Page 67 of Fate's Unseen Shadow

Xavier held his hands up. “Whoa. Sorry. What is she? I realize you never do the girlfriend-thing, but the two of you seem close, so I assumed?—”

“Ella is mine.”

“Ella is yours,” he repeated. “So yesterday in Savannah, when you said Ella was it?—”

“I meant Ella is it.” He looked back over his shoulder at the Cassin Systems building. “No matter how short a time I havewith her, I want her. All to myself. And if she stays, well, then you better get ready to wear a suit.”

Xavier’s eyebrows pulled down tight. “You realize that you bypassed the dating stop on this relationship train?”

“Dates? Like eating and stuff? We’ve done that.”

“Oh, okay. Then you’re set. Go ahead and jump into the biggest commitment of your life because you ate a turkey sandwich with her.” Xavier rubbed a hand over his cheek. “You make no damn sense sometimes. I’m not saying that I don’t like her. I do. And it’s cool that you’re really into her after a week, but you’d be jerking my reins back, too.”

“Probably.”

With a hard laugh, he patted Damon on the shoulder. “You don’t give a shit what I have to say, do you?”

“When it comes to this? No. I don’t.” When Xavier found the right woman, he’d be exactly the same way.

“Let’s get inside and wrap this shit up so you can get back to your woman. I figured me or Slater would be the first to settle down. Not you.”

“Me, too. But I never imagined having a woman as perfect for me as Ella fall into my lap.”

Just when Damonthought he could get home to Ella, the door to her condo opened.

“Knock knock.” A man entered as if he’d been there a hundred times, nearly running into Ryker. “Sorry I’m late.” He extended his hand to Ryker first. “Hi, there.”

“Hi?” Ryker said, looking to Slater, who stood behind him.

Slater stepped forward next. “Not sure we were expecting anyone else to join the meeting.”

“I’m Matteo Warner.”

“Matteo!” Julia pushed past Damon and Xavier, who stood in the entryway, ready to leave.

Thiswas Matteo? Golden pretty boy. Blond hair. Tan skin that looked fake. Perfectly white straight teeth that reminded him of a toothpaste commercial. They also looked perfect for knocking out with a quick punch.

Xavier once again moved beside him. “Are you okay?”

“Would you be?” he said low, under his breath.

“No, I wouldn’t. But you’d tell me to chill the hell out,” he muttered before stepping forward. “Nice to meet you. I’m Xavier. This is Damon.”

Damon shook Matteo’s hand, unable to say anything pleasant so opting to remain quiet.

They all walked back to the dining room, Damon taking up his position near the wall. Matteo fit Ella. No. That was wrong. Matteo and Elizabeth would be a good match. Not his Ella. She had more edge and attitude than this high society man could handle. Matteo wouldn’t have lasted a week outside of this world, let alone a month living in a car, eating at gas stations, and surviving like she had.

Matteo slid his hands into his pockets, a smile on his face despite the grave situation with his former “friend.”

“So,” he began, “have you guys come up with any ideas on where she’s hiding out and avoiding her responsibilities? What spa did she find to keep her identity a secret?”

Slater gave him a hard glare. “Hiding out? What makes you think she wasn’t hurt as well? Abducted? Lying dead in a ditch somewhere?”

“If anyone kidnapped her, it would be for a ransom.” He touched Julia’s hand. “No one has contacted you, have they, Julia?”

“No, no one.”

Ryker moved back into the dining room and sat down, his laptop still open in his hands. “I haven’t seen anything reported about a ransom when I’ve researched this case. Ransom cases are not common.”

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