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And then he was moving. Snapping his head back toward me as his eyes flared. “Someone here?”
“What?” I asked on a delay, so taken aback by everything that had happened in less than a few seconds.
“Is someone here?” he ground out, the question sounding more like an infuriated accusation.
“Are you serious?” I shoved at his chest when he began looking around, all while his body continued blocking my path from the door. “Despite how we started, I’m not the kind of girl who sleeps with random people I meet, and I’m not the kind of girl who moves on quickly.”
“Answer me, Tree,” he demanded on a growl, only that time, I heard it...the underlying panic and fear in his voice.
I went still against the door as flashes of men in neon masks flooded every thought until I was there. ..transported to that night a year ago. Shaking and shaking as my world fell apart right in front of me.
“Willow.”
“N-no,” I finally said when large hands wrapped around my upper arms, grounding me in the present.
In him.
“There’s no one.” The words were a hoarse confession scraping up my throat as I locked onto those commanding eyes.
“Stay here. Right here,” Diggs added quickly, pressing me against the door for emphasis. “Don’t move. Don’t say a word.”
“But—”
“Stay,” he begged over me. “Tell me you understand.”
“I understand,” I mumbled numbly, that time without hesitation, and nearly buckled under the intensity of everything that was Diggs and us when he crushed his mouth to mine in a short, searing kiss.
But then he was gone, stalking toward my kitchen in a way that shouted he’d done this before—all stealth and danger in a calm so eerie that it was almost fascinating to watch. And as much as I wanted to follow him, to be right by his side so he could chase away the nightmares slowly creeping in, I kept my back firmly against the door as small tremors pulsed through my body.
“Has anyone been here today? Friend, family, maintenance...anyone,” he said as he came back from the other side of my apartment, near my room. The gun in his hand momentarily distracting me from the fury and fear clinging to him like a second skin.
“No,” I answered slowly, head shaking the same. “No, I’ve been gone all day. I just got back a couple hours ago.”
Diggs’ head moved in sharp nods before he grabbed my hand and started towing me through the apartment. “We’re leaving. I need you to pack.”
“Wait, what?” I asked dully, tearing my hand from his and stopping in the middle of my living room. “What do you mean we’re leaving?”
Diggs reached for me again and began dragging me in the direction of my room. “Exactly what I said. Either you pack, or I do it for you. But we’re leaving this apartment in the next five minutes.”
Instead of tearing into action once we were in my room, I just stood there, staring at him as if he’d grown another head while he placed his gun in the waistband of his jeans.
“Damn it, Tree, pack,” he nearly begged, grabbing my hand and pulling me close to cradle my cheek with his free hand. “Someone was here. While you were gone. Everything I have been trying to protect you from was in your apartment, and I need to get you away from it, do you understand?” His hand shook against me as he said, “You’re in danger because of me, and now I need to get you out of here. So pack.”
I moved then.
Nearly stumbling as I tried rushing through my room on weak knees because I knew...I knew who had been in my apartment. Just as I knew I wasn’t in danger because of whoever Diggs truly was.
The man this morning had really been wearing a neon mask.
They’d followed me to North Carolina.
And now Diggs and everyone else in this adorable town were in danger because of me.
“I have to go,” I said as I finished zipping my suitcase, the words a strained breath.
“Ready?” Diggs asked from where he’d been standing guard at the door to my bedroom.
My head shook wildly as I tried shouldering past him. “I have to go.”
