Page 36 of Sweet and Salty

Owen’s warm, strong presence is at my side in a second, and my fingers tremble as I hand the phone to him.

His blue eyes scan the texts, a deep groove settling between his brows as he does.

“I’ve blocked every number he uses,” I say, unable to keep the hitch out of my voice. I take a long, deep breath, holding it as long as possible before slowly blowing it out. “Damn it,” I say, anger helping to shoo away some of the panic. “I hate feeling like this. Every time he texts, it’s like he may as well be pounding on my front door. How can I get so scared from a text? It’s not like he’s going to come through the phone.”

Owen sets down my phone, immediately wrapping me in a strong embrace. “Hey,” he says, catching my gaze. “It’s perfectly normal to be scared. It’s harassment and he’s already shown he can be violent from what he did to your flowers.”

I sigh, clinging to him. “Maybe I should change my number,” I say. “I’ve been thinking about it, but I’ve had that number forever and changing it feels like I’m letting him win.”

“I understand,” Owen says. “We can do whatever you’re comfortable with, but let’s get one thing straight, he’llneverwin. Nothing you do or decide will ever be a win for him.”

I nod as I lean against his chest, closing my eyes and breathing him in. He’s like the solid ground beneath my unsteady feet.

“He keeps moving locations. Caleb almost tracked him down, but when I got there, he’d moved on. He’s hotel hopping. We’ll track him down and end this, I promise you.”

I shift away to look up at him, but still hold him close. “Isn’t that…dangerous?”

Owen smooths some hair away from my face. “That’s what I do. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“But I do worry,” I say, anxiety clawing up my throat. “The idea of anything happening to you…” I swallow my words, my heart clenching in my chest. I scan his face, drinking in the sincerity in his blue eyes.

I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if he got hurt because of me. Because ofmymess.

“Owen…” I continue, my heart in my throat. “You’re…you’re important to me.”

Something serious ripples over his features, and he cups my cheeks. “You’re important to me too, Zoe,” he says, his voice low. “That’s why I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

He shifts me in his embrace, holding me closer. I rest my cheek against his powerful chest, hating that I can’t promise him the same thing.

How can I? When it’smystalker who’s getting more intense every single day.

“I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” I whisper.

His embrace tightens. “Kitten, this is my literal job.”

Cold dread slides into my stomach.

“Don’t worry,” he says in a reassuring tone. “As long as I’m here, he’s never going to get near you. And that’s the way I want it.”

I nod against his chest, clinging to him like that action alone can protect us both. Rage bubbles in my chest.

Rage and regret and guilt. Once again, I wonder where I went wrong with Spencer as a patient, what I did to trigger this behavior, but I just as quickly shut it down.

I’ve analyzed every single one of our encounters enough to know I didn’t play into his fantasies or instigate this behavior in any way.

This is all on him.

His actions.

I just wish like hell I could find a way to stop them before any of us gets hurt.

CHAPTER 13

Owen

“Do you mind if we pop into my club really quick so I can check on things?” I ask Zoe after we've just finished up lunch in Charleston, enjoying a Saturday away from Sweet Water.

Not that I don’t love the small town. I fell for it almost as hard as I was falling for the girl in my passenger seat, but after everything that had been going on, including the frequent texts from Spencer to Zoe, I knew getting away was just what she needed.

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