Chapter 72

“What is it, Allie?”
“I need you to lay low for a while.”
“What? Are you crazy? I don’t have a curfew I need to keep. You aren’t my wife anymore, and let me remind you, it was your stupid choice!” He yells at the other side.
I take another deep breath. God help me! Logan never had a curfew when he lived with me. “Logan, listen. I need to talk to you about your safety. Do you remember when you asked me to lay low when you owed some people money months ago?”
The phone goes silent. 
“Did they come after you?” he asks, sounding scared for a moment seconds later.
“No, but this time, I’m the one asking you this.”
“What did you get yourself into, Allie? You didn’t drag my son into your mess, did you?” Guilt lingers in my stomach. Before I can answer, he goes on, “I know powerful people now! No one can hurt me, Allie. I don’t have to worry about any danger. Honestly, took you long to get mixed up with those lowlifes from that dump of a neighborhood we used to live in.”
Little does he know that that neighborhood has nothing to do with it. I don’t go into details, though. Truth is, I don’t feel close to my ex to talk about my situation, not even when we were married. But I also feel awful that I’m putting him in danger. “Logan, this is serious—”
“Yeah, yeah, right. Like you care about me. It doesn’t matter. Chelsea and I are going to get married and move out of here soon. That’s why I’m calling too. I won’t be able to see Az in the next few weekends. I have to work, and I don’t have time to waste.”
I close my eyes briefly. Thank God there’s no one nearby. “Spending time with your son is not a waste of time, Logan.”
“For fuck’s sake! You know what I mean, Allie! Fuck! I’m always wrong with you! Of course I didn’t mean that. Az is everything to me.” 
“Okay, I’m sorry, Logan. Just, please, stay safe, okay?” 
“But you’re going to pay me to stay at home, right?”
“What?” I gasp. “Logan! I can’t. I told you I can no longer give you money.”
“Well, this just fucking sucks! It’s got to be against the law for you to just stop giving me money!” 
“I can help you, but not like before. I just want you to be safe, Logan. I care about you.” 
“I get it. This little help of yours won’t be as much as I was getting, right? But I need that money to stay safe, Allie! Fuck. Some ex-wife you are. Az would be horrified by the way you’ve treated me.” 
“Logan—” 
My ex-husband ends the call, and I put my phone down, aware that my hands are shaking. I swallow down the lump of guilt in my throat. Please, God! Protect him.

🐺 🐺 🐺

I sit bolt upright in Ethan’s vast bed, tendrils of hair tumbling over my face in a tangled mess. My eyes drift to the side, and the familiar ache tugs at my heart as I realize, once again, Ethan’s not there. On the contrary, as I trail my fingers over the space beside me, I feel the cold, soft sheets under them. He’s been gone for a while now. 
It’s been like this since the day he declared I would marry him. Over two weeks have passed, filled with moments that have been more than perfect. The kind of happiness I hadn’t felt in years, even with the ever-present shadow of danger looming over me. The sex has been electric. Raw. Yet, despite all of that, I find myself waking alone, missing his perfect warmth beside me every time we have sex. 
Naked, I rise from the bed, my bare feet padding softly across the floor as I make my way to the bathroom. I glance at the open window. The curtains flutter gently in the evening breeze. Beyond it, the sun is nearly dipping below the horizon. The fading light feels like a reflection of my longing for something just out of reach, a yearning for the comfort of Ethan’s steady presence.
I have this feeling that he will reject me anytime. Because, what else is holding him back? I feel disappointment floods me. Of course, he doesn’t want to sleep by my side. Not that I’m sleeping in his bed every night—in the first night, it was clear that sleeping in his bedroom would be a huge step for Az, and Ethan didn’t seem comfortable with it either. Otherwise, he would have *demanded* me to stay because when does he not solve things that way?
Ugh. I shouldn’t be complaining. Everything is fine. Everything is fine, Allie! I convince myself.
What am I thinking? We’re together and that’s all that matters. I shake my head as if that will get these horrible thoughts out of my head.
“You’re an idiot, Allie!” I step out of the shower. “An idiot.”
“Little Dove.” I heard Ethan’s growl on the other side of the door. I shiver. 
“Say that again. I love it when you growl my name,” I say, part confessing, part teasing. 
“I told you to stop calling yourself names!” he snarls.
Good Lord! Now I can’t even voice my thoughts! I swear this man has super hearing!
When I put on my clothes and leave the bathroom, Ethan is nowhere to be seen. I bite my lower lip, go to the balcony of the room, and sit in one of the chairs, admiring the sunset. For a moment, I almost think I’d imagined him talking to me in the bathroom. Where did he go? Was he just going to leave me again? That seems rude. Then, surprisingly, a few minutes later, I feel his soft, warm robe being draped around me.
I attempt to stand, the world nearly spinning and my heart racing. 
“What are you doing?” Ethan asks. 
“Oh, I thought... thought you were leaving.” 
“I wasn’t.” He wraps his robe around me and I stare up at him. During the day it has been warm but at night it has been a little bit chilly here. But that’s okay because now I’m surrounded by warmth and his intoxicated scent. 
A sense of safety runs through me. Lord, I want this feeling forever. 
“Vi hasn’t arrived yet?” I ask as Ethan lifts the other chair and places it by my side to sit next to me, then he puts his huge arm around me.
Boy, Ethan is built. Like a bull. Strong and wide. It feels like nothing can get me when I’m in his warm arms. 
“No,” he answers.
“I’m worried about her, Ethan. She’s been working in Summerville for a while now. She needs to get some rest.” I say, shifting my eyes off the sunset to him.
He just grunts. “It’s getting cold. You should get in.” 
I rise to my feet. Just as I step forward and move past him, he pulls me firmly onto his lap and gives me a sharp smack on the ass before I can even sit down.
“Hey!” I rub my butt and glare at him. “What was that for? That wasn’t nice, Ethan.” 
“That was your reminder to stop calling yourself names,” he tells me. 
I cross my arms, feeling my cheeks blush. Well, that was just rude! Rude! But I’m not going to complain too much about it. Because I want him to do it again. 

🐺 🐺 🐺

“Az?” I yell but he doesn’t answer. “Lily?” They’re probably still training with Ethan. I make my way to the living room, and suddenly, I spot someone I haven’t seen around here since the Black Moon Festival.
“So, is that true?” Kelly asks with her arms crossed, looking from the top of my head to my toes.
I take a step back. And her smile widens. Damn it! 
“What are you talking about?”
Beside her is a checkered fancy suitcase. She’s wearing purple skinny pants with a black corset. Kelly is really tall, that’s for sure, even taller than Vi, but with those high heels on her feet, she looks huge, like a giant statue. I wish I looked that indestructible.
“Jordan told me about this wedding thing. But it can’t be true, right?” She takes a step towards me, her impenetrable gaze sending a shiver down my spine as if something inside me was screaming *danger, danger, danger*!
Swallowing hard, I finally dare to meet her eyes again. Boy, she’s mad. Her dark blue gaze is accompanied by a really tight jaw. 
Shoot! Of course Jordan would tell her. Ethan said he told Vi and Josh, since Maggie, Josh’s wife, knows, Jordan would know too. And since he’s Kelly’s brother, well, there’s no point in denying it now.
“Well, yes. We’re getting married.”
I didn’t imagine her face would contort even more than it already is. “I told you to stay away from him!” She stomps toward me, closing the distance between us in a few angry steps. “You’re just a charity case!” Kelly hisses. “You’re not worthy of Alpha Ethan. Step aside for someone who is. Me! Or I’ll make you step aside, you charity case!”
My words are broken off on a gasp as Ethan suddenly appears wearing only gray sweatpants, his muscular chest all sweaty and his face looking furious. “What the fuck did you say?”
As I look up at Ethan’s dark eyes, it isn’t love or kindness that I see. It is hate as he stares at Kelly.