Page 9 of Arrow

He didn't believe her. She knew he wouldn't.

“Because the fucking police officer who dropped me off at the hospital after running into me with his damn car didn't want to get in trouble. He threatened me and... the next thing you know, I woke up a few days later and no one would believe me. They all thought I made it up in my head while I was in a drugged state.” She pushed back from him and tried to stand, but he grabbed her and pulled her back into his arms.

“Whoa, kitten,” he said. “I believe you. Calm down. I've got you.”

Emilee took a few deep breaths, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to calm herself. Arrow's grip on her loosened slightly, allowing her a bit of space, but he didn't let go completely. His presence was grounding, offering a sense of stability she hadn't felt in a long time.

“You know, you remind me of an alley cat. Needing someone to love on you but always defensive of any threat,” Arrow said softly, his voice a low rumble against her ear. “But I get it. Trust isn't easy, especially when you've been through what you have.”

She nodded, swallowing hard as she tried to find the right words. “It's difficult to talk about... and honestly, I didn't think anyone would believe me. I told my story several times and no one would listen to me. I mean, I can’t blame them. Who is going to listen to a junkie?”

Arrow was silent for a moment, his gaze steady and focused on her. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, and it bothered her. “Did you catch the name of the officer?”

She hesitated, the memory flashing in her mind like a neon sign. Of course, she knew his name; she’d had several run-ins with him since that night. Each time he’d threatened her. He had an entire list of ways he’d kill her and get rid of her body if she even tried to tell anyone her story. And who would miss her? No one. Absolutely, no one. Everyone who mattered was already long gone.

“I…” She swallowed hard. “He said he’d hurt me if I told anyone.”

“He won’t hurt you. No one will hurt you as long as you are with me.” The fierceness of his words had her believing him. She didn’t know why he would say that but she believed him. She was safe with him. “Andrew Mills. Officer Mills.”

Arrow nodded as if filing the name away in his mind. “Tell me more about what happened that night, Emilee. Everything you remember.”

Taking a deep breath, Emilee recounted the events that had led to the car accident. She told him how she had been trying to get help after she’d seen Catie kidnapped. The night was bitter, and she had been running along the side of the road near the park, screaming for help, when the car came out of nowhere. It hit her with a force that knocked the breath out of her lungs, and she remembered lying on the cold pavement.

“Next thing I knew, the officer—Mills—was standing over me. He didn't call for an ambulance or anything. He just picked me up, put me in his car, and drove me to the hospital. All the way there I told him he had to get help, that Catie was kidnapped. He laughed and said he wanted some of what I was on. But, between the kidnapping and being hit, my high was long gone.”

“Did he say anything to you?” Arrow asked, his tone gentle but probing.

“He told me to keep my mouth shut,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “He said if I said anything, no one would believe me. And then... then they sedated me at the hospital. When I woke up, days had passed, and everyone acted like I was some crazy junkie who made the whole thing up. Both the kidnapping and being hit by Officer Mills.”

Arrow's jaw tightened, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “That bastard. No wonder you're so distrusting of people. You were telling the truth, and they treated you like you were out of your mind.”

She nodded, a lump forming in her throat. “It was like... like I was invisible. No one listened to me, and the more I tried to explain, the more they looked at me like I was insane. After they bandaged my physical wounds, they moved me to the psych ward for seventy-two hours of evaluation. I’d already gone through withdrawal but luckily, it was while I was heavily sedated. I had a small brain bleed, and they’d kept me out while it healed.”

“You mentioned Catie earlier,” Arrow said, steering the conversation gently. “You said she didn’t believe you either?”

Emilee sighed, a wave of sadness washing over her. “Yeah. Catie and I used to be close—like sisters. I ran into her at an event I was working at after everything happened, and for a moment, I thought things could go back to the way they were. But she... she accused me of betraying her, of abandoning her when she needed me most. She wouldn't even listen to my side of the story. Everyone there was staring at me, Mia made a comment about me being a bitch. It was like they only cared about one side of the story and not mine. Catie was upset, so they were upset. Catie didn’t like me, so they didn’t like me.”

“That must have been hard,” Arrow said, his tone softening with understanding.

“It was,” Emilee admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I was so shocked to see her. I didn’t know they’d found her and that she was okay. She was clean and with her boyfriend and I was happy that she was doing so well. I wanted to explain what happened that night, but she was just... so angry. I tried to tell her the truth, but she didn’t want to hear it. She was so convinced that I had betrayed her. I still hope that one day she'll be willing to listen to my side of things, but... I don't know if she ever will.”

Arrow nodded thoughtfully, his gaze distant as he processed everything she'd told him. “It sounds like you've been through hell, Emilee. But I want you to know something—I don’t know why you are here or what fate has in store for us. I believe I found you last night for a reason. Whatever that reason is, I'm here for you. Whatever you need, whatever support I can offer, it's yours.”

His words, so sincere and full of compassion, touched a part of her that had been numb for so long. Hot tears welled up behind her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to show any more vulnerability than she already had.

“I’m going to help you, kitten. You need someone to take care of you, to protect you from the outside world and the storm brewing inside of you. I’m going to make sure Officer Mills never threatens you again. I’ll be your safe place to land.”

“But why?”

“Because, that’s what Daddies do.”

CHAPTER 4

ARROW

The hour following their conversation was awkward for both of them. She’d changed the topic rather quickly, and he’d let her. Then, she’d quickly got ready for her shift at Renewed Hope and driven away, but not before he’d made her promise to text him when she arrived. In a span of less than twenty-four hours, his life had changed. Drastically. Was it instalove? Hell, it wasn’t even insta attraction. There was something about this girl that he was drawn to, and his fiercely protective Daddy side took over. Did he scare her away? He wasn’t sure. He hoped to hell not.

The ringing of his phone distracted him from his thoughts. “Hey, brother, what’s going on?”

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