Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(28)

He nodded, his face bright red, and the fear in his eyes told me he was scared shitless.

“Okay,” he sputtered.

I lifted my hand from his throat and stepped back as he coughed a few times and leaned over, resting his hands on his knees as he calmed his breathing.

The door opened, and two of the guys from his table stepped in, and he straightened quickly and turned toward the sink.

“We were getting worried about you.” One of the guys chuckled, and he nodded at me as I strode past them.

I walked toward the door and paused to see what he’d say.

“Yeah, I had to make a couple of calls. My girlfriend is flying in tonight from New York,” the asshole said as I let the door close.

I was pissed that whatever had gone on had scared her to the point of her pulling a weapon. She wasn’t the nervous type, and I had to admit that I found it sexy as hell that she had no problem defending herself.

Her eyes locked with mine as I approached the table, and I knew that she knew I’d confronted him just by the way that she looked at me.

She wasn’t angry.

She was curious.

But if she wanted answers, she’d have to answer my questions first.





eleven





Dylan





I’d caught a ride back to the office with Roger because he wanted to discuss some contract laws with me, and Duke wanted to ride with Wolf as he said he wanted to talk about their mother’s upcoming birthday.

I’d spent several hours with Roger, taking notes and asking lots of questions. He went over the contracts that they offered players and some of the language and legalities involved.

“I think you’re going to catch on quick, Dylan. Did Wolf lighten up on you after a few days?” he asked, as he sat behind his grand cherrywood desk.

I finished writing from where I sat directly across from him and looked up to meet his gaze. “He was fine.”

He chuckled. “I’ve known him his entire life. They don’t make them any better than Wolf, but he can be as stubborn as they come. Did you know he has every possible accolade that the Navy gives out? He’s a hero many times over. And clearly, you can see that he didn’t need to be out there doing what he did—I mean, financially, none of them need to work. But it’s who Wolf is. He’s going to be brilliant at leading this team and this company, but it takes time for him to warm up to people. So, I hope you have a thick skin.”

“Trust me. I can handle Wolf Wayburn. He doesn’t scare me.”

He chuckled. “You might be the first.”

I shrugged. “Now, Sebastian on the other hand… he’s about as easygoing as you get.”

He nodded. “Yep. They’ve each got their strengths. Sebastian will be a valuable part of this team, as well, but in a different capacity.”

“Well, thank you for taking me under your wing. I hope to make this permanent, but it sounds like the ultimate decision is up to Wolf.”

“He’s a smart man, Dylan. He sees your potential. He’s just a cautious guy, and he doesn’t trust easily. So just keep doing what you’re doing, and it’ll all work out. You two will be going back out on the road in a few weeks. Then everything will slow down over the holidays for a bit. So, get ready to start hitting the games.”

“I’ll be there.” I pushed to my feet and thanked him again before leaving his office.

“Dill pickle, is that you?” Hawk’s voice bellowed down the long hallway.

I hurried toward him, and he wrapped his arms around me. As much as I enjoyed being out on my own, traveling and chasing this new career path, I missed my family terribly.

They were my Achilles’ heel.

The only people I truly gave my heart to.

I was still feeling a little off from seeing Anthony at lunch. The asshole had some nerve to approach me after the way we’d left things. I’d blocked him immediately and hoped I’d never run into him again.

The creeper.

“I just got a text from Ever, saying that she’s here with Jackson,” I said when I pulled back. “I didn’t think you guys were coming until tomorrow.”

“I think she missed you. She sent me here to pick you up and bring you over to our place for dinner. Then we’ll both be here tomorrow, working. My mom and dad are in the city, so they’ll be watching Jackson over the next few days when Ever and I are working.”

I couldn’t wait for my sister to be at the office with me.

And leaving with Hawk would mean Wolf couldn’t grill me any further about Anthony. Hopefully, he’d forget about the whole thing by tomorrow.

“Well, I’m starving, so I hope she’s making something good.” I laughed as we walked past Wolf’s office.

“You heading out?” his deep voice called out, and of course, Hawk had to stop and say hello. I would have pretended I didn’t hear him.

Hawk moved into the office, and Wolf pushed to his feet and extended his hand. My brother-in-law pulled him in for a bear hug because that’s just who Hawk was.

“Good to see you, Wolf. Thanks for keeping an eye on Dilly for us. Ever has been miserable without her around.” He chuckled this big, boisterous laugh that made me smile. Hawk Madden felt like home, and I was happy he was here.