"I was alone before. I'll be fine."
"And how did that work out for you?" I snapped back.
A flash of anger crosses her face, and I immediately regret how I'm handling this situation.
Rubbing a hand down my face, I exhaled, searching for my composure.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way. What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to fight this alone. He's made it clear he's coming for you no matter where you go."
She places the bag on the floor, and sits on the ottoman at the foot of the bed.
"At least no one around me will get hurt.”
I take the seat beside her. “You’ll have an armed bodyguard with you at all times when you leave the estate. The entire property is gated, and we have guards regularly checking the perimeter. When you’re with me, I’ll be armed for both of our protection. You’re safe here with me, and nothing is going to happen to you.”
“Don’t make promises that you can’t keep,” she said as she picked at the skin of her thumbnail.
“Will you stay?” Trepidation filled me as I waited for her answer. “Please.”
Evelyn was quiet, and disappointment overwhelmed me. I couldn’t force her to stay here, as badly as I wanted to protect her.
We sat there quietly before Evelyn gave me a wordless nod. I got to my feet and reached down to help her up. Before I could take a step away, Evelyn wrapped me in a hug with her hands pressing me tightly into her with her head just under my heart. I was thrown off guard, but I relaxed into the embrace, holding her closely in return. Evelyn was the first one to pull away, and I was almost positive it was to hide a blush.
“Well, I guess I should try to get some sleep.”
That was my cue to leave. I took another look at her before heading toward the door. A strange feeling clung to me. Fear, perhaps, fear that she’d try to run anyway. I wasn't sure, but I held myself back from cautioning her again.
“Goodnight, Ev, I'm just down the hall if you need me. I’m a walk or a phone call away.” And with that said, I close the door behind me and walk back to my room.
Chapter 18
Charles
Present
I tapped the bottom of the box of Newports with more force than I needed to.
My agitation was reaching new levels while I waited for the call.
I had been in this dirty, run-down motel in Virginia for a few days now and still had no leads.
The thrill of burning down Evelyn’s house had diminished, and my skin was itching for more.
More pain. More destruction. More chaos. More. More. More.
I had spent years away from New York like he suggested. It had done nothing to quell the madness.
Miami wasn’t home. It had never felt like home. I tried to be good, but that only lasted for so long.
He told me he wanted to make everything up to me. He said he would protect me like he always should have. So I decided to test that.
I saw Celeste everywhere. It got hard to ignore. But every time I got close enough, my mind and heart knew it wasn’t her.
They never screamed like her or laughed like her. But it didn’t stop me from pretending. At first, it was one woman, then it was five women.
In Miami, it was easy enough to make a woman disappear. It was a trafficking hot spot. Every weekend, I would frequent the same clubs. Instead of hiding, I made a point to show my face to everyone. Colleagues, neighbors, and friends all saw me as a walking green flag.
I was practically served women on a platter, and I was always looking for her.
