Page 26 of Don't Look Back

“How the hell did you notice that?” A soft smile tugs on the corner of his lips and he shakes his head.

“When you live with an abusive boyfriend, you learn to pick up on tiny details most people overlook.” I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “Some days he was super sweet and loving. Other days, he was a monster even my wildest nightmares couldn’t compete with. I had to decode the small things and prepare myself for what type of man I was dealing with that night.”

“How’d you get away from him?” He asks softly. “I'm so proud of you for doing it, Les. I’m sure that was terrifying and yet you did it.”

“MyUncle Mason was a cop. He went undercover and took down some men who made Jimmy look like a saint. He quit the force after my aunt was kidnapped and became a private investigator. He served with Ollie overseas in the military and they worked out this elaborate plan to get me as far away from Jimmy as possible.”

“Your name isn't Leslie, is it?”

I shake my head, hating how horrible I feel for lying to him. I wish I didn’t need to do this, but I had no choice. I needed to protect myself.

“Leslie Jameson… What’s your real name?”

“Zoey Moore.”

“Zoey Moore…” He tests my name out and a playful grin spreads across his lips. “I think Zoey fits you better than Leslie.”

“It doesn’t matter, you can't call me Zoey. No one can know who I am.”

“Does Mason keep an eye on your ex?”

I let out a long sigh and stare up at the ceiling, trying my hardest to keep the tears at bay. I don’t want to be a blubbering mess in front of Colt.

“Yes, but no one knows where Jimmy is right now.”

“And you’re terrified he’s found you, which is why you’ve been so jumpy lately.” He nodshis head.

“I don’t want to have to move. I finally started living again,” I whisper.

“You won't have to, Zo, I’ll make sure of it.”

My heart skips a beat when he uses the nickname I haven’t heard in forever. Only my family has ever called me Zo and I miss it more than I realized. I can't go home to visit my family because of Jimmy and it sucks.

“Thank you.” I throw my arms around him and bury my face in the crook of his shoulder.

“Give me Mason’s number and I’ll handle everything from there. But there are a few things I need you to do for me.”

“Anything,” I murmur against his neck.

“First, I need you to trust me and let me in. All the way in. I need to know exactly what Jimmy’s done and what he’s capable of. Not only do I need to protect you, but I need to keep this town safe.”

I nod my head, refusing to end this amazing hug. I haven’t felt this safe in a long time and I know that has everything to do with Colton.

“Second, I need you to move in with me.”

Chapter 15

Colton

As soon as the words leave my mouth, she practically jumps away from me like she just got burned. Dammit, I don’t want her pulling away from me. If anything, I want her drawing closer to me.

“Colt, I can't just move in with you.” She rolls her eyes like I'm being crazy, and maybe I am. But I don’t want to risk anything happening to her.

“I get it, but I need you to. My house is set up with a security system and cameras. I’ll know you’re safe and be able to keep an eye on anyone sneaking around.”

“Why do you care so much?” She peeks up at me and the vulnerability swimming in her golden-brown eyes breaks my heart. Does she really not understand how I feel about her?

“I don’t know how it took me so long to notice you, and I hate that it did. But I can promise, since I noticed you that first night at the bar, you’ve always been on my mind.I’ve been trying to figure out a way to convince you to give me a chance.”

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