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Porter pushed off the bed and began pacing back and forth. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing that he’d come back and hold her. The second the thought crossed her mind, he turned to her, then came and did exactly that. His warmth surrounded her and she leaned in to him. “Why would you not tell anyone this?” he asked.
“With Kyler and Ella’s wedding…” She wiped an annoying tear off her face, glad Porter didn’t see it. “I didn’t want to make it about me.”
He leaned away from her and frowned. “Fuck, Kenzie, this is not something you keep to yourself. Is there anything else going on?”
Of course there was more going on inside her. Her emotional pain was still there, still bleeding, but as much as she felt that she could trust Porter with it all, a little part of her was terrified to let him inside. She’d been strong for so long, because she had to be. She didn’t know the woman she was without that strength. “That’s all.”
His eyes narrowed, indicating he wasn’t sure if he should believe her or not, but he said, “Let me help you with this all and see exactly what we are up against. Would you mind if I called my other PI, Chloe, to get involved?”
Kenzie knew she didn’t have a choice. She needed to be safe, and she wasn’t. She also didn’t want to sell her store. Porter could help, and his powerful stare told her he would do all he could for her. “Yes, that’s okay.”
“Good.” He hesitated, brushing his thumb over her hand. “It’s foolish of us not to bring the police into this.” As her lips parted, he pressed a finger against her mouth. “Let’s call Sawyer over and get his opinion. We don’t have to do anything right now or make rash decisions. We need to talk and see what is in the best interest for you.”
The last thing Kenzie wanted was to put herself in more danger than she was already ass-deep in. She figured getting the police involved would only piss off Adrik more. Besides, even if he was arrested, she also suspected he had many other people working for him. She didn’t want to meet any of them. “Sawyer is fine, too.”
“All right.” He reached into his pocket, drawing out his cell phone, then stopped. “I’m glad you told me about this, kitten.” He cupped her jaw and she sensed herself leaning in to it without thought. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you; pl
ease tell me you know this.”
She could see the truth behind his words in the warmth of his eyes. “Yes, I know.”
—
Porter couldn’t sit still while they waited for Sawyer and Chloe to come over. By the time Sawyer arrived, Porter’s tension was rippling through him. Of all things he thought was going on with Kenzie, what she told him definitely wasn’t what he’d imagined. The thought of a man wrapping his hands around her throat not only sent him into a pure possessive state, but he wanted to find that man and do the same to him. All the same he knew he needed to be smart about this. With Kenzie’s store at risk, something that clearly meant the world to her, considering that even after being threatened she wouldn’t sell it, and her safety, Porter wasn’t taking any chances.
As he realized that, it also showed him how little he knew about her. Fuck, he didn’t even know why she owned a bookshop. More and more, frustration edged out anger at this wall between them. He took a deep breath, calming ire in his veins. Even if he asked those personal questions, he knew well enough she’d shut down. She had a past, one he was beginning to think was very haunted, and while he believed she was keeping something else from him, it only made him even more determined to find out all her secrets.
Right now he knew he needed to stay focused on keeping her from harm. The rest he could deal with later.
“I’ve heard of Adrik Petrov,” said Chloe, as she sat on the couch in his living room. She had been on her way to the gym when Porter called, dressed in yoga clothes, with her long chocolate-brown hair tied up in a ponytail for her workout. “He was in the news a while ago, something about fraud.”
“He makes the big bad wolf look like a cute little pup,” Kenzie said.
She had taken a shower after Porter had made the calls to his friends; her hair was still damp, and she wore one of Porter’s T-shirts that was more like a short dress on her. He’d given her a blanket and tucked her onto the chair by the bay window, then made her coffee and gave her a couple painkillers. They seemed to be kicking in. She hadn’t said much since he made the calls, until now.
Porter moved to her, kissed the top of her forehead, then sat on the armrest, placing his hand on her leg on top of the blanket. “Everyone has a secret they don’t want told, and this is what we need to find out. We must get leverage over him so that he will leave you and your store alone.”
Kenzie tipped her head, leaning it against the back of the chair. “Will it be that easy? He’s evaded the legal system. I would imagine he buries his secrets, if you know what I mean.”
Porter despised that Kenzie was put into that type of danger. Christ, this had been going on long enough. He stopped himself from imagining what that scene looked like when the man had wrapped his hands around her neck, and focused on what he could do to help her.
Sawyer sipped his coffee, then placed the mug on the table in front of him and said to Kenzie, “We can arrest him. Your statement is proof enough for that.”
“Yes, and then what?” Kenzie retorted. “I have no idea who the other guy who came to my store is. What if he comes back? What if someone else comes in his place?”
“That will never happen,” Porter growled.
Chloe raised her head from the laptop resting on her knees and lifted her brows. Porter silently cursed, attempting to shake off the rage from his body. Of course, Chloe would be surprised by his protectiveness over Kenzie. She knew he didn’t have a girlfriend. He and Chloe were close, tighter than anyone Porter had ever worked with before. She was only twenty-five, but they had a lot in common, even if Chloe never knew of Club Sin or his sexual interests. Those conversations weren’t appropriate with employees, no matter how close they were.
He rubbed his hands over his face and said to Chloe, “Research him. Learn everything and anything you can. There will be something there we can use. We just have to find it.”
“Of course,” Chloe replied.
Sawyer said to Porter, “You have a bit more leeway than I do.” He leaned back against the chair he sat in, and his shoulders were high and tight. “But whatever I find—as in his criminal record—I’ll send your way.”
“Thank you.” Porter was glad Sawyer was a cop and could get that information. He also hoped Kenzie took note of Sawyer’s worry, and noticed how much others cared for her. It frustrated him that Kenzie had kept this a secret, as it told him how little faith she had in those around her.
Sawyer turned to Kenzie. “The man that attacked you, what did he look like?”
