“Oh shit, shit,” Ethan says and climbs onto the bed.
Then I feel his hand on my side. Oh no, he isn’t! He digs his fingers into my sides. Not able to control my laughter, I roll over to move his fingers off me.
“Braelyn, don’t do that shit!” he growls then stomps away in mock anger. I cover my mouth with my hand, trying to trap my laugh.
“Sorry, Etheyy!” I tell him in my sweetest voice before I scoot off the bed and walk past him into the hallway and go downstairs.
I hear him run down the hallway and start to stomp down the stairs after me. My head shoots up, and I look behind me. Ethan has a wicked grin on his face. Grinning too, I race down the stairs and into the kitchen. I open the fridge to get the ketchup bottle, pop the lid, and turn around to confront him.
He stares at me with wide eyes as he points at me. “Put it down, Braelyn.” His voice is deep with anger, but his eyes show his amusement.
“No mercy!” I squeal and give the bottle a big squeeze. Ketchup covers his white T-shirt. His angry face turns to shock, then to an evil grin. He stalks toward me, and I back away slowly until my back hits the counter by the sink.
Ethan’s entire front meets mine. He looks down at me and reaches behind me. What is he doing?
Then the shock of ice-cold water hits my face. Jerking back, I fall onto the floor, trying to get away. Ethan laughs at me as I attempt to stand up. His hand grabs mine, halting my movements, then he continues to soak me completely with the sprayer from the sink. Laughing, I lift my hands to cover my face.
“Do you give up?” he taunts me.
“Never!” I yell and kick my legs out at him, trying to pull myself away. From that position, he sprays me directly in the face again.
I grab his leg in an attempt to pull him down with me. I lift both legs and arms around his leg like a monkey. For that I get a shot of ice-cold water on my back. Squealing, I arch my back to dodge the water.
I look around to try to find something to hit him with. Left with no choice, I bite his calf. He screams. Yes, screams like a little girl! I barely put on any pressure. He pushes me off him, and I let go, falling onto my back, laughing because hearing a scream coming from a man like him is beyond hilarious. I wipe away the tears and water from my face as I peer up at Ethan.
He looks at me like he can’t believe I did that. To be honest, I can’t believe I did that either. It’s out of character for me. Hell, all of this is. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I’m changing.
Crab walking backwards, I move toward the living room and out of the shot of the sprayer. Ethan throws it down in the sink, and I scramble to my feet so I can run upstairs to the bathroom and lock the door.
Slipping all the way up the stairs, I manage to slam the door in time. I can hear him laughing outside of the door. I collapse against the door. I can’t believe this happened. Looking at myself in the mirror, I almost don’t recognize the person standing in front of it. She has a glow about her and looks almost... Happy.
Who is this person standing in front of me? Could that possibly be me? I strip out of my clothes and hop in the shower. The steam immediately eases my muscles as I lean my head against the wall, letting the spray hit my back.
The sound of my bathroom door opening has me frozen with fear. I know I locked it. Ethan’s planning another prank. Grinning, I pretend to open a bottle of shampoo while peeking out to the side of the shower curtain with one eye.
When I see a hand, I lift the shampoo bottle and spray the person standing there. I pull back into the shower and laugh when I hear his retreating steps. I hurry and wash my body. I wrap a towel around me, step out, and quickly put some clothes on.
Stepping out in the hallway, I call out, “Running away scared again, Ethan?”
“What?” he asks, confused, as he steps out into the hallway.
His hair is wet, and he’s shirtless, his chest, abs, and hair still wet from the shower like he just stepped out. Steam floats from the bathroom.
“You just came into the bathroom. Well, I heard you come in. I saw a hand and sprayed you with shampoo. You ran away after that...” I explain.
“No. I just got out of the shower...” he trails off, confused, before his eyes snap aware. Holding myself, I run to Ethan, scared. Who was that then? Oh God, no... Ethan picks me off the floor and carries me into my room. He sets me on the bed and checks the entire room thoroughly, even under the bed. Before he leaves the room, he first turns the lock over in the door handle.
“I’m going to check everything out. I’ll be back. Don’t leave this room.” He points his finger at me. Nodding, I clutch the blanket to me. Ice-cold fear shoots through me as my thoughts wonder who that could have been. My worst fear has me thinking it’s
him
.
The door shuts. I sit in the middle of the bed, scared out of my ever-loving mind. It could be a figment of my imagination, right? I could have thought I saw a hand? Maybe I heard Ethan walking around? Maybe I didn’t lock the door as I thought.
Shivering, I hold myself tighter. Please, dear God, don’t let that man be my stalker. Please, let it be a figment of my imagination.
“Baby, everything is safe,” Ethan calls soothingly from outside the door. I jump off the bed to unlock it and tackle Ethan in a hug, wanting, no, needing his comfort. When his arms are around me, I feel safe again. Safe is what I need right now.
“I got you... Nothing will ever happen to you,” he growls against the top of my head. He pulls back so he is looking straight into my eyes. “I’ll kill before I let something happen to you.”
Nodding, I lay my head back against his chest. I let out a deep breath and close my eyes, soaking in all that is Ethan.
“I’m going to take you to a friend’s center, to a woman’s shelter. This guy has MC members based in the building to protect women while they are there. I remember you telling me you wanted to work in a place like that. The guy who runs it offered you a job helping with the women. It’s yours if you want it. They will protect you while I work, and honestly, I don’t want you here alone anymore.”
I’m in awe he would go through such lengths for me. I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve any of this.
His hand comes up and tugs at my chin so I’m looking at him. “Stop. You deserve it and more. Quit thinking like that.” How does he know everything I think? He just knows me.
“I want it, Ethan. I need to try to do this and stand on my own two feet. I want to help women who are going through the same thing I’m going through. I want them not to run from their problems and to not let it define them like I let it do to me.”
A proud smile tugs at his lips. “Well, all right then. Finish getting ready and I’ll take you downtown.”
Biting my lip, I nod and walk back into my room. I feel uneasy already leaving Ethan’s presence, but I got this. I stand up taller and walk to the bathroom to get ready. This day will be life changing on so many levels. I’ll be away from Ethan; that thought alone makes me scared out of my mind, but I
have
to do this for myself. It’s also reassuring that Ethan trusts this place. He wouldn’t put me in harm’s way.
Ethan parks outside a building with a huge, tattooed man stationed at the front. Well, more like sitting in front of the building on the steps. Ethan steps out and walks up to him. They do that man handshake-hug thing. The man says something, and Ethan laughs then looks over at me. The man follows his gaze. He smiles at me kindly.
Grabbing my new phone Ethan just gave me, I walk over to them on wobbly legs. Ethan wraps an arm around me. “This is Duke, Brae. Duke, this is Brae.”
Duke steps forward and offers his hand with a kind smile. I lift my hand and take his slowly. “I got your back here, love.” He bends down so we’re eye level. Looking into his eyes, I can see he means every word he says.
I turn around and wrap Ethan into a hug, whispering into his chest, “Bye, Ethan.”
“Bye, baby. I’ll be back in a few hours,” he whispers against my ear.
I step back and look at him. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I just want to cry and plead with him to take me with him. I’ve come to realize Ethan is my safe haven. My comfort. He looks torn himself, like he’s ready to snatch me up and take me away, but this is something I need to do.
I mouth to him, “I’ll be okay.” He looks at me then closes his eyes. I can see the sad expression on his face. He knows how hard this will be for me.
I turn around and walk up the steps to the door. Duke opens it, and I look back at Ethan one last time to give him a reassuring smile as I step inside.
Duke shuts and locks the door behind me. At the sound of the lock, I jump ten feet. “Easy, lass, you’re safe here. Let’s take you to the boss man.” He places a gentle hand on my arm. I jerk slightly.
The building has solid white walls but has a homey feel because of the couches, pictures, and other knickknacks lying around. It looks like a home but not entirely. I’m not sure it could ever look like a home.
We walk down a series of hallways, farther into the building and farther from the door. My breathing starts to get ragged from the panic building up in my throat.
You’ll be okay. Breathe, Braelyn. Ethan wouldn’t let you come to an unsafe place.
I count to ten with my eyes closed to relax myself. Duke is standing by a door that leads to an office with two huge desks right in the middle. Yet another man, this one huge and scarred, sits on the one closest to the door. He’s scary, well, beyond scary, actually. Just as I am about to bolt, a five-foot-nothing blond, sweet-looking woman pops into view with the kindest smile I’ve ever seen.
“Hi, honey! I’m Chrystal and that big oaf over there is my husband. You’re Ethan’s friend, correct?”
“Yes,” I manage to squeak out.
“Great, come on in,” she says soothingly. Her kind eyes calm me and let me know I will be okay. She pulls me to a seat in front of both desks before she goes and sits behind the desk of the one beside her husband.
The door closing with a smack has me jumping in my seat. Feeling both of them looking at me, I bend my head and breathe in and out.
“I know you’re scared, hon, but here you don’t have to be. I was you a couple of years ago until I met this man beside me.” She stops, and I look at her, shocked. Her? I never would have guessed; she looks so sweet.
“I was you. I was so scared of the world, afraid of everything. Then I learned the world isn’t as scary as I thought it was. It’s full of bad apples, but there are just as many good people, if not more. We created this place for women like you, but your case is different. You have someone who cares and will protect you with every fiber of his being. I can see the fire in your eyes, and I need your help with these women here; help them find that fire. Will you help me?” She smiles hopefully.
Unable to resist, I smile back at her. “Yes, I will help you.” I then tell her sadly, “I’m sorry for getting scared. It’s a habit.”
“Honey, it’s normal, but the important thing is to not let it control you anymore. When you do that, then they are winning.” Her bottom lip trembles. Her husband rubs his finger over her bottom lip to stop her trembling lip. He kisses her temple and it’s like magic; a few simple touches and she’s completely calm again.
Seeing a survivor who can be this happy gives me hope. Hope I am grabbing hold of and holding on to for dear life.
“I need to know why you’re in danger,” a voice so deep it startles me says. I look over at its owner. Chrystal’s husband stares at me pointedly. Not unkindly, but like he is ready for anything.
“I have a stalker...” I tell them my story. Even though it’s taking everything in me to do so; even though it makes everything so real and I don’t want to relive it.
As I finish, a soul-tearing sob escapes as my heart breaks all over again. Gentle arms wrap around me, and I lay my head on Chrystal’s shoulder. Wiping my eyes, I look down at my hands while tears fall down my face. “So I ran. I left everything behind and became a shell of the woman I used to be. I was homeless for three years, living on the streets, scrounging for food, whatever I could get. I grew so scared I almost blacked out. Then he found me, and I managed to get away. Jumped onto a bus and went to my friend’s house. Then Ethan took me in and became my safe haven. Today, someone came into the bathroom while I was taking a shower. I thought it was Ethan because we were playing pranks on each other, but it wasn’t him.” I let out a ragged breath, trying to find the courage to look at the gentle lady and the scary-looking man.
Sadness fills her eyes, but I also see understanding. Her husband just looks pissed off.
“All right, let’s get you to meet everyone.” She smiles and claps her hands, distracting me from my emotions. I push myself up off the chair to stand behind her.
She opens the door, and a little girl around five runs inside, yelling, “DADDY!” She flies past Chrystal and me into the man’s, whose name is Kyle, arms. The huge man turns into a gentle giant with a huge smile on his face. It’s amazing how someone can transform so easily. He scoops her up in his arms. She has tears in her little eyes.
He sees them and growls, “What’s the matter, cupcake?”
“A mean boy pushed me at school!” she cries out and shows him her scratched-up hands. His face turns from gentle to downright scary, seeing his little girl was hurt.