Page 73 of Dismantle & Prevail
Aries: No.
Boone: Good. Get home safe.
Aries: See you soon.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Aries
Boone,Tucker,Reagan,Zoro,and Indy are there waiting for us the second we step foot through the door of the compound.
Boone’s face is full of fury. Indy and Zoro not far behind him.
Boone knows better than anyone that Clay’s reappearance is far from coincidental, and we need to make a plan now before he goes back into hiding.
“Tay! You’re back! I need your help with something!” Tucker exclaims, threading his arm through Taylor’s and pulling her towards the door that leads to the rooms and The Heart, with Reagan following close behind them.
Taylor glances over her shoulder, giving me an “I’m sorry”look,and I give her a reassuring nod.
Her gaze stays locked on me for a second longer before turning around. She knows something is wrong. The entire plane ride was filled with an almost suffocating wave of unease. I hate lying to her, but it's for the best.
I will not let her get involved with the man who killed my daughter, which in turn, almost killed me.
As soon as the door closes, Boone, Indy, and Zoro circle me.
“Talk now,” Boone demands.
Shaking my head, I say, “Not here. In The Heart. I don’t need a gossip train starting.”
They all agree and we head straight for The Heart, closing the door behind us and taking our seats.
My head falls into my hands, my fingers pulling at my hair. I finally allow myself to break.
The man that I know killed my little girl is alive and, from the looks of the security footage, is living the high life.
This man should be rotting in the depths of hell. Instead, he was at some party, knocking glasses with billion dollar big wigs that are just as dirty as the money in their pockets.
“Ari. You okay?”
Taking a deep breath, I scrub my hands down my face and pull my hair into a knot.
Indy stares at me, waiting for a reply, and I reach out to pat his arm. “Sorry, brother. I’m okay. I didn’t want Taylor to worry, so I haven’t had a moment to just…” My words trail off as I try to find the right way to describe just how I’m feeling.
“Process the fact that a man you thought was dead has come back from the grave?” Boone says, taking the words right out of my head.
“Yes.”
“Prez, I mean this with no disrespect, but if you are just entering into this with Tay after being in love with her for years, isn’t keeping her in the dark a rocky way to start a relationship?” Zoro asks, popping a cigarette in his mouth but not lighting it.
Zoro has never been afraid to give it to me straight, even if it goes against what others are saying. And he’ll say it with his full chest, without an ounce of remorse for how it makes you feel, but judging by the fact that he hasn’t lit his cigarette and his light blue eyes are staring into mine with a hint of fear, I know this time is different.
Zoro, Indy, and Boone have been by my side for years and are the only ones who know what really happened with Clay and Rayne. So I am shocked he hasn’t put two and two together. When it comes to this man, I will die before I let him get close to anything I love, but I understand. If he came to me and tried to keep something from Indy, I’d be concerned too.
“Z. I appreciate you looking out for me, brother. But she cannot get involved. If she gets hurt because she stuck her neck out again for the sake of getting answers, it would be the end of me. She is ruthless with finding information for the people she cares about and she leads with no concern for her own safety. You know what kind of monster Clay is and if he were to get his claws on Taylor, I’d never forgive myself.”
Everyone nods in agreement. Zoro leaning back in his chair and lighting his cigarette.
Indy’s hand moves to rest on his husband’s knee as Zoro blows a plume of smoke in the air. “I get it, brother. I’d do the same for this guy,” Zoro says, pausing to thread his fingers through Indy’s. “I just wanted to see where your head's at. Now, what are we going to do? I vote finding this fucker and putting a knife in his dick, but that’s just me.”
