Page 63 of His to Keep
“How do you figure?” I put my hands on my hips as I glower at him.
“Simple, because if this motherfucker steps a foot on my property, it will be the last thing he ever does. I will end him. With zero hesitation.”
I sniffle again, and he reaches out and tugs me into him lightning fast. Without even a second thought, I lay my head against his chest, readily and greedily accepting the comfort he’s so freely giving.
“It’s all gonna be okay,” he murmurs as he wraps his hands rub up and down my back.
I've never hugged Ellis. I've never particularly thought about hugging Ellis. But somehow, in this moment, it's exactly what I need.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my tears running free and soaking his shirt.
“Shhhh, Princess. I've got you.”
“Well, this looks cozy,” Atlas says, joining us. My bedroom feels impossibly small with both men standing in it.
“Maybe we can wait in the living room?” I ask, stepping out of Ellis’s embrace.
Both men turn and file out of the room.
“Cops will be here soon.” Atlas crosses his arms. “Why don't y'all get me up to speed while we wait?”
“I don’t even know where to start,” I groan, covering my face with my hands.
“The beginning is usually a good place,” Atlas deadpans.
I shoot Ellis a pleading look, silently begging him to take over. Thankfully, he does. “Things with Scarlet’s stalker are worse than we let on.”
“I can see that.” He nods. “So, let’s backtrack a little further so I can understand when you two became awe.”
“When we babysat,” Ellis says, somehow remaining calm and cool.
Meanwhile, I’m shaking like a geyser about to blow.
Atlas, too, if his beet red face and the pulsing vein in his forehead are anything to go by. “That was a week ago!”
I shrink back as the sound of his booming voice fills the space.
“You need to chill, man.” Ellis trails his fingertips over my upper arm—a move Atlas clocks and catalogs.
“And you need to actually fucking explain. Because so far, neither of you have actually told me anything.”
“Long story short… I took the trash out the night we stayed over and thought I heard something. I did a perimeter search, but it was all clear.”
I step in and take over. “The next morning, I went out to my car to get something and found a note on my windshield.”
Ellis glances down at me before jumping back in. “The note implied he watched us through the window as we slept. He threatened to break my hands if I ever touched Scarlet again.”
We trade off again, strangely in sync. “Ellis convinced me I needed to file a police report and even helped me do it.”
“I asked her to let me know if he reached out again or left any more notes.”
“Last night, I was getting ready to go out, but when I left...” The memory of finding the bag of food on my porch slams into me with the force of a wrecking ball, knocking my breath from my chest.
“You’re okay,” Ellis says, softly. Like it’s just the two of us. “In through your nose, out through your mouth.”
I take a few deep breaths and try again. “When I left, there was a delivery order for Fortuna—my go-to order—with a note suggesting I stay home instead of going out.”
“Fucking hell,” Atlas groans. “I don’t even know what to say.”
