Taking Shots (Assassins, #1)(74)

Shit, shit, shit, shit.

“Broadway?” Shea asked, everyone turned to look at him, except Elli.

“Oh, yes, Eleanor has a voice of an angel,” Michael said with a grin trying to change the subject. Little did he know, Michael was just making it worst. But her daddy had always been her biggest fan “She didn’t even go to college first. Bryan had called one of his director friends up in New York and Eleanor auditioned at seventeen, next thing you know she’s on the stage, starring at Fanny Price for Funny Girl. She was, and still is, amazing.”

Shea looked over at Elli again and like before she couldn’t look at him until he squeezed her hand, causing her to look up at him.

“Another thing that must have slipped her mind.”

Elli bit her lip as her mother laughed.

“Oh, no, she probably didn’t tell you because she got kicked off Broadway when she got fat. It was terrible, I tell you, Shea, she was close to what Victoria? 200 pounds?”

“Yeah, it was crazy,” Victoria added with a disgusted look on her face.

“It was, poor Justin, he just couldn’t take it, that’s why he broke the engagement.”

Fuck.





Shea had to of heard Elli’s mother wrong, “Engagement?” he asked.

Shea felt Elli tense up beside him.

“Yes,” Olivia said, taking a drink of wine, “She was engaged to Justin Yates of Yates Financing, such a fine man.”

“Until Elli got crazy fat and he left her for one of his interns,” Victoria added.

“He didn’t leave me, I left him,” Elli said, but no one was listening since they kept going on about Justin.

“They were engaged for what momma, four years?” Liam asked

“One year,” Elli said

“No, I think it was three,” Olivia said, completely ignoring Elli.

“Yeah, they were together forever, though, eight years?” Noah asked

“Five years,” Elli said, laying her fork down and taking a pull on her beer.

“Yeah, eight years, honey,” Olivia added.

Shea looked around the table. Michael had his head down, shaking it, as Adina and Lauren looked at Elli with sympathy in their eyes. “It was so sad to see him go, that’s why, Shea, honey, I’m not really getting attached to you. I don’t see you staying with Eleanor, you know between her weight issues and her so called career; she isn’t really good enough for you.”

“Wow, mother, thanks!” Elli said causing everything to look at her. She threw her napkin on her plate, standing up, causing her chair to fall back. “And this is why I don’t come home. I’m leaving.” She looked over at Shea, “I’m sorry,” she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes. Elli then walked out the room, leaving him with her family. Michael stood up, calling after her before he sent Olivia an evil look and rushed out of the room. Shea stood up slowly, throwing his napkin on his plate.

“Oh no, Shea, honey, don’t leave,” Olivia said, standing up, “She’ll be alright, she’ll come back when Michael tells her to.”

Shea was trying so hard to breathe, and not blow up Elli’s mom, he counted to three before looking at her, “I apologize if this comes out rude Olivia, but what the hell is wrong with you people? That woman is the most amazing person I have ever met, there is no weight issue, she’s beautiful, and her career, I mean, do you even know she is one of the most prestigious photographers in Nashville? Why are you guys doing that to her?” He shook his head, “You guys have issues.” Shea stepped out from the table looking down at Lauren and Adina, “It was nice meeting you, ladies. Everyone else, I could have went on without watching you tear Elli to pieces, let me say this, you’re lucky you are her family.” With that, he walked away, when he got to the front room, Michael was walking back towards him.

“She’s calling a cab apparently,” was all her father said as he passed by, Shea was pretty sure Elli’s family was about to get it from Mr. Fisher. They needed it that was for damn sure.

“It was nice meeting you, sir,” Shea said turning to look at Elli’s fathers back.

“You, too, Shea, now please go get my baby.” Shea nodded as he turned and walked out of the big doors to see Elli pacing by his car. He walked down the steps and when he got close enough to where she heard him coming, she looked up, her big green eyes full of tears as some started to fall over, rolling down her cheeks. His chest clenched at the site and he had to look away.

“I’m calling a cab, so you can leave.”

“Elli, get in the truck,” he said, going around the truck, and opening the door. She looked at him, then back down at the floor.

“You’re mad,” she stated

“Yup, pissed as f*ck, so don’t test me, get in the truck.”

Shea thought she was gonna fight him on it, but she didn’t. She got into the truck and he slammed the door before going around and getting in his self. They drove off the property and nothing was said until they hit the interstate.





“I mean, do I even know you Elli?” Shea asked, the tears were falling fast and Elli didn’t even look over at him, “You never told me your family is rich or that your uncle is Bryan f*cking Fisher, my boss. You didn’t think you should have told me that?”