Chapter 1
That’s why I’m here.
Annie
Five years earlier…
The stern and rumbly male voices in the other room make it impossible to deny that what’s happening isn’t just a bad dream.
I tip my head back so I can chase the tears away, blinking as if an optometrist is tickling my eye with that pressure-testing tool. I inhale slowly and swallow quickly, shoving the fear and sadness away with practiced ease.
My ability to lock up painful emotions is something I perfected when I was five years old.
I never researched it, but always assumed it was a normal reaction to discovering you were the reason your mom died.
Logically, I knew it wasn’t my fault she had complications from the c-section, but logic is meaningless in loss.
For my entire childhood, I did everything I could to make it up to my father. I never had problems at school, I fended for myself, and I pretended to be okay when I was anything but. That altruism has remained constant, even now, even though I’m scared out of my mind.
The deep voices get louder, and I tiptoe to my door and crack it open to hear my dad saying, “… you want, it’s my decision, Sterling. She doesn’t need to see them.”
“You hired us, Phil, and I’m telling you if she looks at them, it could help us with details so we can find the son of a bitch who’s been taking pictures of her for the past six weeks.” Sterling is an old friend of my dad’s who has a security company.
A security company that has a safe house to protect people who have been stalked…like me.
“The governor thought I’d settle if those pictures of Annie landed on my desk, but I didn’t, and I won’t.
I’m not concerned about who took them because I know why they did.
I’m concerned that he’ll do something more drastic during the trial, so I want her where nobody can get to her.
” Dad pauses, and I hear him blow out a breath.
“Just keep her safe while I put his piece of shit son behind bars.”
I hate my father being so upset. His blood pressure’s already skyrocketed, and at his age I know it’s affecting his health in ways he’ll never admit. Then again, I won’t admit to him how much it was affecting me, either, and it’s affecting me…a lot.
I haven’t slept, I can’t eat, and I’m so paranoid I see shadows that don’t exist. I’ve been in a constant state of panic, and it’s only gotten worse knowing I’m going to be somewhere safe and my father isn’t. But it’s what’s best for him, so I’ll do it with a smile on my face.
I need to finish packing, and the arguing is distracting, so I push the door shut.
Only, it doesn’t budge because a man’s fingers wrap around the edge and prohibit any movement.
My fight instincts are nonexistent, but my flight instincts were already on high alert.
I don’t have power over my body as I jump back so fast that I fall on my butt.
I still don’t when I lurch backward like I’m possessed.
My skull meets the bed frame, and I wince, finally getting my senses back as I rub the top of my head.
“Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.
I’m Ben.” I tilt my neck back and do a head-to-toe scan of the tall, muscular guy before me.
Slim hips, sculpted arms, broad shoulders, and a jawline that isn’t just sharp, it’s chiseled.
He holds out his hands. “Let me help you up.” And even though I can get up on my own, I extend my hand without saying a word.
He effortlessly pulls me to my feet and waits, making sure I’m solid before letting me go to give me space. His intense focus never leaves me, and the rapid beating of my heart, which I’ve become familiar with, wanes, its thuds slowing like a train rolling to a stop.
Ben tilts his head, his hazel eyes narrow in concern, and his voice is soft. “Are you all right?”
“Uh…yeah. Sorry.” I clear my throat and push my glasses up my nose. “Just kind of jumpy lately.”
“I bet.” Those two syllables have a harshness that surprises me.
“I’m Annie.”
“Knew that,” he says with a small grin. “I also know you heard our fathers arguing. What I don’t know is how you feel about what they’re saying.”
“What do you mean?”
He moves a step closer to me, and when he does, I unconsciously do the opposite.
His booted feet take root, and his frame jolts like I’ve punched him in the gut, something that would surely hurt me more than him if I were ever stupid enough to try.
“You’re scared, and I get it. But I’m not gonna hurt you, Annie.
Never. You’re safe with me, and you’ll stay that way, okay? ”
I want to believe in him as much as he believes in himself. “Okay, sorry, I just—”
“Don’t apologize. It’ll take time, and I won’t push you, but it’s gonna be me and you for the foreseeable future, so if there’s anything I can do or not do to make you more comfortable, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
Wait. Not Sterling? “Um…me and you?” I motion between us.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m here, Annie, to take you to the safe house. Didn’t your dad tell you?”
“He did, but he didn’t say who.”
“Well, that’d be me.” He holds his muscular arms out, then crosses them. “Now that that’s established, we can get back to it.”
“Back to what?”
His lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile. “How do you feel about your dad not showing you the pictures?”
The reminder makes me shiver, and Ben doesn’t miss it. “Why?”
“Because despite the fact that your father is paying me, you’re my priority. I need you to trust me, and a part of that is honesty about what’s happening. Some clients want to know everything, some don’t, some—”
“Unless it’ll help with something, I don’t want to see them. I’m already terrified enough knowing someone was following me around with a camera. If I see them…” I rub my arms and shake my head.
“Just how terrified are you?”
“On a scale from one to ten?”
He shrugs. “Sure.”
“Seven…” I have a sneaking suspicion that he’s not lying about the honesty thing, so I tell him the truth. “…teen.”
“You losing sleep because of this?”
The dark circles under my eyes are all the confirmation he needs, but I still answer with a nod.
“Right.” A muscle ticks in his jaw, and he looks like he’s about to say more—but then he moves. In a blink, he pivots, stepping in front of me, one arm sweeping back as his palm brushes my hip.
My dad appears and stops short, taking in the sight of Ben squared off in front of me, solid and unyielding. An amused smile tugs at his mouth. “Well, if that isn’t reassuring, I don’t know what is,” he muses. “Looks like you’re gonna be in pretty good hands, Annie.”
“No, sir,” Ben rumbles. “Pretty good isn’t acceptable.” His hand presses more firmly at my side, and for the first time, I feel his strength. But it’s not his power that makes me feel safe, it’s his promise. “With me, Annie’s in the best hands.”