Chapter Twenty-Eight
Emerson
“D o you have the deposition report for the assistant?” I called out to Sasha. I had files on top of files scattered along my desk for the Joshua Barlow case, but I couldn’t find the report. The deposition would have the ability to make or break the case.
No answer.
“Sash?” I called out again.
No answer.
I glanced up from the paperwork, probably for the first time in three hours, and saw it was dark outside. Frowning, I checked my phone and realized it was 8:30 P.M. Sasha would have left for the day, and Orion would be here to pick me up any second now.
I stood up and headed over to Sasha’s desk, searching for the report. Skimming my eyes over the files she had stacked; I found the typed deposition.
Jesus, it’s twenty-one pages. Who has that much to say?
Determining I didn’t have time to read through it now, I headed to the copier machine so I could take a copy home. The office was eerily quiet, everyone had gone home for the night and half the lights had been switched off. There was nothing but vacant desks, dimmed computer screens, and empty offices around me.
Thud!
I spun on my heels, the sudden noise made me jump and frightened me half to death. I cast my eyes over my surroundings, searching for the cause of the bang while my heart erratically pounded in my chest.
There was nothing there. No one was there. The sound had resembled a footstep, or something falling off a shelf, so I assured myself it was probably just the building’s security checking the offices and locking up. If someone was here, I would have heard the elevator ding.
After another somewhat cautious search around me, I tried to calm my irrational thoughts and headed back to my office. But despite how hard I pushed the feeling down, something within me was unsettled, begging me to leave immediately.
Heading through my office doorway, I frowned. The lights were off in my room, even though they were on when I left to go to the copier. That’s strange.
Maybe they were motion censored? I’d never actually been in the office this late, so I couldn’t be sure that that wasn’t the case. But if that was the case, why hadn’t they come back on now that I was inside?
All of a sudden, the rest of the power switched off in the main office space, leaving the only source of light coming from my computer screen. Dread settled in my bones as I stood in the darkness.
I’ve watched far too many true crime series for this shit.
I picked up my handbag, closed my laptop, and placed it inside, along with the copy of the deposition. Now with the screen closed and stored away in my bag, the room was shrouded in complete darkness. Unlocking my phone, I dialed Orion’s number. He must be outside by now; I could talk to him and settle my nerves while I made my way down.
Just as it started to ring, a familiar scent overcame my senses. It burrowed its way through my airway, clouding my mind with horror. My instincts flared red, the hairs on the back of my neck stood, fright cemented in my stomach.
Chanel Bleu . I’d recognize that aftershave anywhere. It was the same one that haunted me for years, a lingering silent reminder of the worst years of my life. I swallowed, hard.
It's not possible.
He can’t be.
It’s all in my head.
Forgetting about the call, my phone fell in my bag, and I turned to check behind me in an attempt to put my anxious mind out of its misery. It was all in my head, just a figment of my imagination. It had to be.
I squinted my eyes, searching desperately through the abyss, but I couldn’t see anything through the suffocating darkness that pressed against my skin like a damp, cold cloth. Even so, I kept squinting, as if I’d magically developed the ability to have X-ray vision.
Then I sensed movement. No. My heart stalled, oxygen dissipated from my lungs, and my body froze in place. The AC breezed over my body, the coolness clinging to my skin and stilling the blood running through my veins.
Every breath felt labored, the air heavy with the scent of Chanel Bleu, and my stomach nauseous with terror. I couldn't see a thing, barely even my own hand when I held it up in front of my face, but I could sense him .
Suddenly everything felt like it was in slow motion. My heart pounded harder with each passing second, thudding in my ears so loud I feared it might give me away. The silence was so complete it felt like a tangible force, pressing down on me, making it difficult to think straight.
I couldn’t see him, but I could feel his presence. It had a heavy, ominous weight that sent chills down my spine and my heart clawing up my throat. The fear was a living thing, coiling in my stomach, making my skin prickle with unease. Every small sound seemed amplified—the creak of the floorboards, the rustle of fabric as I shifted my weight ever so slightly.
I need to get out of here.
Slowly and carefully, I reached behind me to grab the handle of my handbag. The sound of another footstep washed over me, and I gulped, my legs unlocking from their place .
I started to edge towards the door, trying to remember the layout of the room, and desperately trying not to make a sound with each featherlight step.
Every few steps, I paused, straining to listen, to notice any hint of movement from the shadowy figure I feared. The room felt like it was closing in on me, the walls pressing tighter with each hesitant step. I focused on my breathing, willing it to be silent, willing myself to be invisible in this suffocating blackness.
There was a soft rustle behind me, and my poor heart leaped into my throat. I froze, my muscles tensing, now afraid to even breathe. The silence stretched out, a taut, brittle piece of string that could snap at any moment. I could almost feel his eyes on me, searching the darkness. But that was the thing with muscle memory, you never forget. As much as I wished I could, I’d never forget the way it felt to be pinned under his sinister gaze, his wicked eyes and vindictive smirk rendered me completely immobile.
Summoning all my courage, I took another step, and then another, each one bringing me closer to the door—to freedom. My fingers finally brushed against the cool, hard surface of the doorframe, and I exhaled a silent sigh of relief.
But just as I prepared to sprint from the room, a sound sliced through the darkness—a sharp intake of breath, too close, too real. I realized with a sinking heart that he was right here.
“Going somewhere, Emerson?” that voice—his voice—cut through the darkness, dripping with a malicious familiarity that made my blood run cold. “That hurts my feelings, Em. Didn’t you miss me?”
Each word seemed to reverberate off the walls, dripping around me like poisonous honey, leaving no corner untouched. I swallowed hard, my mouth dry, and fought the urge to run. If I ran, he would hear. If he heard me, he'd catch me. He always catches me.
The urge to flee was almost overpowering, but I forced myself to continue moving slowly, silently. Every step felt like an eternity, my muscles tensed and were ready to bolt. The darkness was my ally and my enemy, hiding me from his gaze but also concealing any obstacles that might betray my hidden position.
Just get to the elevator.
Just get to the elevator.
A shuffling sound reached my ears, and I could tell he was moving too, somewhere close by. I could almost feel his eyes searching the darkness, seeking me out with a predatory intensity. My heart drummed in my chest, and I struggled to keep my breathing quiet and controlled.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he sang softly, mockingly, and the sound was enough to send a shiver down my spine. I edged towards what I hoped was the elevator, praying for an escape, praying to stay hidden just a little longer.
But then I heard it—and I know he heard me. His voice, now a low growl, rumbled through the darkness with a cutting edge.
"Got you. "
I froze, every instinct screaming at me to run, but my legs refused to move. The darkness around me felt thicker, weighing me down, and I could feel his presence closing in, inch by terrifying inch.
My mind raced, adrenaline surging through my veins as I struggled to think, to act, to do anything that might save me. The darkness pressed in, a tangible weight, and I knew I had only moments before he reached me.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I couldn't let him catch me. Not now, not ever. Summoning every ounce of courage, I spun sharply and sprinted in the opposite direction, praying that I'd find a way out before he caught up.
My stomps echoed in the empty office, betraying my position, but I didn’t stop. I can’t. The sound of his pursuit behind me was an alarming reminder that he was close, too close.
The walls felt like they were closing in, the space around me shrinking with every step. My fingers brushed against something—a wall. I used it to propel myself forward, desperately searching for an escape.
But suddenly, I felt a sharp tug on my arm, and panic flooded my senses. He had me. His grip was iron-clad, cold, and unyielding, and I twisted and writhed, struggling, trying to break free from his hold.
His breath was hot against my ear, his voice a sinister whisper that chilled me to the bone and had bile rising up my throat. "You're not getting away that easily," he hissed, tightening his grip to the point that it was painful.
I lashed out instinctively, my free hand clawing at his arm, his face, anything I could reach. My nails dug into the flesh, and I heard a grunt of pain.
For a split second, his grip loosened, and I seized the opportunity. With a desperate burst of adrenaline, I wrenched myself free and stumbled forward, nearly falling in my haste.
I could feel his rage, a palpable force in the darkness, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t. My only chance was to keep moving, to find a way out before he regained his bearings.
Then I heard it.
Ding!
The elevator. I sprinted back to the exit faster than my legs could bear, running like my life depended on it— because it does —and hoping to reach it in time before Miles reached me.
“Emmy!” a familiar, rough voice calls out, and I immediately break into a heart-wrenching sob. Orion. The floodgates opened, and tears streamed down my face in relief. He’s here.
“Orion!” I yelled. I turned the corner, spotting him immediately as the light from the open elevator brightened up the space. I threw myself into him before he could even register I was there, and desperately clung to him as I sobbed into his chest.
He lifted me into his arms, his rigid frame melting when he cradled me into him. My arms flew around his neck, the fear convulsing through my veins materializing in the way my hands tightened around him. One hand held the back of my head as the other was snaked around my waist.
“I’m here, baby. I’m here,” he reassured me over and over, my body trembling into his. “You’re okay.”
“Miles,” I choked. “He’s here.”
Orion’s body goes stiff. “What?” he snapped, setting me down on the floor. He gripped my chin, forcing me to look up at him. His eyes were dark, void of any emotion, instead filled with a layer of evil that was only a silent promise of Miles’ fate. “Blake is downstairs, go wait with him.”
I gripped his shirt, frantically shaking my head as the fear crept back in. “No, Orion. Please, don’t leave me.” There was no stopping the tears from continuing to stream down my face. “Please.”
He was livid, I could feel it in the tenseness of his hands that were gripping me, but one look at my tear-stained face and his expression softened. “Okay. I promise.” Letting go of my chin, he pulled me back into him, his palm stroking the back of my hair as he pulled out his phone. A dark energy pulsed around him, clogging the air with unleashed violence that would surely soon rupture.
His fingers angrily dialed a number on his phone, and whoever he called, answered immediately. “Block the exits. No one gets in or out without us knowing. Call Cole, Atlas, and Romain. Search the entire building and the surrounding areas.”
He locked his phone and returned his attention to me. “Come on, baby, let’s get you home.”
“He’s been going by the alias of Liam Thorn, which we have reason to believe is his real name,” Atlas explained, his eyes brimming with hatred as they clashed with mine.
He had this serious look on his face, a look reserved only for when we spoke about Miles. His sandy hair was tousled, like he’d been running his hands through it and tugging at the ends, and I was fairly certain he’d developed an extra frown line on his forehead.
The Atlas seated across from me was a far cry from the brother I knew and loved. This Atlas had my heart wrenching. I couldn’t help but feel riddled with guilt. If I hadn’t fallen for Miles’ charms all those years ago, we wouldn’t be in this position.
“Liam Thorn?” I asked, running my palm down the side of my face. “That’s Sasha’s new boyfriend’s name.”
Orion’s head whipped so fast in my direction it was a miracle it didn’t spin off his neck. “What?” He shuffled on the sofa, turning his body to face mine.
“She met him a couple of weeks ago at the office. Apparently, he’s doing some work for us.”
“Who’s Sasha?” Atlas interjected, interlocking his fingers and leaning forward as if it would help him hear better. Even Aero tilted his head, gazing up at me through his amber eyes.
“My assistant.” Miles had to have known about my relationship with Sasha, there was no possible way it was a coincidence. But how?
I gasped, sitting up straight and my eyes widened as I thought back to a couple of weeks ago. “He’s been watching me.”
Orion’s brows pinched together, his body turning stiff. “Why do you think that?”
“Remember the night before Atlas got home and you were running late from work, so Blake picked me up?”
He nodded, his expression turning stony.
“When Sasha and I were leaving the office, I got this feeling I was being watched. I thought I saw him on the other side of the street, but it was so busy I couldn’t be certain, and I was so tired I thought I might have been imagining it. Plus, I never saw him again after that, so I assumed it was all in my head and I forgot about it.”
Orion’s jaw ticked. His grip on my hand tightened so much it hurt. “Fuck.” Before I could say anything, his phone rang.
“Yes?” he snapped, and I instantly felt sorry for whoever was on the other end of the call. A pissed-off Orion was like a rupturing volcano, destroying everything in its path as it unleashed its fury with its powerful blow.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” His words were punctuated with sharp, icy edges. “There was no damn way for him to leave without you seeing him! You better find him or I swear to Lucifer, Cole, it’s yours and Romain’s heads.”
He threw his phone on the sofa with a heavy breath, and I silently waited in anticipation for whatever profanity was due to leave his lips next, but instead, he turned back to look at me, and his hard expression instantly softened as he kissed my forehead.
I could see the internal struggle he was having. Every part of him was desperate to be out there looking for Miles and making him pay.
He was protective, dangerously so, and I knew there wasn’t any length he wouldn’t go to in order to keep me safe. It was written across his face when he looked at me, it lingered in his touch when he kissed me. I could see how restless he was, playing the waiting game. It wasn’t in Orion’s nature to sit back and let others solve his problems, especially when the problems were this personal.
He was fighting against his instincts because I asked him to stay. Now, he had to rely on others to find Miles and bring the bastard to him. And it was no secret being patient wasn’t exactly Orion’s specialty.
“Go.” He wouldn’t forgive himself if Miles got away and he wasn’t out there trying to find him.
“What?”
“I’ll be all right,” I assured him the best I could with a weak smile. I just wanted to get into bed and forget this night ever happened, sitting here and waiting would only drive me crazy. “I promise. I’m just going to go to bed.”
Atlas remained quiet, while Orion studied me with uncertainty, the protectiveness in his eyes a stark contrast to the helplessness I felt. “I don’t want to leave you alone, baby. He’s still out there.”
“Blake won’t let anything happen to me. Besides, this place is like Fort Knox. He won’t be getting in here.” It was true, Orion had security stationed at every entrance point of the building.
After a few more moments of going back and forth, I convinced Orion to take Atlas and join the others in the search for Miles.
The chances of me sleeping without him were second to none, but trying was better than anxiously waiting in the living room for a call to say he’d been found. I’d have bit off all my nails and pulled out all my eyelashes by that point, and Orion may have turned his entire apartment upside down.
It had been three hours since Orion and Atlas left, and three hours that I’d spent tossing and turning in bed, trying to get settled but failing miserably.
Staring at the ceiling, the events of the night replayed in my mind like a horror movie stuck on repeat. The city's usual hum was replaced by the pounding of my heart.
The moonlight filtered through the thin curtains of our room, casting long, eerie shadows on the walls. Every creak of the floorboards, every distant car horn, and every faint whisper of the city felt amplified, feeding my crippling anxiety.
It had been four years since I last saw Miles. Four years since I escaped his clutches and tried to piece my life back together. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he managed to destroy all the work I’d done to leave that part of my life behind.
I thought I was safe, that the distance and time would keep him away. I thought after being sent to jail he’d be far too concerned about getting his life back on track to bother with me. After all, he left me for dead. That hardly screamed I love you, let’s make this work.
But tonight, he found me. How? I wasn’t sure, and the uncertainty of that gnawed at me. How long had he been watching me? Lurking in the shadows, waiting to make his move? How long had I been living my life freely, completely unaware of the monster hiding in the background?
And what the hell was he planning on doing to me if he succeeded tonight? Nothing good, that’s for sure. My mind raked with possibilities of what he had planned, only worsening my dread and the nausea bubbling in my stomach. At this point, I was only egging myself on. But I couldn’t seem to stop my mind from racing, from remembering .
His cold, menacing voice echoed in my mind, and the feeling of his hands on me lingered like a phantom touch, impossible to shake. The image of his face, twisted in anger and desperation—visible even in the darkness—was burned into my memory.
The familiar hum of the city, which once comforted me, now felt alien and threatening. Every time I closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep, my mind raced with thoughts of what might still happen if Orion didn’t find him.
The shadows seemed to move, and honestly, I half expected to see his figure looming in the doorway, ready to drag me back into the nightmare I thought I had left behind.
Orion would find him, I knew it. This nightmare would end.
As I wrapped the sheets tightly around me, trying to ward off the chill that seemed to have settled deep in my bones, I heard my phone buzz on the nightstand.
Exhaling shakily, relief and dread mixing in equal measure, I reached out for my phone, determining it must be Orion. The screen was painfully bright in the darkness, and I squinted at it, hoping for news, but the text… it wasn’t from Orion.
I didn't recognize the number, and I was half tempted to set it aside without opening it. But the curiosity in me overrode my sensibility and a sick feeling churned in my stomach when I opened it.
Poor Em—all alone while her friends are out searching for me, too bad they’re looking in the wrong place.
Miles.
The words on the screen blurred as tears filled my eyes. My breath caught in my throat, and the nausea worsened. I didn't know how he got my number, I’d changed it three years ago, but that hardly mattered now.
I fumbled with the phone, my fingers trembling as I tried to type a message to Orion and tell him about the text. But before I could hit send, another message from Miles popped up.
It was a video attachment. Chewing my bottom lip, my heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the noise of the city, I opened the video.
As soon as it played, panic surged through me and I dropped the phone. The walls of our room seemed to close around me as I lost the ability to breathe.
It was a video of Orion and I on the balcony the other night when we were having sex. How the hell did he get that? The video was signed with another text.
Unless you want your beloved firm to see what a filthy slut you are for one of their biggest clients, you’ll meet me here in thirty minutes. I highly doubt you’ll still have a job if this gets leaked.
Another text came through. It was a location pin of where he wanted me to meet him. My fingers trembled, shakily trying to dial Orion’s number, but one final text came through. I clicked it open, and this time let out an audible sob.
Oh my God.
It’s a photo of Clover bound to a chair with duct tape over her mouth, one eye swollen and blood pouring from her head. She looks petrified, the sight causing more tears to stream down my cheeks.
Oh—and if that wasn’t incentive enough. Tell anyone where you’re going, and she dies.
I rushed to the bathroom, shoved my head down the toilet bowl, and spilled out the contents of my dinner. My stomach recoiled and my skin dripped with sweat before I sagged to the bathroom floor with exhaustion.
I wiped my mouth with the back of a shaky hand as I clicked on the location pin. It was twenty minutes away by car, but I could make it in time.
Rising on wobbly feet, I rushed to Orion’s wardrobe and threw on one of his black hoodies, his sandalwood scent washing over me and providing a thin layer of comfort. I hurried to my room, not caring who saw me running around without any pants, and chucked on a pair of black leggings and my New Balance 530s.
I contemplated calling Orion, but I didn’t want to risk Miles hurting Clover if he found out. Besides, Orion had my location on the Find My Friends app, and he got an alert on his phone every time one of his cars left the garage. I just hoped he’d check it in time .
God, Orion, please check it on time.
Rushing to Orion’s study and shoving my phone in the pocket of my hoodie, I grabbed the keys to the R8 Spyder before tiptoeing around a passed-out Blake, who seemed to have gotten himself comfortable on the sofa in the living room.
I tapped the lift button over and over, willing the doors to open as quickly as possible. I winced as they dinged open, praying the sound didn’t wake up Blake. It didn’t . Thirty seconds later, I was in the garage and unlocking the Audi.
Orion will kill me if I crash this thing.
My hands were still trembling as I fastened my seatbelt and gripped the steering wheel, but if I waited until I calmed down to set off like a reasonable person, Clover would likely be dead, and this was far from a reasonable situation.
Igniting the engine, the Audi roared to life with a low, angry growl reflecting my inner turmoil and I was filled with trepidation over facing the man who once ruined my life. There was a high chance I wouldn’t return home tonight, by the method of whatever revenge Miles had planned or by Orion when he found out I’d left. But for Clover, I’d do anything.
Even exchange my life for hers.