Dump and Chase (Nashville Assassins Next Generation 1)

“She’s awesome. So sweet,” Wes calls out, standing beside me in all his nakedness.

I make a face and hold up my hand to guard my view of his schlong. “Dude.”

He doesn’t even care. He looks back to Benson. “You treat her with respect, you respect this team, you’re golden.”

Benson doesn’t seem convinced. “Dude, she ripped me apart because there are pictures of me on Instagram at that orgy party I had last week.”

I snort as I shake my head. “Yeah, that’s a no-go.”

Boon hooks a thumb toward me. “BB knows all about that. He came here and turned over a new leaf. He’s a fucking saint now.”

I flip him off. “Hardly.”

“Maybe not with his girl,” Boon says, waggling his brows at me.

“You got a girl?” Benson asks, and all eyes turn on me.

“Yeah,” I say simply.

“But we’ve all heard about your fuck-’em-and-leave-’em philosophy.”

I scoff. “I left that back in New York.”

I’m not lying either. I think I did. Before I talked to Elli that first day, I only wanted to see Shelli again. That should tell me something right there.

Benson shakes his head. “So, one girl?”

I stand up, getting dressed. “Elli told me to get one girl and stick with her. It would keep my nose clean. So, that’s what I did.”

And I couldn’t shake what I feel for Shelli even if I tried.

His dark eyes hold mine, and he looks as if I’m speaking German. “How does that even work?”

I shrug. “Great, in my opinion,” I say, putting on my hoodie and grabbing my bag. “I’m good with it.”

Benson isn’t comprehending at all. “What about feelings? Don’t they start falling for you and shit?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“And what do you do? Wait, don’t tell me you feel shit for them! That’s a recipe for disaster.”

I used to think the way he does, but not anymore. I’m unable to say that, though. It will lead to more questions, and I already feel Boon’s and Wes’s gazes on me. I don’t want people in my business, so I shake my head. “No, I just ignore it all and get what I want from her.”

I meet Wes’s and Boon’s gazes and shake my head, which makes them both smile as I head out with a wave to the guys. “See ya—”

My words fall off when I see Shelli with Shea and Elli beside her, standing in the doorway.

One look into Shelli’s eyes and I know one thing.

I’m so fucked.

My instinct is to hold out my hands, so I do because I have to calm the storm that is brewing inside her. But Elli and Shea are watching me. I drop my hands and inhale. “Um… Hey, guys. Um—” I’m stuttering like a fucking fool, and in all honesty, I probably am one. “Did you want to talk about that thing, Shelli?”

When a tear falls down her cheek, it wrecks me. I don’t care that they are there; I don’t care who the fuck is here. I take a step forward, holding up my hands, and she smacks them away. “Shell—”

Her eyes shut me up instantly. The roar of my heartbeat is killing my eardrums and probably breaking my ribs. “Really, Aiden?”

“No. I promise. No.”

“Is that what you’ve been doing all this time?”

“No. Fuck no, Shelli. Can we talk over here?” I say, jerking my head to the side. “Please.”

“I have nothing to say to you—”

“Shelli, for real—” She turns quickly, her hair flying with the turn, but I’m on her heels. I ignore the death glare coming from Shea—partly because I’m confused by it but mostly because I have to get Shelli to listen to me. “Shelli, no. Listen to me. I didn’t mean that at all. Stop,” I say, reaching out for her, but she whips her arm out of reach.

“I can’t believe you! I’m so fucking stupid.”

I finally get ahold of her and stop her. “Shelli, you’re not. Baby, listen to me,” I demand, my eyes trying to capture hers as I hold her in place, but she’s got that fighter’s soul. “I didn’t mean any of that. I was just shooting the shit with the guys—”

“And mentioning the one thing I have an insecurity about?”

I raise my brows.

“Oh yeah, Aiden. I have insecurities too. I’m scared you’re just with me for the fuck, but I ignored that because I believed in you, in us. But that’s all in the tank now.”

I look down the hall, terrified, to see both of her parents watching me.

“They already fucking know, Aiden! They’ve known since last night!”

My gaze snaps back to her. “Well, this is fucking great.”

“Yeah, it is. Especially since I just sat in my mom’s office and told them that you’ve changed. That you’re a damn good man and you make me happy. That I love you, that I choose you—”

“That shouldn’t change due to what I said in there, because it wasn’t the truth, Shell. I looked at Boon and Wes and shook my head. I didn’t mean it! I promise you, I was trying to protect us—”