The Fighter and His Tiger (Unexpected Love #1)

47. Thursday Week Twenty (the meeting.)

47. Thursday Week Twenty (the meeting.) 

"Hey, if you don't wanna do it, no-one is gonna make you Reillyn," he squeezed my hand and I looked over at him. Noah.

He uttered the same words he reassured me with on our first day back to school all those months ago and just like did back then, his soothing voice and comfort made me feel instantly better.

"I need to do this, but thank you for being here."

"I'm glad you asked me to be here, I've missed you mad amounts, Rei-Rei."

Beaming at him, I reached across the centre console to wrap him up in a hug, "I've missed you too, but friends forever remember, nothing will ever change that."

He nodded into my shoulder and pulled away to place a kiss on my forehead but just as his lips brushed against my skin, my car door was yanked open to reveal a frowning Eli.

"Alright, enough, let's go."

I rolled my eyes at his possessiveness but still grabbed his hand so he could help me out of the car.

His frown deepened when he spotted Noah exiting his Pontiac also, "what do you think you're doing?"

"Look, man, I know we don't get on but you and I are the only ones with Rei as their first priority. Everyone else's main concern is this Mikael guy, even Cayd and Raven will put taking him down first," Noah gave him a sincere look and held his hand out, "I just wanna keep her safe and well like you do."

My eyes flickered nervously between the two boys but I released a breath and relaxed the tension of my shoulders when Eli reached out to shake Noah's hand and they shared one of those weird male head nod things.

The warm grip of Eli's hand around mine tightened as we stood outside the entrance to Staircase and I derived a sense of calm from knowing that he was with me this time; that he would always be with me.

Dante, Cayden and Noah all stood behind us, patiently waiting for me to raise my hand and push the door to the club. My mind flashed with the image of Marcus punching me in the face but then I looked over at Eli and instead saw the moment where I put him on the floor.

Upon entry, I assessed that we were joined by Marcus and three other men who I didn't recognise were seated around the large table which had been placed in the middle of the club section of Staircase.

"You're late," Marcus pointed out

I shrugged carelessly, "it's better to be late than to arrive ugly." I gave him a pointed look and I noticed Cayden trying to stifle his snickers at my jab.

"And you could hardly be considered ugly Miss Cole," Mikael greeted, "come and take a seat."

Me and my party of four moved forwards and took our seats at the huge table. I was sitting facing Mikael with Eli and Noah on my right and Dante and Cayd on my left.

Marcus sat opposite Eli and was smirking at him smugly as Eli glared daggers across the table — if only looks could kill.

Once seated, I shrugged off my jacket to reveal the navy dress I was wearing which cinched at my waist before flaring out and the silky material fell down gracefully to land at my mid-thigh.

Mikael shot me a pinched smile, "where is my eldest son?"

"Indisposed," Dante offered with a polite smile which somehow also conveyed the threat he posed to Mikael.

Mikael's eyes narrowed at Dante before flickering back over between me and Eli before they finally rested on me, "I knew you were going to be trouble for this family, the second I caught wind of your name. 'Cole,' I've always had a distinguished dislike for that name."