Page 124 of Rush

His eyes slide to Ares and then back to me. Then, he shrugs. “Yes. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. After what he did to you, the little bastard is lucky that I didn’t kill him. And you know what I found in his pocket? A bag of those fucking pills that he probably planned on using on someone else.”

I gape at him in disbelief, emotion swimming inside me. “You could’ve gotten in trouble, Dad.”

“He needed to be taught a lesson.”

“Hang on. She said it was a couple of guys.” My eyes swing to Ares. “Ares?”

“Arianna.”

“Did you go with my dad and beat up Leo Parsons?”

He glances at my dad before looking back at me. “You want the truth?”

“Always.”

“Of course I did.”

“But…we weren’t even together then.”

“So?” He shrugs. “That fucker hurt you. So, I hurt him. Multiple times.”

I stare at them both, filled with so much love for them that I could burst. They risked so much for me. My dad would’ve been fired without a doubt and quite likely prosecuted. Same for Ares. He would have probably lost his contract and been prosecuted.

My lip starts to tremble.

“I-I…thank you. Both. So much.” I know I’m thanking them for kicking Leo’s ass, but I don’t know what else to say.

“Don’t thank me,” my dad says roughly. I can hear emotion thick in his voice. “I’m your dad. That’s what dads do.” He shoves his chair out. “I need to use the bathroom.”

He strides out of the room, and I stare after him.

“You do know that Coach is going in there to bawl his eyes out.” Ares chuckles softly.

“My dad doesn’t cry.”

Ares grabs me and pulls me from my chair and onto his lap, his big hand cupping the nape of my neck. “News flash: men cry, babe.”

“Did you cry over me?” I ask teasingly.

“A fucking river.” He stares at me, and I gulp at the seriousness in his eyes.

I look at the door my dad just went through. “Do you think I should go check on him?”

“No.” He laughs. “Give him a minute. Let him keep his man card.”

“Okay. I just…I can’t believe you both did that. Kicked Leo’s ass like that…for me.”

“Full disclosure?” he says, still staring into my eyes.

“Always.”

“Believe it. Because there isn’t a single thing that I wouldn’t do for you, Ari. I fucking love you.”

I press my lips to his, kissing him. “I love you, too.”

Today is Zeus and Cam’s wedding day. We’re in Port Washington to celebrate with them. The wedding is being held in the back garden of their home.

It’s a small and intimate wedding, close friends and family only.