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“What did he do?”
I swiped a forearm over my wet eyes. “More texts.”
“Shit. Where are you?” Jasper clipped his words.
“Sitting outside of Silas’s office building. I turned on my cell to text you that I got the job, and a couple of messages waited for me. He took a picture of us, Jasper.” I shuddered, my heart rate picking up again. “He was watching us hug this morning and told me he would do whatever it took to get me back.”
“We have to go to the courthouse and file that harassment order right now, Mason,” Jasper stated, his tone as unsteady as I felt.
As much as I wanted what he’d said—we—I knew I should do it without him holding my hand.
“I don’t need you to go with me. I’ve got this,” I assured him, only a little confident in myself. I couldn’t hang on his coattails for everything. “Besides, you’re in that meeting with the board. I’ll be fine on my own.”
Jasper exhaled slowly. “Okay. Call me if there’s an emergency.”
I forced a lightness to my voice. “I will.” He would be safe at Humanity House. Joseph wouldn’t touch him. At least, I hoped not. “And do me a favor?” I tacked on. “Don’t go outside alone. Have Zeke walk you to your car at the end of the day. Just in case.”
“I will,” Jasper said. “Promise.”
Feeling somewhat calmed, I hung up.
The drive north on Route 1 was agonizing yet numbing at the same time. I held the steering wheel in autopilot, a fog of worry pulling my focus inward rather than on the road. My subconscious took me toward Peabody since my thoughts settled on the texts and what Joseph had been up to earlier that morning. He didn’t live in Malden, would have no reason to be hanging outside Humanity House unless he’d been literally stalking me.
Did he follow me still?
I glanced in my rearview, dozens of cars in my line of sight. With no clue what kind of vehicle Joseph drove, I wasted my time. What if he’d put a tracker on my car? It wouldn’t surprise me if he had access to those sorts of things with his bank account. Maybe he’d somehow hacked into my phone while I’d been passed out from his drugs, and he could listen in on all my conversations.
Did he wait for me at the courthouse? Would he jump me once I parked?
A million other scenarios started rushing through my head—needles stabbed into my neck. Getting dragged into a dark van. Being tied down once more to his bed.
My heart began to race again—I couldn’t call Jasper.Wouldn’t.
“You’ve got this,” I whispered to myself, pushing against the fear rising to choke me.
I didn’t.
I couldn’t have my lover for what I faced, but I had a loyal friend.
“Hey, Siri—call Kellen,” I spoke at my cell, my voice shaky as fuck.
“What’s up, Mason?” he answered a few seconds later.
A relieved sigh rushed from my lungs, and I loosened my hold on my steering wheel from its death grip. “Are you busy?”
“Not until later tonight.”
“Can I borrow your muscles and potent scowl for an hour or two?”
After explaining what had gone down that morning, Kellen was more than happy to meet me at the courthouse and act as my bodyguard.
I hung up and debated texting Jasper to let him know I wouldn’t be alone. It wasn’t pertinent information, nor was it an emergency, so I decided against it. Best to allow my man finish his meeting in peace, and I could fill him in once we finished.
Hopefully, the paperwork wouldn’t take long to file, and Joseph would leave us both the hell alone.
Chapter22
Jasper
