Page 33 of Bully for Sale

“I’ll graduate in a few years,” Ned said, hoping to reassure Heath. “And when I start my career it’ll be under your guidance. I promise, I won’t make the same mistakes he did.”

“No. You won’t,” Heath said. “I’ll see to that. I’ll take you under my wing and teach you what you need to know, and I have friends who can help you, too. But Lidell has to be kept separate from all of that. He isn’t trustworthy if money is involved.”

“I know.”

“In the meantime, I want you to sever your friendships with those boys, and if the worst happens, then you’re to come to me. I’ll sort things out. For now, salvage what you can of your tattered reputation, because I won’t have you working with me in the future if everyone thinks you’re a bully, an addict, and a reprobate.”

“I understand, Uncle.” A weight lifted from Ned’s shoulders. He could walk away from Braden and Finch. His uncle had said so. He could be free. “Thank you.” Ned’s phone binged. He glanced down at it, heart leaping with hope.

Thank you again for your help with a place to stay. I promise to pay you back for your kindness.

But the name attached to the message wasn’t the one Ned was hoping for. It readAmos Elson.

Not Ezer. Why hadn’t Ezer reached out? Why hadn’t Amos insisted on it?

“Ah, here we are. I took the liberty of ordering for us both while I waited,” Heath said, as the waiters appeared and placed dishes in front of them, and a water was delivered at Ned’s hand, along with a glass of a sparkling wine. “Thank you, Dreyden,” Heath said to the waiter at his elbow. “This looks wonderful.”

“Yes, thank you,” Ned echoed, salivating at the eggplant caponata Heath had chosen for him. He hadn’t been hungry, but with the prospect of being done with his asshole “friends,” and the wonderful food now before him, now he was eager to eat.

They ate their food in companionable silence, and when they were done, both of them sent their compliments to the chef. Over a fluffy chocolate and raspberry dessert, Heath said, “Someone texted you earlier, and your face went on quite a journey. What was that about?”

“A ‘journey’?”

Heath smirked and then twisted his own expressions through a parody of excited hope sliding into mock despair. “So? Tell me.”

“Ah, well, it’s a strange story. Kind of long. We probably don’t have time for it.”

Heath examined his full plate and then flicked a glance at his watch. “We do. Tell me.”

Ned didn’t know where to begin. With his crush or his association with Ezer’s bullies, or what to say about everything most important to him right now, so instead he summed it up with, “I was in Roughs Neck when the apartment building exploded last night.”

Heath’s brows flew up. “Excuse me? What were you doing in Roughs Neck? Were you with those peerage hoodlums?”

“I was there because an omega…well,theomega I like is sometimes there.” He blushed, and Heath’s lips twisted in amusement.

“You? The boy who got caught at orgies last year, are now sitting here blushing over an omega? He must be something else.”

“He is. He’s complicated and fierce and—” Ned swallowed hard. “Beautiful.”

“From a good family?”

“Yes.”

“Then what was he doing in Roughs Neck? They’re reporting the apartment blew up due to an illegal Bright’s powder lab inside. Was he there buying that crap?”

“No, no! He lives there.”

Heath’s head cocked. “In the apartment building?”

Ned rushed on. “His da does. Ezer was visiting him—ah, visiting his da, I mean, and…” Ned cleared his throat.

Heath tilted his head. “Wait, is this one of Amos Elson’s sons?”

“Yes sir.”

“George Fersee was terrible to the man, but he’s still part of the peerage.” Heath pondered, “Yes, a son of his is a good option for you. The boy’s devoted to his da?”

“Yes, and I was in Roughs Neck because I was hoping to run into Ezer there.” It wasn’t true, but it’d become true in a way. He wasn’t going to admit to his uncle that he’d been there with Braden and Finch while they bought Bright’s powder. No way.