Tootsie bolted from behind the kitchen island and up the stairs but was too late. Zoe Chronis floated down, stopping abruptly when Tootsie’s huge body blocked her path. I blinked as if it would turn Zoe into someone who should be in the Moretti cabin.
Standing in the middle of the staircase, a cocky smile on her face, was the same blonde goddess I’d met at Dimitri’s engagement party. She was as beautiful as ever, only now she was dressed in an oversized shirt and leggings.
The truth smacked me in the face. Luca was a fucking liar.
“I told you to stay in the room,” Tootsie gritted out as he tried to turn her shoulders.
Zoe grabbed onto the railing, her neck twisting to peek over his shoulder at me. “Well, she’s seen me now, so let go!” She jerked out of his hold, sliding past him and rushing down the last steps.
Tootsie hung his head, dragging a hand down his face. His broad shoulders dropped as he leaned against the railing. He was pissed off and directed every ounce of anger at the woman making her way to the couch.
I stood with my purse gripped tightly in my hand. “What are you doing here?”
Zoe stopped behind the couch, all her confidence slipping away. Her mouth opened and closed, but she said nothing.
Shooting Tootsie a look, I softened my voice. “What is she doing here?”
“Sasha—”
“No. Both of you sit down and tell me what the fuck is going on.” The ticking of a rustic clock on the mantel counted off the seconds while the two silently battled.
Tootsie sighed, stomping down the stairs to our abandoned mugs. “Zoe, sit.”
“I’m fine right here,” she sassed as she leaned against the wall.
He brought my coffee over, setting it on the table while pinning her with a stern look. “Sit.”
Zoe’s eyes narrowed, but she gingerly sat her ass on the edge of the cushion. He handed her a mug and went back to pour himself one. Once he was situated next to Zoe and taking up two-thirds of the loveseat, he turned to me and said, “Zoe’s alive.”
I snorted and eased back into my chair. “Obviously. Now tell me why in the hell she’s in my fiancé's cabin.”
“Technically, it’s the family’s cabin,” Tootsie muttered. I glared at him, and he held up his empty hand. “Okay, sorry. I brought her here after the engagement party, and we’ve been here ever since.”
“That was months ago.”
“Tell me about it.” Zoe rolled her eyes and shifted away from Tootsie.
“The news said your apartment was ransacked. Is that why you ran?” Zoe’s eyes darted to Tootsie, and her lips thinned. The silent conversation between the two of them lasted longer than my patience. “What? Jesus. I know she’s here. Just tell me why!”
“That night, when I went to drop Zoe off, a guy was waiting in her apartment.” Tootsie’s hand landed on the space between them, inches from Zoe’s thigh. Her eyes followed the movement, her own hands unclasping as she smoothed her pants. “Long story short, he was there to kill her, probably to frame Luca or the family and start a real war, and I kept it from happening. She recognized him as an associate of her cousin Cy.” A tremor went through Zoe, and Tootsie rested his hand over hers. “I got her out of the city, and Luca agreed it was the best option.”
“Who else knows she’s here?”
“Her dad and brothers.”
I frowned, confused that he was talking about Yanni like he was still alive. “So, who’s starting fires and shooting up clubs?”
“My guess is Cy and his flunkies because Yanni has agreed to a cease-fire with Luca until they kill Cy, and we return Zoe.”
Again, Tootsie talked about the dead man like he wasn’t buried six feet under. “I’m sorry, returned?” I frowned at the Greek Princess. “I thought you were here by choice.”
Her cheek twitched, and a flush crept up her neck. “That’s how it started.” She shot him a glare full of fire as she swatted his hand from her thigh. “But now it seems I’m a bargaining chip.”
Tootsie sighed as he reclined further into the couch, his eyes rolling to the ceiling. “You are not a bargaining chip. I’m keeping you safe.”
Zoe leaned back, her spine bending to the shape of the arm of the couch. “From whom? My family?”
“Yes!” Tootsie shouted, turning his body, creating a distance between them. “We don’t know who is siding with your cousin.”