Chapter 25 Evie #2
We had all agreed not to tell Asher what we were here for, but I didn’t see the point. Asher liked us.
Liked me.
And he always seemed more than ready to help us.
Rook always worried there would be a price tag to Asher’s help, but he never followed up with a bill, so I didn’t see the concern.
“Hey,” I said, standing up and stepping closer. “Can we talk for a second?”
He gave a sharp nod, not hesitating to hold out his arm and steer me right to a private booth a few rows away from ours.
“What’s up?” he asked, his hand lingering a second too long on my arm.
I looked past his shoulder at Aiden again. I needed to get right to the point.
“Do you know anyone named Jack Anderson?”
His eyebrows furrowed, glancing around to make sure we were alone.
“I do. Does this have anything to do with why you were digging around my place before?”
“Actually, no. Or maybe? This mainly has to do with someone repeatedly threatening me, or all of us.”
“What kind of threats?” he asked, the serious edge to his voice making me grin.
“Don’t worry, I have a full security team with me most of the time now. But it’s only some texts, guys sent with threats, one attack. It’s not out of hand yet.”
“Strange. When someone attacks me, I feel like it’s already out of hand,” he said, reaching out and running a thumb over my hand. “You’re okay?”
“Perfectly fine. Just stained a pair of jeans.” His eyebrow cocked. “From blood! One of them had some arterial spray.”
“You think Jack was the one to attack you?”
“No, not necessarily, but he seems to be the strongest lead as to who would be behind it. We don’t even know why. They threatened all of us, but I got the text and the attack, so I’m guessing I’m the winner.”
“Jack Anderson is a regular one to bet on fights I run. I don’t know much about him, but he is there for a lot of fight nights.”
“Excuse me? Fights? As in men punching men?”
“Yes.” His teeth gritted together, but I wasn’t sure why.
My mouth dropped open, shock vibrating through me. “Excuse me? You have hot naked men punching each other and failed to tell me about it? I would be there weekly!”
“Which is exactly why we didn’t tell you.”
“We? You men and your jealousy. As if you can’t all look good half-naked and sweaty.” I smacked at his stomach, my fingers meeting hard muscle. “Now tell me where the fights are and we will be there, so I can maybe stop trying to be murdered every week.”
His eyes narrowed for a second, but he seemed to snap back quickly.
“I was under the impression you already knew where they were, but fine. You will all be sitting in my seats. If he is the one putting hits out on you, there’s no reason to put you more at risk.
” He stepped closer, his hand trailing up my arm.
“I’d offer a more private viewing area, but I can’t figure out if you would be more interested in the men fighting or one particular one sitting in the crowd.
” I followed his eyes as he looked out, both of us watching as Aiden stood up, hovering over the table with the rest of the pack.
He must have noticed me watching because he continued. “That’s what I thought.”
“So, are you taking back your offer?”
He smiled. “Because you and the lover boy there are obsessed with each other? Not at all. Why would that change my mind?”
“I thought you were insinuating . . .”
“Oh, I was, but I don’t think we could actually be together, Evie.
I wouldn’t waste my time getting in the way of anything serious for you.
I won’t be telling Aiden the same story, but that’s because pissing people off is so much fun.
” A calm smile came across his face, the slight nod in Aiden’s direction making me look at him again.
“Then why give us all the help? I thought it was your way of flirting.”
“A bit,” he said, shrugging. “But mainly because I like you all. You’ve all been nothing but fair to me, even when I was nothing. None of you seem to treat me any different now that I run half the town. Which, now that I think about it, is a little infuriating.”
I grinned, wrapping an arm around his waist and pulling him into my side. My head fell to his shoulder, but I didn’t feel anything at the touch of him.
“Yeah, that’s kind of what family is. Can’t really get rid of us, no one is impressed by the money or power, and you always seem to get treated like a little sibling no matter the age.”
“I’m older than all of you.”
“By like four years and, like I said, it doesn’t matter.”
His phone buzzed in his pocket and he sighed as he pulled it out. “Fucking hell.”
I leaned in more, snooping as I read the text.
Violet: Your dog broke into the break room and ate ALL of my emergency chocolate stash!!
Violet: And yes, I’m already bringing him to the emergency vet.
I snorted, laughing as I watched his face. “Something you need to attend to?”
“My new receptionist. Apparently, she’s as unruly as the dog. Who has an emergency chocolate stash? It’s literally creating an emergency, not stopping one.”
“You know, I really built you up to be some suave man with the women, but if you don’t know that, I worry for any woman you’ve dated.”
He gave me a pointed look as he tucked his phone away. “I have to go, obviously, text me when you’re headed to the fights tomorrow and I’ll let you in.”
“All right. Let me know how the dog is—the new receptionist, too. And thank you. Seriously. I appreciate it.”
“Anything to save your life,” he said, winking as he headed back around the crowd toward the back doors where his car would be.
I was quick to tell everyone else the new plan and while the guys all gave me a pissed look, the girls looked ready to head to fight night right now.
“Problem?” I asked.
Aiden looked around to Rook, Hero, and Mason but no one offered an answer. “No.”
“Then why don’t you all cheer up? We have a lead and we can follow it before one of us is killed. Plus, we can leave and enjoy the rest of the night now,” Regan said.
The guys grumbled, but I looked at Aiden, his blue eyes burning into me.
I didn’t say a word, the anger in them making me freeze. He was mad I found a lead?
I sunk back into the booth, pushing a little harder against Harper’s side, and she was quick to throw an arm around me like a lifeline. My eyes flicked back to Aiden, his blue gaze smoldering with a mix of anger and . . . something else I wasn’t ready to name.
I let the silence stretch, letting him simmer while I let my pulse slow. One thing was certain, he didn’t like I’d found another lead—but that didn’t mean I was going to stop. Not now.
And tomorrow? Tomorrow, we were going to find Anderson.