Neat Trick by Jaime Samms

Author:Jaime Samms [Samms, Jaime]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Erotic Romance Fiction
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group Ltd
Published: 2016-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Jacob

No one had asked me to intervene. But I couldn’t banish the memory of the look on Aaron’s face after Douglas left the night before. That terrified, overwhelmed and nineteen-fucking-years-old look that held everything I had known about life until we’d moved here. Aaron was helpless under it all, and still trying to give the kids around him what he hadn’t ever had. He was in way over his head.

“And so am I.” I glanced around, hoping no one had seen or heard me talking to myself.

But I’d committed to this stupid scheme. And there was no one I could tell. Bringing it to light would only piss Douglas off and, right now, Aaron could not possibly handle a pissed-off Douglas. I had to hope Aaron found and convinced Leibow to help us.

So I sat in my office, tried to work and waited for Aaron to call or show up. I mostly expected a phone call. I expected a goodbye and Aaron telling me he was going off with Douglas somewhere away from me and the Alley. He was going to leave the one place he could find people who would help.

I spent most of the morning staring blankly at the computer screen trying to imagine what tonight would look like if Aaron didn’t talk to Leibow, or didn’t convince the man to help. I didn’t want to even think what I would do if neither Aaron nor Douglas showed. It would mean they’d gone and I might never find out where. I didn’t trust Douglas for an instant. For hours I fretted about how badly he’d use Aaron. I sat there, lining up the silver on my arm, then shaking them loose to listen to the jingle and wishing it could have its usual soothing effect on my nerves.

It didn’t. I was twitchy, and the black well of anxiety Bernard had taught me to control had opened at my feet, just waiting to swallow me whole.

So when Aaron walked through the clinic door at half past one, I’d already half drowned myself in the disappointment of expecting him not to show up at all. The thug trailing my lover was a bit of a shock. I hurried out to greet them, but Cliff beat me to it.

“Von.” Cliff glanced between the huge man and Aaron. “What are you doing here?”

Von pointed to Aaron. “Him. He has appointment.”

“What does that have to do with you?”

Von flashed a smile. “I am his shadow. For now.”

Cliff snorted. “So what is Rolly’s stake in this kid?”

Von shrugged, another quick smile splashing over everyone. “I don’t ask, Cliff. You know this. Mr. Leibow says do, I do. He”—he pointed at Aaron—“needs shadow. So I shadow.”

“And he would be?”

“Aaron.” I stepped to Aaron’s side as I spoke up. I faced Cliff, sheltering Aaron from his hard look, because Aaron looked a little pale and worn and hurting. I wanted to take him in a hug and promise him everything would be fine. Facing down Cliff could be intimidating, even if Von dwarfed him by almost a foot.

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