Page 47 of The Lonely Hearts Guide

But then Jared tried to hurt their unborn baby.

Elliot waited with him until Jared Price took his final breath. He placed his hand over the man’s heart and made a vow to himself. Elliot would not let this break him. He would not let them win. If Elliot were to contact the authorities, it would be a media firestorm. There was another of Mother’s bountiful beaus who had killed his owner once. Elliot overheard whispers during his time in New Orleans. The bountiful beau was subjected to months of unspeakable terror at the hands of his husband, and once he finally defended himself, his husband was dead. The automaton was collected by Mother, powered down, and burned to ash in the Creationist’s incinerator.

Elliot would not end up like his fallen brother. He was determined to do whatever he could do to avoid such a fate. So, with nothing more than a broken heart and a handful of shattered dreams, Elliot had packed the only belongings that meant anything to him, placed them in a pink suitcase, and added the contents of Jared’s wall safe to the liner of his luggage.

Though Elliot knew how to drive, he also knew the police would more than likely be looking for Jared’s vehicle, so he took a bus to Genevieve, Georgia, with the memory of Jared’s lifeless face tucked away in the back of his mind.

“What do you mean, you think you killed him?”

Alexander looked so terribly worried, and the sight of him in a panic made Elliot feel lower than low. Elliot stared at the water, sniffling. “He tried to hurt me. He tried to hurt the baby.” Elliot wrapped his arms around his tummy like he was giving the little life inside a warm, comforting hug. “I didn’t mean to do it. At least, I don’t think I did.” He shut his eyes tightly, afraid to see Alexander’s reaction. Alexander knew about Elliot’s history with Master Price, but this was an extreme situation, and Elliot knew he ran the risk of losing him. “I understand if you want nothing more to do with me.” Alexander’s arms wrapped around Elliot before pulling him in for a hug. “Do you wish to send me away?”

“Sweet boy,” he murmured sweetly into Elliot’s ear. “Never. We need to talk about it, but I’m not sending you away, so if you’re worried about that, get it out of your head.” When Alexander pulled away, it felt like he was taking everything they’d shared with him. Luckily, he wasn’t gone long, and he didn’t go very far, just a few steps back until he could cup Elliot’s cheek. “I love you, Elliot. I love you, and I’m never letting you go.”

That was all it took to soothe his fear and break down the last barrier holding Elliot back. As the fear fell, so too did his sense of shame, and Elliot lunged forward, clinging to Alexander with every ounce of strength he had. They were in motion, but Elliot’s face was buried in Alexander’s neck, and he couldn’t tell where he was being led.

They took a seat, Elliot still tangled around Alexander’s waist and shoulders like a clingy capuchin monkey. When Elliot finally gathered the strength to back away, he realized they were back in their cabin, resting on the bed.

“We need to pack.”

Elliot cocked his head to the side, confused. “Pack for where?”

“That’s what I was going to tell you at the pool. I called my mom and had her charter a helicopter to pick us up.” Alexander moved Elliot off his lap and onto the mattress. “The helicopter will be here tonight. Can you tell me more about what happened with Jared? Did they collect his body?”

Elliot shook his head. “Probably not, since I didn’t contact anyone. I was scared, so I grabbed my things and ran. I-I’m sorry, Alexander.”

Alexander shook his head. “Please don’t apologize to me. Not for this. From what you’ve told me it sounds like he got what was coming to him. I’m just worried about where this leads us now. Did it happen at home?”

“Yes. In the foyer.” Elliot wrapped his arms around his tummy. “He was trying to hurt her.” His jaw trembled, and when he looked up, he was relieved to find no anger on Alexander’s face. “He tried to hit my stomach. He was aiming right at her.” The second he sniffled, the rest of the walls crumbled, and so did Elliot, falling against Alexander’s chest and weeping. “I never wanted any of this. I didn’t want to be his partner, and I didn’t want to carry his child. Mother makes decisions on our behalf and doesn’t care who gets hurt in the process. It isn’t fair.”

“I know,” Alexander soothed, stroking his back. “I think our best bet is lying low and seeing what happens with Jared.”

“They’ll incinerate me,” Elliot said, his voice shaking. “They’ll power me off and burn my body.”

Alexander growled out, “I’d like to see them try.” Pulling away, Alexander cupped Elliot’s cheek. “No one is ever going to hurt you again. Not as long as I’m around.” He looked down at his wristwatch. “We’ve got half a day left until the helicopter arrives. We just need to steer clear of Ms. Broussard until then. God knows what that woman has up her sleeve.”

“Eczema,” Elliot responded matter-of-factly. “That’s why she wears long gloves most of the time. She says it’s because a woman must always look her best if she hopes to find a suitor.”

Alexander cocked an eyebrow. “Internalized sexism aside, the more I learn of Ms. Broussard, the less I care for her.”

Elliot looked around the room, half-expecting Mother to hop out of the closet and eviscerate them for gossiping. “I agree,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t feel that way, but I do.” He sniffled, dabbing his wet eyes with his palms. “I know I have to love her, but I don’t like her very much at the moment.”

“You don’t have to love anyone you don’t want to love. It’s okay to hate her a little.”

Elliot nodded. “Is it okay to hate her a lot?”

“All your feelings are valid. You don’t need my permission to hate someone.”

“Thank you, Alexander.”

Alexander squeezed Elliot’s arm. “Of course.” He lowered his hand until it was resting on Elliot’s bump. “I don’t know how this is going to work. We’ll need to hide you for the time being.”

Elliot hung his head. “If you need me to power myself off until the dust settles, I’ll understand.”

“Absolutely not. You’re not an appliance, Elliot. You’re a man. We’re not powering you off. After the way you described it as feeling like you were dying, I don’t think I want you powering down ever again.”

Elliot’s jaw quivered. “You mean that?”

“More than I’ve ever meant anything.”

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