Page 22 of Beta Team-The Saviors: Part One

Ari loads Tyler’s chat screen, sends the picture, and Ari’s phone rings within seconds. He hits ignore, and it immediately starts again. Ari moves to lean against the headboard, pulling me up so I’m against his chest to see the screen. The phone rings one more time before a voicemail notification pops up. Ari turns on the speakerphone and hits play.

“You dirty old fucker. You can’t send me shit like that and then ignore me! Is that Jason? Please tell me that’s Jason, and you finally did the no-pants dance to get some aggression out? You’ve been mean and grumpy. Holy shit! You just fucked a dude! This needs to be on the company website or something. Wait. We don’t have one. I’ll call Nolan and have him make one. Congratulations! Someone found you hot enough to get naked with you.”

“I regret my decision about him knowing,” I joke.

“Too late now, Sweet cheeks.” Ari’s phone starts dinging with messages, so he silences it and opens the screen.

Tyler: Why would you do this to me?

Tyler: Just at least tell me it’s Jason.

Tyler: I might cut your dick off if it’s not.

Tyler: I’ve been rooting for this from the beginning.

Tyler: ARI! Answer me *insert crying face emoji*

Tyler: I see you reading these, dickhead.

Tyler: A

Tyler: R

Tyler: I

Tyler: I hate you.

Another message rolls across the screen, and Ari changes to Keon’s chat.

Keon: Why the fuck would you send him something like that and then leave us to deal with the aftermath? He’s freaking the fuck out. Just an FYI, the whole team knows now.

Ari: I don’t care, and I wanted to mess with his dumbass first.

Keon: I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing, lol. That is Jason, right?

Ari: Of course it is.

Keon: Good. I’m confiscating Tyler’s phone for this bullshit. See you later.

Ari throws his phone on the bedside table and kisses the top of my head. “Why don’t we take a shower and go get breakfast?”

“It’s like eleven o’clock, babe,” I laugh. Ari’s brows furrow, and I think I fucked up somehow until he slides down the bed so he can see my face.

“I like that,” he says gruffly.

“Like what?” I ask breathlessly from the intense look on his face.

“You calling me babe.” Ari pecks my lips and stands from the bed. “Fine. We’ll go get lunch.”

What kind of life has Ari led that something as simple as being called babe makes him happy?

“For the third time,I’m not telling you shit,” I tell Tyler later that night at the bar. He’s been sitting here for twenty minutes grilling me about Ari.

“But you have hickeys,” he whines. “I just need to know if Ari is the one that put them there.”

“Ask Ari,” I deflect, gesturing to him. Ari laughs and gets up from the bar, going toward the bathroom.

“He won’t tell me,” Tyler pouts, laying his head on the bar top.