Page 36 of Vicious Arrangement (Alpha Billionaire Daddies #7)

Chapter Thirty-One

ARIA

My world changes in moments. From dark to light. Hopelessness to hope.

The door splinters, and Noah bursts in, flying at Aaron, brandishing a weapon and slamming it into his face, following it with a quick punch.

But Aaron staggers and then lunges forward, planting his fist in Noah’s face, and I scream, bursting into tears. God, I don’t want to cry. I want out of this. I want to hit the piece of shit in the balls.

The two of them are at each other, swapping blows, and at one point, Aaron gets the weapon and goes to slam it into Noah’s face.

I scream and Noah’s arm comes up, protecting his face, but leaving his stomach wide open for Aaron to target.

I go crazy, trying to rip through the ties to help Noah, and suddenly I realize someone else is there. Asher.

“Are you okay?”

“No. Yes. I will be. Get these off.”

“Keep still,” he says as he undoes them. “Now run.”

He jumps into the fray as Noah gets the upper hand. I should run, but I don’t.

Aaron’s on the ground now, and Asher steps away, but Noah doesn’t.

He kicks the man in the stomach and then the back of the head. It’s like a madman has truly been unleashed and the look on Noah’s face makes me quiver.

“Noah? Noah, I’m okay.”

“He hurt you. He took you. He drugged Angus.”

“I know, but…” I swallow. I don’t care about the man he wants to kill. I care about Noah. I love him with everything I am.

And I don’t think Noah would be able to come back if he killed him. I’d still love him, but he’d retreat, and I’m not sure we could reach him. And that… that would let this man win.

“Stop, please,” I finish.

I look at Asher, but he shrugs. “It’s his choice.”

“No…” I get off the bed and stand. “Noah, don’t do this. You have a choice, but make the right one for yourself, for our child.” For me. “Don’t kill him. Just… just stop, please. I’m okay. I’m not hurt.”

“Did he touch you?”

I lie to him, the one lie I’ll take to my grave because… he touched my thigh, but that’s the same as him grabbing my arm. “No, he didn’t, so don’t. It’s not worth your goodness, your soul, Noah. I don’t want to lose you. Please, please stop.”

I close my eyes and give in to the tears again, give in to the shaking and the weakness, and I start to crumble, but strong arms catch me. And they pull me against a hard, warm body that smells of pepper and bergamot, of home and safety, of Noah.

“He’s alive, Aria,” he whispers.

“He’s not worth you living with his death,” I say. “The man’s a piece of shit and not worthy of you. He’s the monster, not you. Not you, Noah.”

He takes me down to the bed with him, sitting on the filthy surface in his fine suit, with me on his lap, and I can see Asher tying up the unconscious man. “I called the authorities and an ambulance.”

“For him?” I say.

“For you, idiot,” Noah whispers.

I look at him and touch his face, where it’s starting to bruise. “I’m okay?—”

“Then you won’t mind being told that by the experts.”

“I’m an expert,” I mutter.

“The uninjured experts, princess.” He tilts my face to his. “I lost my mind. Angus lost his mind. He… he’s a pretty amazing dog.”

“I know. And he’s okay? You’re okay?”

“Yeah, we’re okay. Fuck, Aria…” He kisses me in a slow, sweet kiss that feels a lot like love.

It turns me into liquid inside, and I could float forever on kisses like that.

When it ends, he brushes my hair carefully from my face and traces the bruise, a dark, violent expression in his eyes as he takes it in, but there’s only warmth and tenderness when he meets my gaze.

“I love you,” he whispers.

My heart leaps. “I love you, too.”

But in the back of my mind I can’t help but wonder if he really means it or if it’s just this moment talking.

Because it all seems too good to be true.

After endless tests and being poked, prodded and CT scanned, I’m taken to my private room.

Noah holds my hand as the doctor gives her verdict.

“While everything looks okay and there isn’t a skull fracture or signs of swelling or concussion, she still took a nasty hit to the head. So considering her pregnancy and the trauma Aria’s been through, we’ll keep her in for a few days to monitor her and the baby.”

“I’m right here,” I say, “and a nurse.”

The doctor gives me a condescending smile, and I want to punch her, so I must be okay.

“But I do have one more test. An ultrasound so you can see your baby and hear the heartbeat.”

With those words, I forgive her, and the trepidation in Noah roots him to the spot as they start to wheel me out. I tug on his hand. “It’s okay, I think you’ll like this.”

The technician talks him through it all, showing him why the baby looks like a blob and that the rapidness of the heart is perfectly normal and healthy.

I just admire the fetus we made in all its little alien-like glory.

Noah’s eyes are suspiciously damp, and he clutches the photo printout like it’s some kind of holy grail.

“Did you hear that?” he whispers to me when we get back to our room. “It was beautiful.”

“And just like that, an excited father-to-be is born,” I say. “See what you have to look forward to? One day that little weirdo will be a beautiful child.”

He looks at me like I’m the Wicked Witch. “Weird?” He shows me the blob. “Our baby’s gorgeous.”

Crap, this just makes me love him more, and my eyes tear up, too.

Noah refuses to leave, and he sleeps next to me, curled around me. Katie’s at our place with Angus.

As soon as visiting hours begin, Gramps arrives with a plant. It’s a polka dot cast iron plant, and it’s gorgeous. I smile, touching one of the leaves. It’ll look good inside the apartment. Give it some color.

Gramps tells me about work and his neighbors. “How’s my boy, Angus?”

“He saved the day,” Noah says.

Gramps frowns and winks at me. “Of course he did. He’s a very smart dog, young man.” Then he leans in. “Thanks for saving Aria.”

“Of course. I’d do it each day every day, too,” Noah mutters.

The door opens again as Katie and Asher come in. He hands me a drawing. “That’s you.” I look like a stick princess. There’s a giant next to me and a smaller stick figure. “The giant is Noah, and that’s me.” He grins. “Joshy wanted to come but… I didn’t want to traumatize him. Or the staff.”

It’s a part joke but there’s a truth there, and I wonder if his wife was sick and in hospital when she died. Maybe Josh had nightmares, but I don’t ask, and then I narrow my eyes as it hits me.

Asher and Katie came in together.

I choose my victim. “Is there something I should know?” I ask Asher, who turns beet red, and Katie bursts out laughing.

“You’d never make a spy, Ash,” she says.

“Katie,” I ask.

She holds up her hands. “Okay, okay, we’re seeing each other.”

“I knew it,” Noah says triumphantly. “It explains why you were so busy.”

“We’re happy for you both,” I say, squishing Noah’s hand in mine as Gramps laughs and gives Katie a hug.

“Both my girls are happy,” he says. “I’m happy. As long as you two young men keep them happy, hear?”

Noah and Asher placate Gramps, and he basks in it. But he finally checks his watch.

“You’re not going?” I ask.

“Got work to do, Aria.” He gets up and kisses my cheek. “No more adventures like this, okay?”

“I promise.” I turn to Noah. “Can you walk him out to his car?”

He hesitates. “I don’t want to leave you?—”

“Noah,” I say, “no one’s coming for me and nothing’s happening to me. Besides, I’m in the hospital, and Katie and Asher are here. I’ll be fine.”

He gets up and follows Gramps out.

Katie glances at me. “What gives? Gramps doesn’t need an escort.”

“I wanted to talk to you for a moment.”

“Should I step out?” Asher asks.

“Nope,” I say. “Katie’s a sieve. What I tell her will go to you.”

“It’s true,” she says. “I have a low secret threshold, and I’m full up.”

I suck in a breath. “I don’t know what to do. My feelings for Noah are real.”

“Um, tell us something we don’t know,” Katie says.

“But I’m scared because I don’t know where I stand with him. He said he loved me at that hotel, but adrenaline was high, and… what if he said it to keep me from going? What if he’s exaggerating his feelings to get me to stay?”

“That’s bullshit,” Asher says. “I know him better than you at this point, and that’s not Noah’s style. I’ve known him since we were young, and I’ve never, ever seen him like this over a woman. If he says he’s got feelings for you, Aria, then he does. He wouldn’t bullshit you.”

“Talk to him,” Katie says. “You’re having a child together, so lay the cards out now rather than later. See what happens.”

“You’re right,” I say, and settle back.

I’ll take their advice and be honest with Noah about my feelings and insecurities and see what happens.