Chapter Four
L owen blinked awake and saw an unfamiliar ceiling. When she rolled to her side, the morning sunlight lit up the large bedroom. A large armoire sat against one wall, and a dresser on the other. A flat-screen TV was mounted, opposite the bed so someone could watch it while lying down.
The events of the previous night rolled through her mind like a television show. How Evren had promised to make sure Scias would never hurt her again. It wasn’t what she asked of him, but his assurance of help gave her peace of mind.
Rising, she went into the bathroom and took care of business before washing her hands.
She wore one of Evren’s t-shirts, and it was long enough that she didn’t have to be self-conscious about flashing her panties.
Making her way down the hallway, she saw him sitting in a leather wingback chair, drinking from a coffee mug and scanning through his phone.
“Good morning,” she said softly.
He looked up at her. “Morning.”
Setting his mug aside, he stood and walked over to the credenza where several bags rested. He collected them and held them out to her.
“I had someone pick you up some clothes,” he said.
Surprised, she accepted them. “Thank you.”
“I figured you didn’t want to walk around in just my shirt, although it looks fabulous on you.”
She smiled. “You mean, I don’t look like a homeless, pitiful wretch?”
“First of all, you’re not a wretch. Second, there’s nothing to pity. Third, I will not let you be homeless.”
“This means a lot, Evren. I’m very grateful, and not just for the clothes. I’m really thankful I met you last night.”
“I’m glad I was there,” he said with a smile. “Go ahead and get dressed, then we’ll grab breakfast at Jeremiah’s.”
She nodded and headed back to her room. Taking a short shower, she decided not to wash her hair since she washed it the night before.
The clothes Evren picked out were black tailored slacks and a pale pink button-down shirt with a Peter Pan collar.
It would’ve been something she chose herself, so she was pleased.
There were also panties, a bra, and pantyhose.
After dressing, she slipped into the shoes from her engagement party and headed back to the sitting room.
Evren blinked. “Wow. You clean up good, Miss Hayes.”
Warmth blossomed over her cheeks and she ducked her head, not used to compliments.
He cleared his throat. “Hungry?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Jeremiah lives across the corridor. Sax and I always eat breakfast there. I’ll warn you now, my brothers can be a little much.”
“All right.”
She was a little nervous to meet them. When Evren placed his hand on her lower back, her heart sped up a little as something undefinable flashed through her body.
They walked toward his brother’s home, which was across the hall.
Just like his own apartment, several security measures in place.
The intense precautions told its own story.
The penthouse was completely different from Evren’s.
Clean lines and white-upon-white aesthetics.
In her opinion, it seemed a little cold and impersonal.
He led her toward the dining room where two other men sat eating.
The older one, who had silver threaded through his dark hair, had to be Jeremiah.
He wore a white shirt with a tie and suspenders, oozing sophistication.
The other man had long blonde hair, dyed almost white.
His blue eyes held a hint of calculating cruelty that reminded her of Scias. She shied away from him immediately.
Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that the last thing she ate were a few bites at lunch the previous day.
“Hello,” said the blonde man silkily. “Who is this delectable morsel you brought us, Evren?”
“Back off, Saxon,” Evren warned. He pulled out a chair for her and she sat, then he took the seat next to her.
“Ah,” Saxon said, looking between them. “I think I’m jealous.”
“Lowen, this is my brother, Jeremiah Delance, and that bonehead is Saxon Bowers.”
“Nice to meet you both,” she responded politely.
Jeremiah sat back, drinking his coffee and studying her. “Lowen, as in Lowen Hayes?”
“Yes.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be engaged?” He frowned at Evren. “That’s why you went last night. For the engagement party.”
“I-I’m not marrying him,” she replied before Evren could, heart pounding.
Jeremiah Delance was a large, muscular man.
To her, those types of men liked to exert their dominance with physical force.
She would have to tread carefully. “Truthfully, I wanted to leave and your brother graciously obliged.”
“Have you brought a war to my door, Evren?”
“What would you have me do, Jeremiah? She asked for help.”
“Always gotta be the knight in shining armor, don’t you,” he rebuked. It wasn’t a question. “Scias Mailliard stays on his side of the street and I stay on mine. I have no desire to engage in any type of conflict with him.”
“He’s a bastard,” Evren argued back.
“Agreed,” Jeremiah said harshly. “But it’s not our business!”
Evren surged to his feet. “It is my damn business. I will never stand aside and ignore a woman when she asks for help.”
Jeremiah redirected his gaze to her. “Miss Hayes, you seem to be very smart. While I don’t blame you leaving that evil son of a bitch, he’s going to want you back.”
Was he implying he would return her? Did she jump out of the frying pan and into the fire?
Air suddenly became hard to inhale. Her chest tightened.
Everything froze as sheer terror took over and little black dots flashed before her eyes.
Arms came around her and she struggled against the confinement. She couldn’t go back. She’d rather die.
“Breathe, Lowen,” Evren murmured softly in her ear. “You’re safe. It’s just me.”
“He’s ... going to s-send me back,” she managed to get out.
“No, he’s not. I would never allow that.”
She tried to drag in a gulp of air, but only managed short gasps. “He’ll punish me if I go back. He’ll break me, Evren, and he’s already killed me once. Please. Please don’t send me back. I’d rather you kill me right now.”
Someone kneeled beside her, but all she could do was focus on Evren. Then another hand came to rest on her shoulder.
“Lowen,” Jeremiah said gently, and she whimpered. “Lowen, look at me. I would never send you back to him if you didn’t want that. Do you hear me? Please calm down and take a deep breath. Yes, just like that. Good girl.”
She blinked, and the darkness around her vision cleared to see Jeremiah sitting in the chair right next to her.
“He will hurt me worse than death,” she whispered.
Perhaps if she could make him understand he’d see just how demented Scias Mailliard was.
“When I spilled something on my dress at a restaurant, he beat me so bad I vomited blood for two days. I had to replace my two front teeth when he punched me simply because I talked to a man at a gala we attended. Years of broken bones, scars, abuse. He’s a poison that slowly killed me. ”
Jeremiah stared at her intently, clearly digesting what she said. “You’re under our protection now. Okay?”
She studied him and saw the promise in the dark depths of his eyes.
Logically, she shouldn’t believe him. All the experience she had with the male species proved their ugly nature, but she had no other recourse.
She had to take that leap of faith with these three men because there wasn’t anyone else that could save her. Did she have the courage?
Slowly, she nodded, hoping she wasn’t making a colossal mistake.
Jeremiah rose and returned to his seat, picking up his cup of coffee like her panic attack never happened.
“Are you crazy like me?” Saxon asked.
Lowen blinked and tilted her head as she studied the last brother. Behind the ice in his eyes lurked pain. A pain she was very familiar with. Perhaps he wasn’t cruel like she first thought. “Who said crazy couldn’t be normal?”
A grin slowly spread over his face. “I’ve been saying that for years! Two seconds flat and you get it. It’s like we’re twins.”
“Jesus, another Saxon is just what we need,” Jeremiah muttered sarcastically. “Lowen, were you the one that warned us about the attack last night?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“How did you know about the Jade Grove?”
She thought about lying, but she knew she had to be honest with him. No doubt Jeremiah Delance was a human lie detector. “I heard it in my previous life.”
Jeremiah’s eyebrow shot up. “Excuse me?”
“My previous life.” She maintained eye contact with him, letting him know she had nothing to hide. Would he believe her? “In that lifetime, Scias pushed me over a balcony and I broke my neck. Right before I died, I prayed for another chance and was granted a do-over.”
“A do-over,” he repeated flatly.
“You time traveled?” Saxon asked, obviously delighted.
“No,” she replied, shaking her head. “Not time travel. I’ve been thinking about this.
That version of events, where I married Scias and was beaten black and blue on a weekly basis, was a different timeline.
He killed me and when I woke up, for lack of a better word, that timeline disappeared.
So, I’m fairly certain there’s no future contamination because it’s like it never happened. Except in my memory, of course.”
Jeremiah stared blankly at her, and she could tell he didn’t believe a word she said. It was written all over his face. Saxon’s face lit up with delight.
“Daaamn,” Saxon drawled. “It’s the Time Variance Authority but for real. How did Marvel know?”
Everyone ignored him. Jeremiah put his cup down and sat forward, resting his forearms on the table and intertwining his fingers. “You’re either crazy or playing me for a fool. So, which are you?”
“He doesn’t stay on his side of the street,” she said, ignoring his question.
“Excuse me?”
“Scias. Whatever he told you, whatever he’s agreed to, won’t be the truth. The night I died, I heard him talk about you. How he wants you dead.”