Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
LATER THAT NIGHT
“Remember how I talked about being a little stricter at Thanksgiving?” I ask as we take the elevator up to his penthouse.
“I do,” he replies, leaning against the railing. “I agreed to not be as big of a pushover.”
I bite my lip as I glance down at his arms; eight bags hanging off one and five off the other, all for Claire. “And what part of that is being less of a pushover?”
“I’ll admit, she might have me wrapped around her finger.” I raise a brow. “Okay, she definitely has me wrapped around her finger. Let’s circle back to this conversation next holiday season, okay?”
“Next holiday season, huh?” I close the space between us, gently running a hand up and down his bicep. “You plan on being around?”
He dips his head so he can brush his nose against mine. “I don’t plan on being anywhere else.”
I press my lips against his just as the elevator dings, letting us know we reached the apartment.
We step out into the hallway and turn right, heading to his door at the end of the narrow walkway.
I reach into his pocket and fish out his keys, opening the door and holding it open for him to walk through.
He drops the bags by the door as I slip out of my coat, and before I can hang it up in the closet, he’s pinning me against the wall and crashing his lips against mine. My arms wrap around his neck, and I angle my head to deepen the kiss, running my tongue along his bottom lip.
Levi grants me access, our tongues colliding as he hooks his hands under my thighs and hoists me up. I wrap them around his waist, hooking my ankles together. He pushes me harder against the wall, one hand cupping my ass through my jeans, the other gripping the side of my face.
“We could’ve gone back to my place,” I say through our kisses. “Now we have to haul these presents again.”
“Will you hush?” He murmurs, kissing me with a little more force than previously. “I don’t mind carrying them. I’ll carry them up the tallest mountain if that means I can keep you safe.”
I pull back at that. “Keep me safe?”
“Lowe, he wanted to know if you were going to be home,” he reminds me. “I don’t trust it.”
“Okay.”
I close the distance between us again, wrapping my hands roughly into his hair.
He kisses me back just as fiercely, biting my bottom lip before running his tongue over the sting.
Spinning us, he walks us down the entryway and to the stairs, effortlessly carrying me up them to his bedroom without ever breaking the kiss.
He tosses me down onto the bed and I squeal, laughter echoing in the room as he strips off his shirt and jumps in next to me. He grabs my hips, helping me move to straddle him before I dip down, reconnecting our lips.
“I can’t, baby,” I whisper between kisses. “But I can take care of you.”
I roll over in bed, reaching for my phone. Seeing that it’s three o’clock in the morning, I’m about to put my head back on the pillow when I hear a noise coming from downstairs. I look to my right and see Levi asleep beside me when I hear it again.
“Levi,” I whisper, shaking him slightly. He slowly opens his eyes, running a hand down his face. “I think I hear something downstairs.” This time, the sound is louder, and Levi abruptly sits up. “Okay, I definitely hear something downstairs.”
“Call the cops,” he whispers, flinging the blankets off him. He grabs a tee shirt and his sweats off the floor, slipping into them before he grabs a bat that’s sitting beside his dresser. “Stay here, okay? Don’t come down unless I call for you. Otherwise, I’ll come get you.”
He doesn’t wait for my reply as he slowly pulls the bedroom door open, closing it behind him with a barely audible click.
Phone in hand, I hastily climb out of bed and crawl towards the dresser, grabbing one of his shirts out of the drawer and slipping into it.
Already on the floor, I creep over to the foot of the bed to look out the glass wall that overlooks the living room.
I dial the police as I stare below, hoping to see…
something. The operator answers on the third ring and I give them the address in a hushed voice, and they inform me they’ll be here in five minutes.
Hanging up, I glance below again to see a shadowy figure with something in their hands creeping along behind the couch.
Suddenly, movement from the kitchen catches my eye, and I see someone approaching him from behind. The figure leaps onto Levi and they both go to the floor, and I have to clamp my hand over my mouth to stop the scream from slipping out of me.
I jump to my feet and frantically look around the room, trying to find something I can use to protect myself and go help him, but I come up empty.
Running a hand through my hair, I look down once more and see them struggling on the floor.
One figure is on top of the other, landing punch after punch to the other’s face.
My heart rate increases tenfold, and my hands grow clammy, unable to stop my panicked breathing.
The figure on the bottom somehow gets the upper hand, knocking the person off them.
They tumble around for a bit, knocking a lamp off an end table and jostling a framed photo off the wall from the impact.
One shadow suddenly runs for the front door and slips out, the other staying on the floor. I rush to the bedroom door and run down the stairs, tearing through the hallway and heading towards the living room. Flicking on the light as I pass, I spot Levi laying on the floor.
“Levi,” I rush out, my voice shaky as I drop to my knees beside him. “Are you okay?”
He’s laying on his back, one hand on his abdomen and the other at his side. There’s a cut in his eyebrow and his jaw looks like it took a pretty nasty hit, but other than that, he looks relatively unscathed.
“I thought I told you not to come down here,” he pants, his eyes tilting up to mine.
“He left,” I state, running my hand through his hair. “The cops should be here any minute.”
Levi lifts a hand and cups my face, and it’s only then I’m made aware that I’m crying. “It’s okay, baby. I’m okay.”
Commotion in the hallway suddenly draws our attention away, and a second later, multiple police officers come storming into the apartment. Spotting us on the floor, one of them comes over and rests a hand on my back while the rest fan out and check the rest of the apartment.
Twenty minutes later, Levi and I are in the back of a police car on our way to the station to give our statements.
Our hands lay intertwined in my lap, my head resting on his shoulder.
His thumb absentmindedly rubs against the back of my hand as he stares straight out the windshield, watching the city go by.
Once we arrive, one of the male officers takes Levi into his office while one of the female officers leads me into a separate room. She gestures for me to sit down, offering me a water which I gratefully accept.
“Okay,” she says, pulling a pen out from behind her ear as she straightens her notepad in front of her. “Your name is Marlowe Reyes, correct?” I nod. “And you’re Levi’s girlfriend?” Another nod. “Okay. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”
“All right.” I rub my sweatpants covered thighs, taking a deep breath.
“Well, I heard a noise coming from downstairs and woke Levi, and he went to go check it out. I called you guys and stayed upstairs in the bedroom. I saw them fighting, and then the guy took off. That’s when I went down there to make sure Levi was okay. ”
She nods, making a few notes before looking up at me again. “Do you have any idea who could’ve done this? Does he have any enemies, or are there any business dealings you’ve heard of that may have gone south?”
“No.” I shake my head, staring at my lap. My eyes widen slightly, and I slowly lift my head back up to look her in the eye. “My ex has been showing up a lot recently, though.”
“Tell me more about that.”
“Well, I filed a restraining order and am trying to get full custody. He’s shown up twice since he was served.”
She hums, making another note. “And when was the last time you saw him?”
“Less than twenty-four hours ago, actually.” Her eyebrows raise. “He was asking me for money, and then asked if Levi could help him out. I guess he owes somebody, and he was fearful for his life.”
“Did he give any indication that he’d take matters into his own hands? Could he have hired someone?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. He asked if I was going to be home tonight, but I didn’t answer him.”
“Anything else regarding your ex that you think may be pertinent information?”
“He has a terrible drug and alcohol addiction. I assume his money issues stem from that.”
She closes her notebook and gives me a small smile. “Thank you, Marlowe. If we have any other questions, we’ll be in touch.”
I nod, standing from the chair to exit the room.
As I make my way back into the lobby, I hear someone crying.
Stopping in my tracks, I see a woman leaning against one of the officer’s desks; her face buried in her hands as a young man hugs her around her shoulders, trying to comfort her.
When she lifts her head, I recognize her as the mother of one of those injured in the accident—one of the four who was in critical condition, and the only one who didn’t make it.
Looking for Levi, I see him with his head bowed, whispering heatedly to the chief of police.
My brow raises as I watch them, and when Levi looks away from the man in front of him, they immediately fall on the woman.
He turns back and shakes his head, his mouth moving as he says something else before he turns away.
Spotting me, he comes over, trying to wipe the frustration off his expression.
He wraps his arms around me once he’s within reach, tucking me against his chest with his head on top of mine.
My arms loop around his waist on instinct, and I nuzzle into him before resting my chin on his chest to look up at him.
“Are you okay?”
He nods. “I’ll be fine. We have to stay at your place for the rest of the night. I can’t get back into my place until they’re done processing. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.” My attention turns back to the woman, who now has her head buried in the young man’s shoulder. “Do you know them?”
“No.” He doesn’t bother to look in their direction. “Let’s get home.”
An officer drives us to my place since Levi informed him he didn’t need anything from his.
He stared out the window the entire drive, his hands folded in his lap as his teeth ground together.
I had tried getting his attention, resting a hand on his thigh and giving it a squeeze, but he refused to look at me.
Once we got back to my apartment, he still held the doors open for me to walk through, but he never rested a hand on my back like normally does.
My apartment is quiet, not even the hum of the refrigerator to provide any solace.
Levi kicks off his shoes and heads straight for the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
I wrap my arms around myself, my face contorted in confusion as I head into the bedroom.
I curl up in bed and wait for him, and when he enters, he walks to his side, sliding underneath the comforter.
“Levi, what’s wrong?”
He extends an arm out, and I tuck myself into his side as he loops his arm around me, running his hand through my hair. “Nothing, baby. Nothing.”
I fall asleep against his warm body with only one thought: I don’t believe him.