He touches her cheek, just as I move for the door handle.
My blood is pumping. I’m disorientated.Be sensible, Elton, walk away. Reilly can handle herself, she tells me enough.Assess, process, then react, I remind myself.
I’m fighting every caveman instinct not to burst in and claim her.
She’ll come home and explain, tell me everything I need to know.
Maybe she’s not safe. Maybe she hasn’t invited him here.
She’s not running, or fighting, she’s calm. I should be too. We don’t hide things from each other, there is a perfectly reasonable explanation.
Even if there is a man with Reilly alone at night, who I don’t know and who she looks to be familiar with.
“You have a right to be here, you’re not going to jump to conclusions, but you’re not going to run away,” I remind myself, unnecessarily quietly.
The handle feels heavy in my palm as I slowly turn it.
A loud bang makes me jump and pure rage flies through me.
He has Reilly by the throat against the counter, fear screaming in her eyes. I don’t hold back. The only thing I can think of is saving her. Nothing will stop me from getting to her. Thank fuck the door is unlocked. I rush in and jump over the counter with the goal of grabbing this arsehole by the neck, swinging him around and landing a punch straight into his cunt of a face.
Before I can get hold of him, there’s a clang as he stumbles back, clutching his head.
Trust Reilly to beat me to it when it comes to saving her.
Reilly
There are moments in life when time stands still, and you take a second to reflect on your mistakes. Leaving the door of the bakery unlocked after closing. Mistake. Not throwing him out the minute he showed up. Mistake. Spending a year of my life in a dead-end relationship with an entitled man who thinks the world runs for him. Mistake.
In actuality, the current situation I find myself in is not my mistake. The person who made the biggest mistake tonight is Tim, thinking it was a good idea to threaten me while holding me by my throat against a counter next to a selection of large, heavy baking trays. Giving me the perfect opportunity to whack him over the head with one.
He releases me, shouting in agony and rage.
The man who definitely isn’t a mistake rushes towards me. His hands come to my face as he scans me over, checking every inch of me. When he gets to my neck, his eyes darken.
Elton spins around and smashes his fist into Tim’s face. Blood spurts from his nose. Grabbing Tim’s arm, Elton twists him around and holds him against the wall as Tim whimpers.
“Big man now, aren’t ya, coming in here and hurting my woman,” Elton growls, his voice low and menacing. I’ve never heard him so feral and I shiver at the display of testosterone.
“You bitch,” Tim seethes at me. “Who’s this? You fucking him now? Whore.” His words have the desired effect, and myknees buckle as the adrenaline wears off and I come face to face with the danger I was in. A choked sob breaks out of me.
“It’s okay. Reilly. I’m here now.” Elton addresses me over his shoulder. “This arsehole thinks he can break in and attack you,” he says through clenched teeth. Tim yelps as Elton twists his arm a little more.
“Attack her? I’m her fucking boyfriend.” Tim’s face is pressed into the wall, but his voice is still laced with an unnerving rage. Elton responds by pulling him back and slamming his face back into the wall.
“Ex-boyfriend, Tim, we broke up,” I say. My voice wavers slightly and I squeeze my fists, trying to ground myself. “I … I never thought you would hurt me.” Tears well in my eyes and my breath becomes choppy. I grab hold of the counter behind me for support. I can’t believe he’s done this. I didn’t expect Tim to turn aggressive. There were no signs. Sure, he was a little tetchy about the breakup but I hadn’t thought of him as unhinged.
“Reilly baby, breathe. You’re okay.” Elton lowers his voice and looks at me over his shoulder. He still has Tim in a tight hold. I managed to fight him off, but what would have happened next if Elton hadn’t shown up when he did. His face softens towards me and he glances between me and his captive; not sure whether to comfort me or hold steady.
“Am I calling the police or Jeeves?” Elton asks.
“What would Jeeves do?” Actually, I don’t want the answer to that question. Jeeves’s past has never been spoken about, and probably for good reason. He is a man of many mysteries and talents. I feel he could easily make someone disappear. Elton raises his eyebrows, telling me it’s probably exactly what I’m thinking. Tim whimpers, his brave demeanour now resembling that of a scared little boy out of his depth. He’s trembling underElton’s hold, his face pale and – if I’m not mistaken – he might have wet himself. There’s something almost sad about it.
I pull a long breath in through my mouth and let it out through my nose.
“Let him go. He won’t be coming back.” He’s not worth any more of my time or energy. I just want to go home, shower and curl into Elton.
Elton grabs Tim’s wallet out of his pocket before letting him go. He finds his licence and recites his full name and address. “Keep your eyes open, Tim, because I’ll always have eyes on you now.”
