Chapter 34 Elijah
Chapter thirty-four
Elijah
The building is sleek and unmarked from the outside, Kingston Security doesn’t advertise itself. If you know, you know. And I know.
I park around the back, where the tinted SUVs are already lined up like black sharks waiting to strike.
Inside, everything is controlled, cold, and pristine.
Frosted glass. Polished concrete. Minimalist lines.
But what hits me hardest is the quiet power.
The feeling that nothing happens here without them knowing.
Keller meets me at the security door with a nod. “They’re already in the war room.”
War room. That’s what they call it, and I get it. Inside, the tension always feels one step away from ignition.
Kade is seated at the head of the long glass table, fingers steepled under his chin. Kai’s in the corner, arms crossed, his jaw tight. Kaleb, dressed like he just walked out of a luxury club ad, lounges near the screen, but even he’s wound tight. Keller leads me in and shuts the door behind us.
I don’t waste time.
“What did you find?”
Kade leans forward, tapping a button on the tablet in front of him. A screen flickers to life, showing grainy stills from the night before. Surveillance footage. Kaleb rewinds it, slows it down, then hits pause.
“There,” he says. “1:12 a.m. Hoodie. Mask. Gloves. He’s smart, but not good enough. He didn’t know the outside camera two stores down was angled enough to catch part of his plate.”
He brings up another image. I move closer.
“You get a match?” I ask.
“Not yet,” Keller says. “But if it’s in the system, we'll find him. Could be a fake, could be stolen. But we’ll find out.”
Kaleb leans in, voice a little softer. “He was methodical. He wasn’t looking to steal. He was making a statement. The spray paint? The overturned tables? All of it was meant to rattle her. To rattle you.”
Kade’s eyes are sharp as they meet mine. “Elijah… this guy isn’t just obsessed. He’s escalating. Fast.”
I clench my jaw. My hands curl into fists at my sides. I know.
Kai moves forward now, flipping through a few more photos. “He left the note under the counter. Taped, almost like he didn’t want it to blow away if the door swung open. The message is the same—he’s fixated. Possessive. And he knows about you.”
That makes something primal rise in my chest.
“We need to find him before this gets worse.”
“We will,” Keller says. “But you need to keep Ava close. No solo trips. No routines. We’re upgrading the store’s security, but for now—”
“She’s staying with me,” I say before he can finish. “She doesn’t want a bodyguard, but she’s not staying there alone. Not happening.”
Kade nods once. “Good. Because you’re not just protecting her heart now. You’re protecting her life.”
I exhale through my nose. My mind flashes to her trembling hands this morning. The way her voice broke. The tears she tried to hide.
“I’ve got her,” I say quietly.
And I do.
But I swear to God—if I ever get my hands on the bastard who did this? He won’t even see me coming.
***
When I unlock the door, the place is still. Quiet in the way that says someone’s finally safe enough to sleep.
Gabriel is the first to meet my eyes. He’s leaning against the counter with a mug in hand, watching me like he’s already read the full report.
“She’s out,” he says softly, nodding toward the living room. “She talked, Elijah. Not just surface-level Ava banter—really talked.”
I glance past him. Ava’s curled up under the gray blanket, one hand resting on her bracelet, face relaxed in a way I rarely see. Like the weight’s eased just enough to let her breathe.
Gabriel steps closer and puts a hand on my shoulder. “She’s not used to being held like she matters. It’s not easy for her. But she let herself feel it tonight. I thought you’d want to know.”
“I do,” I murmur, eyes on her.
He squeezes my arm gently. “She’s not the same girl who built a life trying to survive. She’s starting to believe she’s allowed to live.”
I cross to her slowly, kneeling down. Just watching her for a moment.
“I already knew the hurt,” I whisper, brushing her hair back. “But hearing that you let it go, even a little? That’s the part that wrecks me.” I whisper even though she can’t hear me,
She stirs slightly but doesn’t wake.
“I’ve got you, baby girl. Always.”
AVA
I wake up wrapped in soft cotton sheets and the smell of Elijah. His warmth lingers in the space beside me, but he’s not in bed.
I find him in the kitchen, shirtless, tattoos dark against morning light as he flips something on the stove.
“You left me,” I tease sleepily.
He looks back, grinning. “Did not. You just slept through me moving five feet away.”
I cross to him, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and pressing my cheek to his back.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, I guess”
“Gabriel told me you talked to him.”
I nod against him. “Yeah.”
He sets the spatula down and turns in my arms.
“I already knew what you’ve been through, Ava. But I’m proud of you for saying it out loud and that you trust Gabe with your feelings.”
“I didn’t do it to be brave,” I whisper. “For some reason, I felt safe talking to him.”
His eyes soften like I just handed him something priceless.
“That’s all I ever wanted, baby. For you to have people you can talk to when you need to.”
I pull back to look at him fully. “You already know the worst of me, and you still look at me like I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“That’s because you are.”
He kisses my forehead and then my lips, slow and lingering.
And in that moment, I finally understand something.
I’m not broken. I was just waiting for someone who wouldn’t flinch when he saw every sharp edge.