Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54589 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 273(@200wpm)___ 218(@250wpm)___ 182(@300wpm)
“And they win.”
“Does it matter, if it does us no harm?”
“They already did us harm, Bella. They took you.”
The doorbell rings, and Molly goes nuts. Tyler disappears out of the doorway without another word, and I know why. He doesn’t want to answer my questions, of which I have many. He’s going down the rabbit hole of revenge, and I do believe that’s exactly what Hawk Senior would want, but I know deep down that is not what Tyler wants to become. But he’s being pushed. And he’s on the edge of the point of no return. And I’m not sure how that changes him or us if I don’t stop it from happening.
Chapter Forty-One
Bella
Edgy doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel as I head into the kitchen to greet Dash and Allie, who’ve come with waffles from one of my favorite breakfast spots. Dash is dressed in his normal writing gear, ready to huddle down in a coffee shop and write, in worn jeans, biker boots, and a tee. The familiarity that he represents is comforting and good for my soul right now.
“Not as good as when you make them yourself,” Dash greets, setting the bags on the table, warmth in his eyes as he adds, “but the next best thing.”
He’s referencing my habit of coming by on the weekends and making him waffles, something that used to be just me and him, and now needs to become the four of us. We need to get back to those weekend mornings, to family.
Allie is instantly around the table and pulling me into a honeysuckle-scented hug.
“Just hearing what happened scares me,” she whispers near my ear before pulling back to inspect me. She looks lovely today in an emerald-green blouse and black skirt, her dark hair silky around her shoulders, her eyes brimming with genuine worry. “How do you feel this morning?”
My gaze lands on Tyler behind the counter, where he’s holding a cup of coffee. “Worried this is exactly what Hawk Senior wanted.”
“Which is what?” Dash asks, as Tyler hands Allie a cup over the counter.
“Yes, which is what?” Allie asks.
“Tyler, damn it,” I say, facing the counter, my back to my brother. “Your father wanted you to go after the Allen family to continue the feud and he made sure you did.”
“It doesn’t matter why this happened, it matters that they took you.”
“But does it?” I ask. “I’m fine. They didn’t hurt me. We cannot live our life with them as enemies.”
“It’s done now,” Dash says, stepping to my side. “They took you, Bella. He can’t let that go.”
“You are supposed to be ex-FBI, Dash,” I scold. “And that means setting a good example by doing the right thing.”
“Because I’m an ex-FBI agent, I can tell you, that family has a mark on your family, and Tyler is your family now. That means he’s our family. We have to control them, so they don’t control us.” I open my mouth to speak, and he holds up a hand. “I get it, Bella. You don’t want him to become his father, and he’s not his damn father. He’s protecting you and his business.”
“How does going to war protect our business?”
“We have famous, powerful clients, Bella,” Tyler says softly, drawing my attention to his steely blue eyes. “What happens when they have me pay for your safety in a percentage of their contracts?”
“Oh my God,” Allie murmurs. “Would they do that?”
My eyes haven’t left Tyler. “Would they do that?”
“That little Allen bitch said to me, and I quote, ‘I’m sure you can find a way to pay me for my discomfort.’”
Disbelief rolls through me. “And you said?”
“‘With more discomfort.’ That’s when Oliver interrupted. When Allen went to meet with him, you texted me. When he walked back into the room, I told him when I had you back safely, we’d talk and not a moment sooner. Then I left.”
“Okay, I’m sold,” I say. “We have to shut them down. Forget the waffles. What’s our plan?”
“First of all, I stop fucking with my father, his will, and the partners. I let my father get in my head, or I would have done that from the beginning.”
“How?” I ask. “What does that mean?”
“We call a partner meeting, and I want you there, Bella. I tell them we’re getting married. My hold on the company is locked down, but the threat that is the Allen family is a threat to us all. Someone knows something. They need to be put on notice that they bring it to me, or they will be terminated, all stock revoked, should we find out they knew information to protect the company and its partners, and withheld it.”
“That almost seems too simple,” Allie says. “Logical, but simple.”
“Which is exactly why my father didn’t think I’d do it. He wanted me to understand why this mattered, why controlling the Allen family mattered, and I had to get to know them to do that. He won. I learned the lesson. I already texted my secretary to setup the meeting.” He glances at his Rolex. “We have an hour. Let’s eat waffles.”