Page 93 of Fighting Shadows

“I know I’m not forgiving yet. Hell, I might not be for a long time, but I love you, Little Monster, and I want you to know that I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you and your brother for how I failed you both. He’s still not speaking to me, but he’s doing better after his talk with you…” Dad gulps, his throat bobbing as he swallows heavily, “I promise I’ll make up for it all, but I promise that you’ll only ever have unconditional love and support from me.”

“That sounds nice,” I say, tilting my head back to look at the ceiling.

“It’s the bare minimum, Autumn, and I hate that you ever felt like you had to settle for less.”

“Too right she deserves more. I’ve made some coffee if you’d like some Little Sis,” Aidan says, coming into the foyer with a mug of coffee in his hands.

Nodding my head, I get up and make my way into the kitchen, not missing the stink eye Aidan gives Dad as he follows after me.

“Hello, Sugar,” Mrs. McKay greets as she dashes around the kitchen, “Are you hungry?”

“I don’t think I could eat,” I mutter, pressing a hand to my stomach to try to settle the nerves fluttering around.

Between them attempting to get Charlie and the kiss with Noah, I’m a big ball of nerves.

Dad’s phone rings, and he walks out of the room to answer it.

“We have a visitor,” he says a moment later, walking back in.

“Who?” Aidan barks.

“Ellie,” Dad says.

Sucking in a sharp breath, I grip the edge of the table to stop myself from losing my balance. What are the chances that she appears the same day the guys try to deal with Charlie?

“Do you want me to getridof her?” Aidan asks, looking over at me with concern.

Taking a deep breath, I shake my head, “No. I need to talk this out with her.”

“What are the chances, though?” Dad asks, voicing my previous thoughts.

“I don’t know, but this needs to be done. Can you bring her to the living room?” I ask him.

“Of course.” Dad leaves to collect Ellie from the front door, and security escorts her up from the gate.

Taking a moment to collect myself, I look to Aidan, “Can you be outside the room? She won’t talk if you’re in there, but I’d feel better if you were close by.”

“Of course,” he says.

“Thank you. Also, can I have your knife?” I ask, hating that I don’t have my own, which is currently in Dad’s safe along with Dominic’s.

Aidan unsheathes his knife, handing it to me.

Hiding it in the waistband of my jeans, hating I have nowhere else to keep it, but I refuse to be in a room with her unarmed after everything she did last time.

Taking a deep breath, I build the walls around my heart and tell myself that she’s not the same girl I became friends with. I make my way to the living room, waiting for Dad to bring her in.

Aidan stands at the door, his posture rigid. He scans his eyes over Ellie as she approaches and sneers when she stops in front of him, “Touch her, and I’ll kill you.”

Ellie nods but stays silent, and Aidan moves to the side to let her pass, “Door open or closed?”

“Closed.”

“If you need me…”

“I know.” I nod, smiling at him as he closes the door; both he and Dad, on the other side, bring me comfort.

Finally, I turn to Ellie and take her in.

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