Page 94 of Dean

He peers at his phone and then at me. “I know, but he’s an idiot. He could barely kill the spiders in the house whenever they made an appearance. He’s just mad he’s not getting his way and lost his money somehow. He probably owes a drug dealer something. I bet that’s why he’s trying to find a scapegoat and is blaming me.”

“Avery,” I say, my voice low, my hand moving to his shoulder and squeezing. “You need to report this to the police. This is harassment.”

He sighs. “I don’t really want to do anything, Dean. I just want him to forget I exist.”

“He’s not going to leave you alone. He has it in his head that you have the money.”

“I know, but I don’t. I’m in debt to my eyeballs…”

My hands slide up to his face, cupping his cheeks. “If you won’t do anything…let me take care of this for you.”

“Dean, I can take care of my own problems. I’m a big boy.”

“Let me help.” It must be the way I’m begging because his shoulders drop.

“No, I don’t want you to. I can take care of this myself.”

“Let me take care of you.”

“You can but not like this. This is my problem. I’ll figure it out.”

He peers up at me and rubs a hand across my chest. His eyelashes are black and thick, his eyelids sporting some kind of dark eyeshadow. He looks sinful.

“But thank you for offering. I haven’t had anyone offer to take care of me in a really long time.”

I lean forward and brush my lips across his mouth.

He sighs into it.

“You have me now, Avery. I’ll make sure you’re safe. Always.”

I can almost see the hearts coming from his eyes, and still, I can’t help how I feel. I’m going to protect Avery.

Always.

I know he said not to interfere, but I really want Nick to leave Avery alone. Those threats were serious and he’s not going to just go away. My first thought is to talk to Anthony Costello, but I decide to hold off on that for a while. I know Avery wouldn’t want me to do anything illegal, and I’m pretty sure everything Anthony does is against the law. Honestly, I don’t even want to know what he gets up to. I don’t need to know the details. I just build cars for him.

So while I’m at work, when Avery isn’t looking, I do a little sleuthing. From a general social media sweep, I find out a little more about Nick. Seems like a loser with far too much time on his hands and shady-as-fuck friends. I hate that Avery lived with him for so long and that Nick dared to touch him, to threaten him just because he likes skirts and makeup.

What a fucking bigot.

Thing is, I don’t know how I’m going to sneak out and confront him. Avery won’t like it if I just disappear. He’ll ask questions, and honestly, I don’t want him to know how I plan on resolving this.

I don’t even know what I’ll be forced to do. Nick seems like the kind of person to push my buttons.

Thankfully—and I never thought I’d say this—Kit makes an appearance after lunch, which gives me an opportunity to sneak out and make my way over to Avery’s old apartment complex. I remember when I took him here, how protective and angry I felt when we found his stuff chucked outside.

And now I’m back.

This is such a shitty place, I think as I step over weeds growing through the cracks of the pavement and skirt around some garbage.

With clenched fists, I move to the door of his old apartment and let my knuckles rap a few times on the rickety door. A moment later, a gangly man answers, looking like he’s just come back from some kind of bender. His hair is askew, his beard slightly matted, and his clothes a stained mess.

This better be Nick.

“What?” he asks, and I cock my head, taking him in. I could take him, I’m pretty sure. While he is younger than me, he looks weak and frail.

“You Nick?”

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