Page 24 of The Wrong Bond (Wolf Billionaire #4)

CHAPTER 24

ARLENE

S hawn Elton.

The man who’d been on my mind every single day for the past five years. The man who I couldn’t stop thinking about. No matter how hard I tried to get him out of my head, it was impossible.

I looked around in search of Lucas, but he wasn’t there. It seemed like he’d disappeared into the growing crowd. The bar was a whirlwind of noise and bodies jostling for space, and I was pushed left and right as people moved around me while I stood rooted to the spot in shock.

I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping I was hallucinating, but when I opened them, Shawn was walking toward me.

It was as if time stood completely still. My entire world narrowed down to him as he walked toward me. He looked so different, more different than I could have imagined.

His handsome features were still there, etched into every crevice of his face, but so was the weariness he now carried in his eyes.

He looked more mature and physically tired. And the thing I noticed the most was how his clothes hung on his body, showing off his sunken clavicles and narrower frame.

What happened to him?

I’d imagined him healthy and full of life, but that was the exact opposite of what I was seeing right now.

I forced a smile as he approached me. “Shawn! What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice steady, despite the turmoil raging within me.

He hesitated, his eyes holding mine. “Ally.”

That one word seemed to sweep me off my feet, and my legs felt like they were turning to jelly. I wanted to scream and curse and ask him where he’d been and why he’d never searched for me, but I couldn’t bring myself to.

“You’re very far from home,” I said, not knowing what else to say.

“Home.” He chuckled. “I barely know what that is.”

I swallowed, my heart pounding in my chest. “It’s uptown, with Lora.”

But he didn’t respond to that. Instead he said,

“It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it has,” I replied, my voice casual, though my mind was racing.

Were we going to talk about the fact that I’d upped and left, or were we going to skate and dance around that topic all evening?

“How have you been?” he asked, his voice breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled between us.

“Busy. Owning a bar keeps me on my toes.”

A wry smile played on his lips. “I see you’ve traded the apron for more of a managerial role. I should have seen that coming when I saw the bar was named Ally’s.”

I smiled. “I learned from the best. And it’s a partnership between me and my friend.”

“You’ve done really well for yourself.”

That felt like a low blow to my stomach. Was he being honest or sarcastic? All this would have never been possible if I hadn’t accepted that money from Lora. Suddenly, all my achievements over the past five years felt like dust slipping through my fingers.

“Thank you.”

We stood in silence again, the sound of loud bar music surrounding us. My mind was completely blank and I had nothing else to say, because I was still processing what was happening. I hadn’t seen Shawn in five years and here he was, standing in my bar in front of me.

I’d thought that after I left, it would be easy for us to go back to our own worlds because there wouldn’t be any interactions between us.

Over the years, I’d wished for it to be different, but I knew he’d eventually forget me. But seeing him standing here felt so surreal. If I reached for him, I would be able to feel the softness of his skin on my fingertips.

My mouth went dry at the thought, and I shook it out of my head.

He’d just passed by, seen a bar with a familiar name, and stepped into it. I was just going to hide all of my feelings and cherish this accident.

“You look,” I started, breaking the silence, “tired. Are you okay?”

I’d never seen him this way, and it baffled me. I’d imagined his life with his fated mate would be the best thing ever, but it didn’t look like it.

Shawn hesitated. “I’m good. It’s just been a long day,” he responded, forcing a smile.

I studied his face, searching for any clues. He looked different, thinner, with a haunted look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. My mind raced to all the possible things that could have happened after I left.

He was still in his right frame of mind, which meant he’d stuck to the fated bond with Lora. I couldn’t help the wave of hurt that washed over me at that thought, but as long as he was fine, I was happy.

“You sure you’re okay?” I asked him again.

He nodded, smiling. “I’m fine,” he insisted.

I didn’t believe him. There was something off about him, but I didn’t want to press too much because it was none of my business.

“Um, well, I guess I have to go,” I said, about to leave, when I heard Shawn’s voice behind me.

“You look good. I’m sure you’ve been doing great without me.”

I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath. This was the last thing I needed right now. Seeing Shawn here, after not even hearing a peep from him in five years, was insane. He’d never come to look for me, and vice versa.

When he stared at me, I could see the look of intrigue in his eyes, but I reined myself in. I couldn’t keep pining over him for the rest of my life; I needed to move on, and quickly.

“I’ve been doing fine.”

He nodded. “Great.”

The world still felt frozen in place around us. I couldn’t shake the feeling of this being a sign, no matter how hard I tried.

“How’s Coral?” he asked.

Again, another question that hinted at the fact that I’d accepted money to leave him, but I swallowed and responded.

“She’s doing great. She’s in college now, studying to be a newscaster. She’s done with surgery and is living her best life,” I said with a smile.

Shawn nodded. “I know you’ve always wanted that for her.”

“I have.”

“I’m glad you were able to help her.”

Again, that accusatory tone.

Maybe it was my guilty conscience nibbling at me, but I couldn’t help but notice the weight in every word he said. I wanted to let him know that my leaving was to protect him from himself, but I didn’t know how best to start that conversation while standing in the middle of a packed bar.

I was just about to say something else when Lucas appeared by my side, looking from me to Shawn.

“Hey, Ally. What’s going on here?” he asked, suspicion evident on his face.

I gave him a small, reassuring smile, which I hoped reached my eyes. “I’m having a conversation with a friend.”

“Are you good?” Lucas asked again. He was talking to me, but his eyes were fixed on Shawn. I could tell he recognized him as the man I’d been pining over for years, the obstacle stopping us from being together.

I nodded. “Please take the girls home.”

Lucas nodded. “I’ll come right back,” he added.

I wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to because Shawn would never hurt me, but instead, I just nodded as he walked out of the bar. I knew he would be back almost immediately, because my apartment was close to the bar.

I turned back to Shawn. “That’s Lucas.”

“Your business partner?”

“Yup,” I responded, popping the “p.”

“Are you two together?” he asked.

I wanted to scoff, but that wasn’t too far-fetched. Lucas and I had stayed in close proximity for five years and with my broken heart, it should have been easier to lean on him, but it hadn’t been. Shawn had lived in my head constantly.

“We are not.” I swallowed and added, “I’m single.”

“You look good.”

That statement again.

I forced a smile. “Thanks, you too.”

Shawn hesitated, then took a step closer. “I’ve been thinking about you,” he admitted, his voice low.

My heart pounded in my chest. I had been dreading this moment, the moment when the past collided with the present.

“I don’t know what to say to that,” I said, my voice low.

He nodded. “I know. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to see you.”

I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. I’d obviously missed him too. Anyone close to me could see it, but the fear of getting hurt again or hurting him was a powerful hindrance.

Whatever conversation we were about to have shouldn’t be happening, so I decided to put an end to the small talk.

“It’s late,” I said, my voice firm. “I need to check our stock and leave. You can stay and have some fun. We have pretty good cocktails, much better than the ones at Mark’s Bar.”

Shawn gave me a small smile, and a rush of nostalgia passed through me.

“You can have fun here or head out when you feel like it.”

I walked away and headed to the back, my heart pounding in my chest. I stood there, between the crates of wines and liquors, and took deep breaths, leaning against the wall so I wouldn’t fall.

I pulled out my phone, scrolling through messages and emails, trying to distract myself. But my mind kept wandering back to Shawn, to the haunted look in his eyes. Something was wrong, I could feel it.

I was about to head back to the bar when Shawn walked into the back room.

“Can we talk?” he asked, his voice low.

He’d forgotten me for five years, so what was he doing here?

“This area is for staff only. You shouldn’t be here.”

“I know this is sudden, and I know I don’t have the right to ask,” he began, his voice filled with a vulnerability I hadn’t heard from him before. “But I need to kiss you.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“Don’t,” I managed to say, my voice trembling.

He ignored me, taking a step closer. His eyes held a desperate intensity that was both frightening and alluring. Before I could react, he snaked his hands around my waist and pulled me to him, kissing me.

The kiss was not gentle like I’d imagined it would be if we met after all those years. It was demanding, possessive, and filled with a raw hunger that took me by surprise. I tried to push him away, but his grip on me was tight.

Panic moved through my body as the kiss deepened. Panic because he hadn’t sought my consent and because I was enjoying it more than I should have. This was not the reunion I’d envisioned at all.

I managed to pull myself out of his grip, my body shaking. “Stop,” I gasped, my voice barely audible.

He looked at me, his eyes filled with desire and hunger. “Don’t fight it, Ally,” he said.

I looked around for a way to escape, but the door was behind him and if I wanted to get to it, I had to pass through him.

I raised my hand, intending to slap him, but he caught my wrist, his grip tight. “Don’t,” he warned. And then his lips were back on mine.

Just then, the door banged open and Lucas walked in, his eyes flaming.

“Ally, are you okay?” he screamed, pulling Shawn off me.

Before I could react, the two men went head to head with each other in a fierce struggle, crates flying as they lunged for each other. Glass shattered and drinks spilled as they threw punches at each other.

I tried to pull them apart, but I couldn’t. Their fists flew and their bodies collided with the wall and everything around the room. I couldn’t do anything, so I screamed for them to stop fighting each other.

The fight seemed to go on forever, each blow showing the raw emotions that the two men felt.

I ran toward them. “Stop!” I shouted over and over again, until the two men fell away from each other.

They froze, their eyes locked on each other. I turned to Lucas, my voice trembling. “Please go. I’m fine.”

“B-b—” Lucas started with a stutter, but I shook my head.

“I’m fine. I promise.”

He hesitated, and then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

I turned to Shawn. “We need to talk.” I swallowed. “Away from here.”

He nodded. We both headed to my place in silence, knowing that whatever conversation we were about to have would either make or break us.