“You’re wrong, boy. We should be focusing on protecting ourselves and this town. But I won’t lie and say the thought never crossed my mind. You don’t need to get attached to her. It’s pointless.”
“Pops, what part of I want nothing to do with your plans do you not understand? It’s never going to happen, so just drop it.”
“You act like following the old ways is a crime. It’s not. It’s how our ancestors always did things, and we need to honor them. Not look down on them with contempt like you do, like you’re better than those who came before you. There’s nothing wrong with the old ways.”
“There is in my book. And there was in my father’s, too.”
With that parting shot, he spun on his heel and stalked out, ignoring his grandfather’s voice calling for him to come back. Anger was pulsing through his veins, and if he didn’t do something about it now, he’d say something to Pops that he’d come to regret.
Not trusting his grandfather around customers, not after this morning, he flipped the closed sign on and stalked outside, making his way to the forest on the other side of town. He wanted to wreck shit, and he couldn’t do that where anyone could see.
But there were two questions circling his mind as he made the trek to the woods. Was he angry about this never-ending argument with Pops, and the way he was trying to force him to do something that repulsed him?
Or was he angry that Pops was calling Olivia a danger and trying to force him to stay away from her?
Because he had no doubts that his grandfather wouldn’t stop pushing the issue, even after he took the job. He wouldn’t put it past him to try some underhanded shit to get what he wanted, either.
Cody was still going to take the job, though. He couldn’t not take it. And if she didn’t accept his estimate and didn’t end up hiring Aaron’s, he’d find another way to see her again. She was calling to him on an elemental level he’d never felt before.
But he’d for damned sure keep an eye on his Pops. He wasn’t going to let the old bastard do anything to scare Oliva away.
Chapter 4
Olivia
“Are you sure this Cody person seemed nice?”
Olivia took in the worried frown on Fiona’s face and gave her the most reassuring smile she could muster. “He really did. I promise I’ll be okay. Carlie and Paisley will be in the house, too. You don’t have to worry. I won’t be alone.”
Her sister nibbled on her lower lip, staring at her with conflicted eyes. When guilt entered her green eyes, just a shade darker than her own, she knew what her next words would be.
“I shouldn’t leave you here without me. Maybe Sierra and I can just find a really good spot to hide inside.”
Sierra glanced over her shoulder at them, doing her best to smile at the suggestion, but she could see the way it quivered on the edges. Of all of them, she was the most terrified of strangers. She hadn’t even gone into town once in the six months they’d lived there.
But it was clear that no matter how afraid she was, she was willing to hide in the house, rather than staying with Fiona in the woods. She’d made a commitment to not hide anymore, and it was obvious that she was ready to try, but Olivia couldn’t ask that of her. She wasn’t ready yet.
And neither was Fiona.
Focusing on her sister, she shook her head and gave her an easy smile. “No, it’s okay. He’s just one man, and I’ll have the others, too. That’s three dragons against one human man. We got this. I know you and Sierra are the most nervous to be around people. And no one is saying you have to try right this second. It’s okay to take some more time.”
Fiona reluctantly nodded, but the guilt was still there. “If you’re sure. But if he tries anything, yell. I’ll hear you and I’ll come right away, strangers or not. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you again.”
Olivia’s heart broke just a bit at her sister’s earnest words, but she worked to keep everything except reassurance off her face. “It’s not your job to protect me. And it’s not your fault that I was captured.” Fiona frowned, opening her mouth to argue, and she quickly pushed on. “It’s not.
“I wasn’t in the house when they grabbed you. If they went in there, they wouldn’t have found me. I could have run, but I chose to try to rescue you instead. I was taken because of a choice I made. Not because of a choice you made.”
Fiona stared at her for a long moment before nodding, but it didn’t fool Olivia. She didn’t believe it now any more than she had the other million times she’d said it in the past seven months.
“I hate to interrupt,” Sierra said softly. “But are we hiding or leaving? He’s supposed be here in about twenty minutes, and if he comes early, I’d rather be out of sight.”
“Y’all are leaving. I’ll be fine,” she reiterated firmly. “I promise. Now get out of here. She’s right, he could arrive early.”
Fiona gave her one last worried look and then nodded, walking outside with Sierra. Sighing, Olivia walked to the back door, watching as they made their way across the large yard. She’d thought Fiona was working through her unresolved issues from their kidnapping and imprisonment, but maybe she’d just gotten a little better at hiding them.
“He should be here soon,” Carlie said from behind her, causing her to jump. “You sure you don’t need us to do the walkthrough with you?”
Shaking her head, she turned to face her. “No, that’s all right. It would be weird if we all followed him around. Besides, I didn’t get any bad vibes off of him. He seemed nice, and I know y’all will be close.”