Chapter 17 Holland
HOLLAND
I smoothed my gray pencil skirt before I sat in my office chair and looked out the window.
My emotions had been on a crazy, unpredictable spiral and in a lame attempt to cheer myself up, I’d worn a soft pink blouse with my skirt.
It hadn’t worked. I was constantly looking over my shoulder for either Draco or Cooper, questioning every sound along with every person I saw walk through the parking lot.
Clinically speaking, I wasn’t sure I hadn’t mentally split beyond repair.
The PTSD and hallucinations were playing hell with me, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t shake them.
I shouldn’t have been working, but listening to other people’s problems made me feel a little better about mine.
It had been days since I’d last seen Kip. He’d texted to check if Draco or Cooper had shown up again, but he hadn’t asked to meet. Still, his words looped in my head—you know who I am.
Did I?
The way he’d said it … like a confession, or a threat. Like he knew something about me I didn’t know about myself. For a moment, his eyes had gone distant, almost fractured, as if he were standing in two places at once.
I shifted in my chair, promising myself I’d ask him when the opportunity was right. But the waiting gnawed at me. One minute, I was furious he wasn’t here like he said he would be. The next, I was replaying the press of his body, the wall at my back, the raw hunger in his voice.
When he’d pinned me against the wall, for the first time in years, I’d felt alive.
Desire pulsed through me, dark and addictive as my thoughts returned to the masked man.
Was Kip into role play? Would he act out a fantasy with me?
I was used to dark, rough sex. I thrived on it.
Wanted it. That much I understood after what I’d lived through.
It was no use trying to deny it anymore.
Cooper had also fed that part of me, but he was gone, or so I hoped since I hadn’t heard anything from him since Kip had tossed him out of my office the other day.
I touched my throat where Kip had wrapped his fingers around it, my pussy clenching.
A flash of his scent hit me like a drug.
Burnt amber. Spiced cedar. Clean and masculine—but underneath, something darker.
Sinful. Familiar. But I couldn’t place where I’d smelled it before.
He must have used the same soap when he’d met me at the office, then dealt with Cooper.
My phone pinged and I reached over and picked it up from the side table.
Unknown:
You look so beautiful today.
My pulse skipped a few beats, and I held my breath as I stared at the screen.
Me:
Who is this?
The little gray dots danced across my screen as I waited for a reply. Since Kip was in my phone as Monster, it wasn’t him.
Unknown:
How you forget me so easily, Samantha. I’ll have to remind you.
Goosebumps peppered my arms. It had to be Draco or Cooper.
Me:
Who is this?
The response was almost immediate.
Unknown:
How did you do it? You were skinny, disgusting, and pathetic. Not to mention weak from nearly starving.
It was Draco!
Me:
Stop texting me and rot in hell. If you come near me again, I’ll call the cops.
A laughing emoji filled my screen.
Unknown:
You do that because if I go down, you’re going down with me.
The hair on the back of my neck rose, my skin prickling with the threat. He had nothing on me, and he knew it. He was just trying to scare me. It wasn’t working.
Me:
You have nothing.
Unknown:
I don’t need anything on you. I have other ways. Btw, your mother doesn’t look anything like you. Oh, wait. She’s not your real mom.
Despite my best efforts, my entire body shook with the knowledge that he was watching my parents. I needed to get them out of here and to safety. Now.
I refused to give him the satisfaction of an answer. Draco was deranged and twisted. It wouldn’t matter what I said, he would laugh it off.
I brought up my contacts, and instead of messaging, I tapped the call button.
Gripping the phone so tightly my fingers turned white, I raised the cell to my ear as it began to ring.
Four rings later, I was greeted with a generic voicemail.
I disconnected the call and slapped my hand over my mouth, muffling my scream.
Why the fuck had Kip offered to help when he wasn’t available?
“Fine, I’ll deal with matters on my own.” When had I started depending on others to take care of my messes anyway? I was an adult, a grown-ass woman. I’d dealt with Draco and Cooper before. I could handle it.
Scrolling through my phone contacts, I located the information for the luxury getaway I’d visited a few times.
Celebrities visited often, so the security was tight, and the place was private.
No one ever used their real name, and although they had group activities, it was also a retreat with pools, drinks, amazing food, massages, facials, and so on. It was a slice of heaven.
I made a quick call to see if they had availability for my parents, then booked their stay for a few weeks. The next step was to figure out how to get them there without Draco realizing what we were up to. Maybe Dad could help with that.
With a quick tap of the screen, I pulled up FaceTime and called Dad. Seconds later, he answered, all smiles as he moved around the kitchen.
“Hi, hon.”
“Hey. Are you alone?”
His forehead creased as he glanced around the room. “Let me get my AirPods before you continue. Your mom is home.”
I waited as he located the white case, then popped one earbud in. “I’m ready.”
“You and Mom are going to a private resort and spa for two weeks. Someone has eyes on you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Dad’s forehead creased. “Yes. I’m assuming from what you’re saying it’s not the ex.”
“Yeah. Worse. I’m so sorry. The least I can do is keep you two safe and relaxed. You’ll probably see some celebs there, so that might be fun. Your food, room, massages, and everything you can think of is available and paid for. Think of it as my apology.”
Dad gave me a pointed look. “You’re not responsible for what he’s doing. I appreciate the effort and that you’re on top of it.”
“I figured Mom wouldn’t really need to know why you were going, either. Only that you were surprising her.”
Dad pondered that for a moment. “I can work with that without raising suspicion.”
That was a relief. I wanted Mom to have fun, not be terrified the entire time she was there. After giving Dad the information and Draco's picture, he agreed to not let his guard down.
I chewed my thumbnail until Dad gave me a disapproving look. He must have realized it was down to the nub. “There’s one detail I don’t have figured out. I was hoping you could help.”
“Hang on, Holland. I hear your mom coming.”
Seconds later, Mom appeared on the screen. “Take your earbud out, so I can say hi.”
Dad did as Mom requested.
“Hi, Mom. How are you doing?” I gave her a thousand-watt smile, doing my best to hide the real reason I’d called.
“Good. I didn’t know you were calling, or I would have put my book down.”
“It’s okay. Dad and I were just talking about you, actually. Dad. Wanna tell her?”
“Tell me what? What’s going on?” she asked, her gaze bouncing between us.
“It’s good, Mom.” I wanted to diminish any drama before she worked herself into a full-blown panic.
Dad cleared his throat. “It was a surprise but go pack, Evelyn. I’m taking you to a fancy resort for a few weeks. Holland helped me pick it out. She’s been there before. Celebrities stay all the time. We’ll lounge by the pool, eat amazing food, and get massages every day if you want.”
Mom’s expression lit up like a kid with a bucket of candy on Halloween. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, go have fun and relax, Mom. Dad was asking me to take care of the plants while you’re gone. Since he hadn’t told you yet, he wanted to make sure everything was taken care of. Go pack!”
“Oh! Oh! This is so exciting. Thank you!” She turned to my dad and kissed his mouth.
My heartfelt laugh filled the line. At least there was something positive in a dark situation.
“Have fun, Mom. I’ll talk to you when you get back.” I blew her a kiss, loving seeing her so happy.
“Love you, hon. Thanks for taking care of the house while we’re gone.” With that, she hurried off.
Dad replaced his earbud. “That went well. Now, what’s the other issue?”
“I need to figure out how to get you there safely since there’s an … obstacle.”
His brows knitted together, and I could almost see the wheels in his head turning. “I have a friend that might be able to help us. They could be a decoy, allowing us to leave undetected.”
I sucked in a breath. “What if they got hurt?” My voice wobbled with my question. I couldn’t handle being responsible for anyone else. It was bad enough that my parents were caught in the middle.
Dad chuckled. “Don’t worry about that. They can take care of themselves.
” He winked. “Let me make a call, then I’ll message that your mom and I are going shopping this afternoon and ask if you want to meet for lunch.
Politely decline. Then you’ll know we’re on the way out the door once the decoy has left.
I’ll let you know when we’re at the resort safe and sound. ”
Shit. I hoped like hell the plan would work. It had to. I couldn’t stand the thought of anything bad happening to my parents.
“Okay. I love you. Have a good time, Dad.”
“We will, but I want you to be diligent, Holland. Stay alert and keep Homer close by at all times.”
Homer was the name I’d given my gun, but I rarely called it that unless I had to in order not to scare people or if there was a possibility someone might be listening in.
“By the way, Holland, I won’t let you pay for the resort. I love and appreciate it, but that’s a lot of money. I’ll take care of it. You invest or save … or hell, book some time there for yourself.”
I raised a brow at him. “We’ll discuss it when all of this is over and you’re home. Be safe.”
“You too. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Okay. Bye.” I blew him a kiss, then disconnected the call.
I glanced at the clock. It was almost one, which gave everyone plenty of daylight. I didn’t think Draco would strike until it was dark.
After I checked my calendar for additional appointments, I tried to focus on notes for my next client.
An hour later, Dad’s message came in inviting me to lunch.
I breathed a sigh of relief and politely declined.
Once they checked into the resort in Idaho, I would feel a little better …
maybe. The drive was a few hours long, but mostly on the interstate, so plenty of people would be around if something happened.
Now? I had to wait to see if Draco realized what was happening or if my parents would be safe from the son of a bitch.