Better (Stark Ink Book 2) by Dahlia West Read Free Book Online Page B

at the counter, staring at the used teabag, knowing he should throw it away but making no move toward it. Finally, instead, he took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed. Jonah picked up on the second ring.
    “I… need a favor,” Dalton told his younger brother.
    Jonah hesitated. Probably not because he was disinclined to say yes, but most likely because in the history of their relationship Dalton had never asked Jonah for anything. Jonah was always wary of anything new.
    “What?” he prompted bluntly.
    Jonah was definitely not one to beat around the bush or dispense with niceties. He was as outspoken and occasionally foul mouthed as Dalton himself, probably more so. He was also nearly as large as Dalton and, like Dalton and Adam, could handle himself in a fight. But unlike Dalton and Adam, Jonah had a mean streak in him that was both unpredictable and probably unhealthy. The Starks had spent years trying to keep it at bay, with marginal success. Right about now, though, Dalton was more interested in harnessing it.
    It was unlikely that Patrick Grant would have the balls to show up here, but he might. Rapid City wasn’t a large city, finding almost anyone was relatively easy. Though Dalton had moved once since his break up with Zoey, he felt pretty confident that Grant could find his new place with little effort.
    “Um… babysitting, actually,” Dalton replied, calling it like it was. After all, Jonah was likely to see it that way and so it was probably best to just get it out of the way.
    “You don’t have kids,” Jonah pointed out.
    Dalton pictured Zoey’s belly and grimaced. “True. Listen, Jonah, I have a problem.”
    Jonah must have heard something in Dalton’s tone that made him take notice. “Okay.”
    “Can you come over tomorrow, early?”
    “Yeah, what’s up?”
    “Zoey’s…”
    Dalton paused. He was tempted to say Zoey was back, but she wasn’t back and he should be careful saying that she was, because saying she was might lead to thinking she was and when she left it would be harder.
    “Zoey’s here,” he told Jonah.
    “Zoey? Why? I thought you said she was getting married.”
    “She is married.”
    Jonah paused. “So, why’s she at your place? And why do you want me at your place if she’s there?”
    “He hit her.”
    “Son of a bitch,” Jonah snarled. “Are we going to find him?”
    “No.”
    “Why not? We should!”
    “We’re not doing that,” Dalton insisted. “I just need you to be here with her tomorrow while I’m at work. Just in case he shows up.”
    “If he shows up, he’s leaving in an ambulance,” Jonah muttered.
    “Which is why I’m calling you and not Ava. Then again, Ava might actually kill him.”
    “It’s not out of the realm of possibility,” Jonah said darkly.
    Dalton sighed. It wasn’t worth arguing about. Jonah was young and hotheaded on occasion. But despite his personal problems, he knew not to raise his hand to a woman. He was better than that. Dalton could relate to Jonah’s sense of outrage at the situation.
    “Just be here early, okay?” Dalton asked. “I’ll call Adam and clear it with him.”
    “Sure, no problem.”
    Dalton disconnected the call and set the phone on the counter. Jonah could protect Zoey, easily, if it came to that. There was no way to get out of work, unfortunately, but Dalton would be less distracted if he knew she was safe. He swept the teabag off the counter and deposited into the garbage, as though doing that might erase any sign of her. It didn’t work though. It was probably his imagination, in fact he knew it was, but something about the feel of the place had fundamentally changed the moment Zoey had walked through the door. Maybe it would go away when she did, but truth was that Dalton hoped it didn’t.

Chapter Eight
     
    Dalton woke early and crept down the hall. He gently nudged open the door to the second bedroom. Zoey was still there, sleeping soundly. He breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing she