Page 27 of The Afterthought

"There's no way for me to go about this besides spitting it right out. The dynamic between me and Avalynn has shifted." My jaw clenches at the thought of Alec having his hands on her.

Knox sighs. "I figured it was only a matter of time until that became the case. I remember you following her around like a lost puppy all those years ago."

"It's become more complicated than that."

"Fucking hell Greyson. What did you do now?"

I run my hand through my hair, letting the frustration flow through me. "I had no intention of getting close to her. When I found out she had come back, I wanted her to leave. I tried to make her leave. She followed me last week when you sent me to meet with our new client for that job. It was the first time I saw her face to face again."

This gets his attention, and he slams his fists on his desk. "What did she see?"

"I don't think she saw anything. I walked into the park for the meeting and found her wandering around after meeting with him. I think she was looking for me but got lost when she lost sight of me."

"You think, or you know? You need to be sure of what she knows. We can't have this getting out. It could ruin everything if the Cobras find out who he is. If they get the leg up on this, it could be the end of the Crimson Rose. You know Alec has been trying to find a way to overrun us for years." His voice is stern. "This is exactly what I was worried about. Some bitch comes back to town, and shit fucking goes to hell."

"Don't talk about her like that," I seethe. "I respect you as my brother and my boss, but you won't speak about her like that."

"I'll say what the fuck I want! You're supposed to be my right-hand man, Greyson. Now, I have to worry about whether or not you will be by my side when I need you to be. In seven years, I've never had to question your loyalty until-"

"That's just it. You've never had to question my loyalty," I interrupt. "It's not going to start now. I can be loyal to the Crimson Rose and still pursue things with Ava."

His eyes narrow. "You think you can do both without issue? What is your precious lady going to think when she finds out what you do for us? How will she react when she finds out you traffic drugs, kill, and torture people? What do you think she will say when she hears that you burn people alive?"

"She will just have to accept it."

He laughs. "Accept it? Brother, you truly have no idea how women work, do you? I can't say it's entirely your fault. It's been a long time since you've been in a relationship, so let me give you a spoiler. Women never just accept things."

"It will be fine," I insist.

"This is on you. If things go sideways, you know what will have to happen to her."

Anger courses through me. The fuck it will. "You won't fucking touch her!"

"You're so willing to choose a woman who hasn't chosen you over your brother and your gang already. Do you see why this could be an issue for me?" His brow raises.

"You don't have to worry about my loyalty, and you don't have to worry about her. I will make sure she is in line, and I will find out if she knows anything about who I met with last week." I hesitate to continue because if Knox has an issue with this, he's really not about to like what I have to say next.

"For fuck's sake. There's more, isn't there? She's been here for like a week. How can one woman cause so much trouble in such a short amount of time."

"Alec knows what she means to me. I tried to play it off, but I can tell he’s up to something."

"What are you talking about?"

"Before she came back to Dune Valley, she had a run-in with him. I don't know all the details of it yet, but I know they slept together. I saw them having coffee at the coffee shop earlier today. By the smug look on his face, I know he's trying to involve himself with her to intentionally get at me."

I sit and look at Knox, waiting for him to say something, but he stays quiet for a moment. I watch as he processes the information, and different thoughts cross his mind. He pinches the bridge of his nose before leaning back in his chair.

"Is she worth it?" He looks at me with a stern look.

That question confuses me. I have no clue why I feel the way I do about her. She's a completely different person than she was before she left town all those years ago, but something about her just pulls me in. It's almost as though there is an invisible thread connecting us that I can't seem to clip. She consumes all my thoughts, and I barely even know who she is anymore.

I can't admit to Knox that she has no desire to even be in the same room as me. He will want to take the easy way out of this whole mess and have her killed. That way, he gets his town back in order and his little puppet back at his side to do all his bidding.

I would gladly light it up and watch it all burn for her. This whole town could burn for all I care. Just a few interactions with her have me acting like an eighteen-year-old boy again. She has this uncanny control over me. I made a mistake letting her go before. She will be mine this time, whether she wants to or not. This life, this town. She doesn't get to leave again.

I look back up at Knox and nod. "Yes."

"Keep her in check, and don't make me regret this decision," he says, making me nod again. "If Alec’s up to something, get your girl in line and find out what he's planning. The Crimson Rose has run this town for the last thirty years. I won't let it fall to the Cobras over some piece of ass. I'll put out some feelers to see if I can find something."

---