Page 89 of House of Scarlett
“I have a troll on social media. Well, I have a lot of them, but there’s one who ... well, he’s more of a stalker. And, apparently, he knew what I was wearing earlier today.” My voice shakes, and I can’t pretend I’m not terrified of what this could mean.
“Fuck.” Gabriel bites out the word as he wraps his arms around me, then pulls me against his chest and squeezes hard. “No one touches you. I fucking promise. No one touches youever. We’ll find this fucker, and we’ll take care of him.”
I want to believe him. I want to soak up his heat and strength and let him take my problems so I don’t have to carry them, but that’s not how I’m built.
“I have to call the detective and email the screenshots over. I don’t know what else to do.”
Gabriel loosens his grip on me and presses his forehead to mine. “Don’t lose one minute of sleep over this. I’ll handle it. Give me everything you have, and I’ll put out feelers. Q has a whole fucking network of people in the city that we use for information. I don’t care how many favors we have to call in, we’ll find him, and we’ll make it stop.”
I inhale a shaky breath. “I would really, really like that. And I should probably find a new self-defense instructor. Just in case.”
His blue eyes have never been more serious than they are in this moment. “I’ll teach you everything you need to know. No sick fuck is going to hurt a goddamned hair on your head. Not while I’m breathing.”
Fifty-Three
Legend
It takesevery ounce of willpower I have to wait for Bump to finish and pick out his prize—a giant stuffed elephant—and then get the three of us the hell out of the restaurant.
We take a cab back to the club, because I’m not walking the streets, even at this time of night, with Scarlett beside me. She called the detective while Bump was finishing his game, and filled him in on everything.
My guts are twisted into knots at the fucking filth this prick is saying to her. Killing people may not be part of my repertoire these days, but I sure as fuck can find a bullet with this prick’s name on it.
After we hurry back to the club and get Roux, we all load up in my Bronco, and I back out of the parking spot in the alley.
“Are you coming home with us, Scarlett? It’s so cool. You can see my other prizes too. They’re in my apartment.”
I look across to her pale features, and even though it wasn’t the plan, I’m definitely bringing her home with us. “It ain’t fancy, but if you want to see where I live ...” I trail off to let her decide.
“I’d love to come home with you both.”
“Sweet!” Bump pumps his fist in the air, and I give her a nod.
“You need anything from your place?”
She shakes her head. “I’m good. Let’s just get out of the city.”
I hate that she’s getting chased out of her own town because of fear, and I vow right then that it won’t last. Whoever the fuck this gutless asshole is, we’re going to find out, and I’m going to take care of him.
That’s a promise.
Fifty-Four
Scarlett
It’sfunny that the last two times I’ve left the city have been with Gabriel. Or maybe not funny so much as telling. He pushes me outside my comfort zone without even trying.
Despite the pall the troll cast over tonight, I’m excited to see where Gabriel lives. I want to know everything about this enigmatic man, but I suspect it’s going to take years to peel back all of his layers.
Years.The prospect of spending a minute more with Chadwick terrified me, but with Gabriel, no amount of time I can think of feels like enough.
Because you’ve fallenhard, Good Scarlett reminds me.And that’s not a bad thing. Enjoy it.
And I will, because it’s impossible to slow my racing heart when he’s around. My breath still catches when he smiles at me. My skin tingles when he touches it. If this is what being in love is supposed to feel like, then it’s a whole new experience for me.
Thankfully, Bump keeps the conversation going without needing much input from me or Gabriel. When we pull down a side street and make a left, Roux sits up and pokes her head between my seat and the window off to my right.
“She knows she’s almost home,” Bump says from the back. “She likes to see it, though, just to make sure.”
