“Hey,” he whispers, getting my attention and I peek up at him. “It’s going to be okay. I’m not going to let him anywhere near you.”
I nod, cuddling closer to him as I try to steady my breathing. After what Lincoln showed me and the research I did afterward, I can honestly say that my father terrifies me. There is no length he won’t go to, no boundary he won’t cross, and I understand all the things my mother made Theo and me do. I understand the drills and the training and I’m so thankful for them now but I can’t help but feel like I carry around the same evil he does – like somewhere deep down inside me is a person who’s capable of the terrible things he’s done.
“I need to call Blaze,” Lincoln says, pulling back to look at me. “I’ll put it on speakerphone so you can give your input, too.”
I nod, grateful that he’s really listening to me and we all congregate around the table as he dials Blaze’s number, puts the phone on speakerphone, and sets it in the middle of the table.
“What’s going on, Kodiak?” Blaze answers and I sink into the chair as the guys follow suit.
“Someone just dropped a folder off at Tate’s house.”
“What’s in it?” he asks, apprehension filling his voice.
Lincoln glances over at me and grabs my hand as calm washes through me. “A photo of Tate’s mom with someone else and a note that says, “you owe me a life”.”
“Shit. Did you see who dropped it off?”
Smith shakes his head, looking annoyed. “No, they were gone by the time we checked the cameras, boss, but I’ll go back and look at the feed beforehand.”
“Good. In the meantime, I think we need to get Tate out of there.”
Lincoln nods. “I agree.”
“Well, I don’t,” I cut in. My house was designed to keep me safe from Dominic King and I tell him that.
“I understand that, Tate, but he knows you’re there and it’s only a matter of time until he gets in. It’s just a house. I want you to come down to the clubhouse.”
The thought of being under the same roof as Blaze right now is not appealing and I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”
He sighs. “Look, I get that I’m not your favorite person but this is the safest option.”
“How is it safe? That will be the next place he looks for me and how the hell are we going to stop him? I’m not running from this man for the rest of my life.”
“No one is suggesting that you do, baby, but the clubhouse is safe,” Lincoln says.
I shake my head. “Nowhere is safe. He’s been following me for who knows how long and I’m sure he knows all the moves I can make before I even make them.”
“Wait, what do you mean he’s been following you?” Blaze asks, an edge in his voice and I sigh before telling him about the note, phone calls, and text messages.
“Goddamn it,” he growls. “Kodiak, this is the kind of shit I needed you to watch out for.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t find out until last night,” he fires back, giving me some major side-eye and I shrug. Mom always taught me to only depend on myself and that’s not going to change now.
“She’s right,” Smith says, watching me. “If he’s been following her, he knows everywhere she could go hide.”
“We could go to my place,” Lincoln suggests.
I scowl at him. “How is that any better?”
“No, wait, that could work,” Blaze says, ignoring my question as Lincoln turns to me.
“When I bought that property, we used it to house girls we were moving so I have the entire perimeter covered with motion detectors. It’s not much but it will give us a little bit of a head start if he does show up there.”
The squeal of brakes pierces through the silence and I flinch as both men jump up and rush to the windows, guns drawn.
“It’s just a mail truck,” Smith calls and I release a breath as Lincoln turns back to me and we lock eyes. The plea in his gaze wins me over and I sigh as I nod.
“Okay, I’ll go to your house.”
* * * *
Morning sunlight streaks across the room, warming my skin as I stretch and curl up with Lincoln’s pillow. Mist hovers over the lake and I would love to just sit out there for a few hours if I could bring myself to leave this bed. Two big arms wrap around me and pull me into his naked heat. I take a moment to savor the comfort of his touch and his manly scent surrounding me before I jerk away. He growls, pulling me back to him.
“Don’t.”
I roll my eyes. “You, don’t.”
Silence greets me and I scowl as I grab his hand and try to pry him off my body but it’s no use. He’s got an iron lock on me and the only way I’ll get free is to hurt him and I’ve promised to no longer do that. Last night when we arrived at Lincoln’s house, Smith took one of the bedrooms, leaving the other for Lincoln and me. I was ready to just sleep on the couch but he refused – saying it was safer if I slept in a bedroom. After a little arguing, he assured me that he would stay on his side of the king-size bed but clearly, that didn’t happen.
“Let me go, Lincoln,” I order and feel him shake his head against my back as his arms tighten around me again. I smack his forearm. “Can’t…breathe.”
“Just let me pretend for a few more minutes, baby,” he whispers and I sigh as I flop back down on my pillow.
I flick an annoyed glance over my shoulder. “Thought you were going to stay on your side of the bed.”
“I think we both know I was lying when I said that,” he mumbles and I wiggle in his arms again.
“Let me go.”
With a huff, he releases me and I roll over in bed to face him. He cracks an eye open and smiles, reaching out, brushing his thumb over my cheek. It feels so damn good even though I know it shouldn’t. God, this wouldn’t be so hard if I didn’t miss him.
“Morning, baby.”
I shake my head. “Don’t call me that.”
“Tate,” he breathes, frustration lacing his tone and I sigh right along with him.
“How many times do I have to tell you that this is over before you’ll believe me?” I ask, motioning between the two of us.
“Ten times…” he says and I arch a brow. “Every day for the rest of our lives.”
“Lincoln,” I growl, flopping to my back and throwing my arm over my eyes. Because of all my years of avoiding relationships, I really am inexperienced and I think that’s part of the reason that, before I learned of his deception, I trusted Lincoln so completely. In my mind he was the one man who would never hurt me but then he did and I don’t know how to move forward from that.
“How many times do I have to apologize for this?”
“Ten times everyday for the rest of our lives,” I snarl in annoyance and he nods.
“Done.”
I shake my head, pointing a finger in his face. “No. I wasn’t serious.”
“You know what,” he prompts before rolling on top of me. I buck my hips, trying to get him off but he’s too damn heavy. “Listen to me. Yeah, I lied to you and I kept things from you but that doesn’t change the fact that the moment you walked into my life, I fell head over heels in love with you.”