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“Someone r-really dangerous,” I added.
“Why didn’t you go to your brothers with this? They have a security firm together now, right? I saw it online,” he questioned.
“Yeah, they do, but I ca-can’t go to them, Harris. He…he threatened them if I do. I have no one to turn to except you. He…I don’t think he knows about you, but what if he does? I’m s-so scared I’m putting you at risk too,” I told him, my voice breaking as I fought to get the words out. “I just….I didn’t know what else to do. I can’t do this…n-not on my own. I tr-tried and I just can’t.”
“It’s gonna be alright, sweetheart,” Harris soothed as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me into his side. “We’ll figure it all out. I’ll keep you safe.”
“I don’t know if you can,” I told him honestly. “It…it’s bad. It’s so bad and I…God, I’m so scared.” A sob burst out of me and I buried my face in his shirt, needing a moment to get it together.
“You don’t have to tell me everything now, but I need to know if he could have followed you here, Ev? Whoever he is, could he have been on your tail?” he asked.
“I…I don’t think so. I was r-really careful,” I sniffled as I sat up and once again wiped the tears from my face. “I…I slipped away in a power outage and I bought the car for cash. I didn’t go to any gas stations with cameras, but I…I just don’t know. He could have f-followed me. I know h-he was watching me before,” I sighed. I was suddenly completely exhausted. My entire body ached and my head was pounding. “I…I tried to reach out to Matt, j-just to let him know I was okay. I used a computer at the library and one of those messaging app things, but a couple days later he…I don’t know how, but he…he knew what I did. He left an envelope at my place.” My voice trembled as I remembered the terror I had felt when I saw the article in that envelope. I had thought for a moment my brother was dead. “It was an article…from Chicago. Matt…he h-had an accident. His brakes f-failed. He could have been killed.”
“You think the guy after you messed with Matt’s brakes because you sent a message?” Harris asked.
“I know he did. He warned me and I…I broke the rules,” I squeaked.
“The rules? What rules? Who the hell is this guy, Evie? Is he an ex?”
Images of Soloman started to play out in my head, memory after memory of him in that damned balaclava, torturing me over and over. I could see him looming over me with that damned knife, cutting me again and again as I lay tied down and completely at his mercy. I could feel the spittle flying from his mouth and landing on my face as he screamed at me, over and over again, asking if I was ready to say the words yet.
“Evie!” Harris shook me and I snapped out of the flashback enough to see him before me, his face filled with panic. “Fuck! Where did you just go?” he asked.
I took in a much needed breath and worked to gather myself as I looked up into those beautiful green eyes and tried to recall happier times.
“I need help,” I confessed shakily. “I…he hurt me, Harris, and I….I think he br-broke me. I’m s-such a mess.” I pushed my hands into my hair and hung my head down, embarrassed.
“I don’t believe that. I may not have seen you for a long time, but I know you, Ev. You’re a fighter. I refuse to believe anyone could ever truly break you,” Harris told me confidently.
“Not anymore,” I whispered as I forced myself to meet his eyes. “I fought Harris, but I…I lost.” I burst into a fit of sobs again and I couldn’t stop it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I felt so broken and defeated. Why had I even fought to keep going? What was the use when I was too damned broken to live?
“Hey, it’s gonna be okay,” Harris soothed as he wrapped his arms around me again. “You’re here now. You’re safe. I have a ton of security on this house. No one is getting in here without me knowing. I’ll call back the guys and you’ll have two marines and two Navy SEALS with you too.”
“I shouldn’t stay here. I…I’m putting you in danger. If he finds out…”
“Let him come, whoever he is. I’ll enjoy killing him,” Harris growled with way more aggression than I had ever heard from him. “You’re staying, Evie. You’re exhausted and way too pale and thin. I don’t know how long you’ve been running, but it stops now.”
“I am tired,” I admitted as I sat up again.
“When’s the last time you had more than a couple of hours sleep?” he asked knowingly.
“Months ago,” I confessed.
“Months ago? How long have you been running? When’s the last time you saw your family?”
“Almost four months ago,” I answered without thought.
“Fuck Evie! And they don’t know where you are?” he gasped. I shook my head as I tried hard not to think of them all and how much I missed them. “They’ll be out of their minds. Your brothers will be rampaging.”
“I know,” I whimpered. “But I can’t contact them. I can’t risk him hurting them.”
“We need to find a way to contact them and let them know you’re okay,” he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.
“No!” I cried. “You can’t! Please! He’ll know and he’ll hurt them. I can’t….if they were hurt b-because of me…it would k-kill me!”
“Easy. I’m not going to do anything to risk any of them,” he calmed as he grabbed my hand to stop me from jumping up.
“Let’s just leave everything there for now. You’re safe and you’re exhausted. How about I show you to a guest room so you can get some sleep?” he offered.
