Page 73 of Crave Me

“Yes, sir, everything is good. Liam wanted me to personally wait for you and tell you in person, and I quote, ‘get your ass to the fucking fermenting vats.’ Sorry, Mr. Hayes, but he was adamant and he’s quite scary when he wants to be.”

I laugh at Marcus and pat him on the back.

“Don’t worry about it. Seeing as how I just got here and there is no explosion or fire happening, I’m going to put my stuff down, and then I’ll go meet him. Go take a break, you look like you need it.”

Marcus eyes me warily and I realize that he’s most likely used to me being a grouchy asshole the majority of the time. I do as I said I would, dropping my stuff off at my desk and walking back through the distillery office buildings and grabbing a golf cart. I head to the vats and easily find my brother pacing, running his hands through his shaggy hair—something he does when he’sworked up. I mentally give myself shit for being distracted lately. I look around to find the place empty, minus him.

“Hey man, you summoned me?”

“Yeah, I’m losing my shit and I need you to talk me off the ledge. You weren’t answering your damn phone.”

Shit. I must not have turned the ringer back on from last night at the club.

“What’s going on? Tell me what you need.”

“It’s fuckin’ Hannah. I’m so goddamn tired of Levi jerking her around. I’m so sick of seeing her treated like shit over and over and over again. You know where I was last night? Fuckin’ holding her while she cried because she’s running on fumes.”

I can tell by the look on his face that the story doesn’t end there. Holding Hannah through the shit Levi has put her through isn’t new and it wouldn’t get him that worked up.

“What’d you do, Liam?”

He looks at me, his shoulders stiff and face blank.

“I drove to Seattle to find the asshole and tell him to get his ass back in Aspen Ridge and take care of his family. And you know what I found?”

“Shit, man. Does Hannah know?”

“Know that her lying, piece of shit baby daddy that she thinks she’s still involved with has a girlfriend he’s living with? That she’s fucking pregnant?!”

“Oh, fuck.”

My heart sinks for Hannah and Charlotte.

“You didn’t beat the shit out of him, did you? That’s the last thing Hannah needs to deal with.”

“I saw it, right in front of me at his door and I turned and left. Dal, it was the hardest fucking thing I’ve ever done, and the longer I stay here and keep it from her . . . fuck. I want to fucking kill him. How could he do that to them?”

“We’ll all get her through it, they’re going to be okay.”

“You don’t get it. Her parents want to cut her off, Dallas. With Ms. Nettie getting older, unless Hannah gets married and settles down because of Charlie, they’re selling Bean Haven. Her mom is sick of going back and forth every winter and they want to move to San Diego permanently.”

“What kind of fucked-up ultimatum is that?”

“I don’t know how to tell her about Levi. I want to go put him six feet under. That’s what he fuckin’ deserves.”

“I agree with you, brother, but that’s not how this can be handled. Levi’s a fucking weasel and he’ll make Hannah’s life hell because of it.”

“What do I do?”

“Just sleep on it. You know her better than anyone else. But you get your shit straight and then talk to her. You’ll know what to do.”

I leave my brother, feeling like shit for him and Hannah. She’s such a good girl and has been around my family for the majority of her life. Needing a pick-me-up and to clear my head, I go in search of my girl, because all I want to do right now is wrap her in a hug and know that she’s having a good day.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Blaire

Getting ready for Sunday dinner at Dallas’ family’s house comes with a mix of emotions. Hiding our relationship from everyone at work is fairly easy. But at his parents’ house, in front of his entire family, that’s a whole different ball game and one I’m not sure I’m up to facing. The last few weeks I’ve found myself craving his attention, his comfort, his touch, his dickhead quips, and the way he pushes my buttons. I know I’m falling for him in a way that I don’t think I’ll recover from if it ends. He’s opened me up to an entirely new world—one I’m thriving in.

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