AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Someone has been stalking me for the last two years.” The words leave my mouth in a whisper.
His full mouth thins. He looks furious. “Stalking you? For two years?”
I nod. “I didn’t think too much of it at first. It started with a bouquet of roses and a note outside my door. It was intermittent in the beginning, but then the flowers became more frequent, the notes more explicit.”
Xander’s jaw twitches. “What did the notes say?”
I huff out a nervous breath. “All the things he wanted to do to me. Sexual things. Then I started feeling like I was being followed, but I never saw anyone suspicious. I went to the cops, who told me they couldn’t do anything without further proof. He hadn’t touched me or hurt me, so”—I shrug—“there was nothing concrete.”
“That’s bullshit. The reality is, they didn’t have the resources to look into it.” I can see his mind working as he rakes a hand through his dark hair. “Tell me everything you know. Everything you remember. Dates, times, anything out of the ordinary, no matter how insignificant.”
“I can do better than that. I have everything saved on my phone. I logged everything,” I say, handing it to him.
Xander smiles. “Of course you do. My woman is not just a pretty face.”
My woman.
Am I his? God, I hope so because he feels like he’s mine.
“I’ll reach out to my boss, Ryder.” Xander continues. “He’s good at digging out information the cops can’t and won’t.”
He stands, pacing the room as he pulls out his phone. His thumbs fly over the keys as he fires off texts.
My stalker has been a shadowy presence until today. Receiving that text has made everything more real. He has my number. He followed me here. These are not casual actions. They’re done with intent.
I lean back in the chair, closing my eyes. I’ve carried this burden alone for two years, living in uncertainty. It’s a huge relief to share this with someone.
Not just someone. Xander.
The man I’ve fallen in love with.
Chapter 10
Chastity
I startle and my eyes fly open as I’m suddenly scooped from the chair.
“Easy,” Xander murmurs in my ear as he sits with me on his lap. “I’ve got you.”
His words unlock the emotions I’ve bottled up inside for two years. My shoulders shake as the first heaving sob escapes my throat. Xander holds me as I cry, rubbing my back and murmuring reassurances as I release my fear, anger, and uncertainty.
“I’m s-sorry,” I hiccup when the tears finally abate.
Xander kisses my forehead and wipes my cheeks with his thumbs. “Don’t say you’re sorry. You’ve been dealing with this alone. None of it is your fault. Some sick fuck thinks he can mess with you, and I won’t have it. Why didn’t you tell someone sooner? Your family? Friends?”
I blow out a shuddering breath. “I didn’t want to worry them. I was in denial at first. Tried to ignore it. When the flowers and notes became more frequent, and I went to the police, they treated it like it was nothing, so I thought I was overreacting. I guess I thought he would stop eventually if I didn’t give him the reactions he wanted. So I went about my life as usual. Or as much as I could with some weirdo forcing unwanted attention on me. But that text today…” I shiver. “It’s only getting worse.” I lift troubled eyes to his. “He’s here somewhere, Xander. He saw us. Heard us.”
Xander cups my face. “You’re not alone anymore, Firecracker. I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re too important to me.”
His confession melts the ball of ice in my stomach.
I summon a wobbly smile. “Thank you.”
I wrap a hand around his nape and pull his head down for a kiss. It’s meant to be a kiss of gratitude, but the second his tongue steals past my lips, I go up in flames.
“Need you,” I gasp against his mouth, spearing my hands through his hair.
I need him to help me forget. Need his touch, his taste, his hands on my body. Skin to skin.
