Page 16 of Lost in Her
“No, I don’t think I do,” Shawn responds just as calmly as he did before.That is one thing my brother has that I don’t have—calmness.Over the years, he has been able to master it.I still have issues with my temper, but it is better than it was before.
The man takes a deep breath.I see irritation in his eyes.“I know she’s here.She has been sold to me by her father.I want her back,” he says, as if buying someone is fucking normal.
None of us needs to ask who he is talking about.We all know it is Jennifer.My heart sinks.I knew they wouldn’t let her go.
“And who the fuck are you?”I demand, taking a small step forward.Shawn reaches out his arm, stopping me from moving any further.I take a deep breath as my own hands form into fists.
The man turns and looks at me.I watch him look me over, his eyes going back up and locking with mine.“I am Tristan Pierce, and who are you?”he asks in an amused voice.
The way this man stands and talks already has me fucking seeing red, and I know he knows that.I can see it on his face.He is getting the reaction he wanted.The reaction he came here for.
But he will not get the person he came here for.I will fucking kill anyone that tries to get to Jennifer.If he wants her, he is going to have to go through me.I can tell by his body language that he is used to getting what he wants.He is one of those men who just look at someone and see them submit.I am not the submitting type.I never have been and never fucking will be.
“Ethan Raven,” I mutter through gritted teeth.
The man slowly nods.“I have heard of you.I knew your father,” he says in an amused voice.That doesn’t fucking surprise me.There are a lot of scrum bags that knew my father.Most people know my last name because of him, but over the years, I have made a name for myself, and people fear my last name not because of my father but because of me.
“A lot of men knew him,” I state as calmly as I can.I don’t fucking like this.I don’t like that these men are this close to Jennifer and what we have created for others to feel safe.
“Yes, that is true.I have heard a lot about you, Ethan,” Tristan says, making my heart race more.He is too fucking calm.This is wrong.All of this is fucking wrong.
How the fuck has he heard of me, but I haven’t heard of him?
“I think it is time you leave,” Shawn says, taking Tristan’s attention from me back to him.
He takes a deep breath.I look at his men.Each of them has their hands on the guns on their hips.All of them are ready and waiting.
Tristan allows a small chuckle to leave his lips.He thinks he is so smart and badass that we’ll just submit and give him what he wants, but he is wrong, so fucking wrong.He hasn’t met men like Shawn and me, and he will learn fucking quick that we don’t submit to scum.We don’t submit to anyone.We don’t give a fuck who they think they are.“I will leave you when you hand over my fiancée,” Tristan states, looking at Shawn.
“What?”I can’t hide my surprise and worry.The fuck does he mean, fiancée?
Tristan turns back and looks at me.I watch a smile forming across his lips.“Her father sold her to me this morning.She is now mine.Hand her over to me,” Tristan states as if he just made a normal business deal.The fuck?Hand her over.What the fuck makes him think I would ever do that?He must not have heard too much about me, or he wouldn’t be acting like this right now.
“We don’t know who you are talking about,” Shawn says harshly.
Tristan chuckles again as he looks back at Shawn.“Don’t fucking try and play games with me.I know that Jennifer is here,” he says with so much confidence it makes my heart stop and makes my blood boil.How the fuck is he so sure she is here?
Someone had to have told him.There is no fucking way he has seen her.We would have seen him watching her.The scene was clear when Shawn and Emory brought her here, and I have been watching the property every fucking second since she has stepped foot on it.
There is no way he can be certain unless someone fucking tipped him off.The town knows what we do here.We don’t hide it, but we make sure that no one actually knows who is or is not here.
Someone we have trusted has fucking betrayed us, and I am going to find out who the fuck it is, and they will pay for their betrayal.They will pay with their life, but that is another problem that I will have to deal with later.Right now, all my attention needs to stay on this asshole.
Hearing her name leave his lips makes my heart sink.I feel my blood boiling more at the thought of him touching her and using her.He will not get fifty feet anywhere near her.
Before any of us can say anything, the two cops standing next to Shawn take a few steps forward.
“This place is protected.You need to leave before we remove you,” they tell Tristan.
Tristan turns and looks at the cops.He takes a deep breath.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I will if I must.You have one week to bring her to me.If you don’t, you will feel what it’s like to lose everything and everyone you love.Don’t make me do this,” Tristan threatens, his words echoing inside my mind.
Fuck.fuck.fuck.We can’t let him destroy this place.We aren’t stupid, and I am no fool.I know his threat is real.This man standing in front of me is not lying.He is telling us our future if he doesn’t get what he wants.
But I refuse to just hand her over.That is not going to happen.Not now and not in one fucking week, not now that I have had her, not now that I crave her.There is no fucking way.He is going to have to kill me.
“We aren’t giving you shit,” I snap back.
