Chapter 13 #2
He lifted his hand to stop me before placing it on my shoulder and gently pulling me into his large frame for a tender hug.
It wasn’t as good as the bear hugs he usually gave me, but that was only because he was being careful with me, and I appreciated that.
As much as I loved them, my ribs couldn’t have handled a Joe Ryan bear hug just then.
“No one’s said it, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t all thinking it. I got us into this mess. The four of you trying to spare my feelings doesn’t take away the truth in that.”
I curled my lips between my teeth, ignoring the pain when it reopened the cut there.
Dad turned his focus to West, and sure enough, the man’s earlier statement that my father needed to feel this as a reminder to never let it happen again was spot on.
Dad was actually looking at the stranger with appreciation in his gaze, almost as if the fact we’d been walking around on eggshells for the past several months to keep from upsetting him had been a weight on his shoulders that had now been lifted.
“Thank you for saying what no one else in my family has been willing to say. But I promise you, I’ll keep Stella safe. ”
Why in the hell was my dad making that kind of declaration to a man he didn’t know like West held some sort of sway.
“If the concussion’s your concern, I’m prepared to camp out on her floor so I can check on her throughout the night to make sure everything’s good.” And now he was reassuring him? What the hell was going on?
“Dad, you don’t have to—”
West cut me off. “I’m sure you’d gladly do that, sir. But there’s still the fact that these men know where she lives. If he’d wanted to get in here the first time—”
“First time?” my mom yelped, her cheeks losing their natural rosiness as her eyes widened to the size of saucers.
“Um.” Serenity held up her hand like she was in the middle of a classroom. “I only told them about tonight. I didn’t mention what happened a few weeks ago.”
“A few weeks ago?” my father boomed, his loud timbre threatening to rattle the walls until the sheetrock crumbled.
“It’s not a big—”
“The man who assaulted Stella tonight was here waiting for her a few weeks ago with a threat for you. Tonight he acted on that threat. I’m guessing since it could have been much, much worse, this was just a warning.”
I whipped around on West, my concussed head crying out at the movement. “You are such a tattletale!”
Mom turned on Serenity, her hands on her hips and that stern mother look on her face. “And you knew about this, young lady? And you didn’t say anything?”
Serenity jabbed her finger in my direction. “She made me promise not to tell!”
Throwing my head back again, I told that higher power that clearly hadn’t been listening the first time, “Oh my God, I need this night to end!”
“Don’t worry, sir,” West continued, pretending I wasn’t currently tucked under my dad’s arm, having a mental breakdown. “I can keep her safe, you have my word.”
“Yeah,” I grumbled sullenly, then used finger quotes. “Because he’s got skills.”
Spence arched an indignant brow. “You’re a cop?” Then he turned to me, full of self-righteousness. “You’re hooking up with a cop?”
“I’m not hooking up with him,” I shouted.
“I’m not a cop,” West replied calmly.
“Then what the hell are you, a super-secret spy or something?” Spencer’s lips curled up in a smirk. “You the next Jason Bourne?”
“I work at Alpha Omega.”
The grin fell from my brother’s face, replaced by wonder, “Oh shit, you are the next Jason Bourne. Wait. Are you the one who messed that Valentine fucker up?”
At the quizzical look West cast me, I answered, “The ex.”
“We pulled up, and he was climbing in his car, face all bloody and busted to hell. Please tell me you did that.”
“I did that.”
My big brother’s tune changed in an instant. His smile turned genuine, and he moved in West’s direction, lifting his hand for a shake. “Glad someone finally laid that son of a bitch out. Stella made us swear not to put a finger on him—”
“Because I didn’t want any of you to be arrested,” I insisted indignantly. “And also, what the hell is happening right now? I feel like you guys know something I don’t.”
“I told you those Alpha Omega guys had a reputation,” Serenity told me smugly.
“They’re serious business. As for the other rumor .
. .” She trailed off and looked back at West appreciatively.
She all but licked her lips as she ogled him, and if my dad hadn’t been holding on to me just then, I might have attempted—and failed, because I was seriously injured—to rip her hair out by the roots. “Seems they live up to that one too.”
Dad’s arm around me contracted just a bit, drawing my attention.
“Catching the eye of an AO man is no small thing, Starshine,” he told me with a proud smile, like I’d just made a perfect score on the SATs, or found the cure for cancer, or successfully pulled the biggest con in Ryan family history. “He can most definitely keep you safe.”
“I’m not staying with him!” I announced petulantly. “For God’s sake, I barely know the guy. We’ve met each other exactly twice!”
“Don’t worry, grift,” he said, giving me a wink. “I’m a really good judge of character. I know you’re good people.”
“Obviously you aren’t,” I clapped back. “Because both times we’ve run into each other, you’ve witnessed me picking someone’s pockets. The fact you have zero problem forcing a known thief to stay in your home is the very definition of bad judgement.”
“Wait, he busted you? You?” Spence asked, his voice holding something that sounded an awful lot like awe.
“Seems my baby girl’s finally met her match,” Mom said dreamily, clasping her hands at her chest.
“For the love of all that’s holy,” I groaned, “Fuck my life.”