“You ready for it to be over?”
I shake my head.
“Never known ya to be a quitter,” he adds and I can’t help but grin.
“Not quitting Dad, just taking time out to let things cool. I go in now, we’ll be at one another’s throat within the first two minutes. That woman has her fists up and ready at all times.”
“Bet that keeps things interesting.” He chuckles and it’s back to his phone. “Reminds me of your mama. I call that passion son, and at times it plays in our favor.”
“Nope.” I shake my head. “You can stop right there old man, I don’t want to hear another word. I know where you’re heading and there are things a son should never hear about his parents.”
His chuckle echoes over the cab of the truck and I turn up the music to drown him out.
“I’ll get that,”Bennett hollers out to me as I climb up the scaffolding. Damn thing shakes and it pisses me off more.
Ignoring him I continue on determined to do something to occupy my mind. It’s been a few days and I wasn’t quite ready to battle with Kendall again. Truthfully I wasn’t sure what to say to her.
Still pissed by the way she handled things, it felt like a better idea to give it some time. We are two very determined people fighting to win, neither accepting a loss. If we don’t both maintain some control, we very well may kill each other.
“Aaron,” Bennett hollers out once more and I wave him off.
“I got it,” I assure him, climbing over to the edge and grabbing hold of the board that was slipping. Only to find that it had never been anchored in the first place.
There is a reason why Greg got tossed last week, the guy did things half assed and it was leading to a lot of issues. Fucker couldn’t even secure the boards to ensure our safety. Half the time he spent on his phone on some dating app chasing girls half his age.
Bennett and Rory have gathered below, both staring up at me with their hands on their hips, perplexed looks on their faces. Questioning me was generally not an option, my father owned the company but I was the second in command. One day I’d be the big man, pissing me off normally wasn’t something any of them tried to do.
And over the last couple days everyone has picked up on the fact that I’ve been in a mood. Plus, Sophie and Jillian had a front row seat to the shit show between Kendall and I, so it spread like wildfire.
I figure I am the asshole that pushed too hard and I expect consequences the next time the six of them are all in one place and I happen to be there too at the wrong time.
Rory yells something and I continue to ignore them as I work to reposition the boards, anchoring in the grooves as I go.
Pulling my body up onto the platform I swivel, and my foot slides. I instantly feel myself losing my balance. The first thing I grab for is another board, only to find it too is loose.
Before I can catch myself I am free falling with nothing secure to grab on to. I hear people yelling just before I hit the pavement below and everything goes dark.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Aaron
I waketo the sound of sirens, people touching me as I swipe at the mask trying to be placed over my mouth.
“Sir, you need to put this on.”
“I can breathe.” I try to sit up and immediately several hands are placed against me, holding me back.
“Aaron stop fighting,” a familiar voice scolds me and I look around the back of the ambulance before focusing on Bennett. “I told your ass to wait that I’d get the boards.” He seems agitated. “I knew the idiots didn’t anchoring anything, it was the same way on the other side.”
I close my eyes feeling dizzy, nausea hitting me hard.
“Here.” A plastic bag is held out just in time and I heave forward. My head pounds, my entire body aches, and the movements only enhance the pain.
“Fuck,” I growl out.
“Sir, we need you to lay back.” A tiny little thing glares at me and I stare back. She was enforcing her power and I had to give it to her, she wasn’t backing down. “We are trying to help you and we can’t do that if you keep fighting us. We need to access your injuries.”
“My head, my back, my left hip, and leg. I think my left side took the brunt of the fall and,” I pause, reaching back when I feel a tickle at the back of my head. Pulling my hand away I find it is covered in blood. “And my head.”
