Page 50 of The Night Ride
Bu I was ready this time and shifted out of the way.“I’m sorry, all right.”
“Oh, I bet you are, especially after I kick your ass.”Evan was all fired up.But before he could rush me again, Ben was there, putting him in a stronghold.
“Enough, Evan.”Ben shouted.
Evan struggled against Ben’s hold.“Get off me, fucker.This asshole deserves it.Do you know what he did?”
“I do.He explained it over the phone.And I know he regrets his actions.”
“That’s cause I’m gonna kick his ass,” Evan snarled, his arms flailing, as he tried to lunge at me.
“Aiden’s your friend and he made a mistake.”Ben told him, like it actually mattered when I had fucked up royally.
“I’m sorry, Evan.It’s my fault.I wasn’t thinking.”
“Not with anything other than your dick,” he spat with such fury, I was surprised there was smoking coming out his ears.
He wasn’t wrong.And I rarely ever felt shame but in this instance my behavior had caused harm on multiple fronts.Regardless of whether it had been my intent or not, the result was the same.“No, I wasn’t thinking.I need to apologize to you and Beth.Please let me have her number so I can call her and do just that.”
Ben rolled his eyes at my suggestion.Evan jolted within his hold and pointed at me.“You fucking think I’m going to give you her number, asshole, think again.You are not to come anywhere near my sister ever again.Because if you ever do, you’re going to wind up six feet under.”
“Be reasonable, Evan.I’m not trying to hookup with Beth.I want to apologize to her.”
“Forget it and her.”He struggled against Ben’s hold.
I held up my hands in a defensive stance backing away.“Fine.I won’t contact her.But please pass along my regrets and that I’m sorry.”
“See, he’s being reasonable, Evan.Remember Aiden is our friend.Killing him would be bad.You’ll never make Master Chief Petty Officer if you murder him.”Ben admonished Evan.
Evan held his hands up, signaling he was in control.“Okay.Fine, I won’t touch a hair on his head.”
“You sure?”Ben asked, wary, studying Evan to determine whether he was lying.
“Yes,” Evan seethed.
Ben released him.I stood at the ready in case of a surprise attack.But Evan just stood there glaring daggers.
“Listen up, because I’m only going to say this once,” Evan said.“You are not to come within spitting distance of Beth.And if you do, you will be respectful at all times.If you ever put your hands on her again, I will cut them both off and mail them to your mother.”
“I swear I won’t touch her again.”It didn’t matter whether I wanted to or not.I wouldn’t further harm my relationship with Evan just because I found her fascinating.
“Good.Because Beth deserves better than one of us.”
“Like we’re the bad guys.”Ben snorted, shaking his head in disgust.
“Look, Beth deserves someone willing to take care of her.She deserves more than someone who will spend most of his time abroad.We know what life is like for military wives and girlfriends.I want more for her because she not only deserves it, she needs it.”
His stark confession made me feel like the biggest scumbag on the planet.No wonder she had been so hurt.Because I hadn’t stood up for her when it mattered.Evan pulled rank, and it was far too ingrained in me not to respond accordingly no matter the setting.
***
Present Day
The memory faded while I spent the morning watching the security footage in real time on Beth’s home desktop.The sooner I helped her catch the thief, the sooner I could head off.My heart clenched.Because the thought of leaving Beth didn’t sit well with me.
I ignored it.Mainly because there was nothing for it.I couldn’t change who I was nor what I did.I had two years until my retirement.Until then, Uncle Sam owned my ass.
Beth, being the amazing woman she was, had risen earlier and left meals for me.An amazing omelet with peppers, onions, goat cheese and bacon with fresh biscuits and honey butter.I devoured every crumb.Almost licked the plate clean when I was finished.Because the woman was a domestic goddess among mere mortals.And for lunch, she’d had a blackened chicken salad sandwich on a croissant ready for me, with some berries, and homemade chips on the counter.
