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"Please don't hang up," I sob.
"You have to hang up, sweetheart," he croons. "You have to call the police. They can get to you faster than I can. But I swear to you, I am coming. Me and brothers will be there in seven minutes."
"Finn," I whimper.
I hear a commotion in the background that sounds like a thousand engines roaring to life, and then Finn curses. "I know, pretty baby. I know. Fuck, I never should have left today," he says. "But the doors are locked, and he can't get in. I'll be there before you know it. You have to call the police for me. You can do this, Scarlett. You're a goddess. You can do anything."
I believe it becausehebelieves it. His faith in me gives me courage and steadies me. I take a breath and then another, pulling myself together. I can handle this. For him, I will handle this. "Okay," I whisper. "I'll call the police."
"Good girl," he whispers.
I hesitate for a moment,I love youon the tip of my tongue. But I swallow it back. Now isn't the time to add those three little complicated words to the mix. I don't want to say them because I'm afraid. I don't want him to hear them because I'm scared. When I tell him, I want him to know it's because I mean it.
"I'll see you soon," I say instead.
"As soon as I can get there," he promises.
I disconnect and dial the Sheriff's Department. The dispatcher makes me stay on the phone with her for what feels like an hour. Time passes in agonizingly slow drags. I hold my breath, listening for any hint that Silas has broken in, but the store is dead silent.
"My deputy is on scene," the dispatcher, Greta, says. "Stay where you are for a minute and give him time to check around the building, and then I'll let you know when to go out and meet him, okay?"
"Okay," I whisper.
She asks me a few more questions—mostly to keep me talking, I think. And then she lets me know that the building is clear. Silas is gone. My knees threaten to buckle as relief rushes through me in a flood. I grasp onto the wall to keep myself upright.
"Do you want me to stay on the phone with you while you go out to meet my deputy?"
"No," I whisper. "I'll be okay."
"Okay, then, Scarlett. He'll be waiting at the front door for you. Have a good night."
"You too. Thank you, Greta." I disconnect, shoving my phone back into my pocket. My hands still shake when I unlock the door to the storeroom and hurry through the store to the front door. A Silver Spoon Falls deputy waits on the other side, one hand on the radio on his hip.
"Ms. Crawford?" he asks.
"Yes," I whisper.
"I'm Deputy Alaric Groves. Can you tell me what happened?"
"Yes, I was—"
The loud roar of motorcycle engines cuts me off. Deputy Groves and I both turn to look as a large group round the corner, speeding toward us. Finn is at the front of the group, his red bike as unmistakable as he is.
"Shit," Deputy Groves mutters, glancing at me. "Friends of yours?"
"Yes. Finn Taylor is my…" I trail off, not sure what to call him. "He's mine," I finally say, settling on the only thing that comes remotely close to describing the way I feel about him. He's mine, my heart, my soul, mine.
Deputy Groves inclines his head in a nod.
"Scarlett!" Finn roars, pulling his bike to the curb and then killing the engine. It's barely stopped before he's off it, closing the distance between us in ground-eating strides. His expression blazes with intensity, his green eyes on fire with urgency.
I race toward him, hitting him like a meteor.
His arms close around me, and my feet leave the ground.
"Fuck," he growls, burying my face in his throat. His body shudders against mine, and I realize in that moment that the last ten minutes were just as terrifying for him as they were for me. More, perhaps. Because I knew he would get to me. I knew he'd protect me. But he was afraid he wouldn't.
"I'm okay," I whisper, clinging to him.
