Changing Affection

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ezra wrapped an arm around Aubrey as she started to shake her head. Tears were falling down her cheeks. He was working hard to control his anger. He kept reminding himself that this was her father. Even though he had made a huge mistake by selling her to Jearon, he couldn't do anything to him. But, fuck, he wanted to.

"Dad," Aubrey sobbed. "Why? His kidnapping me was because of you?"

Mr. Hallquist shook his head. "No, I didn't know that he was going to kidnap you." He paused and looked down. "Not at first."

"What are you talking about?" Ezra snapped at him.

"A month before you were kidnapped, Aubrey," he started. "Jearon came to me. We were finalizing the details of our partnership and then the talk of payment came back up again." Mr. Hallquist looked up at Ezra. "He's been wanting you dead for a long time."

Ezra furrowed his eyebrows.

Mr. Hallquist shrugged. "He's threatened by you, Ezra. I now understand why. You're tougher than he is, and the men respect you more than they do him. He was starting to lose control. He had the idea that if he could kill you, then he would gain control of the men again."

Ezra started to shake his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"He told me he was going to have you kidnap my daughter," he continued. "He knew that you would want to protect her. What he hadn't expected was you to take her to your cabin and then hide her from him." He took a deep breath. "When you were arrested, he made a plan to take Aubrey back, have me hire you to get her back home safely, then kill you in the warehouse."

"Then why bring them here?" Asher asked from behind Mr. Hallquist. Ezra looked up at him and smirked as he saw the fire behind his eyes. He was as infuriated about this as he was.

Asher's voice made Mr. Hallquist squirm. He didn't look up at him. "Jearon always has a backup plan. He decided that we would 'save' Aubrey if he got shot. If anything went wrong, we would take Aubrey somewhere safe until he was strong enough to come back and get her."

Aubrey was crying. Her tiny sobs could be heard every time her father took a breath. Ezra moved his arm up to her shoulder and turned her into his chest. She grabbed his shirt and buried her head into his chest.

"I don't know how long until he's strong enough." Mr. Hallquist rested his head on his hand. "He looked really bad today."

Aubrey's sobs stopped. "Wait!" She pushed off of Ezra and spun around. "Did you go to Jearon today and fucking checked up on him?" She hiccupped. "I was kidnapped twice, Dad. That bastard was shot in the shoulder, and you go running to him." She hiccupped again. "Are you still going to go through with his deal?" When he didn't answer she shook her head and huffed. "You are!" She hiccupped again. "You are so fucking greedy, Dad."

"Aubrey-" Her dad started to stand up and reach towards her, but Asher and Rylan shot their hands out and pushed him back down in his seat.

Aubrey turned to Ezra. "I want to leave. I don't fucking care where we go, but I want to leave. Now." She moved around him and stomped up the stairs. Ezra was quick to follow her. She wasn't leaving his sight for one second. He stood in the doorway of her room as he watched her pack up her belongings in a duffle bag. She wasn't bothered to fold them, she just through the clothes into the duffle bag.

When she was done zipping up the duffle bag, she turned towards Ezra and followed him out of her room and into his. He didn't have much, so it was long before his bag was packed. He turned and looked at her. She was sitting on his bed with her bag on her lap. She was staring out the window, her face downcast.

Ezra sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She started to shake her head. "Why?" she whispered.

Ezra shrugged his shoulders. He wished he had answers that would make her feel better. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. He needed to figure out a place for them to go. He wasn't going to take her back to either of his cabins. He didn't trust that Jearon would come right for them.

A knock sounded at the door, and he spun around, shielding Aubrey and a hand on his gun. Asher stood in the doorway with his hands up. "Not a threat." He dropped his hands and walked towards them. He took out a set of keys. The van keys if Ezra had to guess. "I'm coming with you. I've got a place, but I'm driving."

Ezra got off of the bed and walked over to him. He motioned for Aubrey to stay where she was. "Why would you help? He hired you. You could be in on his plan."

"I'm not," Asher pleaded with him. "I wouldn't have accepted the fucking job if I knew what he had planned with that bastard." He jingled the keys in front of him. "This place isn't safe anymore. He's already given Jearon the address and who knows how long it'll be before he's ready to come and get his payment." He looked around Ezra and gave Aubrey an apologetic look. "I know you want to protect your woman. Trust me and we'll get out of here."

"Give me the address," Ezra held his hand out for the keys. He knew he was being stubborn. He saw the way that Asher was looking at Mr. Hallquist in the kitchen. He wasn't going to take any chances when it came to Aubrey's safety. He needed to protect her, and she was his responsibility.

"Ezra," Asher's voice dropped. "Don't be stubborn. We're sitting ducks here for Jearon and his men. The rest of our men are leaving as soon as we do. Decan will be the only man in this house, but I do not want Aubrey in the middle of this anymore."

"Ezra," Aubrey's voice piped up behind him. He turned around to see her standing beside him instead of sitting on the bed where he had asked her to stay. "I trust him. Please, can we go now?"

Ezra took a deep breath before nodding. "All right." He took her duffle bag from her and turned to Asher. "Lead the way."