Page 68 of Twisted Assist

“Fuck, I’ll handle it,” Rhys sighed, running his hands through his hair.

Standing up, I pushed his shoulders, making him stumble and look at me like I had lost my mind. “I’m handling him.”

Expecting Rhys to argue with me, I readied myself to practice what I would do to Hunter on Rhys. But Rhys just nodded and squatted back down. “I’m so sorry,” he told Tatum. “But Tripp has back up if he needs it.”

Tatum nodded and sniffed, understanding what Rhys meant as well. When he stood back up, he squared his shoulders and shook his head with a snarl. “I knew that guy was a piece of shit.”

He grabbed his board off the sand and looked up toward the few lingering people under the umbrellas, even though the sun had completely faded. Then he looked back to Tatum and to me, nodding before disappearing. It was apparent he was having to tell himself to stand down.

Hunter may have pissed him off in the past because of his girl, Ash. Cruz may have wanted to kill him because of his friend Erin. But they had to leave him for me. Hunter was mine to handle, and even though I wasn’t sure what to do, I trusted they would have my back if I needed it. But would leave me to handle him in the meantime.

* * *

When Tatum and I got to my place, I ran her a bath and settled her into the warm bubbles. She wanted me to stay with her, but I had a few calls to make first.

“Just relax, I’ll bring some water and snacks back with me, and we can spend all night in there if you want.”

Her smile was hesitant, but she gave me a quick nod.

My body was still salty and sandy, but I washed my hands and put my phone to my ear while grabbing cut-up fruit from my fridge.

“Yo Tripp,” my friend Aiden answered. “Everything okay with Shelly?”

Aiden had worked on my Bronco since she had been in Miami with me. When it came to cars, he was my guy, but it wasn’t Shelly who needed his services.

“Shelly is purring like a kitten.” Even though my Bronco was okay, saying those words felt like a lie. I was trying too hard to sound casual when I really just wanted to scream. “Can I get a favor?”

“Of course, what's going on?”

“My girl has a flat.” I rambled off where Tatum’s car was and what it looked like, asking if he could get to it as soon as possible.

“Tonight?”

“I’ll pay you triple. She will sleep better tonight knowing her car is out of the lot. Then can you deliver it to my place? Drop the keys in my box?.”

“All new tires? And delivery?”

“Yeah, man. Give it new shoes and bring it over. I’ll feel better knowing she’s safe again.”

“Fuck,” he sighed. “I’ll have to explain this last minute job to my wife, but I’m sure she will find something to do with your incentive.”

“Thanks man.”

Hanging up with Aiden, I finished making the food, arranging the fruit on a paper plate. I hoped that Tatum was feeling better, but when I pushed the door open to the bathroom, I dropped the plate and bottles of water, rushing to her once again.

ChapterThirty-Four

Tatum

My head was leaning back on the bathtub, and I tried to relax, but all I kept thinking about was how far we had come to get to that point. How deep Hunter had to fall to become who he was.

Eventually, I balled myself up and started crying again. Tripp came back and dropped everything he was carrying, jumping into the bath with me, fully clothed, and pulling me into his lap. I didn’t want Hunter, but what Tripp had done was what I wished Hunter would have always done.

Put me first.

Anger and confusion with myself were consuming me, and I cried into Tripp’s shoulders, scared that if he knew the truth, he would run away. Little nuggets of Hunter’s words were trickling back into my head, filling the spaces that had been left vulnerable each time we spoke.

“Coconut, baby. You’re safe.”

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