The Smell of Trouble

Emma

The next morning, I got an unexpected call from my best friend, Rachel and I picked it without any hesitation.

“Emma! Guess where I am!” She squealed before I could even say hello.  

“Where?” I asked, chuckling slightly as I sat up. Rachel had always had this uplifting energy around her that could make a person’s mood go from a zero to a ten in the snap of a finger.

“New York City!” She squealed again and I joined her in squealing this time. 

We agreed to meet at a quaint cafe she had picked out in Greenwich Village. Without wasting any more time I got dressed in casual jeans and a tee shirt. 

As I was about to leave the mansion, I met Zane at the foyer, seated as hot and handsome as always and casually going through his phone. 

“Where are you headed to, Mi Reina?” He asked me without even lifting his gaze to glance at me. 

I pursed my lips and replied.

“Out. With my friend from Boston.”

“Male or female?”

I quirked my brow and scoffed in disbelief. “Are you serious right now?”

“Answer the question, my love.” He finally lifted his piercing gaze to me, his brow raised inquiringly. “Male or female”

“Female.” I replied with a roll of my eyes and a sigh of resignation. “Her name’s Rachel.”

“Good. But you’re not going alone.” He said, leaning back in his chair with one ankle crossed over his knee, the very picture of control.  

“It’s just Rachel!” I argued with a frail of my hands, already frustrated. 

“And it’s just New York City.” He shot back, sarcasm laced into his tone. He gave me a deadpanned expression. “Where people disappear every day.”  

“Zane…”

“Fine.” He cut me off, standing and brushing nonexistent dust off his shirt. “I’ll come with you.”  

“No.” I said quickly with widened eyes, but he raised a brow, daring me to argue.  

“I’ll sit in a corner, out of the way.” He promised, although the way his lips curved told me he was lying. “But don’t make me send one of my men. It’ll ruin your little reunion.”  

I sighed again, defeated. 

“Fine. But you stay in the corner, Zane.”  

“Deal.”

~~~~~~~~

Rachel was already in the cafe when I walked in, her golden blonde hair catching the sunlight streaming through the windows. She waved excitedly and got up to give me a hug. I felt my heart melt with warmth as I hugged her back. Even though it had only been a short time we had been apart, I missed her terribly. 

Rachel was the first person I had befriended when I first arrived at Boston. While I was the boring and shy introvert, she was outgoing and carefree. She had helped me step out of my shell and helped me elevate my wardrobe and my confidence. She was that friend who was there for me during my dark days. A true friend. 

“I’ve missed you, babe.” Rachel was all smiles as we sat down on the table and placed our orders.

“I’ve missed you too, Rachel. It feels like forever since the day we last saw.”

“I know right?” She said and we both chuckled. Subconsciously, I glanced toward the far end of the cafe to where Zane was seated at a small table, legs crossed and dark shades covering his eyes as he pretended to read a magazine. But I knew better. Zane didn’t just read magazines. He watched, assessed, and controlled.  

Rachel followed my gaze, her eyes widening slightly before a knowing grin spread across her face. 

“So, that’s him?” She asked, her voice dropping conspiratorially as I took a sip from my cup of americano that the server just dropped before us. 

“Who?” I played dumb, but my cheeks betrayed me by heating up.  

Rachel chuckled, stealing another glance at Zane. “The tall, dark, and dangerous man sitting in the corner pretending not to stare at you.”  

I rolled my eyes. 

“He’s annoyingly overprotective.”  

“Overprotective? Emma, he’s obsessed with you.” Her tone was teasing, but her words struck a nerve.

Obsessed? Definitely not the unpredictable, self centered Zane that I know.

I shook my head. “You’re imagining things.”  

“Am I?” She asked, arching a brow. “Because the way he’s glaring at any woman who so much as breathes near him says otherwise.”  

I stole a quick glance in his direction. Sure enough, a group of girls at a nearby table were giggling and sneaking glances at him. Zane ignored them completely, his attention fixed only on me.  

Rachel leaned back, folding her arms. “He’s got it bad.”  

“Can we talk about something else?” I asked, desperate to change the subject. “Like what you’re doing here in New York?”  

Rachel’s grin softened into a warm smile. “I’m here for work. Asher’s company just opened a branch here, and he asked me to help manage it.”  

My stomach dropped at the mention of his name.  

“Asher?” I repeated.  

Rachel’s smile faltered. “Yeah. I thought you knew.”  

“I didn’t.” I said quickly, forcing a smile. “That’s... great.”  

Rachel narrowed her eyes, studying me. “You okay?”  

I nodded, even as my pulse quickened. Asher was my ex boyfriend in Boston that I didn’t expect to cross paths with again. We had dated for six months but had broken up when I couldn’t really give him the love he deserved. After getting heartbroken by Zane, I had been unable to trust or commit myself to any man. And Asher was just unlucky to be caught in the mess. He was too good for that.

And now, he was in New York City again. 

“Asher is actually nearby.” Rachel said, glancing at her phone now. “He said he might swing by.”  

Panic flared in my chest and my eyes shot wide open slightly. 

“Here? Now?”  

Rachel nodded, seemingly oblivious to my inner conflict. 

“Yeah. It’ll be great to catch up, right?”  

Before I could respond, the sound of footsteps approaching our table caught my attention and I lifted my gaze to see Asher advancing towards us, looking as handsome as always. 

“It’s been a while, Emma.” He said to me with a small smile as he reached our table.

“Asher.” I managed to force a smile even though my heart was thumping violently in my chest. Why did he have to show up? 

Asher smiled back, but there was a flicker of something else in his eyes. Something that looked like hurt, maybe. 

“How are you?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, glancing toward Zane. His magazine was forgotten and his dark shades was now resting on the table. He was watching us with a piercing and intense gaze.  

“I heard about your marriage.” Asher’s tone was casual but his words anything but. “Congratulations, I guess. Or should I not say that?”  

“Asher…” 

“You broke my heart, Emma.”  

The words hit me like a punch. I wasn’t ready for this conversation. Especially not with Zane staring at us like he was about to lurch at Asher any moment from now. 

I glanced at Rachel, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. I wished she had told me he would be here, I wouldn’t have showed up in the first place. 

“Uhm, I have to go now. I’ll see you later, Rachel.” I said, getting up from my seat and preparing to leave without waiting for Rachel’s reply. But as I tried to walk past him, Asher reached for my wrist, pausing me to my feet instantly. 

I turned to face him, my throat tight now. What was he doing?

“Are you running away from me, Emma?”  

Before I could respond, another hand closed over Asher’s wrist.  

“Get your hands off my wife.”  

Zane’s voice was calm as he stepped between us. The calmness of his voice was scary and deadly. His grip on Asher’s wrist was firm but unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world.  

As the two men stared at each other as if daring themselves, I felt the air tense around us. I glanced around to see that everyone in the cafe had their attention on us and embarrassment washed over me immediately. 

“Zane.” I said softly, touching his arm before I could stop myself. “It’s fine. Let’s go.”  

Zane held Asher’s gaze for a moment longer before releasing his grip. Then, without another word, he took my hand and led me out of the cafe.  

As we reached his car at the curb, Zane opened the door for me. Once we were inside, he turned on the car and said to me with dark eyes that didn’t bother to glance in my direction. Again, he looked calm. In a very deadly way. 

“For letting another man touch you, Mi Reina,” He said in a dangerous whisper. “You’ll have to be punished.”