He took a long time to answer, and when he did, he met my gaze. I nearly shivered from the cold savagery peering back at me.
“Something that’s gonna make him beg for mercy before I’m through with him.”
Chapter 18
When we got back to the clubhouse, he disappeared into the office. While I was trying to process the loss of my childhood safe haven, Colt was sitting alone, dealing with whatever Dev had told him.
And if I’d had the energy, I’d have been spitting mad at him. Our relationship was intense, and I was still new at it. But, I wasn’t such a novice to know that when a woman needed a shoulder to lean on, it was her man’s duty to be there.
But the Blue Angels were watching me, and I refused to look like a coward. So I left Colt to his own devices and then went to find his sister.
Joni would know what to say to me. She’d grown up with him; she must’ve had some directives about how to handle Colt’s complete emotional shut down.
My heart trembled with pain and confusion. Usually, when he didn’t want to tell me something, he blamed it on club business. But this wasn’t club business. Whatever Dev said to him had gotten through Colt’s tough exterior and turned him into a different man.
The violent man from the first night I’d met him was back.
I was nearly to the third floor when Joni said, “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Well, I do,” Zip rasped.
I paused mid-step, knowing the right thing to do would be to turn around and go downstairs to give them privacy. Or interrupt them by continuing my ascent.
I didn’t do either.
Instead, I decided to stop where I was and eavesdrop like a reality TV drama addict.
“You can’t go on a date with that doctor,” Zip stated.
Joni snorted in dry amusement. “You can’t tell me what to do. You can’t tell me who to date.”
“I’m not telling you who to date. I’m telling you who not to date.”
“Why do you even care?” she demanded.
Apparently Zip didn’t appreciate her sass because he said, “Last night in your apartment you threw yourself at me.”
She gasped.
“You not only threw yourself at me, you took off your shirt and pressed your tits against me.” His voice was a low, sexy growl.
Joni didn’t reply.
“You pressed your tits against me and then you ground your body against mine.”
“Yeah,” she said, suddenly sounding tired. “And being the gentleman that you are, you didn’t even touch me.”
“Babe—”
“Which is why I’m going on a date with that doctor. You don’t see me, Zip. You’ve never seen me. And every time I put myself out there, you reject me. There’s only so much of that I can take, you know?”
“It’s complicated. Colt’s my president. My best friend. You’re his little sister.”
“It’s not complicated. Actually it’s really simple. You don’t want me enough to risk Colt’s wrath. To risk what it will do to your friendship.”
“Darlin’—Joni—please.”
She sighed. “Leave me alone, Zip. I’m begging you to leave me alone. Give me a chance to be happy with someone else. All right?”
For a moment I wasn’t sure he’d answer her and then he said softly—so softly I almost didn’t hear him, “All right.”
The disappointment in the air was palpable. I heard Zip’s heavy booted footsteps coming toward the staircase and I immediately began hiking up the stairs again, hoping that when I ran into Zip I could play off that I was just coming up now.
He turned the corner and came down two steps before stopping. “Mia,” he said, surprise coloring his voice. “What are you doing up here?”
Blazes of color trailed up his neck.
Anger? Embarrassment?
I forced a small smile. “Hey. We just got back. Colt’s in the office.”
He nodded. We moved past each other on the stairs and when he was on the second floor landing, said, “I’m sorry about your house.”
My throat tightened with emotion. “Thank you.”
I went to Joni’s room and knocked. She opened the door, swiping at her cheeks and attempting to hide her head.
“Hey,” she said, her tone morose and miserable.
“You look how I feel,” I told her, not even able to summon up a smile.
A cry escaped her lips and her eyes filled with tears. “Zip came to tell me about your grandmother’s house. I’m so sorry.”
“Is that all he came to tell you?” I asked, pinning her with a stare.
Her gaze widened and then she stood back to let me inside the guest room. It was clean and tidy with a double bed. It had its own small bathroom, but didn’t have a tub.
She shut the door and leaned back to rest her head against it. “You heard, didn’t you?”
“I might’ve been listening.”
Joni let out a strangled laugh. “Here I am, worried about something inconsequential when you’re dealing with the loss of your home.”
I swallowed. “Got any booze?”
“Not up here,” she said. “I can go down to the kitchen and swipe a bottle, but if I do that, Rachel, Allison, and Darcy will know something is up and demand entry into the sanctuary.”
I thought about it for a moment. “I’m okay with that if you are. I just—I wanted to talk to you about Colt first.”
“What about him?”
I described what had happened after he spoke to Dev on the phone and how Colt had gone cold. No emotion had crossed his face, and I worried he was ready to hurt someone.
Joni nodded. “He was like that the first few years after Dad died. It’s Colt’s version of survival mode. I couldn’t get through—most of the time he couldn’t be reached. Like, no matter what I said to him, he wouldn’t hear me.”
“Years?” I asked. “He was like this for years?”
“Yeah. He’s older now. Weathered a few more storms. But this is a part of Colt and whatever Dev said to him—he didn’t tell you, did he?” When I shook my head she went on, “Yeah, whatever Dev said to Colt shut him down.”
“It’s like he turned into someone else. Focused, callous.”
“Ruthless,” Joni added.
“Colt disappeared into the office the moment we got back here. I have no idea what’s going on. I just know the party’s been canceled considering neither of us are in a celebratory mood.”
“I’m not in a celebratory mood either, if it makes any difference.”
“Should I try talking to Colt?”
“No. Let him come to you.”
“My grandmother’s house was set on fire today,” I said softly. “And all I can think about is what Dev said to Colt to make him retreat.”
She reached out and squeezed my hand. Unfortunately, she hadn’t given me any tools in how to break through Colt’s coldness. I shook my head and changed the subject. “What happened between you and Zip?”
“Exactly how much did you hear?” she asked instead of answering.