Tempted By My Ex’s Brother-In-Law - Chapter 25: Chapter 25
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Aria’s POV
“AHHH—!”
Screams rang out all around me as I fell. My wolf saved me at the last second, but I still landed hard and twisted my ankle badly.
“Aria!” I heard Jace shout, panicked.
In a flash, Zane was already at my side. He gently scooped me up in his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I was trembling from the pain. “Yeah…No. God it hurts…I think I twisted my ankle.”
“Twisting your ankle from ten-meter fall? Did you forget you’re a werewolf?” he teased.
“Not a goddamn warrior, okay?” I muttered.
Jace came running over too, visibly freaked out. He reached for my foot to check the injury. “Fuck… are you okay?”
But Zane blocked Jace’s hand.
“Did you try to kill her?” he asked sharply.
I froze. So did Jace—his face twisted in shock and fury. “WTF did you just say?!”
“I asked if you pushed her on purpose and tried to kill her.”
“NO!” Jace shouted. “God, what the hell is wrong with you?! Why would I want to kill her?!”
Zane stood up straight, eyes locked on Jace. That usual playful grin was gone—his expression turned cold. Almost scary. “You said yourself this deal meant everything. Aria got it and you didn’t. Maybe you wanted to get rid of the obstacle.”
“For fuck’s sake…She’s a damn werewolf! If I wanted her dead, I’d poison her drink, not push her off a fucking balcony!” Jace snapped.
Zane turned to glance at the edge where I fell. “She landed barely half a meter from that statue. One wrong angle and she’d be skewered like a kebab.”
I followed his gaze and shivered.
He was right. Less than half a meter away was a decorative statue holding a sword. If I’d landed on that…I’d rather not to think about it.
Jace snarled, “OK, but still! I wouldn’t kill someone over a damn contract! Do you really think I’m some kind of psycho?!”
“I saw you push he. I would never lay hands on a girl like that. So why did you do it, Jace?”
Jace’s face went red. His nostrils flared.
He was quiet for a moment, then finally muttered through gritted teeth, “Whatever man. Believe whatever the fuck you want. But seriously, Zane? What’s with the white knight act? She’s Grayson’s bitch, not yours. You just met her. What’s in it for you to defend her like that?”
“I felt like it,” Zane shrugged. “Honestly, just stay away from her, okay? Or I might just go have a chat with Grayson about all this—even if thinking about that makes me wanna puke.”
Jace looked like he was about to explode from pure rage.
“You ready for the hospital?” Zane bent down to ask me. I nodded and tried to push myself up, but he just scooped me into his arms again like it was nothing.
“Wait! You don’t have to—”
“Relax. This isn’t the first time I’ve carried a girl like this. Just a shame it’s not to the bedroom.” He smirked.
He carried me outside. A sports car was already parked at the entrance. He slid me into the passenger seat before jumping into the driver’s seat.
“Buckle up. We’ll be at the hospital in 30.” And with that, the car sped off.
“And hey, thank you. For the contract. And for standing up for me back there,” I said sincerely.
“No big deal,” he shrugged.
There was one question I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Aren’t you and Jace… friends? Weren’t you worried what you said back there might ruin things between you two?”
He scoffed. “Friends? Please. I don’t have as many friends as you think. And Jace’s certainly not one of them.”
OK then. Poor Jace. He probably thought he was best buds with a rich heir, but turns out the guy never respected him at all.
“Besides,” Zane added, “even if he was my friend, I’m not gonna stand by and watch him try to kill you.”
I blinked. Then laughed. “Come on, Jace would never. You totally got it wrong.”
“You sure? Half a meter, Aria. That’s all it would’ve taken.”
A chill crept up my spine, but I shook my head. “No. Not a chance. Jace might insult me, set me up, make up lies, but murder? He isn’t capable of something like that.”
“Underestimating the people you think you know is dangerous. They’re the ones who know where to hit hardest,” Zane said quietly and glanced at me. “How can you be so naïve? I thought Grayson’s girl should be at least half as hypersuspicious as he is——”
“Stop the car!” I suddenly shouted.
“What! What’s wrong?”
“Alpha Grayson! I was supposed to have dinner with Alpha Grayson tonight. Oh my god—I completely forgot!” I cried in panic.
I checked the time. It was almost 9 p.m. I was over an hour late.
Zane burst out laughing. “Holy shit, you stood up Grayson? That’s a first.”
I grabbed his arm. “Forget the hospital—take me to the restaurant now!”
“No can do. I’m not your personal chauffeur,” he grumbled.
“Then I’ll jump out here and walk.” I reached for the door.
“Okay, okay! Geez, you’re insane. Fine! Give me the address.”
I did. Then I spent the entire ride begging him to go faster. But of course, we hit traffic, and it took nearly an hour to get there.
By the time we arrived, it was almost 10.
I hopped out on one foot and rushed to the restaurant entrance. But when I gave the receptionist the name of the reservation, she gave me an apologetic smile.
“He already left a long time ago.”
Of course he did.
I was two hours late—why would he still be waiting for me?
This was something I’d been looking forward to for so long. And I completely blew it.
I walked out of the restaurant, devastated. Zane was leaning against his car, arms crossed.
“No luck, huh?” he smirked.
“God, I’m so stupid,” I mumbled. I was almost too miserable to speak. “He must be so pissed.”
Zane snorted. “Grayson? Please. That guy doesn’t have actual emotions. He’s not wasting energy being mad at you. You think he’s heartbroken or angry or something? More likely he’s already moved on to the next ten hot girls waiting in line.”
I shook my head, not even bothering to answer.
He suddenly moved closer, throwing an arm around my shoulder with a huge grin. “Hey, since we’re both free now, how about I take you on a date instead?”
“Get off me, Mr. Elrod.”
“Come on, soon you’ll see that I’m a lot more fun than Grayson—”
That’s when it happened.
Suddenly, a car across the street roared to life and swerved toward us, tires screeching. It skidded right up to Zane’s car and slammed the brakes, blinding us with its headlights.
“WTF! What’s wrong with you?!” Zane shouted.
The driver’s door slammed open and a tall figure emerged.
“Aria. Get in the car,” Grayson said coldly, dark eyes locked on Zane.
“AHHH—!”
Screams rang out all around me as I fell. My wolf saved me at the last second, but I still landed hard and twisted my ankle badly.
“Aria!” I heard Jace shout, panicked.
In a flash, Zane was already at my side. He gently scooped me up in his arms.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I was trembling from the pain. “Yeah…No. God it hurts…I think I twisted my ankle.”
“Twisting your ankle from ten-meter fall? Did you forget you’re a werewolf?” he teased.
“Not a goddamn warrior, okay?” I muttered.
Jace came running over too, visibly freaked out. He reached for my foot to check the injury. “Fuck… are you okay?”
But Zane blocked Jace’s hand.
“Did you try to kill her?” he asked sharply.
I froze. So did Jace—his face twisted in shock and fury. “WTF did you just say?!”
“I asked if you pushed her on purpose and tried to kill her.”
“NO!” Jace shouted. “God, what the hell is wrong with you?! Why would I want to kill her?!”
Zane stood up straight, eyes locked on Jace. That usual playful grin was gone—his expression turned cold. Almost scary. “You said yourself this deal meant everything. Aria got it and you didn’t. Maybe you wanted to get rid of the obstacle.”
“For fuck’s sake…She’s a damn werewolf! If I wanted her dead, I’d poison her drink, not push her off a fucking balcony!” Jace snapped.
Zane turned to glance at the edge where I fell. “She landed barely half a meter from that statue. One wrong angle and she’d be skewered like a kebab.”
I followed his gaze and shivered.
He was right. Less than half a meter away was a decorative statue holding a sword. If I’d landed on that…I’d rather not to think about it.
Jace snarled, “OK, but still! I wouldn’t kill someone over a damn contract! Do you really think I’m some kind of psycho?!”
“I saw you push he. I would never lay hands on a girl like that. So why did you do it, Jace?”
Jace’s face went red. His nostrils flared.
He was quiet for a moment, then finally muttered through gritted teeth, “Whatever man. Believe whatever the fuck you want. But seriously, Zane? What’s with the white knight act? She’s Grayson’s bitch, not yours. You just met her. What’s in it for you to defend her like that?”
“I felt like it,” Zane shrugged. “Honestly, just stay away from her, okay? Or I might just go have a chat with Grayson about all this—even if thinking about that makes me wanna puke.”
Jace looked like he was about to explode from pure rage.
“You ready for the hospital?” Zane bent down to ask me. I nodded and tried to push myself up, but he just scooped me into his arms again like it was nothing.
“Wait! You don’t have to—”
“Relax. This isn’t the first time I’ve carried a girl like this. Just a shame it’s not to the bedroom.” He smirked.
He carried me outside. A sports car was already parked at the entrance. He slid me into the passenger seat before jumping into the driver’s seat.
“Buckle up. We’ll be at the hospital in 30.” And with that, the car sped off.
“And hey, thank you. For the contract. And for standing up for me back there,” I said sincerely.
“No big deal,” he shrugged.
There was one question I couldn’t stop myself from asking. “Aren’t you and Jace… friends? Weren’t you worried what you said back there might ruin things between you two?”
He scoffed. “Friends? Please. I don’t have as many friends as you think. And Jace’s certainly not one of them.”
OK then. Poor Jace. He probably thought he was best buds with a rich heir, but turns out the guy never respected him at all.
“Besides,” Zane added, “even if he was my friend, I’m not gonna stand by and watch him try to kill you.”
I blinked. Then laughed. “Come on, Jace would never. You totally got it wrong.”
“You sure? Half a meter, Aria. That’s all it would’ve taken.”
A chill crept up my spine, but I shook my head. “No. Not a chance. Jace might insult me, set me up, make up lies, but murder? He isn’t capable of something like that.”
“Underestimating the people you think you know is dangerous. They’re the ones who know where to hit hardest,” Zane said quietly and glanced at me. “How can you be so naïve? I thought Grayson’s girl should be at least half as hypersuspicious as he is——”
“Stop the car!” I suddenly shouted.
“What! What’s wrong?”
“Alpha Grayson! I was supposed to have dinner with Alpha Grayson tonight. Oh my god—I completely forgot!” I cried in panic.
I checked the time. It was almost 9 p.m. I was over an hour late.
Zane burst out laughing. “Holy shit, you stood up Grayson? That’s a first.”
I grabbed his arm. “Forget the hospital—take me to the restaurant now!”
“No can do. I’m not your personal chauffeur,” he grumbled.
“Then I’ll jump out here and walk.” I reached for the door.
“Okay, okay! Geez, you’re insane. Fine! Give me the address.”
I did. Then I spent the entire ride begging him to go faster. But of course, we hit traffic, and it took nearly an hour to get there.
By the time we arrived, it was almost 10.
I hopped out on one foot and rushed to the restaurant entrance. But when I gave the receptionist the name of the reservation, she gave me an apologetic smile.
“He already left a long time ago.”
Of course he did.
I was two hours late—why would he still be waiting for me?
This was something I’d been looking forward to for so long. And I completely blew it.
I walked out of the restaurant, devastated. Zane was leaning against his car, arms crossed.
“No luck, huh?” he smirked.
“God, I’m so stupid,” I mumbled. I was almost too miserable to speak. “He must be so pissed.”
Zane snorted. “Grayson? Please. That guy doesn’t have actual emotions. He’s not wasting energy being mad at you. You think he’s heartbroken or angry or something? More likely he’s already moved on to the next ten hot girls waiting in line.”
I shook my head, not even bothering to answer.
He suddenly moved closer, throwing an arm around my shoulder with a huge grin. “Hey, since we’re both free now, how about I take you on a date instead?”
“Get off me, Mr. Elrod.”
“Come on, soon you’ll see that I’m a lot more fun than Grayson—”
That’s when it happened.
Suddenly, a car across the street roared to life and swerved toward us, tires screeching. It skidded right up to Zane’s car and slammed the brakes, blinding us with its headlights.
“WTF! What’s wrong with you?!” Zane shouted.
The driver’s door slammed open and a tall figure emerged.
“Aria. Get in the car,” Grayson said coldly, dark eyes locked on Zane.
End of Tempted By My Ex’s Brother-In-Law Chapter 25. Continue reading Chapter 26 or return to Tempted By My Ex’s Brother-In-Law book page.