Page 91 of His to Keep
“Thank you.” I grab the croissant and take a ravenous bite. “So, what are these so-called goodies you speak of?”
“For starters, I bought an alarm system, new cameras, and a gate. I'm having everything installed tomorrow.”
My eyes widen with each item he rattles off. “And you did all of this for... me?”
“Baby girl, I don't think you realize how serious I am about keeping you safe.” He leans forward bracing his elbows on his knees. “So, I need you to keep an open mind for this next part.”
“There's more?” Butterflies swarm inside of me. This man is literally turning his home into a fortress to keep me safe. I can’t think of a single other person who would be this dedicated to protecting me. Mind, blown.
“Yup.” He pops the last bite of his food into his mouth and washes it down by chugging half a bottle of water. “A few things. Let's start small...” He reaches into his pocket and retrieves a key on a pink chain. “The new lock is actually biometric, but this key works, too. We'll get your fingerprint set up in it tomorrow after it’s installed.”
I take the key from him and gasp, running my fingers over the embroidered design. “Princess?”
His lips curl in small, satisfied smile. “It's perfect right?”
I nod, because it really is. And as sad as it sounds, it’s quite possibly the nicest thing anyone’s ever given me. I try to thank him, but a garbled sob slips out instead, making me want to crawl in a hole to hide. My freaking god, how pathetic am I that I'm tearing up over a keychain.Could you be any more desperate, Scarlet?
“Now, keep riding that high for me, ’kay?”
The endorphins racing through me take a nosedive. “Not gonna lie, you're making me nervous.”
“Well, look at us on the same page, because I am also nervous.”
My nostrils flare as I exhale sharply, sinking deeper into the corner of the couch. “This is so not helping.”
He reaches down, drawing my attention to a bag on the floor at his feet. He fishes around in it and pulls out a small pouch containing four small disc-shaped objects. “These are trackers. Ideally, I'd like to put one in your car, one in your bag, and the other two in your shoes.”
Holy shit, this is... intense.I swallow around the lump of emotion clogging my throat as I try to process what he’s saying. “A tracker? Like GPS?”
“Yup.” He nods once—all business, like this all makes perfect sense. Which is bonkers, because none of this makes sense.Why is this happening to me?
“Why?” The answer’s obvious but I ask anyway.
“If shit hits the fan, I want to be able to find you, Scar.” He moves the tray to the coffee table, scooches closer, and takes my hands in his. “The thought of someone taking you is... unbearable. So, please,pleasehumor me here.”
“You're really worried?” I ask, my voice wobbling. “You think he'll try to t-take me?” Flashbacks of Nora being snatched from my car flash through my brain like a highlight reel from hell. Sure, I didn’tseeit happen, but my incredibly active imagination has filled in the gaps in a million awful and creative ways.
“I can't predict the future, but I can damn sure make sure we're prepared for every possible scenario.”
“Okay,” I whisper. How could I not agree when this man, who only weeks ago hated the very sight of me is now ready to essentially go to war for me.
“Glad to hear it.” His shoulders slump with relief. “I honestly thought this would be harder.” As always, he manages to inject just the right amount of levity.
“Are you calling me difficult, Wilder?”
“If the shoe fits...” He winks. “Speaking of, I also got you this.” He grabs yet another small bag and passes it my way.
“Wow.” I admire the butterfly charm through the plastic before shaking it out into my palm. The thin gold chain is cool against my skin, and the pink wings are almost a perfect match for the keychain he bought me.
“This is... unexpected.” I look up at him, trying to search for some kind of hidden meaning. “Beautiful, but unexpected.”
“Glad to know you think I have good taste.” He offers up a grin that perfectly straddles the line between cautious and cocky. “It might also be a tracker.”
“What the hell, Ellis. How?” I inspect the necklace with fresh eyes, turning it over in my hands. “This is all too much...”
“This is the bare fucking minimum,” he growls, sounding so damn certain, it almost sounds rational. But there isnothingrational about any of this.
“Don’t you get it? If it was up to me, I'd keep you chained to my side until the threat was neutralized. If anything, I'm being incredibly reasonable. Did I mention it also has a built-in panic button? It will alert me immediately upon activation.”
