His Dangerous Love On Ice Chapter 65: Zane's Pov

I took a deep breath, head tilting back to stare at the bright moon hanging in the sky.

For a second, I let myself enjoy the beauty of it. The way the cold air smacked against my skin. The cool vapor escaping my nostrils with each exhale.

Then I started walking toward her apartment building.

I could see the light in her penthouse already on, glowing through the windows.

The door opened the second I knocked, and Nikolai stood there, staring at me for a moment before finally stepping aside to let me in.

"Where is she?" I asked, walking past him, my eyes scanning the space before landing on her back in the kitchen.

"Making coffee for me," Nikolai said, and when I turned to look at him, I could see the smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.

"What's the problem, Nikolai?"

He turned to face me fully, that knowing look in his eyes that always meant he had something to say.

"You know, son, when you called me and said you had someone you wanted me to pick up, I thought you meant a parcel. Not a human being."

His head cocked toward Olive, and I rolled my eyes.

Nikolai was one of the most trusted people in my life. One of the few I could say I actually trusted to a reasonable extent. He'd been there for me at my lowest, helped me find myself when I was drowning in my father's expectations and my mother's ghost. He'd helped me build my underground club, given me purpose when I had none.

To him, I was the son he never had. And to me, he was the father figure I'd needed when mine had failed.

That meant a lot. More than I'd ever admit out loud.

"Is that all you have to say?" I asked. "Or do you want to say something else, Nikolai?"

He chuckled low, his hand dropping onto my shoulder. "No, no, son. Guess I won't be taking that burrito of coffee your pretty woman is making for me. She was quite strong-headed. Fierce. My type, actually—"

"Nikolai," I hissed, glaring at him.

He instantly raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, son."

He dropped his hand, and his face turned serious immediately. "Have you found out who did it?"

"Why do you believe she didn't do it?" I asked, keeping my voice low enough that Olive couldn't hear us from where she stood.

Nikolai turned his head to stare in her direction for a moment.

"She's a good woman. Maybe I'm wrong. But she reminds me of someone, and my gut tells me she wouldn't do something like that."

For a second—if I hadn't already known Olive wasn't the one in that video—I would've been convinced by Nikolai's confession alone.

I coughed slightly. "You can leave. Seems you've already made some history with her."

"Haha, I can see you getting jealous there," he said, tapping my back as he walked toward the door.

Then he paused, pulling out his phone. I watched him type fast, his fingers flying across the screen.

My phone pinged instantly.

I pulled it out and read the message,

Nikolai: ‘There’s someone in the house.’

A frown curving on my face before shifting into a smirk.

When I lifted my head to look at Nikolai, he was already gone.

I sighed, looking around the apartment more carefully now, my instincts kicking in.

That's when my eyes caught something on the ground.

A line of grass. A strip. Fresh. Out of place.

I sighed. "You couldn't even do the job perfectly, coward."

"Zane?"

Olive's voice came from behind me, and I froze for a second before slowly standing, turning around to face her.

She looked the same—all broken and mended up at once. The tear streaks were still visible on her perfect face, her eyes red and swollen, her lips puffy from crying.

And fuck, those swollen lips looked so kissable.

"Zane? What are you doing here?" she asked, walking toward the table and setting down two trays she'd been carrying.

"And where's Nikolai?"

My jaw flexed. She was thinking of Nikolai when I was standing right here?

And where the fuck was that bastard Cole hidden? Because I knew he was here. He was the one. I could feel it.

"I sent him away," I said simply. "His job was done."

She turned toward me instantly, eyes flaring. "That's what you do? Send people away when you're done with them?"

For a second, her words jabbed at something in my chest.

"Is that what you're going to do to me?" Her voice became smaller this time, so fucking small and broken, like she was about to shatter into tears again. "Send me away after seeing the video?"

My heart went into total overdrive.

I crossed the space between us in three strides, cupping her face and forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were red, her breathing coming out slow and shallow, her lips trembling like she was about to lose it completely.

The video had broken her. And I'd be damned if I let anyone break her further. If I let anyone win.

"No, Muffin," I said, my voice low and firm. "I will never, ever leave you. And no one is allowed to ruin you, mess with you, break you, or make you cry—except me, and only in perfectly acceptable ways. I believe you. Completely."

I didn't know why my heart was beating so fucking fast.

"Why are you so good with words?" she asked, a broken laugh escaping her.

I chuckled darkly. "Because they always work. And I only use them on you. So—did it work?"

She nodded, tears still clinging to her lashes.

"Good."

I smashed my lips against hers, my hands wrapping around her waist as I lifted her off the ground and carried her toward the bedroom, kicking the door open with my foot.