Page 79 of Serpentine
TWENTY-FOUR
AELLA
The Brew is between a charming bookstore and a quaint sewing shop on Main Street. Twin Pines is a picturesque town at the base of a snow-covered mountain range. The buildings have a fifties feel, and the beautiful trees and bushes that line the street surely turn magical in the wintertime.
I push into the café and order a caramel latte with a triple shot of espresso—something I’ve been missing while living with brutish motorcycle men for the last two weeks.
I find my seat amongst two other patrons, one on a laptop and the other aimlessly scrolling their phone on a plush leather sofa while sipping from to-go cups.
“Here you go, ma’am,” the young server says as she places my latte before me. There’s a leaf design on the top, and the scent of the beans mixed with milk caresses my senses lovingly. I close my eyes and breathe it in.
“Thank you,” I say as she moves off.
She throws me a smile over her shoulder.
I barely get the first mouthful swallowed when my father strides in, leaving a man behind guarding the door.
The server, now behind the counter, eyes him worriedly.
“Black coffee, please, sweetheart?” he asks her, his tone smooth as butter and as unsettling as being in front of a lion.
“Coming right up,” the girl says, moving to fill his order hurriedly.
People can tell when they’re in the face of something dangerous. It’s innate in all of us to know when we’re threatened. It’s why I don’t even like to be near him.
I remind myself why I’m doing this and steel my insides.
Taking another sip of latte, I eye him over the rim as he sits down and opens his long tweed coat.
He sighs as he looks me over. “Aella, it’s so good to see you. You look well.”
I swallow. “Why wouldn’t I?”
He smirks at the girl who hands him his black coffee.
I notice her hands are shakier than they were a moment ago.
“Thank you, dear,” he tells her, looking back at me as he lifts it to his nose and takes in the aroma. “Well, I thought you kidnapped all this time. I’ve been worried out of my brain after you. You could’ve at least let me know you were alright. We could’ve still kept you away from the media.”
I sit back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. I don’t mean to be defensive with him; it’s just second nature. “It was a split-second decision, Dad. I didn’t… I wasn’t thinking clearly.”
“And now? Are you thinking clearly now?”
My eyes drift behind him, catching the movement of a man in leather across the street near a brick building that looks to be a bakery. Sully tips his head at me and dips into the alley next to the building.
Confidence builds in my stomach at the thought I’m not alone.
“I am alright now, yes. So, Carter…”
He shakes his head, clinging his mug down on his platter. “We don’t need to speak of him. He’s out. He’s been dealt with.”
“Really?” I ask, surprise washing over me. I don’t want to show him vulnerability, but I feel it in his presence, especially knowing that he did something so severe for me.
Even though he’s my father, he’s never been the type to look after me or worry about my feelings. So, there has to be more to the story of him letting Carter go, especially after he groomed him to take over for so many years.
“Of course, Aella. I can’t stand someone who doesn’t listen. The inability to take direct orders is a character flaw. One I can’t have in a leader.”
There it is.