Page 60 of His Reluctant Savior

“He may not have told you, but he does love you. He wouldn’t be here with you if he didn’t. I may not be the best at interpreting emotions, but I know Sid. He’s the father I’ve always needed and the mentor I always wanted. I crave these things, so I get them and keep them.”

I read between the lines and nodded. “I won’t ever hurt or betray him. I’ll protect him, too, if I need to. He’s saved my life.”

“And I’ve saved yours twice now.”

“So others have tried to find us then.”

“Yes. They’ve been dealt with.”

He looked at the door as if sensing Sid coming before looking back at me with cold eyes. “You’ve been tracked two times, but because I’ve been following you, I was able to dispatch them. I will continue to do so until Sid returns home, where he belongs.”

Fuck me. So, they had found us despite our best efforts. I suddenly felt the noose of time start strangling me. We couldn’t run much longer. Something needed to be done.

Again, I read between the lines of Easton’s words. Sid belonged with them, and he wouldn’t allow me to derail that.

“I’m not out to take Sid away from you.”

“I know because I won’t let you. Regardless, if you belong to Sid, you are family. You have no choice. You understand that, right?”

Sid made it sound like I had a choice after talking about it. Was that true? Did I have to come in if I wanted to be with Sid to protect myself from his very family? Or was this a threat only made by Easton?

He glanced again at the door. I followed his line of sight to see Sid walk in and scan the bar before his eyes landed on us. He frowned when he saw Easton sitting next to me and walked our way.

“I’ll have whatever lager you’ve got on draft,” he ordered to the bartender before turning his attention to Easton. “You’ve been following us.”

The young man nodded. “Yes.”

“Has anyone been on our tail?”

“Yes, twice now.”

Sid nodded thoughtfully and sat on the other side of me, leaning forward so as not to be overheard, but the music was loud enough. “We can only run for so long. I’ve done my best, but time isn’t our friend. We need to come up with a plan soon. Does anyone from the family know where Dalton and I are yet?”

Easton shrugged. “We’ve set up a group chat. They are making connections. They know the video exists, but not what is on it. If Layla got her hands on it, they would find you quickly. It’s the only thing holding them back. But they’ve made the connection with you and Evelyn Vega.”

Sid nodded thoughtfully. “Do they know of Savannah Duvall?”

“Only that her name is on the list of all acquaintances known to Dalton. They’re checking everyone.”

“If you hear anything, let me know.”

Easton stood and smoothed out his T-shirt underneath his cashmere cardigan sweater. “Contact me when you’re ready for help.” With that, he left.

Sid turned his attention to me. “Did he threaten you?”

I shrugged. “Yes, but I think his main goal was to get a feel for me and gauge how I feel about you.”

Sid smirked. “Easton’s protective like me, but don’t worry. He won’t hurt you becauseIprotectyou.”

I finished my beer and looked at Sid, staring up at the television on the wall. “He says that because I belong to you I now belong to the family.”

He looked at me and laughed. “Congratulations. You’ve met Easton’s approval.”

I huffed and shook my head. “Dammit, Sid. Can you be serious for a second?”

“I’m always serious, even when I’m joking.”

“Fine… whatever. I’m just a little concerned that it wasn’t approval, but a threat. If I don’t join the family, I will forfeit my life or something.”

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