Page 69 of Dismantle & Prevail

Ari doesn’t let me down as he tilts his head down to meet mine. “Sorry Butterfly. I will not risk your life. I—”

“I know, but I need to save her and the rest of those girls. I can’t just let them stand there with those filthy bastards. Please Ari. You can stay here and I’ll go back. They won’t recognize me.”

A black SUV pulls up next to the alley and I freeze. But the fear quickly dissipates when Ari moves towards the SUV and slides into the backseat.

As the unknown driver pulls away from the curb, Ari takes both of our masks off before rapidly typing on his phone.

He doesn’t say a word, and my frustration grows. “Ari. Let me go back. I promise I will call you and keep you updated. Just go back to the hotel and I will call you when I get them to safety.”

“No.”

Turning in the seat to fully face him, the slit of my dress falling open further. “What the fuck do you mean, no? Last time I checked, I am a grown woman who is capable of making her own decisions. You may be the man that kisses me goodnight, but don’t get it twisted for a second that I am not in total control of what I can and cannot do.”

Aries types rapidly on his phone for a moment longer before turning his full attention on me. “You’re right. I am the man that kisses you goodnight and holds you when you can’t sleep. You’re also correct that I do not control you or tell you what you can and cannot do. But that doesn’t mean I am not going to protect you with every fiber of my being.”

“But—”

“Let me speak, Taylor.”

His voice is stern and I know I should listen, but the look on Melody’s face keeps replaying in my head.

I open my mouth to protest, but Aries stops me by dragging me into his lap, his tattooed hands cupping each side of my face. “Stop. Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

His thumb brushes against my cheek and I can’t help but sink into his touch.

“Then I need you to trust me that I have the situation handled.”

“But how?”

“I just activated the New York team. They are walking in there as we speak and have explicit instructions on who to look for.”

Shock must be evident on my face because a small smile spreads across Aries’ face. “I would never let innocent women just stand there and continue to be taken advantage of. I just needed to get us out of there and out of danger before all the hard work and putting ourselves in danger went flying out the window.”

Sighing, my head drops to Ari’s chest. “I’m sorry. I should have listened to you.”

“Say that again.”

My head pops up and I glare at him.

A chuckle escapes him, and he pokes my side, eliciting a screech from me. “Stop!”

“Not until you say those beautiful words again.”

His tickling continues, and finally, when hiccups overtake my body, I throw my hands up. “FINE! I’m sorry! I should have listened to you. You were right!”

Aries torture immediately stops, and he smiles. “Damn. You didn’t have to add in the “I was right” part, but thank you. Words of affirmation are my love language.”

Dramatically, I fall back against his chest, not hiding my eye roll. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Not the love language. Who the hell are you, and what did you do with the grumpy man who would stare at me and watch my every move?”

Ari spins me in his lap, his dark eyes meeting mine. “He finally got the girl that he has been in love with for years to admit that she feels the same.”

My eyes go wide. “I–I didn’t—”

“I know you didn’t. But you will. Just give it time.”

Did he just…yep. Aries Clark just told me he loved me in the back of the car in the middle of New York City.