Page 21 of Make You Mine

“He’s coming for me.” Those four words hold nothing but acceptance, but before I can respond, a knock comes from the front door. We step apart as it opens. Jaime and Adam walk into the living room, their hard gazes finding mine while mirrored serious expressions mar their faces. They are downright pissed the fuck off.

Three quick vibrations also alert me to a missed message, and I know it’s from one of them.

“Give me a minute,” I say, already walking back inside. Something went wrong, and leaving her alone on the balcony for the time being is the best choice. Whatever it is, I don’t want her to hear it just yet.

I’ll break it to her after I know what I’m dealing with. Much later, once we’re alone.

“He’s—”

“Outside, now.” My voice is harsh, body tensing as I make my way outside the apartment, not stopping or making sure they’re following me. Instead, I walk toward the center of the floor, where there’s a small sitting area overlooking the bay not far from the bank of elevators. It’s far enough to talk without her hearing—but there’s also a large enough mirror where I can see who’s coming and going—and I can reach my door within seconds if need be. “Tell me.”

“There’s a new victim.”

“Fuck.” It’s a rough exhale as I drag a hand over my face. “Female? Where?”

Adam nods, his lips in a thin line. “This time, the body was found in New Mexico. There’s also a note.”

“What did it say?”

“See for yourself.” Adam hands me his phone, and my eyes scan the picture; I begin to shake. Pure fucking lava courses through my veins. On a white sheet with a smattering of blood is a single line written in black marker:

You can’t keep her from me.

The plastic in my hand groans, and I hand over the device before it becomes a thousand pieces on the floor. A million scenarios run through my mind, each one worse than the last as the marine takes his phone back, and I shift my eyes toward the water not far from my building.

It’s a little choppy at the moment. Growing violent.

Matches my conviction. My truth.

“I’m going to kill him.”

8

AVA

Elijah walks away without looking back.

But more importantly, I hate how that makes me feel. Alone. The worry slams back tenfold.

This crippling fear I’ve been swallowing down—fighting back—unleashes as memories flood my senses. They’re hitting me full force in the chest, and I have to grip the railing tightly to keep myself upright because his facial expression said it all: confirmed that this new reality isn’t changing anytime soon.

There are two things I’m also certain of:

Jason’s coming for me.

Something’s happened since we left Texas.

A bitter truth to swallow because…

I can’t look at Elijah as anything other than the man ordered to protect me. I can’t focus on his hypnotic hazel eyes or the way my heart thumps rapidly when they settle on mine. Or how his over six-foot, muscular frame makes me feel delicate and safe. How my fingers itch to run through his thick, wavy black hair and pull on the ends to see if he groans.

The horrible timing of my attraction to him isn’t lost on me, either. Any sane or normal person wouldn’t be thinking this way;they’d be afraid of their own shadow, but those few minutes when our fingers intertwined soothed the frantic emotions swirling inside of me. We can never be, but that doesn’t stop me from taking him in and reveling in the warmth his honeyed eyes provide.

Maybe if this was another place and time…

I can’t let the butterflies inside my stomach, the ones that dance and make me hyper-aware of his every move, lower my guard. Taking in how handsome he is isn’t conducive to staying alive. It’s the opposite; Elijah could be put at risk if I get too close.

“No one around me is safe. It’s all my fault.” That causes a small sob to catch in my throat as my vision becomes glassy. I’m the reason for a madman’s cruelty, and I cannot handle another death on my hands. “My life will never be the same.”

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