Page 21 of Safe Haven

“Fuck,” I swear under my breath as I drop the knife to the board and take a step back. Using one forearm to rub at my eyes, I try to scrub away the vision of Audrey on her knees, greedily taking my?—

“I’m glad you’re learning to make this shit yourself.” Zeke’s voice is glaringly loud compared to his wife’s—thank God—and it pulls me out of the inappropriate spiral I’m caught in. “Maybe then you’ll stop coming over to steal mine.”

I smirk, feeling a little better as I go back to the green pepper I’m halfway through dicing. “You know that’s not going to happen.”

In its own way, living next door to Zeke and Savannah these past few months has been one of the best times of my life. Was I a little depressed I couldn’t work? Sure. But after growing up with a family who doesn’t understand me at all, it was nice to be so close to people who got it. People who got me.

And it was enlightening to see the way Savannah accepts Zeke. Understands what makes him tick and considers the scarier parts of him an asset instead of a flaw.

“I’ll give him all of your cookies if he promises to take good care of Audrey.” Savannah’s been worried about her friend. They bonded when we helped Audrey escape her ex, and have kept in touch since. When she found out Audrey had been struggling this whole time and hadn’t said anything, it broke her heart.

Made her feel like Audrey didn’t think she could be trusted.

Now, I know that’s not true—Audrey’s simply not the kind of person who would burden her friends, even to her own detriment—but at the time, Savannah was heartbroken.

“I’ll keep her safe, but this situation is more complicated than we initially believed.” I’ve already briefed Isaac, so I’m guessing Zeke knows what I’m about to share, but I want to tell Savannah directly what I found out. “It turns out Savannah’s ex-husband hired a private investigator out of Chicago to follow her. He and I had a conversation this afternoon, and he’s got some concerns about Trevor’s motives. Is worried he’ll start looking for a way to get rid of her.”

Savannah’s gasp tells me Zeke has not yet filled her in, and I’m grateful. I wanted her to hear directly from me. I don’t want anyone else to apply their filter to the situation thinking they need to shelter her from the truth.

And that’s what Zeke would do. Not maliciously or with bad intentions, but because his primary objective in this world is to protect her. To keep his wife from anything that might cause her pain.

And what I’m about to tell her is going to cause her pain.

“Just because she got away?” To my surprise, Savannah doesn’t sound broken, she sounds angry. “What is it with these men whotreat women like possessions to be acquired? I swear, if I ever see him?—”

“I don’t think that’s what this is about, Savannah.” I lower the knife in my hand to the counter, because if I hang onto it, I might decide it makes sense to march my happy ass to Trevor’s mansion and end this all right now. “At least not entirely.”

I lay out the list of accusations Audrey gave me. Then I explain how she tried to anonymously report most of them, but nothing seemed to happen.

“Sounds like it’s possible he has connections in the department there.” Zeke’s comes to the same conclusion I did. I haven’t shared my suspicion with Audrey—it would only scare her—but it’s part of the reason I wanted to speak with Zeke directly. “If that’s the case, maybe getting her the hell out of here is the best plan of attack.”

Normally, I’m a stick-around-and-fight kind of guy, but I don’t want to risk Audrey. I don’t want her to suffer any more than she already has—physically or mentally. And sticking around here, waiting for someone to find her, is definitely wearing on her.

Savannah scoffs. “And then what? You’re going to make sure this prick gets in trouble for what he’s doing, right?”

And there’s the third reason I wanted to talk to Zeke and his wife—my best friend—directly. I knew Savannah would go to bat for me. Zeke can get tunnel vision when it comes to the jobs we’re brought in to do. I understand that. Once you start looking too hard at the gray, it can be easy to question what you’re doing.

But I’m not ignoring this gray. This son of a bitch hurt Audrey and countless other people. I want to make sure he goes down. For all of them.

But mostly for the woman showering while I make dinner.

“Let me make a few calls. See what I can find out.” Zeke’s offer is exactly what I was hoping for. His connections reach far beyond mine. I’m just a worker bee, doing what I’m told and loving every minute of it. I have no one to call and no strings to pull.

Zeke continues, “But if she runs, it’s going to look suspicious. If we want to take this guy down, him getting suspicious is our worst enemy, because he’ll start doing everything he can to cover his trail.”

I know it’s the truth, but I don’t like hearing it. “Then send me backup. They don’t have to be right on top of us, but I want to have someone to call who can be here quickly if shit goes sideways.”

“He’ll make sure someone comes down there ASAP,” Savannah answers for Zeke, and it makes me smile.

Savannah and Audrey have a lot in common. They both have sweet temperaments, but beneath the soft smiles and gentle demeanor, there’s a tiny hint of an edge. And it can be cutting when you don’t expect it to be there.

It’s what makes both of them survivors. And maybe it’s what makes both of them so understanding of the life Zeke and I lead.

“Something smells really good.”

I turn to find Audrey standing in the doorway of her small kitchen, wrapped in a pale pink robe, her blonde hair tousled and damp.

“Is that Audrey?” Savannah’s voice is now just as loud as her husband’s. “I want to talk to her.”

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