of Ripper, where is your detail?”
“I don’t know.”
“That seems to be all you’re saying.”
“Last night is a total void. I woke up with no wallet, no phone, facedown in that holding room. I tried to ask questions, but the cops weren’t too happy to talk to me. I may have resisted arrest.” He brought his hand up to his eye and gingerly dabbed at it.
I was wordless.
I wasn’t exactly the talkative one in our group, but this was beyond comment. I had so many questions my brain was going to freaking explode.
“Thank God Noah made us memorize phone numbers.”
“You actually did that?” I was pretty sure I was hardwired not to listen to Noah lately.
“Yeah. I used it as a meditating exercise.”
“Of course you did.”
He shrugged and stared at his palm. “I have no memory of last night, or why I have this number on me.” He raked his hands through his hair, giving up when his fingers got stuck. “To be honest, I don’t remember anything after we were celebrating the show. Not even flashes of memory.”
I frowned. “None?”
He shook his head. “I had two drinks, maybe three if you count the beer Oz handed me right after we got off stage. There is no way I got obliterated enough to steal a goddamn Lamborghini. I don’t even like Lambos. They are fucking ugly.”
I couldn’t argue there. I was an American muscle car guy. The drink thing made my neck itch though. “Could someone have slipped you something?”
His brows snapped together. “Do you think?”
“Two drinks seems pretty suspect. Did a chick try to pick you up?”
He shrugged. “I chatted with a few at the club, but no one in particular. I was sitting with you guys most of the night.”
“Okay. Doesn’t mean you couldn’t have been slipped anything.”
“I had a beer—bottled. I remember because the bartender tried to give me a frosted mug, but I can’t be bothered with that crap.”
“Yeah, I hear that.” I was a bottle guy too, save for a good bourbon. Both my old man and my team had been dark liquor drinkers. Even living in New York for as long as I had, there were some things that just couldn’t be unlearned.
“Last thing I really remember was you and Teagan on the dance floor, eye-fucking the whole time.”
I felt the flush climbing my neck. “You need to get a life, man.”
Zane grinned. “It was the talk of the table.”
“Moving on. What next?”
“We were talking about you guys. Jamie was collecting bets as to when there would be banging.”
I resisted the urge to ask what the odds were.
Teagan and I still had to decide if we were telling anyone. I didn’t want to scare her off, but I also didn’t want to let her get away. Thinking was always her problem.
Worrying about who thought what about her.
Hell, it was part of the reason we’d ended up in so much shit. If she’d just told us about her past, we would have been aware of potential issues so much sooner.
I shoved all that into the back of my head. It didn’t pertain to our current problem. “And while you were sitting there, you didn’t drink anything?”
He bowed his head and rubbed the base of his neck. “I didn’t order anything. James bet me to drink that crazy shark concoction sitting in the middle of the table. It was way too sweet, but anything to take twenty bucks from our favorite loudmouth.”
That was a true statement. Jamie often ordered crap drinks and pawned them off on people just to see their reaction. She was a shit-stirrer. However, a shark drink…
No.
“Jesus, I got that drink for Teagan. Her old high school buddy was bartending.”
“Why would she put something in her drink? That seems farfetched.”
“Yeah, except there isn’t any other variable. Unless you invited someone to the table?”
He shook his head. “Nah, man. We were vibing pretty good. Didn’t want to bring anyone in, you know? Even James didn’t pick up some sucker until way later in the night. You were the only two who broke off.”
I looked down at my clenched hands. “Yeah.”
My blood was running hot. It just felt like too much of a coincidence that some strange chick showed up,
