Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 70574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70574 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 353(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
So, I’d left.
Now, I was back.
I still believe my strategy had been a good solid plan. Yes, it had been a painful one, but also the right one. Having said that, sometime about four months ago, I’d decided twenty-one years old was about one year above my wait-for-Ari-limit. He had a birthday coming up next week, which would make him twenty. That, it seemed, was going to have to be old enough…at least for us to give romance another try.
“Landon’s pissed,” Seth whispered, suddenly appearing right behind me. I’d been so lost in my Ari thoughts that I’d allowed myself to forget every drop of training I’d learned over the past few years. I tried not to jerk in surprise but was certain Seth, being Seth, didn’t miss the tightening of my muscles.
“I don’t blame him. I guess Ari never mentioned me.” I looked around the EMTs to make sure that the police cars holding the men who attacked Ari hadn’t left. Seth had promised to be there during their interrogation and that promise was one I didn’t intend to allow him to renege on. Ari’s safety was too important. After assuring myself they were waiting on Seth, I turned to him and said, “But he told you, didn’t he?”
“He mentioned it,” Seth answered carefully. “Just recently, actually.” He moved around to stand nose to nose with me. “You here to cause trouble for Arizona? Because he lied? If you are, you’d best move on, Eli. Ari has way too many guard dogs for you to hurt him.” His eyes narrowed as he added, “Regardless of whether or not he needed his ass whipped for telling the lie he told, we won’t let you mess with him.”
I sized Seth up and quickly determined we would be evenly matched in a physical fight. I suspected, though, that it would never come to that. From what he was saying, he cared about Ari. I cared about Ari. There shouldn’t be a problem. Somehow, I figured a problem would work its way into my life. Why wait?
“I’m here to take what belongs to me…and I really don’t give a fuck if you want me messing with him or not. I loved Ari before just about every damn thing I knew about him was a lie, and I still love him now. Mine and Ari’s foundation may have shaken and nearly crumbled, but it didn’t fall. You and I just met, Seth, so you don’t know a hell of a lot about me, but one thing you need to understand real fast is that I don’t throw in the towel or toss out the white flag just because things get a little rough. If you or Baker or even Landon try to get in my way, don’t expect me to roll over with a few threats and some thumping of your chest. I’ll go when Ari tells me to go and not one fucking second before that.”
If I expected a fight from Seth, I would have been disappointed. A huge smile spread across his face before he said, “I wasn’t real fond of you when I thought you’d been sent here to spy on me and Baker and then liked you even less when I thought you were after revenge because Ari did something really stupid. The last three minutes have changed my opinion of you altogether, Eli Wallace. I think we’re going to get along just fine.”
Seth looked down the alleyway to see Baker motioning to him that he needed to haul ass if they were going to follow them to the police station. “If there was anyway you could have explained it that made it easier for me to see or understand, I don’t know what it might have been. Like you, I totally support the catch and hold versus the catch and release.” He clapped me on the back and said, “Good talk, Eli. You’ve won my support but now you need to persuade daddy bear.” He leaned in and whispered, “I don’t think I’d use the same argument with Landon. He’s a bit protective of his cub.”
With a wink, Seth took off down the alley…and left me to face daddy bear.
“I think you may have some explaining to do, don’t you think?” Landon asked quietly, taking Seth’s just vacated spot next to me.
“Yes, sir. Probably,” I answered truthfully. “Just not right now. Right now, I need to be in the ambulance with Arizona. I think they’re about ready to leave for the hospital, and I intend to go with him.”
“Yes, you and your lovely sister have both made that very clear,” Landon snapped irritably. “I need you to understand something before one more second passes between us. I don’t give a flying fuck what your sister ordered regarding who rides in the ambulance next to my son. I know she’s my boss and the owner of the company, but he’s my son and I love him. You might want to take the time to discuss that with Samantha before I go fucking ballistic on the both of you if anybody tries to pull that stunt again. I’m only allowing this to happen because Ari clearly trusts you and seems to, for whatever fucking reason, want you to be near him.”