Page 54 of Make You Mine

“I’ve met someone.” She squeals so loud that I lower the volume on my phone. There’s some gibberish coming from her between the excited noises women tend to make. “It’s new, but?—”

“I need to meet her and...”

I don’t hear the rest as I focus on the screen. Ava’s email was accessed recently, left open, and is displaying nothing but emails from him. Months’ worth, and each more threatening than the last.

What the fuck?Why the hell didn’t she tell me about these?

“...dinner on Sunday?”

“Mom, I have to go.” A part of me feels bad for cutting her off, but I can’t focus on anything other than what’s in front of me. I’m angry. Disappointed because I thought we had established a mutual sense of trust.

“What’s wrong, Elijah? What happened?”

“It’s work-related.” I’m clicking on the first email and reading through lines full of anger and desperation. Threatening. A psychotic love note. “I’ll call you later. Love you.”

“Okay. Please be safe.”

I don’t wait for her to hang up before I’m standing, tipping my chair back in the process. It creates a domino effect; the harsh push causes it to hit the edge of my shelves on its way down and a picture frame meets its demise. The crash is loud, but I could give a flying fuck.

The world around me could explode and shatter into a million pieces; I still wouldn’t focus on anything buther. The words he senther. On the slapping ofherbare feet on my floor as she races toward this room.

Everything starts and ends with Ava Perry.

Don’t force my hand, Sugar.

I will kill every last one of them, Ava, before I break you. I’m going to propel you to the edge of fucking death, and then bring you back over and over again.

I love you.

“Christ, Elijah,” she hisses out, hand clutching her chest. “What’s going on? Why do you look like an angry bull ready to plow through a wall?”

“When were you going to tell me?” I know my tone is brusque and harsh, but her distrust hurts more than I ever thought it could. Feels like a betrayal after what’s happened between us: the confession at the pier and then our kiss.Because you love her.Motherfuck, I can’t think about that. It’s too soon, and I can’t place a name on these emotions when only rationality should exist. “Explain.”

“Wait a second.” Ava holds both hands up while coming closer. She pauses on the other side of my desk, her expression pinched tight with concern. “I don’t know what happened here, but don’t take it out on me.”

“Jason. Lyle. Whatever the fuck his name is,” I spit out, flipping my laptop around for her to see, “has been contacting you, and I find out by accident? Why are you hiding this?”

“I was going to tell you, Detective.” The use of my title cuts more than the lie. “To be completely honest with you...” At the raise of my brow, her blue eyes narrow. Dare me to challenge that statement, which I don’t. Instead, I bite the inside of my cheek. “I haven’t checked my email in months. Since the night before I found him?—”

“Months?”

“Yes.” My anger deflates at the sight of Ava’s bottom lip trembling. I feel like the world’s biggest asshole. “My phone and laptop...everything electronic I could use to check my accounts was confiscated to be monitored by the DA’s office. I have no clue who has them or if I’ll ever see those devices again, but more importantly, I wasn’t hiding this from you or anyone. It scared me yesterday when I used your laptop to get?—”

“Why check yesterday?” I ask quietly, carefully. I’ve done enough already and don’t want her to be afraid of me.

“There’s a folder in my Google account with cake recipes, and I wanted to surprise you.” No sooner has the last word slipped past her lips that I’m around my desk and pulling her against me. She struggles a bit as her eyes become glassy, but I don’t let go. Instead, I lift her off the floor, feet dangling with her chest against my own.

“I’m sorry.” And I am. More than anything. “Please forgive me, sweet treat. My head’s running in a million directions, and that’s no excuse.” Laying my forehead against hers, I breathe in Ava’s small exhales. Take her decadent scent into my lungs. “Seeing his words angered me, but I should’ve never talked to you that way. It’ll never happen again.”

“Can I kick you if you do?”

“Would you like to do so now?” I’d take anything she did; I was an ass.

Ava shakes her head, lips still sad. “No.”

Instead of talking to her, I jumped the gun. I’m anxious because this sick son of a bitch is still out there with a missing girl and getting help from those that wear a uniform like mine. Because the woman I love is in danger, and they are forcing us to sit here like sitting ducks.

There’s no denying how I feel. How consumed I am by her.

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