7. Elijah
7
ELIJAH
“ D etective Ford?”
Christ, she’s beautiful. Those pictures in her file and on social media didn’t prepare me for the stunning brunette standing before me with blue, innocent eyes and lush lips. For the way my body reacts to her curves, and I feel like a right asshole for it.
For being attracted to the woman I’m meant to protect, not fuck into the nearest surface.
This is the last thing she needs after what she’s been through.
“And you must be Miss Ava Perry,” I manage to say, fighting back the need to move closer, and yet my voice still drops into a husky cadence as I taste her name on my lips, a soft touch of pink grazing the apples of her cheeks.
Fuck me. This is bad.
“Yes.” Her lids close and her chest expands, rising and falling with each deep inhale. She’s nervous. Maybe a tiny bit intimidated. Unsure. However, that doesn’t stop her from doing an exploration of her own. Right before they shut, her gaze sweeps over my face and then lower, down my broad shirt-covered chest and then stomach…
I can’t stop the clench of my abs, nor the way my cock gives a jerk beneath the confines of my sweatpants, something she notices, and the hint of heat that flashes through those baby blues is proof of how fucked up this is.
It’s why she’s refusing to look at me now.
This sudden attraction is mutual. Palpable. Tempting.
She needs my protection, not my dick. Don’t make her uncomfortable.
Even as I repeat that mantra, my feet carry me closer without permission, aching to touch her. Comfort her. Tell her that everything will be okay, but I stop just before the heat coming off her skin seeps into my bones. Before she can innocently test my control.
Instead, I bring her sweet scent into my lungs and then take two steps back. It rocks me. Makes my mouth water, and I swallow hard while fighting the pull.
Son of a bitch, what is wrong with me? After this is over, I’ll kill Captain Perez myself.
Fuck old age getting to him .
My eyes take in her body—posture—the way she cocks her hip on the right and how her tiny hands clench. She doesn’t move for a few minutes, not so much as a tiny shift, and it isn’t until I clear my throat a few times that she looks at me. “Where’s your luggage?”
“Down in my truck,” one of the two men walking toward us answers, stopping a few feet from a quiet Ava. My reaction is immediate, and I move past her, reaching for the gun tucked into the waistband of my pants, but the gleam of dog tags makes me pause.
The I.D. tag on the one who spoke reads Jaime Suarez; he’s tall, muscular, and giving me a grin that borders on cocky as he holds out an overstuffed book bag. As if he’s privy to information I’m not. “Nice to meet you, Detective Ford. I’m Jaime…” he points at his friend “…and this is Adam.”
“Elijah, and likewise…” I trail off, knowing nothing of this man past the fact he’s been responsible for Ava up until this point. She’s my responsibility now. Someone I’ll protect from a lunatic stalking her. Nothing more than another case.
Jaime extends a hand for me to shake then, and I do before his eyes shift over to the woman standing beside me now. “And I believe you’ve already met Miss Ava.”
“Not exactly.”
“Why is that?” Adam asks, his brow arched, eyes shifting between us. “Is something wrong?”
“Better yet, why was she left alone on my doorstep?” Because that deserves an explanation. It’s more important than my sudden attraction for my temporary ward, even if we both know she’s completely safe here. More than the conflicting thoughts running rampant through my mind, because now isn’t the time to decipher what it means.
I want to hide her inside my home and wrap her in a cozy blanket, shielding her from the world. And in the same breath, I want to lay her down across my bed and part her thighs before licking ? —
Ava holds a hand up, her cheeks still that delicious rosy color. “Jaime ran downstairs to help Adam with my luggage, Detective. I wasn’t alone.”
“Call me Eli,” I interrupt, my eyes back on hers. It doesn’t go unnoticed by me that I’m also asking her to use a nickname I hate. “Please.”
“Okay, Eli.” Christ, the way my name sounds coming from those pouty lips is indecent. Provocative. Another mistake on my behalf. Keep it impersonal. “I wasn’t alone, though. You were here, too.”
Jaime coughs something under his breath, and his friend nods, breaking our moment. Both men are looking at Ava, but it’s the former who speaks. “Why don’t you come help me bring your things up? We’d like to have a word about?—”
“Sure.”
“No,” we answer in unison. A mistake on my behalf because their subtle grins become full smirks at my flat-out refusal to let her leave. Jaime is enjoying it much more than his friend, but they’re amused, nonetheless, while I’m becoming more tense by the second. “I’ll go.”
Because beneath the relaxed behavior meant to assure Ava things are going as planned, I’ve caught Jaime’s jaw ticking every few seconds. Then, there’s the way his partner’s body is positioned to keep track of anyone coming onto this floor.
There shouldn’t be any foot traffic as I own this section of the penthouse level, something they should be aware of. Two of my three neighbors are on vacation, while the last spends most of his workweek running a software company out of Silicon Valley. This is one of his many properties, not the home base, and is used to entertain or unwind with his flavor of the month.
Something is wrong.
“I don’t want to stay up here by myself, Detective.” Ava looks perplexed by my reaction. A little annoyed, and it’s a welcomed sight. There’s still some sass in her despite the nightmare she’s navigating through. “Besides, I need my stuff. Promise it’s not much, and?—”
“I’ll get them for you.”
“But—”
“Go inside, sweetheart.” Son of a bitch . The term of endearment slips past my lips before I can stop it. Jaime opens his mouth, and Adam tilts his head to the side while she just looks at me—I carry on as if I’m not tripping over myself. “I need to have a word with them. We’ll just be a few minutes.”
“Actually, that might be best,” Adam adds.
After giving them a quick nod, I smile down at her. “We’ll be right back.”
“Are you sure?” Gone is the blush and embarrassment. Now, there’s a hint of panic in her voice, and my heart clenches. Assuaging Ava’s fear will be my new priority.
Extending a hand toward her, I wait until warm fingers slip between mine and walk us inside my condo, ignoring the Marines. We don’t stop until we’re outside on the balcony overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Standing side by side, our eyes survey the beauty all around us:
The busy city. The water. The clear blue sky.
And it’s in this moment of silence, fingers intertwining, that her body loses its rigidness. That she let out a shuddering breath, and her lips quirked up into a soft smile full of relief. “This is beautiful.”
“It is.” Nothing more is said for a while. Could be minutes or hours; I wouldn’t know as my focus stays on her. How she breathes in deep and then exhales slowly, calming herself. She’s fighting against the small bout of panic that’s trying to take her under.
Her fingers in mine are a bit sweaty, but no longer clinging tight. Instead, the stiffness slowly becomes languid, and her mild shaking stops the longer we just stand here.
At that moment, the phone inside my pocket vibrates, and behind us, the front door closes softly. Yet, instead of turning around to look, I take out my phone and read the text from a number that is familiar from the case file atop my coffee table.
I’ll bring her things up. ~ Jaime S.
Thank you. ~ Ford
“You probably think I’m being ridiculous,” Ava says from beside me as I pocket the cell phone. Her voice is low, a gentle hum.
“Not at all.” Studying her profile, I take in just how beautiful she is. How delicate her features are, from the small button nose to her pouty lips—she’s what I imagine a living doll would be. “After everything you’ve seen and endured, I expect you to panic. Not trusting your surroundings and the people in it is normal.”
“I feel safe here, though,” she mumbles, and it’s almost too low for me to hear, but I do. The confession causes a weird sensation to overtake my chest, and I rub the spot. There’s pride mixed with confusion and… want .
I want her to need me.
I want her here.
Christ, Ford. Get a hold of yourself. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Miss Perry. You’re safe inside my home and with me. All I ask is that while Jason’s being hunted, you don’t go out alone. Please don’t put yourself in unnecessary danger.”
“I won’t, but I have to ask?—”
“How long before we catch him?”
“Had you let me finish...”
Her mock glare pulls a chuckle from me. “My apologies. Go on.”
“Thank you.” Ava pushes a dark, wayward strand of hair behind her ear while a slight blush once again spreads across her soft cheeks. “I was going to ask you about the security of the building?”
Good girl. “No one gets in or out without a key, and the staff knows to I.D. those without one. Of course, visitors come and go, but they are vetted and approved by the residents through the onsite security.”
“So, no strays?”
“No.” Extending my arm toward her line of sight, I lift my wrist so she can see the app at the center of my smartwatch. “This alerts me to anyone standing at the door, and on my phone, there’s a live feed of the same. So even if I’m not here, I’ll be able to see and come right up.”
“That’s a confusing statement.”
“I use the gym downstairs and at times, the conference room.” Tapping the app on the screen, I show her the camera’s view. “I’ll keep you safe. Promise.”
“To serve and protect…right?” The way she words it causes me to lower my arm and fully turn to face her. Placing my hip against the balcony’s veranda, I study the furrow between her eyes and how her shoulders hunch a bit.
“Does that bother you? My oath?”
“It’s the same one officer after officer fed me back in Dallas, Elijah. Each time I gave my accounts of the night, picked him out of a line-up, I was made that promise, and they all fell short time and time again.”
“I’m not them.”
“You’re also human.”
“And so is he.”
“He is.” She’s facing me now with an apologetic expression on her face. Ava’s silently asking me not to take what she’s saying personally. “But it hasn’t stopped him yet. No one’s been able to?—”
“You doubt me?” Because that wouldn’t work. I’ll do whatever it takes to help her find peace again. “What can I do to ease your mind?”
“No. And nothing.” Ava bites her bottom lip and looks away at my raised brow. I hate it. Need that sweet gaze back on mine. “And that scares the hell out of me. I don’t know you, Elijah, but this is the first time in months that there’s a small kernel of hope that this will all be over soon.”
Without conscious thought, I bring a hand up and cup her chin, tilting her face up to mine. Blue eyes meet hazel, and there’s a hint of something dangerous in her stare. For me. For her.
Because that yearning—the hope reflecting back at me—will be our downfall.
This isn’t the time to start anything.
Under different circumstances, I would’ve asked her out. Explored this undeniable attraction.
People meet every day and start something new within minutes, but this time it’s wrong. She’s forbidden fruit as my temporary ward, and nothing—not my cock or need—come before this case.
Keeping her safe is all that matters.
“Explain, sweetheart,” I ask, my tone low as my thumb strokes her cheek. There’s a hint of heat from her blush, and the pink is so tempting. So pretty. “Why does it scare you?”
“For some inexplicable reason, Eli…I believe you.” Ava nuzzles my palm once and then pulls back as if burned. She’s shocked by the act, but at the same time, takes my hand in both of hers, and the soft skin cocoons mine. I feel as though I’m being burned. Just a simple touch sets me ablaze, and it takes a herculean effort to stay as I am. To not kiss her. To not feel her. She needs your protection and nothing else. “…I feel safe inside your home, and that can end badly for me. A few minutes out on your balcony has done more for my stability than every breathing exercise I’ve been taught. More than the armored military escorts.”
“You deserve security and peace.” Ava’s words don’t make a lick of sense, and I know my expression mirrors the thought.
“Complacency will get me killed, Detective. We both know that.” Ava lets go of my hand and steps back, an invisible wall replacing her warmth. Those baby blues are sad as they watch me. “I’m afraid, Elijah. I’ve seen what he’s capable of.”
“I’d kill him before?—”
“He’s coming for me.” Those four words hold nothing but acceptance, but before I can respond, a knock comes from the front door. We step apart as it opens. Jaime and Adam walk into the living room, their hard gazes finding mine while mirrored serious expressions mar their faces. They are downright pissed the fuck off.
Three quick vibrations also alert me to a missed message, and I know it’s from one of them.
“Give me a minute,” I say, already walking back inside. Something went wrong, and leaving her alone on the balcony for the time being is the best choice. Whatever it is, I don’t want her to hear it just yet.
I’ll break it to her after I know what I’m dealing with. Much later, once we’re alone.
“He’s—”
“Outside, now.” My voice is harsh, body tensing as I make my way outside the apartment, not stopping or making sure they’re following me. Instead, I walk toward the center of the floor, where there’s a small sitting area overlooking the bay not far from the bank of elevators. It’s far enough to talk without her hearing—but there’s also a large enough mirror where I can see who’s coming and going—and I can reach my door within seconds if need be. “Tell me.”
“There’s a new victim.”
“Fuck.” It’s a rough exhale as I drag a hand over my face. “Female? Where?”
Adam nods, his lips in a thin line. “This time, the body was found in New Mexico. There’s also a note.”
“What did it say?”
“See for yourself.” Adam hands me his phone, and my eyes scan the picture; I begin to shake. Pure fucking lava courses through my veins. On a white sheet with a smattering of blood is a single line written in black marker:
You can’t keep her from me.
The plastic in my hand groans, and I hand over the device before it becomes a thousand pieces on the floor. A million scenarios run through my mind, each one worse than the last as the marine takes his phone back, and I shift my eyes toward the water not far from my building.
It’s a little choppy at the moment. Growing violent.
Matches my conviction. My truth.
“I’m going to kill him.”