Chapter 113 Mystery Man
Dakota's P.O.V.
"Are you sure there was nothing between you and Shea? I just want to be prepared if I need to kick her ass, too. I'm not into sharing, and I swear if another one of your exes tries to lay a claim on you, I'll pull out my knife." Ari chuckles and shakes his head.
"I promise she's the one you won't have to worry about. If you guys meet, she'll love you." I hope he's right.
"Are you hungry?" I ask, kissing him and lying my head next to his.
"No. Having you here with me is all I need. You can leave if you want to get some rest." I can tell he doesn't want me to, and I'm not planning on leaving anyway.
"I'm here for as long as you're here. Your dad was telling me about some of your childhood. It sounded kind of lonely." Ari smiles and shrugs slightly.
"It was. That may be one of the reasons I got hooked on computers. I had a lot of time on my hands, and there were only nannies around. Did you have nannies?" I can't imagine not having my cousins and siblings.
"No, we never needed any because there were always someone's parents around. My parents want to meet you, but I didn't think you'd be comfortable with that right now." Ari smiles and kisses me.
"Maybe it's better for them to meet when I'm like this. They won't kick a man when he's down, will they?" I smile and shake my head.
"They talked to your dad, and they know I wouldn't fall in love with just any riff-raff. They're supportive of our relationship." I reassure him.
"You know, I wouldn't have been able to get through this without you. I have never felt so connected to another person in my life. When you're not with me, it feels like the best part of me is gone. I'm so scared you're going to change your mind and no longer want me." I like it when he shows me how vulnerable he really is.
"That's not going to happen. I feel the same way. We're in this together. Our love will keep us going no matter what hurdles we may face. Try to rest, and I'll be here when you wake up." I kiss him again, and he closes his eyes. A few minutes later, he's sound asleep.
A tear escapes as I watch him. Knowing his mom abandoned him affects him more than I think even he realizes. I would love to have a chat with her. Maybe put her in the chair in the negotiation room next to whoever tried to kill us. It's time to put that room to use.
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Noah's P.O.V.
I can't sleep, so I sit up and pull out my laptop. Thankfully, it wasn't damaged in the blast. Dakota wants me to look into Grandpa's murder, but I think we need to start with the new events. Something tells me they're connected. If I can find out who tried to kill us, then it may lead me to who tried to kill Dakota four years ago.
I begin searching the cameras near the garage at the compound. The easiest way is to go back to when the SUV was last used. It was only two days before the explosion. I push fast forward, but at a speed where I can see who goes in and out of the garage. There was nothing until this morning. I see someone going in with a bag. He comes back out ten minutes later without the bag. I can't make out his face right away. When I freeze it and zoom in, I feel sick. Why would he try to kill Dakota? Oh, shit. This changes everything. We can't trust anyone.