“I have more than enough stories, but none of them are recent. She’s been good as of late. She’s actually seeing someone, I think, but she won’t tell me anything.”
“AKA boring,” Faye snickers, then turns to me.
Before she can speak, however, I have a question of my own. “Wait just a second. Vinnie said he knew Zada Ryan, and you just said her stories could end up in one of Lana’s books. Which means . . .”
“Fan, are you?” Faye asks, looking at me and laughing. “I’ll take your expression as a yes, then. Yes, Lana is Zada Ryan.”
“Oh my god!” I whisper, wide-eyed. “Her books are awesome.”
I need to not fangirl right now, because that is going to be awkward if I make a total fool out of myself in front of everyone.
“Wait until you meet her,” Faye says, smiling fondly. “She’s sweet and quiet. Very unassuming.”
Anna walks back into the kitchen and sits down next to Faye. “Should we tell everyone to come over to welcome Shay? It’s like half the women are missing.”
Rake walks into the kitchen and grabs a chair, turning it the other way and straddling it. “Irish said Tina will be here soon. Jess will probably come after work. Who else are we missing?”
We’re still missing Zada Ryan, I think to myself.
Faye looks at her watch and stands. “I have to go and get Clover. Are we just going to hang here all night? I might do a store run and get enough stuff for dinner. What do we feel like? How about a barbecue?”
“Yes,” Rake immediately agrees. “I like this plan. Do you want help? Bails, do you want to come with?”
“No, I’ll stay here and keep Shayla company,” Bailey replies, winking at me.
“Yeah, sounds good,” Faye says, looking at Bailey. “Don’t let anyone scare Shay off, will you?” She pauses. “And maybe protect Lana from her.”
“Very funny,” I say, grinning. “I might have a few questions, but that’s all. Such as where she got her inspiration for Colt.”
Tracker walks into the kitchen and Faye points at him. “Right here, Shay. Right here.”
“Right here what?” he asks, taking Faye’s place.
“She’s asking about Lana’s inspiration for Colt Smith.”
Tracker snaps his head to me and flashes me a slow-spreading smile. He kind of reminds me of the guy from Tangled with his smolder right now. He even flexes his biceps. “In the flesh.”
I roll my eyes and say, “That’s not something Colt would say.”
Faye laughs and pulls Rake’s arm. “You tell him, Shay. Colt’s ego isn’t as big as Tracker’s.”
“Colt is the improved Tracker,” Anna adds, touching his man bun. “Although you do have some great hair.”
“Traitor,” Tracker mumbles, grabbing some pizza and taking a huge bite. “So, Shay, why don’t you tell us all something about you? Favorite sexual position?”
Bailey almost chokes on her pizza.
Anna slaps his shoulder. “You can’t just ask people that, Tracker! Not everyone lives with Lana and discusses shit like this in casual conversation. Don’t listen to him. Yesterday she started asking me about how many times Arrow usually makes me come in one night, while we were at the grocery store. An old man pretended to look at grapes for five minutes just to listen.”
Tracker smiles, eyes gentling. “She’s something, isn’t she?”
No wonder Lana writes amazing, sexy love stories. She has a man like Tracker, who obviously loves her and is proud of her.
“She is,” Anna agrees, then laughs. “Speak of the devil. . . .”
A pretty, dark-haired girl with glasses walks in, dressed in jeans and a plain black T-shirt. “Sorry I’m late. What’s the big drama that’s happening? I’m supposed to be finishing this book but I didn’t want to miss out.”
I raise my hand and say, “I guess I’m the big drama.”
I can’t take my eyes off her. This woman’s mind is so creative, so twisted, I’d love nothing more than to get inside it. How does she come up with all the plotlines? She’s crazy talented and I really want to hug her right now, but I don’t want to freak her out.
“Hello,” Lana says to me, smiling.
To me!
Zada Ryan said hello to me.
“H-hi,” I say, waving ungracefully. I’m not usually this awkward, but how does one act around someone she feels like she knows through her books, but doesn’t actually know at all? I know her mind, her thoughts, because she’s shared them with me.
“This is Shay,” Tracker says, watching me with amusement playing all over his face. “Vinnie’s woman.”
“Vinnie has a woman?” she asks, eyes going wide. “I’m so glad I came! Someone needs to tell me everything, pronto.”
She puts her bag down on the table and looks at me. “How did you meet Vinnie?”
“She’s the marker,” Tracker says, pulling Lana onto his lap. “Vinnie went to pay back Talon’s marker and he comes back with Talon’s cousin. And Talon doesn’t know yet.”
“Holy shit,” Lana murmurs, looking at Anna. “Who’s going to talk to Talon? And what is he going to do? Does he know she and Vinnie have anything to do with each other? Didn’t Vinnie just get there the other day?” She looks back at me. “So many questions.”