Page 17 of Past

"Yeah, the license to open the bar had some conditions, and I have missed one with everything that has been happening. I've been a little distracted. Anyway, it's going to take a few weeks to sort out and re-apply, so I'm pushing the opening back a month,” I say, trying not to get pissed off about it.

"Sorry, that sucks. At least you didn't advertise yet," she says, and I smile at her, knowing she must have been paying attention to me.

"Please, tell me you made me a plate, man,” Tristan says roughly as he walks into the kitchen.

"Yeah, on the side."I smirk at him.

"Thanks," he mutters with a yawn. He walks over to the oven and takes the plate I made for him before eating in silence with us. I finish my plate, and Allie takes it to wash.

"Man, you can cook as good as Allie." Tristan grins as he stretches his arms over his head.

There's a knock at the door, and Allie goes to get it.

The minute she leaves, Tristan turns to me. "If you fuck around on my sister, I will kill you, you got me?"Tristan threatens as he leans back in his chair.

"I won't hurt her," I tell him, and he looks down.

"You’d best not. Once Allie lets someone in, they mean everything to her. She doesn’t let everyone close, and she has never let a guy close before. She has to choose you; a fight with you is going to fucking hurt. So just don’t fuck up, man."

I don’t reply because I know he is right. Tristan nods at me and walks over into the kitchen. I watch him put the kettle on.

"Allie told me what you said, and she knows everything about The Cage."

Tristan stills with his back to me. He turns and goes to reply, but Allie cuts in behind me.

"We are going to stop Dad. It's wrong, all of it, and Dad will see that if I talk to him," she says, sounding sure of herself.

I wince a little, thinking she really doesn't understand her dad. Tristan looks worried, like me, as I glance at him. I could sit here and list the amount of fucked up things herdadhas done. The amount of people I’ve seen or heard he has killed. I don’t when I look at her angry face. She reminds me of her father in moments like this, but the difference is, Allie isn’t cruel like him, and I can’t be the one to hurt her.

"Let me deal with him, and it's pointless to ask him to stop. He's crazy about The Cage. The only thing he cares about is it and you," Tristan says gently to Allie, who glares back at him with her hands on her hips. She is holding a letter in her hand; it must have been the postman at the door.

"He loves you too, Tris. He just doesn't show it well. Anyway, he will listen. It's not like he is a killer, he just runs some fights,"she says, shaking her head.

"Allie, your dad nearly killed Izzy a while ago. Remember the crash? That was him and his goons. They shot Blake, too, Allie. Your dad isn’t a good guy, and I know he won’t listen. I was surprised you didn’t know any of this. I didn’t want to tell you, but you needed to know," I say as gently as possible because I'm so mad about what happened that night.

"What?" she asks, going pale. I doubt she wants an answer, but Tristan just nods at her.

"Dad has done worse than that, Al,"he says. Allie just nods and starts washing up from breakfast. I stand next to her and dry up as Tris leaves to go the gym.

Allie doesn't say much else that morning, and I kiss her gently before leaving.

"I will call you later, all right, angel?"I ask her.

She tilts her chin so she is looking up at me. "Yes, I'm going to go see Izzy. So much makes sense now," she says, looking so sad. I’ve never cared how a girl feels before, but I do with her.I pull her into my arms.

"Hey, look. I don't know what to say. But whatever is happening between us, I don't want your dad affecting it," I say and lift her chin with my fingers so she can look at me. I wipe her cheeks of the silent tears and kiss her forehead as she stands still.

"I like you, Elliot, but this is complicated," she sayseventually.

"I won't take no as an answer, not until you give me a real chance,"I tell her as she presses her head into my leather jacket.

"So stubborn." She laughs slightly before kissing me gently.

I chuckle before grabbing the back of her head and giving her a real kiss goodbye. I pull away after leaving her breathless, and I pick my helmet up from her coffee table and wink at her before going to my bike. I wonder, on the drive home, if Allie can deal with all this at once, but then I remember how she is the strongest person I know.

Chapter 7

Allie

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