“Nothing, baby sister,” he promises. “But you need to call Zane right now.”
I pick up my cell with shaking hands and dial his number.
He answers on the first ring, his deep voice instantly settling my nerves. “Hey, little rebel.”
Why did I ever hate that nickname? I love it so much.
“Andreas is in my office,” I say. “He said I needed to call you right away. What’s going on, Zane?”
“Jude and I are at the courthouse,” he murmurs. “I have news.”
I grip the phone with both hands. “Tell me,” I whisper.
“Judge Hamilton dismissed the suit with prejudice, little rebel,” he says. “He can’t refile the suit in this court.”
“Zane,” I whisper, a relieved sob bubbling up from deep in my stomach. “You’re serious?”
“As a heart attack, baby. It’s over. He isn’t getting a goddamn thing from you,” Zane rasps, his voice thick with emotion. “We have a meeting with the D.A. in an hour to hand over everything Jack dug up on him. With any luck, criminal charges will follow.”
I drop the phone, covering my face with my hands as I sob.
Andreas curses, and then I hear him moving swiftly across the room. A second later, he squeezes my shoulder, spinning my chair around to pull me out of it. He drags me into his arms for a hug, letting me cry on his shoulder like I did when I was a little girl.
"Zane? Yeah, I've got her, brother," he says. "You take care of shit there. Make sure they nail that motherfucker to the wall."
"T-t-tell him I l-love him," I whisper, trying to pull myself together.
Andreas pauses, clearly shocked. "She's in love with you," he growls, accusation in his tone. "When the fuck did this happen?"
I can't hear what Zane says, but judging by the sound of his voice, I'm guessing it's probably not anything Andreas wants to hear.
Surprisingly, my brother doesn't declare war between them. He just chuckles. "Fair enough. But I will haunt you to the ends of the goddamn earth if you ever make her shed a single tear."
"He makes me happy," I whisper, pulling back to look at Andreas. I want him to know that I mean it, and I want him to know that I'm going to be okay now. He’s worried about me for long enough. I've given him reasons to worry for long enough.
"Go take care of that fucker," Andreas tells Zane. "I'll make sure she gets home safely." He disconnects and holds my phone out to me, his expression soft. "He makes you happy, huh?"
"So happy," I whisper, wiping tears from my face. "No one has ever fought for me the way he does."
"That's love, baby sister," Andreas says, kissing me on the forehead. "Do you need me to drive you home?"
I roll my eyes. "I was crying, Andreas. I didn't just have an organ removed."
"I see he hasn't settled your ass down any at all," he mutters, smirking at me as he holds his hands up in surrender.
"Shut up." I elbow him in the ribs, smiling, and then I throw my arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank you," I whisper in his ear, squeezing him hard. "For everything."
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, I head for the parking lot, grumbling to myself about my dumb demand not to have any special treatment. I have a nondescript office and a parking space in the back forty. It's a long walk on a good day, and today isn't one of those. I'm mentally and emotionally drained.
But I feel free in a way I haven't in a long time. This town feels safe in a way it never has to me. My father is gone. Soon, Jimmy will be, too. He won't be able to hurt anyone else. Thank God.
I don't know how to thank Zane, but I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to find ways to show him how much I appreciate him. And how much I love him. He's given me so much, things I thought were lost to me forever. For the first time, I don't feel lost. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.
Footsteps echo behind me in the parking lot as I near my car. I ignore them, fishing in my bag for my keys. As my hand closes around them, a cold chill shoots up my spine, my instincts whispering that something is wrong.
I turn to glance over my shoulder, but someone grabs me from behind. The barrel of a gun digs into the small of my back, freezing the blood in my veins.