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“Please,” she whispered. “You just—you have to go.”
No, she wasn’t worried. She was scared.
The tension I saw in her the other night had been there. Even if she’d laughed and I thought she was free, she wasn’t. She was terrified.
“Emmett, please?—”
“Are you in danger?” I asked, murderous rage and needing to protect her warring for dominance inside me.
“I’m not.” She shook her head, her chin wobbling. “But you will be if you don’t get out of here. Please. You have to?—”
“Don’t worry about me,” I scoffed. “I can protect you, though. If you’re being abused?—”
“Please just leave,” she said again, her voice breaking. I didn’t want to, though. I couldn’t just leave her. “Things are fine here. But if he gets home and sees you here?—”
“Then what?” I urged. “What will he do?” I still didn’t know who he was, but I didn’t care. If he was hurting her, I would fucking kill him.
“You don’t want to find out.”
The ominous words were said so quietly, with so much terror, I nearly didn’t hear her. But then they sank in, and my body went rigid.
“He won’t hurt me, Emmett. I’ll be fine. It’s you?—”
“I can take care of myself,” I told her, but she shook her head.
“No man is immune to a gunshot.” I blinked. “You can’t survive that. And I need you to be alive. I need—I need?—”
“Nothing will happen to me.” A frustrated, broken sob left her. I reached for her, but she stepped back.
“Please,” she begged. “Please go.”
I stared at her, my instincts telling me not to leave her, but her words, the emotions behind them urged me toward the door. I didn’t want to leave her. I didn’t know what the fuck that guy would do to her. But was she right? Would it be safer if I was gone? If he caught us together, only bad things would happen. I needed a plan. I needed money. I needed to figure out a way to save her from this place, from him.
Even though I didn’t want to, I stepped back. Relief flooded her face, and her shoulders fell. “I’ll see you in class,” she whispered, and I shook my head.
“Text me. Or call me. I don’t care. I just need to hear from you before class.” My hand wrapped around the old doorknob as she nodded, her lip between her teeth. “Read the book.”
“Yes, sir,” she whispered, nodding slightly. I stared at her for another moment, then yanked the door open and rushed down the steps. I was in my car and down the road in a heartbeat, turning onto the main road and trying to ignore the voice in my head screaming at me to turn around and go get her.
My fingers tapped against the steering wheel, my eyes darting to the rearview mirror. I didn’t have money. I didn’t have a plan or an excuse as to why my student would be living with me in my tiny, one-bedroom apartment. But did any of that matter? I could find another job. I could find another apartment. That took time, though.
Was it better to have that all ready first? I could figure it out after she was with me, but she’d be trading one shithole for another. She deserved a big house with a pretty garden and a massive library. She deserved safety and happiness, not whatever bullshit was waiting for her when that man got home. Not whatever bullshit was waiting for her when I took her home with me.
I glanced in the mirror again.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Looking back at the road, I regripped the steering wheel. My body itched to turn around, to haul her over my shoulder, and force her to go home with me. My mind bounced back and forth. Do it or not? Do it or not? Do it or?—
The same truck from the other day flew past me, its engine loud and the bass from the music rattling even my windows. My head snapped around, and I watched as he turned down the road, the dirt a massive cloud behind him.
My heart hammered in my chest. I had to make sure she was okay.
Flipping the car around, I sped back to her house, parking my car in the thicket of trees. From where I sat, I could see him climbing up the steps. I watched the door open, and Winnie smile up at him. He walked right past her, like she didn’t even exist. Her smile fell before she shut the door, disappearing behind it.
Movement caught my eye, and I glanced at the windows, finding the lacy, off-white curtains fall into place, covering the glass. A shadow, too big to be Winnie’s, moved in front of it, then disappeared. I followed the direction with my gaze, following the man down what I assumed to be a hallway and into a room at the end of it.
I should’ve paid more attention when I was inside. Learned the layout of the trailer or figured out what room was Winnie’s, at least. But I’d been too distracted by her mouth to do anything. Too preoccupied with consuming her whole to worry about learning the layout of her fucking house.
