Page 71 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

“Alright, now do we follow this fucker?” Brad whooped as he rushed outside as well.

“I’ll get my keys,” Wally said.

“Umm, I have them,” Julien admitted, pulling the keys out of his pocket and handing them to Brad. He would have to explain that one later. “We shouldn’t start any more trouble, though.”

“No, but we want to make sure that asshole isn’t lurking on the property,” Mr. Ashford said.

Julien agreed, and as he followed the other three men, Tyler grabbed him by the arm.

“Julien, wait, you’re bleeding.” He ran his hands all over Julien to try to find where he was shot.

The blood came from Julien’s shoulder, and Tyler reached up, hands shaking, to push the sleeve of his T-shirt up.

Julien blinked. He had registered he’d been shot and was bleeding. Now that adrenaline wore off, a dull ache began pulsing from his shoulder. “It’s just a scratch,” he said because he didn’t think it was that deep. It couldn’t be.

“Jules, you coming?” Brad asked from the driver’s seat. He still brandished the bat. Wally was in the passenger’s seat, waving the gun out the window. The pair of them looked like a couple of vigilantes out for blood.

“Go without him! He’s hurt!” Tyler called back.

By this time, Hailey and Cece had come back out and were looking aroundin shock.

“What the Hell are they doing?” Cece asked. Her face was stained with tears, and she clutched her mother for dear life.

“They want to make sure he’s gone,” Mrs. Ashford said. She had her hands on her hips and shook her head as if disappointed that dinner had gone awry.

“Drive safe!” Hailey yelled out to the guys.

Brad followed Rossi’s car, and the car peeled out of the snow-covered driveway with shocking ease.

“Mom.” Tyler tugged Julien back inside with him. “Mom, Julien was shot.”

Tyler’s mom sprang into action. “Julien, sit right here.” She gestured to a barstool attached to the island in the kitchen. “Hailey, get the first aid kit. Cece, are the kids alright?”

“It’s really not that bad.” Julien pushed at his sleeve.

The bullet must have just grazed him, leaving behind an unpleasant-looking scratch on his tattooed shoulder.

“Should we take him to the hospital?” Tyler asked, his voice shaking as he gripped Julien’s hand for moral support.

Julien couldn’t help himself; his entire mind seemed fuzzy now that the danger had ended. He pulled Tyler’s hand to his lips and kissed it. How Tyler’s warm fingers moved to caress his jaw almost made him weep. “I’m okay, Baby.”

Hailey returned with the first aid kit, and his mother washed the wound with peroxide. “I think it’s very shallow. I don’t even think it will need stitches. But it’s up to you, Julien. We can take you to the hospital or call an ambulance,” Mom told him.

Julien shook his head. “No. No, it’s fine. I’ve already caused enough trouble. It’s really nothing.” He couldn’t even imagine what he would say to the hospital.

The explanation alone was too much of a risk. Jules was sure the whole matter was sorted with Rossi now, but he couldn’t risk something else happening.

“They probably can’t do much anyway,” Hailey said. “Besides, charge him like a thousand dollars for an Aspirin.”

“Are you sure?” Tyler asked. “The bullet isn’t in him, is it?”

“Honey, the bullet barely even hit him,” Connie saidconfidently.

“No! It’s over there.” Hailey pointed out with a cry. She rushed over and picked it up, holding it like a trophy. “I can’t believe that just happened. Is everyone alright?”

“Yes, I think so,” Mom said. “Tyler?”

Tyler only gave a weak nod as his mother dressed Julien’s wound.

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