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Kai
She was going crazy not being able to go to class on her own or live her life. About two weeks ago, Ryker and Harlow went down to the courthouse with her, while Taz was going to receive his order with their distributor for the kitchen and bar. He insisted that she take either him or Ryker with her everywhere that she went, and that was beginning to garner her nasty stares from the other college students and professors. Kai guessed that they didn’t get many big, bad, tattooed bikers in class these days.
Kai promised Taz that Ryker would be by her side the whole time she was downtown at the courthouse and that Harlow was tagging along for good measure. He was the one who had come up with the idea to get Ryker to take her to start the process of getting her life back. Ryker was all too happy to take her to get the restraining order against Gabe. She had resisted because she knew that it would go on his permanent record, and she felt partially responsible for his behavior. If she had never asked him out on a date, trying to make Taz jealous, this might not have ever happened. Still, she couldn’t keep running into him on campus or letting him send her threatening text messages. It was beginning to get old, and if she got the restraining order against Gabe, she might be able to get some semblance of her life back.
The process was quick and easy, really. She thought that she’d have to do more to get Gabe to leave her alone, but it was just as simple as printing off a petition and taking it down to the courthouse to have it filed. She was told that they would serve Gabe and there would be a court hearing set up, but that it was on record that she filed. It felt good to be taking back her control and she wasn’t sure how being served would go over with Gabe, but honestly, she didn’t care. When he broke into her apartment, leaving no physical evidence that he was the one who did it, she was left feeling clueless about what to do next. The cops said that they would need more evidence than just her word that it was probably Gabe. Kai felt lost. Then, he started stalking her, showing up at the bar, sending her threatening text messages, and following her around campus. Her only saving grace was that she had Taz with her every step of the way. She could tell that he wanted to tear Gabe in two, but they both knew that was what Gabe wanted. He wanted Taz to attack him so that Kai would be all alone and he could get to her.
Taz had moved her from her apartment into his after the break-in and she had to admit, she liked his place better. The guys had packed up her place and moved her belongings over to Taz’s place. They had to go back and forth a few times about where to put her stuff and what to do with some of his ratty old things, but in the end, she had the place just the way that she wanted it. His apartment was beginning to feel like home and that worried her. What if when this was all over, she’d be having to go back to her apartment? They had never really discussed living together. He moved her into his place as a safety precaution and they both knew it. What if he’d tell her to get out when this was all over, and she wasn’t in danger anymore?
Of course, Harlow told her to just talk to Taz about all of her fears and worries, but he already had too much on his plate with having to follow her around. She didn’t want to burden him any further or push him into something that he might not want with her. Their relationship was all so new, Kai didn’t want to push.
She walked into the kitchen and found Taz making an omelet. “That smells amazing,” she said.
“Well, good, because I made you one too,” he said. “You’re up early.”
“I am,” she said. “We need to talk about me going to class—alone, Taz,” she said.
“No,” he breathed.
“Taz, I have a restraining order in place, and Gabe can’t come near me.” She had appeared in court yesterday, Taz by her side, when she testified that Gabe was stalking her. She shared her text messages and showed pictures that she had taken of him following her around and sitting at the bar. She even showed pictures of the shambles her apartment was in after he allegedly broke in—although she still couldn’t prove that. Since Gabe decided not to show up to court, she was awarded the restraining order and Gabe couldn’t come within five hundred feet of her, or she could have him thrown in jail.
“As if a piece of paper will keep him from coming after you, honey,” Taz challenged.
“You can’t follow me around forever, Taz. I have to finish college and you have a life to live,” she said.
“So, you’re just going to believe that you’re safe now?” he asked. “What’s next, you’re going to want to move out?”
“No,” she said. “Do you want me to move out?” she asked. This was exactly what she was afraid of. He’d figure out that she was safe and then toss her out. Maybe pushing him to go to class today on her own wasn’t the best idea.
“I want you to stay here, with me, Kai. I don’t want you to move back to your place. In fact, I want you to tell your landlord that you want out of your lease.”
“You do?” she whispered. Taz pulled her against his body and wrapped his arms around her.
“I do,” he breathed. “I want us to live together permanently, not just because you need me to keep you safe.”
“I’d like that,” she admitted. He was saying everything that she’d hoped to hear from him and knowing that he meant every word was enough to have her agreeing to everything that he was asking.
“Really?” he asked.
She giggled, “Well, my stuff is already here. You had the guys pack up everything that I own and move it over here after the break-in.”
“You noticed that?” he asked.
“I did, and I didn’t mind it. But I thought that you did all of that just to keep me safe. I didn’t know that you wanted me living here to be a permanent thing.”
“I’d like for it to be, if that’s what you want, Kai,” he said.
“I would like that, and I’d like to go to class today—alone.” Yeah, she wasn’t playing fair, but she needed him to give a little bit if he wanted her to be a part of his life. She couldn’t have bodyguards along with her everywhere that she went.
“At least reconsider that last part,” he begged. “Ryker or I should still be with you everywhere you go, Kai.”
“Gabe didn’t even show up in court,” she said. “He couldn’t care less about me or my restraining order. I haven’t heard from him for days either,” she said. That part was the most surprising. Yesterday, the text messages just stopped. It was as if the restraining order had put a halt to all of Gabe’s harassment, and she was grateful.
“They stopped yesterday, and I think it’s because of the restraining order. I think that Gabe is bright enough to realize that he can’t get away with it anymore, so he’s just given up. I’ll be safe in class. Besides, this one isn’t a class that he’s even in. He won’t have any reason to casually run into me, and nothing will go wrong,” she promised.
“You can’t promise me that,” he said. “You don’t know if that’s the truth or not,” Taz challenged.
“Right, but I can promise to be extra safe and to call you if I get into any trouble. We need to start somewhere, Taz. You can’t follow me around for the rest of our lives.”
