Chapter 224: THOSE ARE MINE
There was a tacit understanding between her and Ranon, and Hazel was still bewildered about how they came to this point. Nevertheless, she was grateful.
Ranon knew he wanted Arlo dead and ruined the McKennas and the Barlowes. He could conclude that her hatred was tied to River, but he still couldn’t pull a linear understanding of how Hazel related to any of those.
The man still couldn’t get how Hazel could fight or be involved in violence but was cool with that as if she had experienced it for her entire life, which didn’t match with her background or any information that he received.
However, Ranon didn’t ask any questions, since he knew Hazel wouldn’t answer. So, he was content with the status quo, and Hazel couldn’t be happier with the progress.
She didn’t need to leave the comfort of her life here with Ranon, but she also didn’t need to be very secretive anymore with her intention.
The Barlowes and the McKennas wanted to kill him. There was no way around it but to face them. Sooner or later, they would make a move, and Ranon wouldn’t sit idly.
But Hazel’s point of contention was her gun!
"Give me back," Hazel sulked.
She followed Ranon around the house. It had been three days since they returned to their apartment, but Ranon refused to give the guns back to her. Neither the first gun that he confiscated, nor the new one that Hazel retrieved from the Lozen family’s house.
"No," Ranon replied lightly as he continued to answer an email from his laptop. He didn’t even glance at his sullen wife.
"Why not? You know that I am good at it." Hazel walked towards him and pushed away the laptop, so he paid attention to her. "Extra security will not hurt anyone."
"You are talented at it," he admitted. "But every time you have a gun with you, someone is dead."
Hazel looked hurt when she heard that. "I am not the one who killed Noah. It’s you."
Surprisingly enough, the business relationship between Ranon and Arlo remained unaffected despite the recent events. However, Hazel learned that Arlo was hospitalized, leading to someone else taking over to manage their communications. Meanwhile, Ranon’s side of the communication was handled by Ares.
Therefore, in a way, both of them kept up with their business image in public while planning a murder in the dark.
"If you want extra security, I will add more..."
"No!" Hazel said, covering Ranon’s mouth. She moved to sit on his lap and straddled him. Out of instinct, Ranon put his hand around her waist so that she wouldn’t fall. "No more bodyguards!" She already had a headache from having additional men around her. "You’re wasting your money. I don’t need them babysitting me."
Ranon licked her palm, which made Hazel yelp and drop her hand. Ranon then spoke. "Yes, they don’t do their job well. I should replace them with capable people."
"No. I have gotten closer to them. I hate trying to get to know a new bunch of men around me again." Hazel cupped his face. "Don’t change them."
"They should be your bodyguards, not your friends." Ranon then added. "Or your horror movie buddies."
Hazel grinned when she heard that. "Why not? You should try sometime. We have never gone out to watch a movie. I saw that a few horror movies are on this week."
Ranon was speechless.
"So, where are my guns?" Hazel beamed, asking about her guns. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off her shoulders, allowing her to talk freely like this with Ranon now that they were on the same page. She felt even more relieved since he didn’t pressure her for explanations.
"I will not give you back those guns."
"Why?" Hazel pressed both palms against his cheeks. "Those are mine."
And before Hazel could convince Ranon to hand over the guns, someone had knocked on the door. It was Renna who informed her that Logan was there.
"Hm? What is he doing here?"
Logan didn’t say anything about coming here, but she got off from Ranon’s lap as he stood up as well. "I am going out and will come home late; sleep first." He kissed Hazel’s cheek.
"Where are you going?"
"To the Leighton Family’s house." Denzel had agreed to a few terms that Ranon offered, but he wanted to discuss the rest before bringing this up at the board meeting this week.
"Oh, have fun then," Hazel teased him; there was nothing fun in that house. Too bad she couldn’t come. But the joy of seeing Ema’s furious expression whenever she saw her didn’t make up for the headaches she got afterward.
"Have fun?" Ranon raised his brows and slapped her butt before he walked away.
***
Arlo was hospitalized, and Noah was dead, while Michael had been fuming because he couldn’t do anything that night when Ranon Leighton killed Noah.
He had been like a brother to him; thus, watching him being killed was a huge blow for him, especially when Michael couldn’t do anything.
Therefore, he had been practicing his skills that he had dropped off for so long since he didn’t think he would need them.
Meanwhile, Aubrey was watching her brother-in-law from the sideline. However, it sounded so wrong to address Michael that way, since she had not yet gotten married to Arlo.
"What are you doing there? Let’s go." Becca waved Aubrey over. She was Arlo’s mother and had been busy traveling back and forth to the hospital to take care of her firstborn son.
Becca was a stern woman. She was old-fashioned and put a high value on family traditions. Therefore, she didn’t get along well with Elise, since, in her eyes, that woman was too wild to be a wife.
To that extent, Becca didn’t like Aubrey either. Even though she also disagreed when Arlo was with River. She was a killer and was so far away from the image of a daughter-in-law she imagined.
However, she accepted Aubrey because of Bryer. Still, Becca gave her the side-eye, and in her eyes, everything Aubrey did was wrong.
It was so laughable that Aubrey’s life had been reduced to this.
"Why are you staring at Michael like that?" Becca asked on their way to the car, which had been waiting for them in the driveway.
Aubrey was holding Bryer in her arms. "What? No, I didn’t..." She could feel what Becca insinuated and was disgusted with the idea.
"Don’t ever think about that."
"Think about what?" Aubrey bit her tongue. She held the sleeping Bryer closer to her, trying to rein in her temper.
"I know how you got together with Arlo. You know what I am thinking. Do you want me to spill it out to you?"
Aubrey forced herself to lower her head and muttered an apology. She gave her an explanation, which she was sure Becca didn’t care to hear.
For now, Aubrey had to keep her head down; she gained nothing if she were on Becca’s bad side. She could make Aubrey’s life more miserable than it already was, and that was the last thing she needed.
They wanted her to be as quiet as a mouse; then she would do it. It hurt her ego, but it was safer for her until she found a way out of this place.
"Know your place," Becca said sharply as she entered the car.
***
"I told you; I got this!" Logan said smugly as he managed to burp Ashlyn. The baby was laughing at his antics.
"Wow. Great." Hazel clapped her hands unenthusiastically. "So, tell me, why are you here? Was it Father who sent you here? Or was it Dylan?"
"Do you think I am a dog that needs to be sent away?"
Hazel shrugged her shoulders. They were both on the balcony, which was connected to the living room, enjoying their snacks and chatting while taking in the view of the city layout and vast blue sky.
"I came here to see my niece." Logan had improved; he could hold the baby now, and Hazel wondered if he had practiced somewhere, because the last time, he didn’t even dare to lift her.
It came as a surprise to Hazel that her second brother had this soft side.
"And there is something I want to talk to you about." Logan sat down next to Hazel, under the shade, while the baby was squirming in his arms.
Hazel saw the look on Logan’s face and called Peni to take Ashlyn away. It was so rare to see her brother look very serious.
"What is it?" Hazel asked after Logan handed over the baby to Peni, and she left the two of them alone.
Logan furrowed his brows as if he was trying to find the right word to tell Hazel; yet, it only made her impatient.
"You are already here; what are you trying to think? Just spill it out. What is it?"
"Are you happy in your marriage?" Logan asked his question, leaving Hazel momentarily speechless. But before his sister could protest, he emphasized first. "Answer my question. Are you happy? Does he ever do something weird or ask strange questions?"
"Yes, I am happy, and no, he has never asked me strange questions."
"Have you ever found him acting weird?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"I don’t know if it is right for me to tell you this." Logan then told her about what Ranon had done to him almost a year before.