CHAPTER SIX
CASSY
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Jesus Christ. I’m sure Josh is not trying to intimidate me... actually, no, I’m not sure.
But he is.
The man is approximately three times my size, or at least it feels like it, and he’s not taking my shit. I don’t know if I want to slap him or kiss him.
What would Scarlet do?
No. Bad idea. She’d drag him into the back seat.
I don’t want to upset Dad any more than I have. He feels guilty enough, so I zip my lips and agree to go along with this. I don’t want my freedom taken away, but then again, I also don’t want Isaac anywhere near me.
With security, I might also get some sleep.
I need to stop being a brat and accept it. So I give Josh my address and he pulls out onto the street and puts his foot down on the gas.
Luxury vehicles are not new to me, but I take a moment to appreciate how sexy he looks driving the Maserati, his sleeves still rolled up to his elbows, and his ink on display.
His thick denim clad thighs are spread confidently, and he rests one hand on one thigh.
Lord, the man is hot personified.
I turn away, focusing on the smoothness of the drive and new car smell which I can’t help but breathe in. I melt into the soft leather seat and just stay quiet.
I was trying to tease Josh before about knowing my address, but I guess the big man doesn’t do jokes. Scarlet is going to either drive him up the wall or hate him. I’m not sure which, but it’s going to be entertaining to watch.
At least that’s something.
Having Josh shadow me, as he put it, is going to be hugely disruptive to my life. But I guess it’s better than the alternative.
I clench my teeth as we reach my house.
It’s more than just my home—it’s my sanctuary.
I know I should be more grateful to have security protecting me. I am. But the thing is, people deal with trauma differently. I’ve blocked out a lot of what I went through when Isaac Miller was stalking me.
Traumatizing me.
It’s how I live my life somewhat normally every day.
This home has been a place where there are no memories of being stalked and...the other stuff. It’s me and Ginger the fish. It’s the new me. My new life.
The one I created didn’t include Isaac.
God, I hate him.
I value my privacy and freedom after the life I’ve lived. No, I crave it and protect it vehemently.
Now that fucker has escaped prison, and here I am again, about to be locked inside an invisible prison, guarded everywhere I go.
I know the drill.
I spent the first twenty years of my life living like this because of my father’s career. Because of my stalker.
Then, after he was put away, I built an amazing life and business where I’ve been able to live like everyone else.
Free.
Now, here we are again.
I wish Isaac Miller were fucking dead.
I should ring my therapist, but there’s a chance the marshals will catch him in a few days, and I will get my life back. The last thing I want to do is relive what happened over and over and over again. None of it helped. It just kept the memories alive and the nightmares happening.
The truth is, I’ve never lived a normal life. Even when your abuser is locked up, they still live on inside you. That’s the side effect of a stalker who fucked with your mind. You constantly feel unsafe.
You question your sanity.
I suppose that’s why I’ve spent three days walking around in a state of shock and denial that Isaac is on the loose. It doesn’t take a therapist to tell me that the years he’s spent incarcerated will not have weakened his obsession with me.
I’m watching you take off your bra, Cassy. What pretty nipples you have.
I was eighteen when I got that message. It terrified me.
I can see you with your boyfriend. If you kiss him, I will kill him.
I accidentally slip out a small groan as the memories return.
“You all right?” Josh asks.
No.
In the beginning, I never knew whether to believe Isaac’s threats or if he was just some crazy fan. I soon found out, and it was far more terrifying than any of us imagined.
I’m not sharing any of that with Josh. He’s here to protect me, not counsel me.
“Yup, just remembered something I forgot at work,” I say, as I point to the gate of my Brentwood home.
The real estate agent called it a luxury farmhouse estate when I bought it. I fell in love with the wooden floors and open plan living, which leads out to an elegant, covered patio at the back of the house.
That’s where the fun really begins. The heated infinity pool, firepit, and BBQ cooking area are surrounded by sculptured lawns and gardens.
“Why don’t you have the gates closed?” Josh grunts.
I turn and glare at him. “Because I’m not home. And he was in prison.”
“Eight billion other people on the planet, Cassy,” Josh replies without looking at me as he pulls into the driveway. “Isaac Miller isn’t the only person who might be a threat.”
Wow.
That doesn’t make me feel safer.
I pull my keys out of my bag and make a big fuss, holding them in the air and dramatically click the remote.
The gates make a clink as they close behind us.
Josh stares at me as his brows lift slowly, then he rests one arm on the steering wheel. “You want to get killed, Cassy?”
“No,” I snap.
“Well, that’s a good start.” Josh reaches for his door handle, then turns back to me. “I realize this is invasive and a scary time for you, but if you let me do my job, both of us can go back to our lives once Miller is arrested.”
I press my lips together.
“I never said I was scared,” I reply too quickly.
“No?”
“No,” I say firmly as his dark eyes remain locked on mine like he’s some mind reader.
“Good.” Josh finally says after a long pause, and when he opens his door, I do the same and we both exit the Maserati and head to the entrance.
Before I know what’s happening, Josh tugs the keys out of my hand, and I jump.
“Reason number one you should close your gates,” he says, reaching for the door and unlocking it. “You could be jumped, dragged inside, and raped.”
I feel my face pale.
What an asshole. Does he have any idea the impact his words are having on me?
I walk in as he pushes the door open and drop my bag on the white side table in the hallway as the alarm system beeps.
I wait to put the code in for a moment, so Josh doesn’t miss that I have one.
Beep, beep, beep.
When I walk over and before I can lift my hand, a muscular arm reaches in front of me and presses some keys.
It stops.
“What the hell?” I gasp.
“That needs updating,” Josh states casually, then glances up the staircase and around the ceiling. “Any cameras?”
How did he do that?
“A couple outside. Out front and in the backyard.” I slide off my shoes and kick them into the corner.
Seriously, how did he do that?
I follow Josh through the house as he surveys everything. In the living room, I sit on the edge of the sofa and take in his huge frame once more. Without Dad here, I can admire him and not be caught. Although anyone with eyes could see this man is gorgeous.
I’m sure many women do.
As much as I wish he wasn’t here, it doesn’t mean I can’t take a moment to appreciate his rock-solid thighs and round powerful biceps he’s failing to hide under his shirt. Damn, he wears his jeans well and somehow even makes a pair of Nikes look sexy.
Unbelievable.
Josh opens the door to the cupboard where my security system is set up. He digs around but his piercing eyes keep darting to mine.
“Ms. Cartwright—”
“Wright.”
“Right,” he says.
“What?”
“Jesus. Cassy, go pour a glass of wine or do whatever you normally do. My team will be over shortly to make all the necessary updates,” Josh says.
Oh great, my entire house is about to be invaded by an army of men.
“I usually do yoga, so I’ll go change.” I stand and when I glance back, Josh is grinding his molars.
What is his problem?
I walk past him toward the door as I pull my long, dark hair into a ponytail. Then I turn back, one hand still holding up my hair, and find him running a hand over his face.
“Help yourself to a drink. There’s water, beer, and wine in the fridge...”
“Thanks,” he rasps and turns away.
Jeez.
He might be hot, but he’s moody.