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Kyah visibly swallows, holding my stare as though silently begging me to be her knight in shining armor, and fuck, at this point, I’ll be absolutely anything she needs me to be. “There’s . . . there’s someone in my apartment.”
My eyes widen, my gaze snapping up toward my door as if expecting someone to come barging through it. “The fuck?” I grunt, my fingers digging into her soft skin, searching her terrified gaze. There’s only a handful of things someone waiting in a woman’s apartment would want with her, and every single one of those things sends me into a blind rage. “Are you okay? Did he touch you?”
She shakes her head, her hands visibly shaking as she reaches for my chest, her fingers digging in as if clutching me like a physical lifeline. “No, I . . . I didn’t see him. I could just hear him moving through my apartment,” she says, still heavily panting, unable to calm herself, “and I just . . . I ran.”
I pull her into me, crushing her chest against mine as I wrap my arms around her. “Shhh,” I murmur, desperately trying to soothe her as I listen intently to any noises coming from outside my apartment. “You’re safe with me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Kyah reluctantly nods her head against my chest as if not sure just how fiercely I could protect her from this, and from what I’ve learned of her so far, I’m sure she’s warring with herself over asking me for help in the first place. She’s so independent, never asking anyone for handouts, not that she needs them, but this is different. I know she’s strong and can handle herself, but having someone in her apartment isn’t the same as dealing with some loser catcalling on the sidewalk.
This is different.
Pulling my hands back to her shoulders, I gently push her back to meet her eye. “I need to go and check it out,” I tell her. “Stay here.”
She nods, her eyes still so wide and it fucking kills me.
Hell, how could I have sent her in there without checking it out first? It’s not as though I haven’t noticed Viper and his men tailing her for the past week. Everywhere she goes, they’re always watching, and considering how Viper cares for her, that could only mean he believes there’s some kind of threat she needs to be protected from.
Sending her in there alone was foolish, but I wasn’t thinking. I was out of control, more than ready to break every fucking rule we’ve established. All I could think about was how fucking tight she’ll feel when I sink my cock into her sweet little cunt, and the thoughts were quickly overwhelming me. I needed to step away before I grabbed her and fucked her right there in the hallway.
I should have been thinking about her safety.
Kyah clutches my forearms, her nails creating little half-moons in my skin, and as I step away and reach for the door, she refuses to let go until the very last second. The door opens, and I step out into the hallway, my gaze trained on Kyah’s door, and as mine closes behind me, she quickly locks it.
Taking a deep breath, I prepare myself for the worst as I curl my fingers around the door handle, pushing into the silent apartment. I close the door behind me, not risking leaving it open and offering a straight line right to Kyah.
My gaze quickly sweeps the apartment, shifting to every shadowed area, but I don’t feel anyone here.
I slowly make my way around her apartment, checking beneath the couch, behind it, and around it before checking the linen closet and her kitchen pantry. I check every single cupboard throughout the small apartment before double-checking it just to be sure.
There’s no sign of anyone in here. She must have been imagining it. Unless there was and the asshole somehow managed to slip out the window in the time it took Kyah to come pounding on my door.
Certain her home is clear, I make my way back to my apartment, guilt starting to build with each new step I take. She’s starting to trust me, starting to lean on me and open up, but I haven’t exactly been honest with her. If she knew . . . everything would change.
Kyah deserves better than that. I can feel her starting to fall for me, and I’m right there with her, more than ready to see where this is going. We fit together perfectly, and it’d be a shame to fuck it up now, so until I know she can handle it and she won’t be able to just walk away, my secrets will stay hidden with me.
Is that fucked up? Maybe. But there’s something about Kyah, and I don’t want to risk losing her just yet.
Making my way back across the hall, the door of my apartment opens before I get a chance to reach for the handle, confirming that she’s been watching out the peephole, probably freaking out the whole time.
Stepping into my apartment, she quickly closes the door behind me. “You good?” I ask.
Her gaze flicks back toward the peephole. “Did you find him?”
I shake my head. “There was no one there,” I tell her. “I checked everywhere twice. Under the bed. The closet. Even your pantry. If there was someone there, he was gone before I got there.”
Kyah lets out a shaky breath, her brows furrow. “I, umm . . . I’m sorry,” she says with a cringe. “I could have sworn I heard someone there.”
“It’s okay, Mace,” I say, pulling her into my arms. “I’d rather you came pounding on my door for a false alarm than to not say anything at all and end up in trouble. You know my door is always open to you.”
She gives me a small smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, and I know she’s still thinking about it, not entirely convinced that her apartment is clear. “Thanks,” she says, those bright blue eyes falling away, gazing down at my bare chest. “I should probably get to bed.”
I arch a brow. “You sure you’re good?” I ask her. “You look like you’d rather sleep with a mountain lion than risk going back in there. You can take my bed if you want.”
A sparkle hits her eye, and she looks back up at me, her lips twisting into a wicked smirk. “You and I both know that’s not a good idea,” she says, reaching for the door and pulling it open. Then as she steps over the threshold, she glances back at me. “Besides, if I don’t date my neighbors, then I certainly don’t sleep in their beds.”
I grab her, my arm locking around her waist as I pull her back into my chest. “Try telling me you don’t date your neighbors again, see what happens,” I dare her.
Kyah grins wide, but she’s smart enough to keep her mouth shut. “Good night, Parkour.”
