“I’ve got you.” His voice is low, soft, like a promise. “You did the hard part. Let me take it from here.”
We sit in silence, his fingers tracing gentle shapes on my back. Slowly, the ache in my chest eases.
And for the first time after speaking those truths out loud, I feel something return—something warm, quiet, and steady.
Peace.
Chapter twenty-four
Ava
Theshopisquiet.
Rain taps gently at the windows. The bell over the door hasn’t chimed in over an hour. I should be enjoying the stillness—savoring it. But I feel it again.
That invisible weight. Like someone’s watching.
Sophia didn't come in today. Mia is running the front, humming again, a little lighter now after yesterday’s awkward not-quite date. I’m in the back office, sorting invoices, when I see it.
A small, cream-colored envelope. No return address. Propped against my mug like a casual afterthought.
I didn’t hear anyone come back here. I didn’t leave the door open. My skin goes cold. I slide it open with trembling fingers. It’s a photo. Of me. From yesterday. I’m outside, smiling. Holding Elijah’s hand. His head is turned toward me, half-laughing. It’s a sweet photo. Romantic. Until you realize I never posed for it. Never saw a camera. Underneath the photo is a note.
The room tilts slightly.
I don’t even realize I’ve texted Elijah until he’s calling me.
“Where are you?” he asks, his voice tight.
“In the office,” I whisper.
“Lock the door. I’m almost there.”
Elijah storms in like thunder—no words, just a grim look and soaked shoulders.
I hand him the envelope.
He pulls out the photo.
Everything in him freezes.
His face darkens. Not with fear. With fury.
“I know that tone,” he says quietly. “I’ve heard it before. That’s a man who’s used to controlling people. Who’s used to watching. This isn’t just obsession—it’s ownership.”
He looks at me, then steps toward the door and locks it.
“I’m done playing defense.”
“Elijah—
He turns, and I see it now. The shift. Not just a protective boyfriend. The enforcer.
“I need to make some calls,” he says. “There are still people who owe me favors. Men who still know how to find shadows.”
“Do you think it’s someone from your past?”
“I think it’s someone who knows how I used to move. How to blend in. Someone who’s studied you through me.”
