The taser slips from my hand, as if my body knows I don’t need it anymore, even as my mind firmly clings to the urge to fight.
“We need to get you out of here.”
“Where is he?” I whisper, trying to look over my shoulder, but Colten’s hand on the back of my head keeps me from looking back.
“I don’t know.”
Tears fall against my cheeks hard and fast, but I don’t fight him as he guides me toward the SUV, helping me climb into the leather seat before he secures the seat belt around me.
It’s not until the door closes that something occurs to me.
How did Colten find me?
And more importantly, how did he know I was in danger to begin with?
THIRTY-TWO
COLTEN
Ablend of anger and relief thrums through my body with every block closer we come to the apartment building.
On the one hand, I’m furious. With myself and Lexi. I should know her well enough to know she was always going to run, and that’s on me. She values her freedom above all else, and the second I took that away from her, I should have anticipated her sneaking out.
But I’m also fucking livid that she would do something so stupid the day after she was almost kidnapped from her bed.
Having such little regard for her safety is beyond idiotic, and it’s taking everything in me not to yell at her when she’s already so fragile.
Her bleeding hands are bunched together, her head bowed as soft sobs fill the car.
I could have lost her today, and that’s simply unacceptable.
If she’s not going to take her safety seriously, I sure as hell will.
Parking the car, I shut the engine off but make no move to get out. We both need a second to gather ourselves.
“I’m sorry,” Lexi chokes out.
“We’ll talk about it upstairs.”
“Colten—”
“No, Lexi. We’re not doing this here.” I reach for my door but pause with my hand on the handle. “Are you okay to walk?”
She nods but can’t bring herself to look up at me, and my chest aches not seeing her dark eyes lift to mine.
By the time we reach the elevator, Lexi’s entire body is trembling, and I can’t take it any longer.
I carefully lift her into my arms, cradling her against my chest.
She buries her face into my shirt, which is immediately dampened by her tears. “I can walk.”
“I know, Wildcat. But let me carry you. Let me take care of you.”
The elevator ride is silent aside from Lexi’s sniffles, and it’s not until the doors open into the apartment that some of the tension thrumming through my body eases.
I have a feeling I’m going to be on high alert every second that she’s outside these walls until we figure out who the fuck is after my girl.
It’s not until we reach the bedroom that I finally lower her onto the edge of the bed where Mary has left the surprise I organized for her.
