Chapter 32
Emerson
I fell asleep on his chest last night. He didn’t want anything from me but to hold me, and I let him. It felt … right. It was nice just having his arms around me the way they were. I listened to the sound of his heart beating under my ear for a long time before sleep took over.
I roll over and groan when I hear a noise in the room. Prying my eyes open, I see men by the window. I startle and pull the sheets up to my neck.
“They’re just unsealing the windows,” I hear Gannix. I glance over to see him smiling at me from the end of the bed.
“Why?”
“Things have changed, Emerson, and I know you like sleeping with the window open,” he says, reminding me he knows more about me than I think he does.
“You don’t think I’ll leap out of it?” I tease him. He chuckles, causing me to smile.
“I’d hope not. We’re on the second floor.”
“Thank you,” I tell him as he walks around the bed and leans down to press his lips to mine.
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you working today?” I ask him.
“No. I thought we’d go out.”
“Where? Is that a good idea?” I ask, glancing around the room.
“It’ll be fine. And I want to take you out, Em. I have men watching out for us,” he adds. I figured he would. I didn’t think he’d be that careless.
“Where to?”
“Lunch and then shopping. You need more clothes than what I have here,” he says.
“No, I don’t.”
“Yeah, you do. If you’re going to be attending functions with me in the future, you need more dresses.”
“Yeah, because the last one turned out great,” I say sarcastically. Gannix chuckles, causing me to smile.
“I think, in the end, it turned out well. You’re here, aren’t you?”
I nod as the men finish up and walk out of the room. I’m guessing to go to the other rooms. I climb out of bed, wrapping myself in the sheet as I walk over to the window they left open. The breeze comes in and blows my hair away from my face, and I find myself smiling.
“That smile is the one I want to see all the time,” he tells me.
“I’m getting there.” His hands come to rest on my shoulders, massaging them lightly.
“I know you are, and I can’t wait to have you all the way there.”
“Why is this so important to you?”
“I want to see you happy, Em. I want to see you smile.” I look at him over my shoulder when he leans in and kisses me. I let him. I let him kiss me like he owns me, and maybe there’s a part of me that likes it. No, there is no maybe. There is a part of me that likes it. The way he makes me feel, like I’m secure and safe in his arms. I’ve never felt like that before, not with Brandon, not with anyone.
Gannix pulls back but wraps his arms around me as we look out the window together.
“What is that?” I ask, nodding toward the shrubs I see out there. It looks like … a maze.
“It’s exactly what you’re thinking it is.”
“A maze? In your backyard?”
“Yeah. Some days, I just want to get lost, and that’s where I go to do it,” he explains.
“But once you find your way out, you know how to get through it.”
“I have my gardener change it up every couple of weeks to keep it new. Some of it isn’t real. He can move the fake plants around and create a new maze.”
“And does it help? Getting lost out there?”
“It does. You’re welcome to try it,” he offers. I spin in his arms and gaze up at him.
“You’re letting me out of the house?”
“As long as you stay on the property, I don’t see an issue.” My smile grows bigger by the second. It feels like a win to me. Not that I care if I never leave the property. I’m content here.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now get dressed.” His hand slides down to my ass, squeezing it before he presses a kiss to my forehead and pulls away. I watch him leave the room before I move to the closet. I grab my clothes and hurriedly slip them on before making my way into the bathroom, where I clean up and finish getting myself ready.
When I’m done, I head out of the room to find Gannix, and when I do, he’s with another man who I don’t remember seeing before.
“Hello.” The man smiles at me. I look to Gannix as he nods at me once.
“Hey.”
“I’m Ren. I work for Nix,” he says, offering his hand. I walk over and reach out, taking it in mine.
“Emerson.”
“I know who you are, Emerson. And I’d like to say it’s a pleasure to meet you face to face.”
“You know who I am?”
“Gannix speaks highly of you often. And like I said, I work for him.”
“So you helped him stalk me?” Gannix chokes out a laugh as Ren smiles brightly.
“Something like that.”
“Are you ready, Em? Ren is going to keep an eye on the house while we’re out,” Gannix tells me, pulling my attention to him. I knew he had people working for him, but helping him stalk me? The thought should make me angry, yet it doesn’t.
“Yeah. I’m ready.” Gannix nods, and I follow him to the front door, where he holds it open for me. We walk out, and he opens my car door, ushering me inside before he walks around and climbs into the driver’s seat.
“Just how many people did you have watching me?”
“Just me and Ren. He’s the only one I truly trust,” he replies.
“Are you sure?” He looks over, and I see the darkness in his eyes.
“I’m sure. I wanted eyes on you at all times, Em, but I didn’t want to attract Gary.”
“That backfired,” I mumble.
“No shit. I’m going to handle that, though.”
“I know.”
Gannix smiles at me before looking forward and taking off. He drives us into town and behind one of the fancier stores in town. He parks the car and climbs out, walking around to open my door. He offers his hand, and I gladly take it. Just as he closes the door, I hear what sounds like pops. Gannix moves to cover me just as the window next to my head is blown out. I scream, but one of his hands comes to cover my mouth.
“Don’t scream,” he warns as he moves us around the car and toward the door of the store. He ushers me inside and pulls out his cell, calling someone as he yells at the women to lock the store down. She rushes through the store, locking the doors and pulling the shades closed as I wrap my arms around myself, unsure what the hell is happening.
“Are you okay?” The woman asks me, but I ignore her, too lost in my head. I won’t go back. I won’t let him take me again. I can’t. I nearly died there. He wanted me dead!
My arms lower to my sides as the memories assault me. The way he beat me and hurt me. No. I can’t do that again. I won’t survive it. I have to get out of here. I have to run.
And that’s what I do. I run through the store toward the doors, pulling as hard as I can, but they’re locked. I scream in frustration as I run back the other way. I can get out the back. I just have to get past Gannix. He’s on the phone. I can do this.
I run toward the door when I hear him coming behind me. I push harder, faster, needing to get the hell out of here when I’m tackled to the ground. The air leaves my lungs in a whoosh. I try to push up on my hands, but Gannix is too heavy, and it’s useless.
“Let me go!” I yell now, needing to get the hell out of here.
“Stop running,” he growls in my ear.
“I can’t! Don’t you get it? He wants me, Gannix. I can’t go through that again! He almost killed me, and I don’t think I can handle that again,” I yell as tears spill down my cheeks.
“Fuck,” he grumbles as he climbs off me and tugs me off the floor. I try to pull away from him, but he doesn’t let me. He keeps me tucked into him, holding me as close to him as he can.
“It’s okay, Em. I won’t let him hurt you.”
“He could have killed me out there,” I remind him.
“No. That’s not going to happen,” he argues, keeping his hand on the back of my head. This is all fucked up. This is butt fuck crazy.
First, I was stalked by Gannix. Then I was taken by his brother to be killed, only to be stolen back by Gannix, and now this?
I sob into his chest, wondering what the hell I did to deserve this. Is this karma for everything I’ve done? All the men I used?