WITSEC

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

I spent the next morning marinating a log of filet mignon. While waiting impatiently for the right time to cook it, I surfed the internet for ideas on what I should do with my backyard. After last night’s swim, I was a little envious of the guys’ personal backyard oasis. So far, I knew I wanted a bench swing for the back patio and some twinkly lights to hang up on the awning. As for the yard, which was a patch of dirt, I was unsure. There was no rush. I’d start with the patio first and I was sure inspiration for what to do with the yard would come to me.

After hours of marinating the filet, I decided to start cooking it close to lunch time. I was trying a new steak sandwich recipe I’d seen on the Cooking Channel along with a roasted vegetable salad as a side. Humming while I worked, I pulled my skillet with the filet log from the oven, waited for the meat to rest, then sliced it up.

I made too much, like always. At the time of buying everything I’d figured I could just eat the leftovers over the next few days. After the first delicious bite, I was bummed I had no one to share it with. My thoughts immediately traveled to the guys and with a smile I pulled out my phone to text Cold and Creed in our group message.

Me

Four words…the BEST steak sandwiches :)

Creed

New recipe?

Me

Yup. Have you four had lunch yet? I made too much and want to share.

Colt

We haven’t eaten yet. You’re gonna bring us food, babe?

Me

Yup. Be there in 30 mins.

I made quick work of wrapping four individual sandwiches in foil and split the rest of the veggie salad into four separate plastic containers. I placed all the food in a picnic basket along with forks and napkins, then dashed to my room to change into my workout clothes. My hip was feeling a lot better and I figured I might run the track for a while.

With my hair up in a high ponytail, dressed in turquoise leggings and a matching athletic tank, I walked into Desert Stone after sending a quick text telling the guys I was here. I was being brave today by not wearing a jacket.

I went straight up to the front desk to wait and was immediately greeted by Stephanie, the pretty receptionist. “Hi, how may I help you?” she said, eyeing the picnic basket I was holding.

“I’m just waiting for my friends.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but Keelan and Knox chose that moment to walk out from the hallway behind the front desk.

“Hey,” I greeted them.

Keelan made his way over by going around to the front of the desk while Knox held back by the hall, texting on his phone.

“Heard you were bringing us lunch?” Keelan said.

I held out the picnic basket in front of me. “I tried out a new recipe. Want to be my guinea pig?”

Keelan smiled brightly and held out his hand to take the basket. “When it comes to your cooking, I’d happily volunteer as tribute.” He tilted his head in Knox’s direction. “We’re all going to hang in Knox’s office.”

I nodded and followed him around the front desk.

Knox looked up from his phone as we approached. “What’d you make?” he asked me.

I met Knox’s intense eyes as I hiked the strap of my gym bag further up my shoulder. “Food.”

My response made Keelan snort. Knox, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes. Yet again, I was playing with fire by messing with the eldest Stone brother. I couldn’t seem to help myself. It was too much fun.

I held his stare and the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. As soon as that tiny hint of a smile appeared, it was gone, leaving me doubting it had actually happened. His attention flicked to Stephanie. “We’re all taking our lunch, Steph.” He didn’t wait for her response before taking off back down the hall.

Knox’s office was pretty big. There was a giant wooden desk facing the door right when you walked in and off to the side as you went deeper into the room was a long conference table that had ten chairs surrounding it.

Keelan set the basket on the center of the table before opening it up and pulling everything out. “It smells really good, Shi. Thank you,” he said as he worked.

“You’re welcome,” I mumbled sheepishly as I took a seat at the table. “Where are Colt and Creed?”

“They’re finishing up a tour with some new members,” Knox answered as he sat at the head of the table.

“Are you not eating, baby girl?” Keelan asked as he set four sandwiches and four containers in front of him and Knox and two empty seats, I assumed for the twins.

I shook my head. “I already ate at home. I figured I’d head upstairs for a run after I dropped off the food.”

Keelan pulled out the chair next to me and took a seat. “How’s your hip? You’re not pushing yourself, are you?”

“It’s a lot better today. I figured I’d stop running if it begins to bother me,” I replied.

The door to the office opened and the twins came strutting in. Colt smiled when he saw me. “Sorry we’re late, babe.”

Creed glared at Colt. “If you weren’t so polite, that chick wouldn’t have assumed she had a chance with you. I swear I’ve never seen someone hint at how available they were so much in my life. The woman was so desperate it was fucking annoying.”

“Aw, is someone jealous?” I teased Creed.

Creed turned his glare on me, and Colt’s smile widened.

“I’m surprised she didn’t try for both of you,” I said to them. “Whenever Shayla and I were out and about together, pervs would ask if we were a package deal.”

They all went quiet and I caught Colt and Creed exchanging a look. I was just as surprised as they were that I’d talked about Shayla. It showed that I was beginning to feel comfortable around these guys and that I’d need to be careful with what I revealed moving forward. It was alright to share some things about my past, but the whole point of WITSEC was to protect my true identity. If anyone found out, Logan would relocate me, and I’d have to start over again somewhere new. Alone. I didn’t want to risk that. Colt and Creed were…important to me and I would miss them. I also had this fear that if they did find out, they wouldn’t want anything to do with me anymore. Who could blame them? Would anyone really want to be friends with someone whose family was murdered by an obsessed, crazed stalker who was still out there looking for her? No, they wouldn’t. If the guys ever found out, I would lose them.

Colt masked the slight surprise that was showing on all of their faces. “Shayla was your twin, right?”

“Yeah.” I took a deep breath. I can do this. “Would you like to see a picture of her?” I asked timidly and pulled out my cell phone from the thigh pocket of my leggings. I tapped on my album app and I scrolled through the few pictures Logan had said I could keep until I found one. It was one of the last pictures we’d taken together. We were at the beach on the last family vacation we’d ever take. Shay and I were dressed similar, wearing jean shorts, bikini tops, and flip-flops. Shay’s hair was blue and styled up in a bun, whereas my brown hair was in two long braids hanging down my chest. The two of us were posing on a pier with the ocean showing in the background. Shay had hopped on my back and was smiling with her arms in the air while I held her legs and laughed. We looked so happy. Carefree.

I offered my phone to Colt. He took it and held it out so all his brothers could see. At the same time, small smiles pulled Colt’s and Creed’s lips. “Shayla has the blue hair, right?” Creed asked.

“Can’t tell the difference?” I teased with a smile before nodding.

“Look at all that brown hair,” Keelan said as his eyes roamed over the picture. “How old were you?”

“Sixteen.”

“You looked really happy,” Creed mumbled, and his brothers all stiffened. Colt cleared his throat before handing me back my phone. The twins walked around the table. The moment their butts hit their chairs, they all began peeling back the foil around their sandwiches and dug in. The room filled with groans and I smiled.

“Have you thought about what we’re going to do tonight?” Colt asked.

I sighed because I had been thinking about it. I just couldn’t come up with anything. “I know I want to get ice cream,” I said.

Creed frowned. “We have to do more than just go out for ice cream.”

“I know. I’m still thinking,” I grumbled and opened the internet app on my phone to look up stuff to do in the area.

“What about a movie?” Colt suggested.

That wasn’t a bad idea. I was about to ask them what movie they’d want to go see when a cell phone started ringing. All the guys checked their phones before looking at me. That was when I realized the ringing was coming from my gym bag. I scrambled quickly by ripping back the zipper, rummaging through the inside of the bag until I pulled out my burner phone. My heart sped up with panic. It was an unknown number. I looked up at the guys and they gave me confused looks as they stared at both phones in each of my hands. I didn’t have time to explain.

“I need to step outside,” I said and flipped open the burner phone, answering it before turning to head for the door. “Logan?” I said into the phone.

“Shiloh,” a familiar voice spoke on the other end.

I froze just before reaching the door leading out of Knox’s office. “Ian?”

“Hey, kid.”

The tone of his voice made my legs feel weak; I had to put my hand out to brace myself on the door. There was only one reason Ian would call me instead of Logan and that was to tell me Logan was dead.

“Where’s Logan?” It took everything in me to ask that because I was falling apart on the inside, waiting for him to tell me.

“He’s busy in the other room,” he replied and a wave of relief washed over me.

Regaining my strength, I opened the door and stepped into the hallway. “You just scared the crap out of me!” I whisper-yelled into the phone. “Why are you calling me and not Logan?”

“Logan wanted me to give you a heads up before this shit hits the news. He couldn’t call you himself because he’s currently wrapped up in giving his report to our superiors,” Ian explained.

“What happened?”

After my phone call with Ian ended, I numbly walked back into Knox’s office to grab my bag and told the guys I was going to head upstairs for a run.

Colt studied me. “You okay, babe?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah,” I lied and left.

I ran that track for almost four hours, pushing past the irritation in my hip and the new fiery ache in my legs. The only reason I stopped was because everything I’d eaten that day was making its way back up. I beelined for the trash can by the stairs. I barely made it before I knocked the lid off and heaved into it. Up came my steak sandwich and I had to clutch the sides of the dirty trash can to hold myself up as spots dotted my vision. I felt a hand begin rubbing up and down my spine and then my hair, dangling from my ponytail that was barely missing being soaked with vomit, was pulled away.

“I think I’m going to pass out,” I cried and heaved again. Great, now I was crying and puking.

“Focus on breathing.” It was Knox’s voice.

Whimpering, I did as he said, forcing myself to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth, but each exhale came out as a pant. My whole body wouldn’t stop shaking. Cheese and rice . This was the worst I’d ever felt after a run . I had done this to myself. I hadn’t been able to stop until my body had made me stop. My phone call with Ian had gutted me. The guilt was too much. The memories were too much. I had just wanted an escape until I was ready to deal with it—to face it. Apparently I was never going to be ready, with how far I’d pushed myself.

That poor girl.

Ian had called to tell me that they had found the body of a high-school girl who had looked similar to me. She had been a victim of Mr. X. How they knew that was because he had stapled a picture of my face to her face and they’d found his DNA — a polite way of saying his semen—all over her body. She had been tortured and raped repeatedly over the span of four days.

She was dead now because he couldn’t find me. I was here, safe and hidden, while he was out there preying on girls who looked like me. How do I live with that? How was I supposed to move on or start over or whatever the heck I was doing, knowing that? I felt like I was on borrowed time and that time had to come from somewhere…or someone. Four days. Was that how much time I’d received in exchange for her life? How much time would the next girl grant me?

I hated it.

It made me sick.

I made me sick.

I shouldn’t have fought so hard.

I should have never made it out of that house.

I should have let him have me because I would never be free of him.

A sob ripped from me and my knees gave out. Knox caught me. “I got you,” he told me as he slowly eased me to the floor. My tears fell from my eyes as if a faucet that controlled the flow had been twisted open to the max.

“What happened?” The voice belonged to Creed. Not that I could confirm that with flooded eyes.

“She overdid it,” Knox answered. “Can you toss me her water bottle that’s in her bag over there?” Once Creed retrieved my water, Knox took it from him and held it up to my mouth. “Small sips.”

I did as he instructed, swallowing the small sips of water he poured into my mouth between my panting breaths.

I heard footsteps rushing up the stairs before Keelan’s voice joined us. “I got a cold washcloth to help cool her down.” He came into view when he knelt down next to me. He pressed the wet cloth to my forehead and slid it down the side of my face, then to the other side before sliding to the back of my neck. I let out an embarrassing groan and I couldn’t find it in me to care. It felt that good.

Colt was the last to show up. “What happened? Why is she crying?” He sounded equally concerned as he did angry. I must look as bad as I feel.

Ignoring his brother, Knox asked Keelan, “Can you help her back to my office and put her in the shower? I’ll meet you down there as soon as I get this cleaned up. Colt, you can help him. Creed, go fetch me another trash bag,” Knox ordered.

“I’m going to pick you up and carry you,” Keelan told me before scooping me up bridal-style.

I rested my head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“It’s okay, baby girl,” Keelan reassured.

“Are you sure you got her?” Colt asked, sounding on edge. I didn’t like him upset, even more so knowing that I was the reason.

“I got her. Can you grab her bag?” Keelan nodded at my bag on the floor, then started walking toward the stairs.

I had been too upset to remember to lock it up in the locker room. Not caring, I’d dropped it next to the stairs and taken off down the track. I hadn’t even bothered to put my earbuds in to listen to music.

Back in the office, Keelan walked past Knox’s desk and the big conference table, toward a door I hadn’t noticed earlier. It led to a full-fledged bathroom with a spacious tile shower. Keelan set me down on the closed toilet. He opened the glass door to the shower, turned on the tap, and held his hand under the spray, feeling the temperature. Colt followed us in shortly with a yellow sports drink and knelt down in front of me. He unscrewed the cap before placing the drink in my hand.

“Take small sips,” he ordered and began untying my tennis shoes. “We’re going to put you in the shower to help cool you down,” he explained.

I numbly took a small sip, scrunching my nose while I did it. I hated the taste of sports drinks.

“You going in with her?” Keelan asked Colt.

Colt pulled off my shoes, followed by my socks. “Yeah,” he said, and I felt his fingers fiddle with my anklet. I looked down as Colt tilted his head up, giving me a questioning look.

“It’s a GPS anklet tracker. If I’m ever taken, Logan can use this to find me wherever I am as long as I have it on,” I explained.

Colt’s eyes shifted to Keelan, who had been quietly listening. In the back of my mind, I knew I probably shouldn’t have told them that. It would only create more questions, but I didn’t have the energy to care.

With a heavy sigh, I reached down to take it off. I hated getting it wet. The anklet was waterproof, but water got trapped between my skin and the bracelet and that irritated my skin.

“Babe,” Colt said gently. “Why would you worry about being taken?”

After stuffing my anklet into one of my shoes, I met Colt’s eyes. “Are you using one of your five questions?”

Colt stared back at me and I could tell he was considering it. When he finally came to a decision, he rose to his feet and pulled off his shirt. I closed my tired and puffy eyes, relieved.

Colt stripped down to his boxers. “Do you want to get in with your clothes on or do you want to go in your underwear?” Colt asked.

I waited for the panic to surface, but I couldn’t feel it through everything else overwhelming me.

“Whatever you’re comfortable with, Shi,” Keelan said at my hesitation.

“I have more scars,” I admitted, looking down.

“Hey.” Colt’s hands cupped my cheeks and made me look at him. “We don’t care. You might have heat exhaustion and all that matters right now is that we cool you down.”

I gave him a tiny nod and curled my fingers around the bottom of my shirt. I lifted it over my head. Keelan helped me stand on shaky legs. Colt slipped his fingers inside the waistband of my leggings and pulled them down my legs. I hissed as I went to step out of them. Colt worked quickly to unhook each pant leg from around my ankles.

After I was stripped down to my black sports bra and matching boy shorts, they both helped me get into the shower. With each step I took, the muscles in my legs spasmed and flared with sharp pain.

Pulling me against his chest, Colt hugged-slash-held me up under the spray. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my cheek over his heart. Listening to it beat, I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cool water cascading down my body.