YATES CARTER
Yesterday...
“Mr. Aldridge wants to see all of you in the cigar lounge,” my dad announced, walking into the main office and nodding towards the door. I was laid out in a large armchair, my eyes closed, as I realized officially that I wouldn’t be able to sleep until Dahlia was awake. I had figured that would be the case. Hell, I wouldn’t even be down here if I hadn’t known this conversation was essential.
“Fuck,” King muttered as he got up and walked out of the room, the others following. I stayed put, arching a questioning brow at my dad. You would think he would be more concerned about his son’s possible upcoming death.
“I don’t believe that he didn’t know before now,” I stated.
My dad poured a drink before offering me an amused look. “And you would be right, but it’s very different assuming than having it thrust in your face. Dahlia has never dated anyone, and now he has to have a conversation with six of you. I don’t blame him for being a bit pissed.”
I scowled at the thought of Dahlia dating. “Do you even realize how hard it was to keep her single? Throughout all of school?” He should honestly be glad I didn’t cause more legal issues for him. I could have easily killed one of those bastards that assumed they could ask her on a date.
My dad barked out a laugh. “Son, I am well aware of everything you have done to keep tabs on Dahlia.”
“Everything?” I felt my chest squeeze, a sliver of nervousness invading my consciousness.
My father shook his head in mock shame. “It’s my damn house, Yates. You think I didn’t check out what the hell you were doing up there?”
Honestly, I hadn’t because I figured I would have been shipped off to a mental institution if he had.
Before I could respond, he nodded towards the door. “I wouldn’t keep him waiting.”
I muttered a curse and strode towards the cigar lounge, wanting to get this over with. I wouldn’t lie, not much outside of Dahlia’s well-being mattered to me, but I would prefer if Mr. Aldridge approved of this situation. Either way, Dahlia was still ours, and nothing—not even fucking death, let alone her parents’ approval—would keep me from my bunny.
“Sit.” Mr. Aldridge pointed towards one of the six chairs facing the desk he was leaning against, the others silent as I produced a frustrated sound. I didn’t sit on command, fucking ever. Still, out of respect, I sat down and kept my gaze on his expression as he looked over the six of us. I managed to glance over at King, who offered me a look that told me to keep my shit together. I nearly scoffed at that.
As if he had room to talk.
After looking at all of us, Jason ran a hand over his face and looked skyward, letting out a resigned sigh. “I could say a lot right now, and I have half a mind to put the fear of fucking god in each one of you.” He crossed his arms as unease crawled over my skin. I really hoped he didn’t threaten me because I had no idea how I would handle that.
Probably not well.
“With that being said, I have known this was coming for a bit now,” he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Now that we are here though, I don’t know exactly how to handle this… I’m torn, boys.”
“Torn?” King asked.
“Yes,” he hissed, “because I have watched all of you grow up into the men you are today, men who I trust with my daughter’s safety on a daily basis…but this is different. I want to make it extremely clear that just because you have grown up together and are best friends does not give you some right to be with her. If Dahlia wants to be with you, it’s her choice, but I don’t want any of you to view this as a given.”
Ah, but it was a given, because I would never let Dahlia leave.
She was ours. It was really that simple. But I kept my mouth shut because in theory, I understood what he was saying. He didn’t want us to take Dahlia for granted. To assume she would always be there for us. What he wasn’t considering is how we had literally planned our entire futures around her happiness.
I had half a mind to expose just how deep the obsession ran.
“Mr. Aldridge, if I may, we will never be good enough for your daughter,” Lincoln said, causing Mr. Aldridge to narrow his eyes on him.
What the fuck was Lincoln doing?
“But no one is going to love her more than us,” Sterling followed up.
Okay, that could possibly work.
“I don’t disagree with that,” Jason admitted before asking a reasonable question. “Why now?”
“We waited until she was done with school and until we were more settled in our plans for this year,” King explained, “but it was coming to a point where she was starting to think we didn’t feel the same as her, and that wasn’t acceptable.”
After a moment, he looked towards Stratton. “What about you, son?”