Page 37 of Beta Team-The Saviors: Part two
I know that Tivon has tried to keep a low profile while he’s been at the safe house with us. I can’t imagine what he feels like after what happened, and knowing that we’re all like family and he’s stuck in the middle. But the more that we talk, I feel like he’s already a part of the Saviors.
I just wonder what his plans are after we take down Aharon.
16
TIVON
Idon’t think I’ve ever had someone tell me they appreciate me for the work that I do, so the conversation with Keon has me feeling off kilter. I never expected them to accept me the way that they have, much less be appreciative of me. Since I got here, I've felt like I was on the outside looking in. Not that they’ve ever treated me that way, they treated me as part of the team as soon as we got everything out in the open. It’s me that’s holding back.
My phone pings with a message from one of my team telling me that there’s been movement at Aryeh’s house, and I’m hit with a moment of indecision. I don’t run this team, but I can’t go alone. I go in search of Keon and find him on the couch watching TV with Aryeh and Kira.
“We have movement at your house,” I inform them when I walk in.
“I’ll ride with…” Keon trails off when Kira gives him a look, causing Aryeh to cover his smile with his hand. “Take Tyler with you. Gavin had to run out.” Keon sends someone a message, and I hear movement from upstairs.
Tyler comes around the corner, and I tell him what’s going on. Within minutes, we’re loaded into an SUV with me behind the wheel.
“What do you think this is?” he asks.
“I’m not sure. We’ve been monitoring it just in case someone showed up but we haven’t had a chance to install new cameras, just motion sensors.” Someone disconnected their old ones when Aryeh was still in the hospital.
“Good call.”
“I’m not sure what we’re walking into.”
Tyler slaps me on the bicep. “I’ve got your back.” When I don’t reply, he cocks his head to the side. “Why do you get weird when someone says shit like that?”
I shrug, uncomfortable. “I don’t know.” How the hell do you explain to someone that you aren’t used to this type of teamwork or compliments? “I’m close with my team, but I wouldn’t consider us friends. We work together out of duty. Relationships aside, you guys are still close.”
“You aren’t a stranger anymore, Tivon. You’ve more than proved yourself.”
We ride in silence for a few more minutes before I finally say what I’m thinking. “I just feel like a lot of this could have been avoided, had I come to Aryeh in the first place.”
“Man, we all wish we would have done things differently. Ari even said he wouldn’t have listened to you. All we can do now is move forward. I have a question though. Why do you insist on calling him Aryeh?”
“Because that’s what he’ll always be to me. I’ve had many names over the years, but Tivon is my given name, and the one I’ll always fall back on, no matter the life it represents.”
“We know very little about Ari’s life over there. I mean, we know the basics about who his father is and what happened to his sister, but he doesn’t share much. Was it bad for you?”
“Yes,” I answer honestly. “I was ripped from school to fight a fight we knew nothing about. We were taught to believe that we were always under attack. It wasn’t until I started training with Aryeh that I understood the truth.” I can feel Tyler’s eyes burning a hole in that side of my head, and glance over at him. “What?”
“It’s just that when you talk about Ari, there’s something in your voice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I admire Aryeh, sure, but there isn’t anything more there.”
Tyler snorts. “That’s a load of bullshit. Look, I get it. Ari protected you and taught you how to protect yourself. Of course there would be admiration there, but you spent your life protectinghimfrom a different country.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“That you want to put it in his ass.” My head jerks to look at him so fast that the car swerves slightly and I correct it easily. When I glance at him again, he’s grinning from ear to ear. “Come on. It’s just between us girls.”
“Until we get back to the house and you tell everyone else.”
“That’s not a denial.” Am I really that transparent about my feelings for Aryeh?
I take the turn that leads into their driveway and pull into the wide spot. “We need to go on foot.”
Tyler pulls his face mask down. “This conversation isn’t over.”That’s what I’m afraid of.
