Chapter 11
Xan
Having Shane in our home was almost like having a physical ghost there.
He didn’t say anything. When he happened to be in the apartment with us, he was so still, I sometimes had to look at him just to ensure he was still breathing.
I didn’t know if he was uncomfortable or if he just didn’t know how to properly exist around others, but it was strange.
And that was coming from a sociopath who lacked social norms.
“Why do you think he decided to room with us if he’s uncomfortable?
” Preston asked. He was on lunch but had left his food in his car by accident that morning in his rush to get inside.
He’d been running late, and I’d been running late for practice, too.
His alarm hadn’t gone off, which meant we overslept.
The only reason we woke up was because I heard Shane getting ready to head into the tattoo shop for the early morning appointment he had.
When Preston texted me that he left his lunch in his car, I’d told him to call me, and I tracked every step he made through cameras in the parking lot. My trainer was pissed that I was fucking off—his words—but Preston was more important than any upcoming fight could hope to be.
“Trying to protect us,” I said because I knew it was the truth.
He’d told me himself. But I didn’t need protecting.
However, I wanted as much protection as possible on Preston.
Nothing could happen to him. I’d burn this entire fucking world to the ground if something happened to him.
He was the only person who kept me sane, kept me tethered to the earth. He was my everything.
If I lost him, I’d become a monster that would have to be put down.
Preston scoffed. “Receiving that ear was terrifying, but—” His words were cut off when someone stepped out from the other side of his car. I snarled. He’d been in my blind spot. Fuck parking lots.
“Turn around and get inside,” I snapped at Preston.
He didn’t move. “Now, Preston!” I shouted.
And finally, he kicked his ass into gear and spun around, racing for the doctor’s office.
But in his fear and his rush, he dropped his phone, which meant I couldn’t talk to him or check on him.
Still, I watched as he hurried inside because like hell was I going to shout at him to get his phone.
He needed inside. Away from the mother fucker who’d been waiting for him.
Once Preston was safely inside, I watched as the perp toying with my man picked up Preston’s phone.
“You thought you’d get away with it?” the person said, his voice covered by a modulator.
He glanced up at the closest camera, the one I was watching him through.
I gritted my teeth, my fist clenching at my side as I stared at my phone, watching the hooded figure standing where Preston had just been standing, their fingers wrapped around Preston’s phone.
“Everything done in the dark comes to the light.”
With that, the stalker dropped the phone to the pavement once more, then pointedly crushed it beneath their boot all while staring at the camera like they could see me, though I knew they couldn’t. Then, they slipped back off into the blind spot.
“Fuck!” I shouted, already sprinting for the exit and tugging my keys from my pocket. Preston was smart. He would stay inside. But I needed Shane. I no longer had a hacker on my side, but Shane may have someone on his side who could find out who the fuck that was and what they wanted.
“What?” Shane grumbled when he answered.
“They showed up at Preston’s job,” I told him as I yanked my helmet on my head. I slammed my visor up so I could continue talking to him. “I’m going to Preston’s job now.”
“Did you see them?” Shane asked.
“Yes, but not their face. They were hooded and kept their face hidden from the cameras. But they touched Preston’s phone. Talked to me. Warned me that everything done in the dark comes to the light.”
“Get me that phone so I can try to get prints off of it,” Shane ordered. “I’ll be at the apartment waiting.”
He hung up without another word. I gunned my bike, then took off for Preston’s job.
When I got there, the receptionist sent me directly to the administrator’s office, where I found Preston.
He had a trashcan in front of him, and it’d recently been emptied.
So he’d probably gotten sick once already.
Preston had a strong stomach, so vomiting wasn’t like him.
But he also hadn’t been fucking stalked before.
Stalked because of me.
I’d never experienced self-contempt before, but I had a feeling this was what it felt like. Because I hated myself for putting him through this.
“Baby…” I rasped.
Preston looked up at me, then stood. The moment I folded my arms around him, he sagged and tucked his face into the curve of my neck. I cradled the back of his head, anger burning through my veins.
I was going to find the son of a bitch who did this to him. Who was stalking him and upending his life. And then, I was going to beat them until they were no longer breathing and no one, not even a fucking medical examiner, would be able to identify them.
Shane took the phone from me practically the moment we walked through the door.
Preston’s job was placing him on paid leave until this was taken care of, not only to protect other employees and patients but to help protect him, which I was thankful for.
I could keep Preston with me at all times.
Because for some reason, this person wasn’t coming for me—not yet—which made me the safest place for Preston to be.
Because I certainly didn’t see Shane wanting Preston with him at all times, even if that was where he’d practically be untouchable.
“I’ll take this to my guy, see if there’s something on it we can use to identify whoever is after you two.
” Shane looked at Preston. “If one of us isn’t at the apartment with you, you need to be with me.
Got it? Whoever is doing this has it out for X.
He’s not the person you need to be out and about with. ”
Well, color me fucking surprised.
“But—” Preston started.
“He’s right,” I agreed. I was selfish when it came to Preston, but Shane was meant to be ours anyway. Sure, that’d been placed on the back burner, but I was still okay with Preston being with Shane, especially if it kept him protected.
Nothing mattered more than Preston’s safety.
“I thought…” Preston scrubbed his hands down his face, then dropped onto the couch, looking more stressed than I’d ever seen him. “We’re already uprooting your life so much, Shane. This isn’t fair to ask of you—”
“I don’t recall you asking me for anything,” Shane drawled.
He sat on the coffee table in front of Preston.
“Look at me.” Preston slowly lifted his head until their gazes clashed, and fuck me, they looked so damn good together.
And despite how much Shane tried not to, he cared about Preston, at the very least. “I’ll keep you safe, Preston.
X can take care of himself, and aside from that, whoever this is wants you.
He’s playing the long game. You’re safest with me. ”
“But your job… Will Zeppelin want me hanging around?”
Shane grunted. “If someone dares to come into the shop while Zeppelin is there, they’re in for a rude awakening. Zep has so much pent-up rage from his trauma, he’s just waiting to unleash it on someone. Trust me, he won’t care. In fact, the dumb son of a bitch will welcome the chaos.”
I snorted. Zeppelin seemed like my kind of people. Shane glanced at me, then grunted and focused back on Preston.
Preston blew out a soft breath. “Okay,” he said quietly.
Shane gripped his knee, and Preston relaxed a little, his shoulders drooping. “Trust us.”
Preston nodded immediately. “I do.” And there was no mistaking the conviction in his voice. Despite it all, he did trust us.
And when Shane met my eyes, I knew that was all we needed from Preston—trust. We could handle everything else.
No one would get their hands on our man.