Page 22 of Captured Memories
“You’re bad,” she murmured against his lips. “All I can think about is finding somewhere private and ditching these clothes.” Liv pulled away from him, smoothing her skirts while an impish grin played on her face. Despite the way his heart accelerated and his libido flared to life, he knew better than to push. Despite this being her cousin’s wedding, she attended in a professional capacity, and he wouldn’t risk her reputation.
“Care to join me in grabbing as many crab cakes as I can cram in my mouth?” she asked, extending her arm. He slipped his own through hers, and together they walked in time. Liv cast a glance up, those blue eyes snaring him. “Don’t worry,” she lowered her voice. “I’m making sure we steer clear of the bar.”
“My God, woman. Could you be any more perfect?” he said, shaking his head. If the pull was too strong today, he didn’t question that she would understand him sitting this one out. He didn’t deserve someone like her, and yet for some reason she always softened around him in a way she didn’t with anyone else. He’d seen the tough front she put on around friends and how she fought with her brother to be taken seriously.
“Careful, feeding the ego could have dangerous results.” Liv winked as they strolled into the cocktail room where a crowd had begun to gather, most fighting their way to the beautifully displayed hors d’oeuvres.
“Lucky for you I like a little risk,” he shot back as they made their way to the nearest table where a platter of those golden-crumbed crab cakes awaited. Even though this night wouldn’t be easy he had the most beautiful woman in the room on his arm and a bounty of quality food to sample.
The strains of the violin echoed through the room combined with a cavalcade of heels as guests filtered in through those now-opened doors. Liv took her declaration of conquering the cocktail table seriously, loading a plate full of crab cakes, cheeses, and a dozen different puff pastry concoctions.
He scanned over the arrangement with a familiarity of all the garnishes, practiced presentation, and the knowledge that what guests thought were hand-crafted were in fact reheated packaged frozen food. Not like he minded that sort of thing, but contrary to common belief, high prices didn’t always correlate with quality food. Hell, half of the best meals he’d found around Louisville came from the food trucks he hoped to join the ranks of some day.
One of the women in the pink bridesmaid dresses shuffled over in their direction, and Zane tugged on Liv’s arm to get her attention. She was mid-chew on a mouthful of a Frankenstein-mash of at least four of the different puff pastry creations when she turned to face the bridesmaid. Liv nodded and held her finger up in a gesture to wait as she swallowed. Zane’s lips pressed together tightly as he tried and failed to hide his smirk.
“Some family members want shots real quick,” the bridesmaid explained, her hands jumping on instinct to smooth her blonde curls. “Do you mind?”
“Not a problem,” she said, “I’ll be right there.” Liv glanced to Zane, the apology evident in her eyes. “I know, I know, I’m the worst wedding date on the planet. I won’t be offended if you need to cut a quick retreat.”
Zane forced a smile even though his stomach dropped at the thought of her darting off again. Not like he couldn’t hold his own among strangers, but these were her strangers, and the idea of facing Liv’s family again twisted his stomach to knots. “I’ll be here,” he said, tipping his fingers in a salute.
She bit her lip but nodded as her professional mask settled into place and she darted off after the bridesmaid to get back to work, leaving him isolated in a sea of strangers. Zane clutched his small plate like a life raft as he wandered closer to the entrance, as far away from the bar as possible. No one would know if he snagged a drink right now, and the thought combined with the pressure of this situation threatened his resolve. Attending had been a bad move. He hissed out a low breath as he leaned against the wall, looking up to the polished ceiling that reflected the hazy glow of the chandeliers.
He scanned over the crowds filtering in through the glass doors, most of them separating into groups the moment they spotted another relative or old friend in the crowd. He chased an olive around his plate before biting into the salty Kalamata in an effort to distract himself from the steady pulse that would soon grow into a roar. Liv had already given him the go-ahead to leave, but he wanted to stay. For once he wanted to be a normal date, not inundated with his own issues. He wanted to be someone she deserved.
Zane looked to the entrance again, not sure what he searched for, since the only familiar face he would see at this wedding would be Liv’s.
Until one person he believed he’d never see again strode to the door.
Those ice blue eyes were so similar to Liv’s, and even with the buzz cut and the way he had packed on muscle Zane would recognize Lex Morozov anywhere.
Fuck.
Before Zane could cut a hasty retreat to the bathroom, the ballroom, anywhere out of sight, Lex’s eyes flashed in recognition. Zane’s hand balled into a fist, and the urge to drink pounded into him something fierce. He clenched his jaw—nothing to do but confront this here and now.
“Parata, what are you doing at a fancy shindig like this?” Lex called upon approach, his voice seemingly amenable—at least to anyone who didn’t know him well enough. Zane caught the icy edge in his tone and the razor sharpness in his stare. Out-and-out bolting wouldn’t work, and besides, if he planned on continuing to date Liv, this confrontation would happen sooner or later.
“Got roped into coming. You know your sister’s damn persuasive,” he responded, keeping his tone even and his face calm despite the stirrings of a storm that rose inside his chest.
Lex leaned against the wall beside him. “We both know you don’t belong here,” he said with a pointed sharpness that stung. Hell, Lex didn’t need to tell him. He’d already felt as isolated as possible in this crowd. “There’s no way in hell I’ll let you keep dating my sister.” He kept his voice low, but fire blazed in those eyes.
“Don’t think that’s up to you, buddy,” Zane responded, annoyance beginning to sizzle his nerves.
Lex faced him, arms crossed. “Her life was destroyed by one monster. I won’t let that happen again.”
The word drove through him like a dagger to the heart. Even though he kept his face blank, inside, his defenses began to crumble. Every argument he’d made for staying in this relationship, every blink of hope and warmth around her, every time he allowed himself to open his heart and care again—all of that got swallowed in a vacuum threatening to consume him. Monster. The darkness threatened to devour him, tendrils wrapping around his body, plunging inside until he choked on it. His stomach dropped, and he swallowed, hard.
“I was there, Z,” Lex whispered, unrelenting. “I saw the blood on your hands. I watched you beat Jay until he wasn’t breathing anymore. You’re fucking lucky you’re not locked up for life.”
Those words. That face.
The memories he kept in his vault unleashed, and not a soul in the world could save Zane from getting tugged under.