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Dylan stepped closer, his arms stretched out and his palms up, as if to show her he wasn't going to hurt her.
"I think now would be a good time for that explanation." She hated the quaver in her voice.
"I've told you that I was investigating Jake Davenport. This is my brother and my boss. They're here to join the investigation. We need your help."
"And you thought breaking into my apartment was the best way to get it?" she asked.
"Listen, I've tried talking to you, but you aren't listening to me. Jake Davenport is bad news. We need to get him neutralized."
"First, you don't need to tell me. I already know first-hand what Jake is capable of. The question is, what is it you think I can do to help you?"
The tallest man stepped around Dylan to answer her. "My name is Lukus Mitchell. We've been tracking Davenport for a few weeks now, and we're working on getting evidence that will put him behind bars."
"Why? What's he done to you?"
His green eyes flashed as she challenged him. She got the impression it wasn't something he was used to.
"He's hurt my best friend's wife... badly. And he's threatening my fiancée. Tiffany can barely sleep because of the nightmares about Jake hurting her and her best friend. He's stalked them both and now they're under house arrest, locked down with round-the-clock armed guards because Davenport keeps flying to Chicago to try to get to them, promising to hurt them."
She watched his eyes as he laid out what they had against Jake. Maybe she was a fool, but by the time he finished speaking, she believed him. Hannah saw the fear in his eyes as he spoke about the woman he loved being in danger. She fought down a feeling of jealousy and wondered if this Tiffany knew how lucky she was to have a man like Lukus Mitchell in her life protecting her. It was something Hannah longed for, but knew she'd never have.
The heftiest of the three stepped forward next. "I'm Dylan's brother, Derek, and I'm the one who decided we needed to get into your apartment. If there was even a small chance we could get evidence to put Davenport away, we needed to take it."
Her eyes returned to Dylan's. "What is it exactly you think I have that can help you?"
Dylan answered. "The accounting books for Strictly Disciplined. He did try to hire you to do his accounting, right?"
"How did you—"
"Because his long-time accountant just turned up dead under suspicious circumstances, and because you recently got your degree. You're exactly his type. He's set his sights on you and he isn't going to stop until he has you… until he breaks you," Dylan explained.
"Breaks me?"
Lukus answered her. "He's a sadist. He gets off on dominating women. What makes him dangerous is that he especially likes breaking in women who resist him. It's all a big game to him."
Memories of how Jake had tied her down and hurt her before taking her forcibly while she begged him to stop had her shaking. These men had just described her nightmare visit to Jake Davenport’s house.
Dylan picked up on her thoughts. "Fuck, he's already hurt you, hasn't he?" She couldn't figure out why he looked so angry. "What did he do to you at his house?"
"That's none of your business." The words to confirm what Jake had done to her wouldn't come. A sense of shame she knew she didn't deserve washed over her as she remembered not only his actions, but how her body had betrayed her in the most confusing of ways. She looked away, desperate not to let these men see how vulnerable she felt in that moment.
Dylan reached out to gently stroke her arm. The action was such a stark contrast to her memories in Jake's horror house earlier that week. She couldn't stop trembling. When she looked up, the three men were watching her carefully.
"He's never going to leave me alone, is he?" she choked out.
Lukus answered, the pity in his voice clear. "I'm afraid not. That's why we need to put him behind bars."
She stepped away from the men, turning her back to them so they couldn't see the tears coming to her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her waist, hugging herself as she thought.
She had messed up so many times. She should have listened to her internal reservations and steered clear of Jake. She shouldn't have taken the journal. She should have gone to the police right after he'd raped her; while they could still collect evidence.
I should have packed the car and driven Connor and me away from this place yesterday morning.
Fear for Connor's safety warred with her own promise to herself to try and prevent any other women from suffering the way she had at the hands of Jake Davenport. Alone, she knew she had no clue how to battle the evil that was Jake. Could these three alpha men help her? Dare she trust them?
The quiet of the room was broken by the sound of the near-by connector door linking her apartment to Rosa's cracking open. In unison, the three men whipped out concealed handguns, pointing them at the unexpected movement as if Jake Davenport were about to stroll through the door.
Hannah turned on them, holding her arms out wide as if she could somehow stop their bullets with her petite body. "NO! Put your guns away! Right now!"
