Page 7 of Make You Mine

“Are you single? Arianna here is very recently single.” Her tone is flirty as she tilts her head toward her friend, my patient, lifting her eyebrow suggestively.

“Shut up, Lex,” Arianna whisper-shouts to her friend. It’s clear she’s mortified, and it almost makes me chuckle.

My answer comes naturally. “I’m taken…but I have no doubt she will find someone to cherish her.”

I feel the girls studying me, probably wanting to ask me more, but I stay quiet as I admire my handiwork. “All done.”

Arianna turns to glance in the mirror, carefully examining the inch-long set of stitches over her eyebrow

“You look like a badass, A,” Lexi says, gently elbowing her friend.

Arianna giggles and turns back around to face me. “Thank you, Trent.” The smile she gives me is a shy one. “You are going to make a great doctor.”

I move to the sink, washing my hands as I reply, “Thanks. Now let Trevor make sure you don’t have a concussion.”

A few minutes into Trevor assessing her, two bare-chested guys in swimming trunks walk into the room. It’s obvious they were at Arianna’s pool party by their attire and the fact the guards let them in the house. Yet something doesn’t feel right.

“I thought she told you to leave, loser,” Lexi growls, jumping down from the countertop.

“Shut the fuck up. You know she didn’t mean it,” the guy grinds out. The way he speaks to her is enough to raise another red flag.

“I did,” Arianna says over Trevor’s shoulder, who is now facing them. She sounds more confident than she did a moment ago. Another observation that lets me know just how serious this might be.

“Yeah, right…you always come crawling back.” Douchebag number one rolls his eyes.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Trevor demands, taking an intimidating step forward.

“Don’t tell me what’s enough; she’s my girlfriend. And who the fuck are you?” the guy snarls, like he just noticed us both standing here. Not sure how he wouldn’t notice, considering our builds aren’t the kind easily ignored.

“I tried to warn you, you were fucking with the wrong one,” Lexi sneers, eyes narrowed. Her attention doesn’t stray from the two unwanted men in the room, like she’s ready to strike.

And now, there is no doubt her fall wasn’t an accident at all.

Douchebag number one steps toward the girls, nostrils flaring, and Trevor barrels forward in the next breath, throwing him up against the wall with a resounding thud.

“Chill the fuck out and watch your mouth,” he warns through gritted teeth.

“Fuck you… And fuckyou, bitch!” the douchebag shouts over Trevor to Arianna. My hand moves to my back, not wanting to escalate things too soon, but ready if I need to be. I keep my eye on douchebag number two, standing wide-eyed by the door, seemingly terrified of the reality his friend has gotten him into.

“She’s the only reason I didn’t slit your throat for what you did, you asshole,” Lexi shouts right back, pulling out her switchblade.Damn, she is Leo reincarnated.

The supposed boyfriend—well, ex now—nods toward my brother. “Ari, is this guy the reason why?”

Trevor’s grip around his neck tightens. “Don’t speak to her. Who I am is none of your business. Did you put your hands on her?” he growls, and it reminds me of the first time I saw my brother like this.

That night confirmed everything I had been assuming about his career as a doctor and opened opportunities for me that I didn’t even know I needed.

The douchebag’s friend finally grows a set of balls, taking a step toward my brother, and I pull the gun out of the waistband of my pants. “Don’t even fucking think about it. You two idiots really have no clue what you’ve done.”

“Sh-hit,” he stutters. He holds his hands up, trying to back away from me, but I’m following his path and pinning him against the wall. Not that I think he has it in him to try anything again, but just in case.

Lexi releases a wicked laugh from behind us. “I’ve been trying to tell them that.”

Not removing the gun from his skull, I pull my phone out of my pocket and dial Nico.

Per usual, he answers without saying anything.

“How close?” I ask vaguely, just as I’ve been trained to—never give away too much information unless you know the line is for sure secure.

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