Tending Their SECRET by Crystal Perkins Read Free Book Online Page A

they started working
together. He’s never liked me, thinking I’ve never earned anything
in my life. How he got that idea, I’ll never know. My dad certainly
would never perpetuate it—he knows better than anyone that I
refused everything I could as soon as I was able to get a job. I’ve
done everything I could to prove to myself, and those I care about,
that I can stand on my own.
    “Who the fuck are you?” Ellie asks.
    “He works for my dad.”
    “I bet he wouldn’t be still working for him
if your dad heard him talking to you like this.”
    “Aiden wouldn’t tell. He’s too cool for
that, right?”
    “Maybe he wouldn’t, but I have no qualms
about shutting you up. One way or another.”
    “You should stick to being pretty. That’s
working for you. I’d hate to mess up your pretty face.”
    “I’d love to see you try.”
    “You touch her, and you’ll be dead by
morning. No joke.”
    “Am I supposed to be scared of the Golden
Boy now?”
    “You should be scared of his father,” my dad
says, coming up behind us. “I don’t know what the hell is going on
over here, but threatening a woman is not something I will
tolerate. From anyone.”
    “You know I wouldn’t really hit her,” Dave
says, looking nervous. He should. My dad is totally serious.
    “I’d like to think I know that, but people
have a way of surprising me. And not always in a good way.”
    “I think Ellie and I should leave.”
    “After dinner. Please, Aiden,” my dad
says.
    I know it will look bad if we just walk out,
and I can’t do that to him. I nod. “Just keep them away from us.
Ellie is off limits.”
    “Agreed. Andy, Dave, let’s find our
seats.”
    “Did that just happen?” Ellie asks as they
walk away.
    “Welcome to the real D.C. You sure you still
want to be with me?”
    “Aiden Ford, if you seriously think some
jealous assholes are gonna scare me off, you really don’t know
me.”
    “I was hoping you’d say something like
that.”
    “Let’s go eat,” she says, taking my hand
once again, and leading me to the dining room. I go willingly. The
sooner we eat and dance a little, the sooner we can leave. I’m
already sorry we came, but my dad comes before me. Always has, and
always will. Even if the assholes he surrounds himself don’t
acknowledge it.
    * * *
    Ellie
    Dinner went better than expected, mostly
because we were seated with the Masons, Isa, and Vicki. Andres
behaved himself, and Dave was at another table. The tension was
still there, but our friends did their best to lighten things up.
Dancing is about to start, and then, thankfully, we can leave.
Aiden needs to get out of here.
    “May I have this dance, Ellie?” Tim asks me
as the music starts.
    “Stealing my thunder, Dad?”
    “Never. I just want to get to know my future
daughter-in-law better.”
    “We’re not engaged,” I remind him.
    “You will be. I don’t know
when, but I do know my son.”
    “And now the pressure is on,” Aiden says
with a groan.
    “No pressure,” I tell him, as I take Tim’s
hand and we head to the dance floor.
    “How much longer, Ellie?” he asks once we’re
dancing.
    “You get the reports.”
    “Yes, but it’s not enough. I need you to
nail this bastard to the wall.”
    “So Aiden and I can get married and live
happily ever after?”
    “Honestly? There’s nothing I want more than
that. For my son to be truly happy for the rest of his life.”
    “I know. We’re close to pushing the guy over
the edge. He’s getting sloppier every time we stop him. Between
Faith and I thwarting him with the bastards Aiden stops, and Isa,
Jake, and the guys Aiden hired stopping him from getting to the
innocent, he’s going a little crazy.”
    “Be careful, Ellie. I want my son safe, and
free from jail, but I also know that if anything else happens to
you, he’ll be the one going over the edge. Especially if it happens
because of him.”
    “You could tell him the truth, or let me
tell him.”
    “No. He’d never