Page 50 of Freeing Denver
Fair point, but this is Ronan’s littlesister. He’ll be expecting me to look after her, and sleeping with Ranger Luxe’s son is not that.
I wave my hand at them. “What the actual fuck, Alison? I thought you were sleeping with your bodyguard!”
She leans out from behind Axel. “That was forever ago. What, I’m supposed to pine after a few fucks?”
My insides recoil and I put my hands on my knees while taking deep breaths. Alison is like a sister, and hearing her say that is beyond disturbing.
“Oh God!” Denver screeches. “Aren’t you related?”
“No,” Axel says, pointing at her as if he’s already figured it all out. “Alison isn’t Rory’s daughter.”
“Still!” Denver says, exasperated. “It’s fucking weird! Alison’s half-siblings are your dad’s half-siblings …” She pauses. “This is math I cannot do. Colt, help me.”
I shake my head weakly, signaling to her that I need a minute.
Taf says, “They’re not even slightly related. Not by blood or marriage. I’ll draw you a family tree.”
Denver mumbles a thank you and says something about getting her gun. Taf goes to wait in the car, and I narrow my eyes at Axel.
“How long has this been going on?”
“A few weeks,” Alison says innocently, and she smiles sheepishly up at Axel. He turns pink.
I narrow my eyes at him. “You hurt her, and it won’t just be me you’ll be running from.”
He grins, and it’s strange seeing someone who looks so much like Ranger exhibit genuine happiness. “I don’t plan on it.”
Alison wraps her arms around his waist, still leaning out from behind him.
“You’re still going back to college,” I say to her. “You’re not skipping out for a boy.”
She nods. “I promise.”
“You’ll finish your law degree.”
“Yep.”
“And you.” I point at Axel. “You will not distract her.”
He shakes his head. “Nope. We’ve already discussed it.”
I frown. “You have?”
“I’m twenty-two; I know what I’m doing.”
Spoken like a true twenty-two-year-old.
While Taf explains the detailed family tree to Denver on the drive to the hotel, I hold her hand and stare out the window.
I like Axel. I do. He seems like a good kid, nothing like his dad, and he chose Denver over Ranger. But he’s still Ranger Luxe’s son. There will always be someone out for him in some way. He’s walking, talking leverage against a powerful man, and Alison getting involved with him puts her in danger, too.
It isn’t like I can tell her what to do. If I try to intervene, it’ll likely push them closer, and at the end of the day, she may not bea blood McEwan, but she’s close. She’s always been in some kind of danger.
Maybe I’m overthinking it.
Samuel is waiting in the hotel restaurant when we arrive. Denver rushes out apologies, but he tells her not to worry.
The meeting goes as expected. The land is owned by me now that I’m in charge, and I was never going to find issue in selling it to them for the casino, but formalities are needed when this much money is involved.
