Chapter 86
0086
Just then, James comes walking back up. He looks upset to see me hugging Brady, but to his credit, he
does not say anything.
“Alpha Brady.”
“James.”
“I was promised two hours. It has been 45 minutes.”
Brady shrugs.
“I suggest that Lily make up the time by having dinner with me tonight.”
“James, I already told you that Brady and I have plans.”
James looks directly at Brady. “Yes, but I am sure that Alpha Brady would agree that, if he has to bail on
your plans for tonight, he would rather you be with me than be alone.”
Brady scoffs. “Hardly. But it doesn’t matter. I have no intention of bailing on Lily. Unlike you, I saw her
value from the moment I met her.”
“If you are so sure you won’t bail on her, then there is no harm in agreeing with me, is there?”
Brady rolls his eyes.
“Fine, whatever. I’ll play your stupid game. If lightning strikes and I am forced to bail on Lily tonight, I will
not prevent her from having dinner with you… provided you take some of our security detail with you.”
“Deal,”
James smiles. “So now tell me, how long are you all planning to stay in Hawaii?”
“We leave tomorrow. I need to get Lily back to where she is living, and then I need to get back to my
packhouse and catch up on the work I have been neglecting while being here.”
“Fair enough. I suppose I will leave tomorrow then too.”
For a moment, listening to the two of them, I wonder if they fell on their heads while my back was turned.
Where was this ability to engage in polite conversation earlier?
And then it stops.
Brady’s phone rings. He glances down to see who it is, and then apologizes to me as he steps a little bit away. He is close enough that I cannot help but listen to his part of the conversation; it is the downside.
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+15 BONUS
“Hey, Sammy.”
“Really? Me? Wow. No, of course I want to. I would be honored. Wow. Thank you. When is it?”
“Tonight? As in, tonight tonight?”
“No, Buddy. No, of course not. I will make it work. I will not disappoint you. I am looking forward to it.”
“Okay, I love you too. I will talk to you tonight.”
Brady hangs up the phone and walks back to where James and I are standing. James has an even bigger
smile on his face, but Brady’s face is 100% stoic. It is the face that I have seen him get whenever he is
interacting with his team and wearing his “alpha” hat.
“Good news?” James asks, in a tone suggesting he knows exactly what Brady’s phone call was about.
“I do not know whether I should thank you or punch you,” Brady says in a flat tone.
“Probably both,” James responds.
“You are probably right,” Brady agrees.
I look at both of them with question marks. “James, what did you do?”
James just stares at Brady.
“Brady, what is going on?”
Brady just stares at James.
“One of you answer me!” I exclaim in frustration.
Brady gently touches my arm, while keeping an eye on James. “Lily, I am really sorry, but I have to bail on you after all. It seems that James has a pull with lightning.”
I look at James angrily. “What did you do, James?”
“Nothing bad, I promise you. I just helped out your friend here so that he could help me out.”
Brady rubs my arm. “As much as I hate the a&&hole here, he is right. It is not anything bad. I promise. I will explain everything to you later. But not here.”
I put my hands over my face and sighed. “I am getting really d&mn tired of all the secrets.”
James smiles. “So why don’t we use our dinner tonight to talk through more of them. I’ll meet you in the
I look at Brady and he nods. I nod in turn at James, and he walks away.
I have no idea what just happened.