Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120838 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 604(@200wpm)___ 483(@250wpm)___ 403(@300wpm)
“Can I help you?” he asked, shrinking back.
“A word,” Dair clipped.
“I don’t know you,” Chad stated.
“Then ye dinnae pay attention to social media, or ye would,” Dair retorted, seeing as, with Helena’s death, they were all fucking over it.
There were photographers at the end of the lane at Treverton, 24/7, for fuck’s sake. Hale had to have his assistant switch out all their rental vehicles for ones with tinted windows so, if they needed to go somewhere, they didn’t do it and half an hour later, have a picture of them racing over the Internet.
And right then, outside, there was a pack of media behind steel cordons, taking photos of the people who arrived.
“Then again, I could see why ye wouldn’t ever get on social media,” Dair continued.
The man seemed to be getting angry.
Dair ignored that and said, “Now, I’d like to have a word.”
“I’d have a word with him if I were you,” Alex suggested.
Chad looked to Blake. “I just wanted to be here for you today—”
Dair pushed between Chad and Blake, planted a hand in his chest and carefully pressed him back. When he did, he heard several members of the G-Force make noises of approval.
“Excuse me,” Chad ignored the G-Force and snapped at him.
“I’m her man,” Dair told him quietly. “And we’ll be having a fucking word.”
“You are…you…” His gaze went to Blake, to Dair, up and down Dair, back to Blake, then again to Dair before he turned and walked away.
Dair followed him.
Chad stopped well to the side of the doors to the sanctuary.
“Is this necessary?” he asked irately. “I realize you know who I—”
Dair cut him off. “Aye, I ken who ye are which begs the question why you’re here.”
Chad looked dumbfounded by the demand. “We were once very close.”
“And now you very much are not.”
Chad squared his shoulders.
He was still three inches shorter than Dair.
“Helena has been a family friend for years,” he stated.
Dair looked around then back at Chad. “So, where’s your family?” He narrowed his eyes. “And where’s your wife?”
Chad stretched his neck out to the side, suddenly appearing uncomfortable.
Bloody hell.
“I see,” Dair said quietly. “It didnae work out.”
“I can’t imagine why you would think that’s your business,” Chad returned.
“It’s my business because you thought to use her mother’s funeral to get back in with my woman. I believe ye can see why, considering the ‘my woman’ part, I’d think it’d be my business.”
Chad opened his mouth, but Dair didn’t give him the chance to speak.
“I dinnae know ye, but what I know about ye, I shouldn’t be surprised you’d pull something like this. It’s out of line. Completely. You treated her like rubbish. You’re not an old friend. You’re the man who betrayed her. Her mother just died. So I must ask, what the hell’s the matter with you?”
Again, Chad was winding up to say something, but he couldn’t because Ned was there.
“The service is starting shortly,” Ned announced, looking at Dair.
His attention shifted to Chad and he didn’t hide his expression of distaste.
“Since you made the effort to be here, you may attend, but you’ll be sitting at the back and keeping your head down. Do not attempt to speak to Blake again. Leave, and crawl back to wherever it is you came from when this is over.” He returned to Dair. “My daughter needs you to escort her.”
Dair nodded. “Aye.”
He wasted a glance Chad’s way to see him pouting but that was all he took in before he smelled Blake’s perfume and felt her hand slide through his elbow.
He looked down at her.
“Let’s go,” she whispered.
Taking her in, Dair completely forgot Chad Head, and for Blake’s part, she didn’t even look at him. It was like the man wasn’t even there.
She’d been doing well these past few days. Not entirely herself, but the day she woke up at Treverton, and once Alex showed, she was no longer the walking dead.
Now, she seemed hazy, unsettled.
He pulled her closer to his side and moved to where Ned, Rix and Alex were standing, waiting for them to walk into the sanctuary.
Their other friends had entered the cathedral proper.
After they arrived at her family, they stood there as Nora approached.
“The choir will begin singing ‘Jerusalem’ once I sit down,” she told them. “Just walk down slowly and take your seats. And the service will begin.”
She squeezed Alex’s hand, Blake’s arm and hurried down the aisle of the very full church to where Jamie sat with Judge and Chloe, Hale and Elsa, and JT and Laird.
“Ye all right, lass?” Dair whispered.
She was gazing at her father, but at his words, she looked up at him.
Then she got on her toes and said in his ear, “Marlo should be here for him.”
The week Blake was in New York, Marlo had been traveling for work, and because of that, a meeting couldn’t be arranged.