Page 12 of Sinful Scars

After all, I am my father’s son.

But that man never should have been allowed to get so close to her, to put his hands on her bare skin, to feel the soft swell of her breasts with his fingertips.

My jaw aches as I clench it, trying not to picture Elle lying on the bed, half naked and sobbing.

For a split second, I considered putting a bullet straight in his spine the moment I entered the room, but I didn’t want him collapsing on top of Elle and scaring her even more. I had to be methodical in my attack, despite my rage.

He deserved to suffer for what he did, but time is not a luxury I have right now.

Elle sniffs loudly, and my chest tightens.

“You’re safe,” I promise her. “I have no intention of hurting you.”

She’s quiet for a moment, and I fight the urge to reach into the back to take her hand, to offer her some form of comfort.

“Who are you?” she whispers.

No one worth knowing.

“That’s not important. Whatisimportant is getting you off the grid.”

“O-off the g-grid?”

I rake my fingers through my hair as I try to think of a response that won’t freak Elle out.

She needs to know the severity of the situation in orderto be prepared, but I also don’t want her to frighten her more than necessary.

“Those men were dangerous.” I keep my eyes on the road as I talk. “But not nearly as dangerous as the ones that will be sent out to clean up the mess left behind.”

“Whoareyou? How do I know I can trust you?”

You can’t.

“You don’t have a choice.”

We’re both silent for a moment. The only sound is the roaring of the engine as I speed toward a cabin near Rye Lake. It’s the only place I can guarantee she won’t be found.

I should know, I’ve been living there for years.

I turn off the interstate. “Do you have a phone or a watch on you? Anything that can be used to track your location?”

“I left my phone at the bar. That’s how I knew something was wrong.”

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“The uber driver… Well, the fake one at least, refused to go back to get it even though we were barely a block away from the bar.”

“Makes sense.”

“Did you know them? Those men?”

“Not personally. What I do know is that they’ve been following you for a while now.”

She gasps. “How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve been following you too.” The words come tumbling out of my mouth before I have a chance to stop myself.

Maybe I shouldn’t have divulged such information, but Elle deserves to know the truth. She shouldn’t paint me as a hero, as a knight in shining armor.

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