Page 101 of Vicious Arrangement
A new email pops up, and it’s from Devon. It’s the early hours of the morning, the world’s actually quiet outside, just the occasional car on the road below coming through the open sliding door to the terrace.
I open it.
The file on Aaron.
With shaking fingers I open it. Yeah, he’s a year older than me. I skim family crap as his mother’s greatest crime was fucking a lot of rich men before getting a few to marry her.
But the thing that snaps hold of my attention are the names of the men who Aaron owes money to.
And how much.
It’s a suck punch.
He’s going to be fucking serious. And I have a feeling he’ll go to all kinds of measures to get his hands on my money. I’m betting if I don’t help him out in forty-eight hours, he’ll start the lawsuit and try to use my wife as a fear tactic.
There’s no way in hell I’m letting this prick derail my life or attempt to threaten Aria.
I can’t have an endless court case with some fuck spinning stories, and slanting the truth and ruining my child’s future. Aria’s future.
There’s only one way to stop him, and that’s by sharing Aaron’s location with the men looking for him.
I shut down the computer and head to bed, but first, I go to Aria’s room and ease the pocket doors open.
The door’s open, and it’s a small comfort to know she at least likes the fact here she can have indoor and outdoor space for her and the hound.
They’re both asleep on the bed, Angus wakes as I stand there and sees it’s me, yawns, and drops his head on his paws, closing his eyes. My gaze goes back to her, golden hair spread on her pillow and my heart twists.
I… I care for her. More than I’ve cared for anyone, especially in this way. I could fall for her if I were capable, and regret rolls through me, dark and heavy for my behavior earlier.
I should have been grateful she wanted to help, and I was touched, but how the fuck do I handle that? Because caring and offering help feels a lot like pity.
And instead of making her feel good, I alienated her, pushed her away.
Asher’s words play through my head, an ominous warning.
If I don’t watch myself, I’m going to lose her before I ever really have her.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
ARIA
He’s gonewhen I wake in the morning. The whole place is quiet, no staff today except for the girl who does the laundry, and I decide to go for a run with Angus before I go into work.
The clock in my head ticks, and I adjust the run to a shorter one so I can get home, let Angus rule his terrace and the room, and get to work.
Imagine my shock when they’re shocked to see me. Admin calls me over.
“We appreciate you wanting to make sure your shifts are covered for the next week, but they are. Your husband made sure we could get someone in.” Judy rubs two fingers together, denoting he paid them. “Take the time to enjoy the honeymoon.”
Horrified, with my chest tight and cheeks burning, I leave. When I’m a block from the hospital, I don’t know what to do.
What I should do is call Noah and berate him for this, but I don’t want to. I love my job, but even I can see having a little time to breathe is good, and… shit… I don’t want to fight anymore.
It’s too exhausting.
I want to find a better path. I have hope. Even if I’m still upset from last night, I have hope.
Me:Busy for lunch?
