Page 30 of Going Down Hard
Chapter Seven
Stone ushered Soph into their room and shut and locked the door behind them. She hadn’t spoken a word since they were on the Ferris wheel and he was beginning to worry. He pulled her into his arms and drew her as close as he could—held her tight.
“It’s okay. I won’t let him near you,” he promised for the hundredth time since he’d coaxed her off the ride.
She trembled in his arms and Stone had the urge to smash something. Preferably Hagar’s face. He hated that the man could frighten her into muteness. In the last few days he’d discovered an animated, happy woman who enjoyed life to the fullest and didn’t deserve to have her world disrupted by a deranged man.
His phone rang and as much as he didn’t want to let her go, he knew he had to. “That’ll be Jack. I need to answer it.”
Soph nodded and pulled out of his embrace, her head lowered so he couldn’t see her eyes. Wanting her close, disappointment shot through him when she walked to the bed and lay down, curled into a ball and tucked her hands beneath her chin. She looked so vulnerable—broken.
The desire to punch Hagar’s face morphed into a dangerous need to render harm to every inch of the man. Slowly. Over and over again.
Yanking his phone from his pocket, he hit accept and put the device to his ear. “Tell me you found the fucker,” he growled in greeting.
“Not a sign of him. Is she sure it was him?”
“You saw her, man, there’s no way apossiblesighting could instill that much fear.”
“Yeah. I know. It’s just…” Jack’s frustration echoed Stone’s. “I didn’t like this prick before. Ireallydon’t like him now.”
“Get in line.”
“How is she?”
“Hard to say. Not a word yet.”
“We need her to tell us what he looked like. What he was wearing. Anything.”
“I don’t want to push her right now. Give me some time. Let her process it and realize she’s safe. It had to be a shock to see him watching her. I have no doubt he placed himself right in her line of sight. Wanted her to know he was there. God knows how long he was watching us.”
“Fuck. Okay. I’ll do another sweep of the square then I’ll head your way and scout around. Are you sure he’s not at the B&B?”
“Positive. No one followed us here and the place is empty. I searched before coming up to our room.”
“I don’t like it. There’re too many variables with all those people renting rooms.”
“No one matches Hagar and they all checked out when Chip did his thing.”
“Still not happy about your location but for now it’ll have to do. I’ll let you know when I’m onsite.”
“I’m locking down for the night.”
“I’ve got your back.”
“Thanks.”
They disconnected and Stone dropped his phone on the foot of the bed as he made his way to Soph’s side. Crouching down, he brushed her hair back at her temple. “Hey. How you doing?”
“Okay.”
Her croaky reply took him by surprise. He smiled. “Found your voice I see.”
She flashed him a wobbly smile.
“What do you need?”
“A gun.”
