Page 28

Aries

Boone, Tucker, Reagan, Zoro, and Indy are there waiting for us the second we step foot through the door of the compound.

Boone’s face is full of fury. Indy and Zoro not far behind him.

Boone knows better than anyone that Clay’s reappearance is far from coincidental, and we need to make a plan now before he goes back into hiding.

“Tay! You’re back! I need your help with something!” Tucker exclaims, threading his arm through Taylor’s and pulling her towards the door that leads to the rooms and The Heart, with Reagan following close behind them.

Taylor glances over her shoulder, giving me an “ I’m sorry” look, and I give her a reassuring nod.

Her gaze stays locked on me for a second longer before turning around. She knows something is wrong. The entire plane ride was filled with an almost suffocating wave of unease. I hate lying to her, but it's for the best.

I will not let her get involved with the man who killed my daughter, which in turn, almost killed me.

As soon as the door closes, Boone, Indy, and Zoro circle me.

“Talk now,” Boone demands.

Shaking my head, I say, “Not here. In The Heart. I don’t need a gossip train starting.”

They all agree and we head straight for The Heart, closing the door behind us and taking our seats.

My head falls into my hands, my fingers pulling at my hair. I finally allow myself to break.

The man that I know killed my little girl is alive and, from the looks of the security footage, is living the high life.

This man should be rotting in the depths of hell. Instead, he was at some party, knocking glasses with billion dollar big wigs that are just as dirty as the money in their pockets.

“Ari. You okay?”

Taking a deep breath, I scrub my hands down my face and pull my hair into a knot.

Indy stares at me, waiting for a reply, and I reach out to pat his arm. “Sorry, brother. I’m okay. I didn’t want Taylor to worry, so I haven’t had a moment to just…” My words trail off as I try to find the right way to describe just how I’m feeling.

“Process the fact that a man you thought was dead has come back from the grave?” Boone says, taking the words right out of my head.

“Yes.”

“Prez, I mean this with no disrespect, but if you are just entering into this with Tay after being in love with her for years, isn’t keeping her in the dark a rocky way to start a relationship?” Zoro asks, popping a cigarette in his mouth but not lighting it.

Zoro has never been afraid to give it to me straight, even if it goes against what others are saying. And he’ll say it with his full chest, without an ounce of remorse for how it makes you feel, but judging by the fact that he hasn’t lit his cigarette and his light blue eyes are staring into mine with a hint of fear, I know this time is different.

Zoro, Indy, and Boone have been by my side for years and are the only ones who know what really happened with Clay and Rayne. So I am shocked he hasn’t put two and two together. When it comes to this man, I will die before I let him get close to anything I love, but I understand. If he came to me and tried to keep something from Indy, I’d be concerned too.

“Z. I appreciate you looking out for me, brother. But she cannot get involved. If she gets hurt because she stuck her neck out again for the sake of getting answers, it would be the end of me. She is ruthless with finding information for the people she cares about and she leads with no concern for her own safety. You know what kind of monster Clay is and if he were to get his claws on Taylor, I’d never forgive myself.”

Everyone nods in agreement. Zoro leaning back in his chair and lighting his cigarette.

Indy’s hand moves to rest on his husband’s knee as Zoro blows a plume of smoke in the air. “I get it, brother. I’d do the same for this guy,” Zoro says, pausing to thread his fingers through Indy’s. “I just wanted to see where your head's at. Now, what are we going to do? I vote finding this fucker and putting a knife in his dick, but that’s just me.”

“Fuck. I think I just fell more in love with you. Boone, help!” Indy says, dramatically slumping into the table.

“Rather not. But I think we can do better than a knife to the dick. I’d prefer slow dismemberment,” Boone says nonchalantly before turning his attention to me as Indy and Zoro murmur in agreement. “Prez? What do you think?”

“I don’t care, but I will get the first crack. He–He killed my daughter. He burned my entire world to the ground, just like I burned his pretty little operation. I want him to suffer, so when he finally gets to the gates of hell, the devil‘s torture will seem like child’s play.”

“Understood. Now what did you see?” Indy asks.

“Taylor and I were watching footage from the party. We knew everyone on that guest list because Taylor had pulled it the night before and I didn’t recognize a single name. So when I saw his face, I thought I was seeing things, but then he turned and I saw that damn tattoo.”

Indy furrows his brows and looks around the room. “What tattoo?”

“Clay has a tattoo that most will not notice with the naked eye, but if you are looking at him from the right angle, or a security camera, you can see it. It's a small smiley face with x’s for eyes, nestled right on the top of his head. His hair is normally buzzed down to the skin, so if it’s even grown out by a quarter inch, it’s hard to see. It was one of the first things we noticed when we were reviewing camera footage from the house he kept Raynie in,” Boone explains.

Indy and Zoro nod in understanding before looking to me.

Leaning back in my chair, I clasp my hands and rest my elbows on the armrests. “Since we won’t have Taylor, we will need to rope in Tombstone so we can get facial recognition going on every street corner in the US and Canada. If he is spotted, I want feet on the ground and in the area a—.”

“What’s going on here?”

Our heads snap up and see a very pissed off Taylor standing in the doorway. Judging by the daggers she is throwing at me through her darkened green eyes, I can tell this isn’t going to go well for me.

Standing from my chair, I motion for the guys to remain in their places and turn my attention to Taylor.

“Hellhound. Everything is fine. I will meet up with you in a little while. We can watch a movie or you can kick my ass at Mario Kart again,” I say, keeping my voice calm and lighthearted.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she moves to the end of the table, her hands propping her up as she leans forward. “Don’t lie to me, Aries. We may have just started this relationship, but I’ve known you for a while. And I know when you are keeping things from me. So tell me what the hell is going on or I swear to—”

“Nothing is going on that I need your assistance with.” The second the words leave my mouth, I instantly regret them with the glare she sends me.

“Nothing going on? Or nothing that you are willing to tell me because you don’t trust me?” Taylor asks, her voice cold and void of any emotion.

Tilting my head to the ceiling, I let out a sigh. “Taylor Sloane Morgan. I have told you time and time again that you are an asset to this team. We wouldn’t be Braveheart without you. You go on every mission and help lead the team in ways that none of us could ever come close to. It’s just—”

Standing, Taylor raises her hands in surrender and backs up. “It’s just that I am not needed on missions regarding the man that says he loves me. The missions where trust and confidence are needed most, I just don’t fit the criteria.”

Taylor’s words hit me like a ton of bricks as she spins on her heel and leaves the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Silence fills the room and I instantly regret not including her.

I knew I was taking a risk not telling her, but the fear of something happening to her outweighed everything.

I see now that was a grave mistake, and I know exactly what I have to do. Because I’ll be damned if I let ego or fear stand in the way of having a chance with a woman like her.

Taylor

The cool flooring of the gym sends a shiver up my spine, but I pay it no attention.

Heading straight for the table in the corner of the room, I begin taping my wrists, anger coursing through me at rapid speed.

Ari, the man that I trust with every ounce of my body, can’t find it in his heart to let me be there for him when he needs me the most.

For the second time, I’m being shut out when all I want to do is take a step inside and experience the unexpected love that Aries Clark claims to hold in his brave heart for me.

Slipping on my gloves, I tighten the strap around my wrist and move to the punching bag hanging in the middle of the room.

As soon as my fist hits the bag, anger rises to the forefront of my mind, causing my punches to follow in rapid succession.

How could he? How could he constantly show me that I am the girl he has been waiting his entire life for, only to keep me locked out as something dark wades in the shallow waters behind his eyes?

I may not be an expert at relationships, but I know for certain that you have to go through the darkest of days to see if you can be there for each other on the brightest of days.

Ari isn’t even giving me a chance to prove that I can be that person.

Punch.

Tears fill my eyes and I swipe them away with my glove, mad that I am letting my emotions get the best of me.

Punch.

Last fall, I was in this same room, punching this same bag, crying over the same man. Only this time, it's not because he is gone, it's because I know I am falling in love with this man and he doesn’t trust me.

Punch.

Punch.

“Ugh!!!” A guttural cry escapes me and I swipe away the tears once more.

Fuck being vulnerable. Fuck letting my walls down. Fuck the idea of letting myself fall so deeply and allowing myself to finally live.

If this is what love is supposed to feel like, I don’t want any part of it.

Is it nice having a friend to go to daily just to not sit in silence? Yes.

Is it nice to have someone to act as your dreamcatcher when your past creeps up? Yes.

Is it nice to have your entire body lit on fire because of a hot, tattooed president of a club that saves people from the pits of hell? Fuck yes.

Is it nice having a person you can trust with your entire heart that no matter how dark your mind becomes, they will see the bright side in you? Yes, but not when they don’t allow you to return the favor.

Tears fall in rapid succession down my face, clouding my vision, but I don’t stop.

Punch. Wipe tears. Punch. Wipe tears. Punch.

Suddenly, my hand slips and I’m immediately hit with deja vu.

No. Not again.

I wait for the pain to hit me, but it doesn’t.

What the hell? When did I close my eyes?

My eyes flutter open and I swipe away a tear, jumping back when my gaze zeros in on the sight in front of me.

Ari stands in front of me, his back against the punching bag. His eyes are shining with sympathy and hurt as his hand moves to rub his chest.

“Damn, Hellhound. Forgot how much power you have behind your punch.”

Taking a step back, I turn around facing the opposite wall, not wanting anything to do with him in this moment.

I feel him against my back, and I take another step forward.

“Please let me explain, Taylor. I’m so sorry.”

Spinning back around, I stare up at him. “Sorry you got caught saying I would not be involved or sorry you don’t trust me,” I say, malice dripping from my voice.

Ari gestures to the couch on the opposite side of the room, and because my mind is emotionally fried at the moment, I follow him like a damn lost puppy.

He pats the seat next to him and I sit down, leaving space between us.

Pointing to my gloved hands, he asks, “May I?”

Exhaustion hits me, and I lean back against the couch, placing my hand in his outstretched one. “Fine, but only because I’m tired.”

He tries to hide the chuckle that escapes him but fails. The anger beginning to dissolve inside me, despite my protest.

“Of course. Now, is there something you would like to say first, or can I plead my case?”

“You can plead your case, but I can’t promise you will win. The defense is quite pissed off at her plaintiff boyfriend.”

Ari’s head snaps up. “Boyfriend?”

Scrubbing my gloved hand down my face, I sigh.

He would latch onto that one word and act as if he won the damn lottery.

“Yes, Aries. Last time I checked, you calling me your girlfriend usually implies that you are my boyfriend,” I say, sarcasm coating every word.

Before I can stop him, Ari leans forward, placing a chaste kiss to my lips before returning his attention to my glove. “Sorry. Had to.” He pauses to pull the glove off and immediately starts working on the tape covering my wrist. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t have acted the way I did or implied that I didn’t trust you. I trust you with my entire heart and soul, Taylor.”

“You keep saying that, but why are you keeping me in the dark? You may think you’re an expert at hiding your emotions, but you’re not. I can see right through that facade. You may have everyone else fooled, but not me.

“You came to me when the nightmares were too much, but now that you are healthy enough to fight back, I’m locked out. Why am I good enough to fight the demons in the night, but not the ones that lurk in the daytime?”

Ari’s gaze is locked on mine as silence fills the air, my words hanging in suspense.

Grasping my hand in his, he moves to kneel in front of me, his dark eyes staring straight into mine. “I’m so sorry. I will not bother you by saying the same things I’ve said many times before because right now they will fall away behind the noise of you thinking I don’t trust you. So please hear me when I say this.”

Ari pauses and tears well in his eyes. And because seeing this man hurt is like a punch to the gut, I bring his hand to my lips, placing a soft kiss on the small anchor tattooed on his thumb.

“Are you listening, Hellhound? Because I’m going to make this short and sweet so that beautiful head of yours doesn’t have room to over-analyze it,” Ari asks, his voice cracking.

I nod.

“I trust you with my entire soul and if my sweet Rayne were alive to see the day I met the one true love of my life, I would trust you to take care of her heart, just like you do mine. I’m in love with you, Taylor. Always have been and will be until my last breath.”

A lone tear cascades down my face, and I don’t care.

Launching off the couch, I fly into Aries’ arms.

Aries hugs me tightly against his chest as we fall backwards onto the padded floor.

“I’m sorry, Hellhound. I just want to keep you safe and out of danger. It would gut me if anything happened to you because of me. But I see now that keeping you in the dark will do nothing but pull us apart. And I can’t protect you if you start pulling away, thinking I don’t trust you. I’m so—”

I cut his words off by slamming my mouth against his. “Stop,” I say, leaning back, my arms propping me up on his chest. “I understand. I’m sorry for not sticking around to hear you out. You’ve asked me not to get involved and I should respect that, but like you said, I’m great at my job and who better to help you than your talented and beautiful girlfriend?”

Ari’s hands dig into my side, tickling me. “Full of yourself, Hellhound?”

“Very.”

Ari presses a lingering kiss to my lips. “Well, it's a good thing it’s true.” His eyes cast a long, lingering gaze over my face. “I love you.”

My head falls to his.

Ari Clark is the true definition of what I want in a man. He protects without caution and loves with a passion running thicker than the blood in his veins.

He has the patience of a saint and has shown me more grace than I deserve.

I have no idea what tomorrow may hold, but I know without a shadow of a doubt, I am falling for this man and I never want to stop.