I whip around to get their tag number, but they don’t have one. “Motherfucker!” I shout, wishing like hell he would’ve stepped to me. At least then, I could’ve put an end to all of this.
I wait a few minutes to make sure he’s not coming back before heading back to the house and parking next to Scarlet. The second I throw open my door, Scarlet’s there, literally climbing up onto my running board and throwing herself into my arms.
“Hey, it’s okay,” I murmur, letting my arms hang limply at my side as I try to calm her. “You’re okay now. You’re safe.”
“I-I’ve never been s-s-so scared in m-my life.” She’s shaking like a leaf as she clings to me.
“How can I help?” I ask, shocked by just how much I mean it. While it’s true Scarlet and I have a checkered past, the thought of someone terrorizing her, possibly hurting her, is enough to send me into a fucking rage.
“Hold me,” she whispers, clinging to me. “Please.”
I inhale sharply, sucking in a deep lungful of her sweet, citrussy scent, before bringing my arms up and wrapping them around her.
She shudders against me, tears seeping into the fabric of my shirt, as I hold her. “Let’s go inside, okay?”
Scarlet nods, but when I try to set her down, she grips me tighter.
“Wrap your arms around my neck,” I tell her. “I’ll carry you.”
She nods again, and I slide one around her middle while bracing the other arm beneath her. “I’ve got you, Scar. You’re safe now. I promise.”
“How can you promise that?”
“I have cameras and a security system.” I step down from the truck and walk inside with Scarlet clutched to my chest. “And If this piece of shit gets past those, I’ll end him.”
She sniffles as I set her down. “You mean that?”
“Cross my fucking heart, Princess.” I cup her cheek, looking down into her tear-streaked brown eyes. “Now, make yourself comfy while I lock up.”
I watch as she shuffles into the couch before I slip out the front door to do a quick perimeter sweep. Once I’m certain we’re clear, I head back inside, lock the door, and arm my system.
I find Scarlet in the living room cuddled up on the couch, her knees drawn under her chin, with my favorite blanket tuckedaround her. She looks… small. Scared. Terrified actually. She's pale and quiet with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes—visibly distressed.
I don’t fucking like it. It’s… so far beyond unsettling, I’m not even sure how to process it. My girl’s typically mouthy, combative… the kind of person you’d expect to talk shit till the bitter end—and definitely not my girl. What the fuck?
So, yeah, seeing her like this does something to me. Something I’m not sure I understand much less like, but something all the same.
“You good, Princess?” I ask.
She sniffles and pulls the blanket tighter around herself. “I just...” She shrugs helplessly. “I don't understand. It truly makes no sense. Like, why?” A tear escapes trails down her cheek. “Why would someone stalk me?”
Unfortunately, my lips lift into a smirk, my mouth running faster than my brain. “You know, I was wondering the same thing.”
I’m half expecting her to blow up, but she just smiles at me and swipes away the tears gathering along her lashes. “Shut up, Officer Jackass.”
There’s no real heat behind her words. If anything, she sounds… relieved. Guess me and my bullshit aren’t always unwelcome.
“Not a cop, Scar.” Falling back into our usual banter brings some much-needed levity.
She rolls her eyes. “Listen, I'm just saying. It feels…surreal. My townhouse is my happy place and now, it feels tainted.” She tugs the blanket tighter around her. “The thought of being there terrifies me.”
“Well, first of all, I’m installing a doorbell camera and alarm system before you step foot back inside your house.”
“Really?” She sits up straighter and crosses her arms over her chest letting the blanket fall down from around her shoulders as she peers up at me. “You’d do that?”
“Hell yes, I’ll do that.” I sit down next to her, so close our knees are touching.
“It was on my to-do list to get one, and then it just never happened.” She scooches closer to me. “It's a safe area, you know? It’s well-lit with good neighbors. I didn't think it would be an issue.”
