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“I don’t know,” I mutter, confused. For once, I’m lost for words.
“I was two streets away from home. And they weren’t following me—they just turned up like they knew I’d be there.”
“What did they say?”
“That you should take the warning and step away before things get ugly. They took my phone, so they have all my contacts, including you. They told me they would rape me next time.”
“That won’t happen,” I snap, getting up from the bed. “I’ll fucking kill whoever did this.”
“You don’t even know who they are,” she screams. “They could have killed me.”
I rub my forehead, trying to work out a plan. “Why were you out alone, Meli?” I snap, then instantly regret it. “That’s not what I—” I begin.
“Fuck you, Arthur. I should be able to walk home at nine o’clock at night without worrying your crazy enemies will get to me. And if you hadn’t brought Jolene home, I wouldn’t have left.”
“I told you I’d explain that it was unavoidable,” I argue. “And if you’d have told me you wanted to leave, I would have taken you myself.”
She scoffs. “In between emailing, answering calls, and rushing to your next meeting?”
“That’s my life, Meli. I can’t put it on hold for you.”
She takes a breath. “You’re right, so don’t.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We’re not talking about that again. Walking away isn’t an option.”
“It’s not up to you,” she snaps.
“It is, Meli. It is up to me!” I yell angrily. She sinks back, putting more distance between us. “It’s not an option,” I repeat more calmly.
We fall silent for a moment and then my phone rings. She arches a brow, and I sigh heavily, placing it to my ear. “Bert,” I say, stepping from the room.
“It was two men. Our guys have them.”
“Quick work,” I mutter. “Where am I headed?”
He reels off an address, and I disconnect and go back to Meli, who’s staring straight ahead. I put my shoes on, then my jacket. “The last man who said those words to me was Ripper,” she almost whispers. I still, letting her words sink in. “He spent years abusing me.” She confirms exactly what I thought. “And he refused to let me walk away for most of my teenage years. He told me it wasn’t up to me either.”
“I’m not like him,” I growl angrily.
“So, let me walk away.”
I shake my head, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. “I can’t,” I whisper. “It’s not that easy. I’m coming back here after I’ve dealt with this, so we can talk it through. I want it all, Amelia, the whole truth, and then we’ll work through us.”
“You’re not listening, Arthur. I don’t want you to come back.”
“You do,” I say firmly. “You’re pushing me away and this was the perfect excuse. But I’m not letting you ruin this. The men who dared to fucking touch what’s mine will pay, and nothing will ever happen to you again. I promise.” I press my lips to hers, and she lets me. “I’m gonna go to war for you, Angel.”
The warehouse is miles out from anywhere, and as I turn off the dark road through the gates, I decide it’s the perfect place to take people who piss me off. I’ll ask Albert to check if it’s for sale, since I have a feeling we’ll need a space like this over the next few weeks.
I step inside the warehouse, and Albert is reading a newspaper. Rosey is on her mobile, and two men are tied to chairs. “Busy?” I ask, and they all look my way.
Rosey tucks her phone away. “I was passing.”
“Passing here?” I ask doubtfully.
“Passing Albert, and I offered to help.”
Albert closes the newspaper. “I didn’t want to start without you,” he tells me, ignoring Rosey’s odd explanation. He rolls open his array of tools. “Who are we starting with?”
