Page 33 of Say You're Mine

Now, not only am I falling in love with Eros but his parents too.

18

EROS

Irun my finger across the black velvet box my dad has placed in front of me. My mom and Lev are out together right now. The last check-in Noland sent me said they’d gone into a spa together. I’d gotten a few pictures, and in all of them, both of them had been smiling. It makes me happy that Lev is getting to experience some motherly affection for once. She deserves it and so much more. I knew my mom would love Lev. There was never a doubt in my mind.

“Thought you might need it.” Dad sits down in the chair in front of my desk.

We’d come down to my office together so that I could go over a few things I needed to clear out. Valentine's Day is closing in, and I want to take my girl away and not have to think about anything else but her and me.

I push open the box to see my grandma’s antique wedding ring. The last time I’d seen it was on Grandma's finger. It suited her. The ring is stunning in a way that most ordinary people cannot even begin to appreciate. It will suit Lev perfectly.

“Thank you.” My chest grows tight.

Lev claims to hate anything romantic and lovely, but life has only shown her shit couples. This ring will mean the world to her because I could buy the biggest rock to give her, but this ring is different.

My parents and grandparents on my father’s side had all been wildly in love. So much so that I knew from a young age that that was what I wanted, and like everything else in life, when I want something, my mind focuses on it. I do anything and everything I have to make sure I get it. I can become obsessive about it.

“She suits you well,” my dad goes on to say. “Knocked you right on your ass.” A smile spreads across his face.

“You told me.”

“And you believed me.”

“Why wouldn't I?” My father is a good man. He showed me day in and day out how in love he was with my mom. There was never a doubt in my mind that what he told me about finding the love of my life was true. He set the standard for me on how to treat and love a woman.

"Some people dismiss what I've told them as nonsense. When you know, you just fucking know.” I nod in agreement, closing the box and putting it in my pocket. I don’t know how I’m going to keep from trying to put this on her finger the second I see her. I have waited so long to find her. I don’t want to wait another second to make her mine forever, but I also don’t want to send her running for the hills.

"Hey." Kate rushes into my office as my phone buzzes with a text from Noland informing me that Lev and my mom are on their way back. “We’ve got a problem.”

“What?” Both my dad and I stand.

“There is a man downstairs demanding to see Lev. I think he might be drunk, but he’s pissed and claiming to be her father.”

“Fucking hell,” I grit out. My father’s brows rise. I didn't want to deal with this situation, but I knew I would eventually have to. Her parents had attempted to file a missing persons report on Lev due to her non-responsiveness.

I'd made a few calls and got it shut down. They told Lev's parents that she was fine, but I knew once they found out she was living with me, they'd come knocking. They’d smell the money and want some for themselves because that's what they really care about. I mean Lev's mother had shown her true colors when she stole from her. She thought Lev would just tolerate it because she had nowhere to go, but she got fooled. I’m sure it didn’t take her mom long to realize she couldn't make rent without her daughter's help. That kicking her daughter out had been a huge mistake.

“That’s not all. The Caldwell brothers are here too.” When it rains, it pours. I’m already heading for the door. Kate falls in step beside me.

“I don’t have them down for a meeting.”

“That’s because there isn’t one scheduled,” Kate advises me. I haven’t spoken to them in any form since that dinner. They’d emailed, texted, and called. When they didn’t get a response, they went to Kate. I advised her to ignore them. I was still pissed about that dinner, and honestly, I’m not sure if I want tosell ClickIt anymore. Especially not to people like them. It’s not because I have any sort of attachment to it, but Lev enjoys it here.

“I didn’t take them as the popping-up kind.” Kate utters these words as we descend the stairs to the lobby. I spot Lev’s father instantly. He is waving his arms around and shouting at the front desk guard. I can tell he’s highly intoxicated.

I’m sure they paused on what to do because the man was claiming to be Lev’s father, and everyone knows by now that Lev is a hot button for me. I don’t get worked up easily. Hell, no one around here has ever seen me pissed before Lev came along. The possessive protectiveness I have for her can drive away all rational thoughts.

“Sir, I wasn’t sure what to do.” Johnny puts his hand on his taser, which is strapped to his waist. Tom spins around to see me hit the last stair. The Caldwell brothers are standing around watching.

“Where is my daughter?!” The man actually has the balls to start toward me.

“Sir?” Johnny is itching to tase him, but I nod him off. I want nothing more than to handle this asshole myself.

“You can’t just take her. Not without—” He doesn’t get to finish that sentence because I coldcock him. Tom crumples to the floor.

“Holy fuck,” Nick mutters.

---