Free Broken by Zena Wynn Page B

close to her heart and pulled it out every night in her empty, lonely bed to help keep her strong while dealing with Phillip.
    Only Max hadn’t kept his promise. When things got tough, he’d left. Yes, his family had lied to him, lied to both of them, but she could forgive them a lot easier than she could Max. When it came right down to it, Max had lied.
    “ If you need me, call ,” he’d said and she had, even believing he’d moved. They were still friends, right? He’d been her rock before. Surely he wouldn’t let her down, not when her need was so great.
    Max blamed Nicco for his absence, but the truth was, had he stayed in Philly—hell, the country—Max would have known about the accident. He wouldn’t have needed anyone to tell him Phillip was dead and she was in the hospital. He would have been there when Zoe needed him.
    Thank God for Nell and Phillip’s father, Brian, who’d stepped up and gone to bat for her and Zoe, even though it was obvious Zoe was biracial and therefore not Phillip’s child. Brian had applied legal pressure to make sure they were more than adequately compensated for the accident. By the time his lawyers had finished with the insurance companies, they’d been happy to pay up. Between his efforts, and Phillip’s life insurance policies—which Phillip had recently increased—she and Zoe were set financially for life.
    Once Zoe was dressed and her hair tamed into a ponytail, Cassidy brought her into her bedroom and laid her on the bed. “Stay here, baby, while Momma gets dressed,” she instructed her.
    Zoe snuggled down into Cassidy’s pillows and played with the corner of the blanket.
    “I put your shirt in the washing machine. Hopefully the blood didn’t set,” she told Max who shadowed her every move. “The laundry room is off the kitchen.”
    When he left, she breathed a sigh of relief. She’d slipped on her panties and put on her bra when she heard Max returning. Resisting the urge to cover up, she reached into a different drawer and pulled out a lightweight, long-sleeved top in neutral colors. She paired it with cream-colored linen slacks in an equally light weave that flowed around her slender body and covered the scars. While she didn’t mind discussing the accident and her resultant injuries, she hated being stared at and pitied.
    Max entered her bathroom and closed the door. Seconds later, the shower turned on. Knowing he’d find the spare wash cloths, towels, and other toiletries he needed, she put on her shoes, scooped Zoe up, and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
    As expected, all Zoe wanted was juice. Always a picky eater, when she wasn’t feeling well the appetite was the first to go. Cassidy was in the process of scrambling eggs and had a plate of buttered toast on the table when Max came out.
    “Smells good,” he said agreeably.
    She cast a cautious glance in his direction. Earlier she’d sensed the anger and displeasure radiating off him, though she’d never before had occasion to experience it firsthand. Now he seemed almost amiable, as if his prior temper had been a product of her imagination. With Phillip, such a drastic change of mood had never been a good sign.
    “You called your job?” he asked.
    Cursing under her breath, she picked up the phone. A brief conversation later, she turned to get the eggs. Max had scooped them up onto plates and set them on the table. Cassidy scowled as she joined him. The man messed with her ability to think clearly. She’d forgotten to call the clinic and tell them she’d be out, and she’d walked away from the stove in the middle of scrambling eggs. Only Max’s intervention had kept them from burning.
    “Problem?”
    “What? Oh, no. I was thinking about something else,” she mumbled.
    As soon as they finished, she rose to clear the table. “By the time we reach Philly, the office should be open. Since I’m getting there early, I shouldn’t have to wait too long.”
    “We,” he corrected as