“You called the cops yet?” she asked.

“No, like I said, I wasn’t worried until now. There’s only been a few stupid things happening since my car, but now, I don’t know, I kind of feel like someone’s watching me.” A shiver ran up my spine at the thought.

“Right then, well, now we call them. This is serious, Scar. You shouldn’t have waited this long. Where are the rest of them?” she asked as she picked up her cell.

“Upstairs. I’ll get them.” I raced up to my room to get the other letters I’d left on my dresser. As I walked into my room, I paused. Something felt out of place. Like it had been moved. It was strange. I was sure I hadn’t left my window open that morning. Shrugging it off, I picked up the letters and moved to leave the room when something caught my eye from the open door of the bathroom. Terror filled my veins as I dropped the letters and let out a blood curdling scream.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Two fucking weeks. Two of the longest weeks in my life I’d been away from Scarlet. I was literally ripping my own heart out and stomping all over it with shit-covered boots. Even with Trip’s help, I’d come up with sweet fuck all in the “get my girl back” playbook. I knew a simple apology wasn’t gonna cut it, not for a hard ass like Scarlett. I was beginning to slump, my initial determination waning.

Trip walked in through the door and made a beeline for the fridge, leaving the front door open. He handed me a cold beer and flopped down beside me on the ratty old green sofa. “Did you do anything today except watch Scar’s place?’

“No,” I grumbled from my spot on the couch

“Holy shit, you showered! ‘Bout fuckin time—you were starting to resemble a drunken bum,” he mocked, sounding as shocked as if he’d walked in to find a stranger in my place.

I just shrugged my shoulders. Honestly, I didn’t give a damn. I mostly stayed up in my room. I’d come down stairs every now and again to flick through the TV channels. Spending all my time watching Scarlett’s house for any sign of trouble and thinking up ways to get her back. I had an opportunity to work for a buddy doing security detail, but I’d put it off indefinitely. I was lucky I had a good chunk of savings to fall back on so I could concentrate on Scar and sorting out my fuck ups before I went back to working. “Get your shit together, will you?” Trip snapped.

Even my little brother telling me off didn’t stir much of a reaction. “Fuck off!” I answered

Trip opened his mouth to talk when a loud scream came from Scarlett’s place. Without a second thought, I jumped up, ditching my beer and flew out the still open front door.

Blood rushed in my ears as I raced across the road straight into her house. Busting in the front door with one quick kick, I ignored the pain that shot through my bare foot following the sound of her screams. I needed to get to her. The sound of terror in her high pitched screams sliced straight through me. Instincts from years of running into dangerous situations kicked in. I scanned the house as I went; knowing I didn’t have a weapon on me didn’t halt my progress. I needed to find Scarlett, fast.

I took the stairs two at a time, Trip hot on my heels, and my stomach in knots wondering what we’d find, my body on full alert for any situation. Teeny’s car was parked out front, so I knew she wasn’t alone, but that could mean that both girls were in danger. I cleared the top step and quickly made my way into Scarlett’s bedroom, my eyes scanning every inch. I found the girls both standing in the doorway to the en-suite bathroom, both visibly shaking and scared. I grabbed the girls by the arms and spun them into Trip, while briefly running my eyes over Scarlett to check for any injuries. Thank God, she appeared uninjured. That sick feeling in my stomach eased a little knowing she wasn’t hurt.

My focus went back to the open bathroom door and what I saw shocked even me. Red blood like spray was covering every surface. The mirror above the vanity was smashed; a dummy, laid stomach down on the floor in a pool of red liquid, had knives sticking out of its back. Red writing spelled out on the white wall,

WATCH YOUR BACK, BITCH.

Janelle. I was about ready to lose my shit; I just had to get my hands on her first. Turning, I walked straight up to Scarlett pulling her from Trip’s arms into mine. She didn’t protest as I held her close. My body finally relaxed as I held her close. “Call it in,” I told Trip who was already picking up his cell to call the police.

Not wanting to lose the contact I craved since I walked out the door, I ran my hands up her still shaking arms until I made it to her neck. Holding her face in my hands, I looked her in the eyes. “Take a deep breath, baby. It’s a dummy, everything’s okay.” I ran my hands through her silky soft hair, feeling a calm I hadn’t had in weeks. Just holding her in my arms made the overwhelming anger I felt subside. I pulled her close against my chest, again kissing her head. “Everything’s going to be just fine, baby.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince, but I wanted to hold her for just a moment longer. A moment was all I got before she ripped herself from my arms scowling up at me.

“What the hell are you doing here? You left. You left me and now you’re here.” She reared her hand back and swung wide, connecting with my mouth. I took it; it was the least I deserved from her.

“You mother-fucking pussy! You fucking left!” She was pissed and hurt. I could see the tears glistening in her eyes as she started slapping at my chest. Seeing her like this was breaking my heart all over again.

“I told you not to hurt me! I told you not to break my heart, you fucking asshole” Trip had taken Teeny out of the room after the first swing, both of them realizing we needed a minute and getting the fuck outta Dodge. The shit was well and truly gonna hit the fan.

I grabbed both her hands and dropped to my knees. Tears streamed down both our faces. “I left to protect you from my crap, Scar. I didn’t want you in the middle of it all.”

“Protect me? You wanted to protect me? I’m a big fucking girl, Mace. I can damn well protect myself!” she yelled at me, shoving at my chest

“It was my job to protect you, Scar, my damn job. And look…” I pointed toward the bathroom, “I couldn’t do it even when I tried. I didn’t want you to hate me.”

“I want to hate you,” she huffed angrily. All her anger melted into plain hurt as she sunk to the carpet on her ass. She whispered shakily, “This would be a whole lot easier if I could hate you.”

I was a fool to think I could keep her. I had nothing to offer, apart from my heart, but living without her was without a doubt sending me crazy. I was a walking zombie, unable to sleep without her warmth pressed tight against me. The smell of her soap on my pillow, the bone deep cold of not having her in my arms. It was more than I could handle. It hit me all at once. I was done. I might never get this chance again. With Scarlett by my side, we could deal with anything Janelle threw our way, and it was crystal fucking clear, she was going to make life hell whether Scarlett and I were together or not.

“I’m sorry, Scar. I’m so damn sorry. I was wrong and I need you. I don’t wanna be without you.” I was manning up. “Let me be the man you needed ten fucking minutes ago, baby.”

She looked up at me through tear filled eyes, “I don't think I can trust you anymore, Mace.”

“Let me prove it to you. You'll never know until you give me a chance.” Indecisiveness shone deep in her eyes. I reached out and cupped her perfect face in my hands and whispered, “Let me protect you, baby. That's what a man does for his girl. He protects what's his.”

“I—I don’t know that I can, Mace. I can’t risk you hurting me anymore than you have.” I would have been completely deflated if it weren’t for the way she was looking at me. Scar hadn’t completely given up on me. I wasn’t letting her go again. This time, I’d do whatever I had to get my girl back, and when I did, I sure as shit wasn’t letting her go ever again.

I took a deep breath and laid it all out for her. “I’m fucking miserable. I don’t eat. I can’t sleep. I need you, Scar. I thought I was doing the right thing by leaving, but I was wrong. I was so damn wrong, baby.” She needed to understand just how serious I was, “I’m gonna prove it to you, one way or another. You still love me, and I won’t stay away. I won’t be without you anymore. Not ever again.”

Just as she opened her mouth to say something, two uniformed officers walked in the room cutting our conversation short.

Chapter Twenty-Four

By the time the dozen or so officers and their hundred questions left, I was exhausted. Mace called in the troops within ten minutes of making a phone call. His mother and sisters walked through the door. Marcy set about making dinner, while the girls cleaned my bathroom within an inch of its life. I was convinced it had never looked so clean; it almost sparkled. Having Mace so close to me all day wasn’t helping my resolve a whole lot. Neither was the fact he was acting as if nothing was wrong, being all attentive and sweet, touching me as he walked by, and dropping chaste kisses against my shoulder and head.

I came to a stop in the kitchen to find Marcy doing the dinner dishes, everyone else had left for the night. “You don’t need to be doing that. You cooked,” I told her.

“Oh, shush now, sweetie.” Marcy cleared her throat “I actually wanted to talk to you a minute.” Wiping her hands on the dish towel, she took a seat beside me at the table. I was momentarily taken back to the crazy-hot monkey sex Mace and I had on that very table, his calloused hands brushing across my nipples, nibbling his way down my stomach. Marcy’s voice drew me out of my thoughts. I mentally shook my head, a flush creeping up my neck.

“He really screwed up didn’t he?” She didn’t wait for me to answer, just kept going. “Men are idiots; I can attest to that. I lived with the biggest one for years.” Smiling sadly to herself, she reached out and took my hand. “But don’t give up on him, sweetheart. He knows he messed up. He’s going to try his hardest to fix it, and he’s like his father, so it’s going to annoy the hell out of you. He won’t give up.”

“He did give up though. He gave up when he walked out.”

Smiling, she squeezed my hand. “Oh Scarlett, don’t you see? He was scared.”

‘Scared? What the hell did he have to be scared about? He had me. He had all of me,” I quietly objected.

“Oh, baby, he’s scared of you.” Marcy reached up, cupping my face in her soft warm hand, smiling sympathetically. My skepticism must have shown clearly across my face. “He loves you. Whenever Mace has loved, it’s been taken away from him. He’s going to try to protect that love, baby. He’ll just sometimes do it in a stupid way.” I heard the front door open just as Marcy stood and quietly whispered, “You’re his rainbow at the end of the storm.”

I sat there dumbfounded for a moment. Mace’s deep voice had my head coming up. Why the hell was he back here?