36. Dutton
CHAPTER 36
Dutton
T hat afternoon, I barge into Eli’s club, Lucy’s. It’s not yet open, but I know I’ll find him in his office. Ford and Hawke stand outside the door, looking surprised to see me.
“Make sure we’re not interrupted,” I bark as I push past them and into Eli’s office. He’s reviewing paperwork, and part of me is disappointed that he’s not punishing someone here. Not that he often does it in his club, but I could use a release.
His gaze narrows on my thumb, which is turning black underneath the nail. “What happened to your thumb?”
I glance at it. “Oh, I did that building a bed,” I say offhandedly. “We need to talk about Billie’s party.”
His eyebrows spring up. “You built a bed? What in the fuck has happened to my cousin?”
“Shut up. It’s not that difficult,” I growl as I take the seat across from him.
“I’m assuming this is about the blonde and her boy?” Eli drops his pen to the desk and brings his hands together.
“Her name is Posie,” I grit. He doesn’t say anything, but I can tell he’s studying me in the same calculating way I’d assess him. “And, yes, it is. It was a mistake bringing her.”
“Oh, your parents didn’t like her?”
“They fucking loved her, but that’s not why I’m here, and you know it.”
He sighs and lights a cigar. He offers me one, even though I’ve never taken up the nasty habit.
“I’m not pulling the plug on the deal,” he says as he lights it.
“I’m not asking you to. But, Eli, she was terrified. I’m certain Bentley’s father is a part of that club, and if they come for her…”
“Wasn’t Will able to track who the father is?” Eli asks.
“No, he could only narrow it down to three men she spent a lot of time with. But whatever her relationship she had with them is unknown. She was never openly affectionate with any of them.
“She wiped her social media accounts three months after her parents passed and cut off all ties with her friends. So there are no photos. Only video footage of restaurants they might’ve visited.”
Eli considers this. “So she might’ve been a dirty little secret. Or perhaps none of them are the father. Or whoever it is has ways to keep his activities unknown.”
“Precisely.”
“It’s not definite that the kid’s dad will come looking for him,” Eli says.
My gut tells me otherwise. Posie was so terrified. Both in Boston and last night after the party. “She’s scared that someone is going to come for her.”
“How do we know she’s still not a part of this?” Eli asks.
“She’s not.”
“Is that fact?” he pushes.
“I told you, she’s not,” I insist. Eli’s gaze dips to my knuckles, and that’s when I realize they’re turning white from how tightly I’m clenching my fists.
“You’re going out of your way for a woman that you’re simply fucking.”
I slam my hands on the desk, the chair screeching back. “I’m not just fucking her!”
My eyebrows dip as Eli’s stare hardens. What the fuck am I doing? It’s not just sex anymore. It hasn’t been for me since the very beginning, but I’ve been in such heavy denial, confident I could never feel this way about someone. I thought it was a fixation, something I needed to get out of my system.
Eli turns his chair to face away from me, leaving me to my own humiliation. “Then make sure you protect them. I’ll tell the others to watch out for anyone wearing the club’s patch. This could all be for nothing, cousin. But for fuck’s sake, if anything happens, tell me. Don’t do anything stupid that will jeopardize my business. The last thing we want is to go to war with these fuckers.”
I dig my nails into my palms, furious that my perfectly polished mask is slipping.
But I can’t help the insistent buzz inside of me to protect Posie and Bentley.
Posie is a strong woman, but the past often has the power to creep back up on us.
I’ve slain all of my demons, but it terrifies me that there might be something out there trying to get her.
And I’m hellbent on making sure those shadows never touch Posie or Bentley again.
Even if I have to bloody my own hands for them.