Fuck yes. I pulled her face to mine and kissed those luscious lips. Her kisses were an addiction. “I love you, too. You’re it for me.”
“Oh, Austin.”
Something inside me shifted as she said my name. I knew I would do anything in my power to keep her safe. The time apart had only intensified my feelings for her, made me cherish her more. From the moment I met her, my heart was hers. She was my future. In time, I would make her my wife.
3
Scarlette
A week later, Austin had a few drawers in my dresser, and some of his toiletries had made it into my bathroom. And I had some in his, as well. We rotated places depending on if there was a football game on. My place was currently without a television. We were kind of living together but not openly admitting it. Things were going well. So well, actually, that I was afraid something was going to go wrong.
Something always went wrong for me.
But right now, life was good. I’d received a bonus at work for a job well done after turning around some impossible deadlines for the authors I edited for.
From the military and smart investments, Austin was well off. Very well off from what I could tell. Not that I was interested in his money, of course, but it was comforting to know the things he did for me didn’t hurt his wallet.
I sat in the kitchen, having a relaxing breakfast and enjoying a quiet moment. I wasn’t going to let the unknown weigh on me. Instead, I thought about the positive things. Rose and I texted every day in the week since she’d left, and I loved our blossoming relationship. Family was important to both Austin and me.
Angie’s actions were still a concern. Austin had installed cameras, parked our vehicles in the garage, and added a door so I wouldn’t have to go outside if we weren’t together. Thinking about the craziness of the situation put me on edge. This woman had stalked me and tried to get my number under false pretenses. I had no idea why she’d want my number.
As far as the police were concerned, there was nothing that could be done. She hadn’t made any threats, and her actions hadn’t warranted a restraining order.
Honestly, I never really went anywhere unless I was with Austin. I’d been a homebody for so long I wasn’t used to really going out. I was fine just being together.
Austin came out of the bedroom, shirtless with his jeans unbuttoned. I smiled into my toast, remembering him taking me from behind in the shower. Today we were going into San Antonio to do some shopping for his apartment. He wanted to look at a bigger TV. I knew his game. His current monstrous television would make it into my place. It had been years since I’d had one.
His brow was furrowed as he looked at his phone. Something had caught his attention, and he studied it more closely. I knew something was wrong by the change in his breathing. It was slight, but I learned when Austin was agitated, he breathed deeper, slower. When he wanted to, Austin had the amazing ability to remain unnaturally calm. I guess that came from being a sniper.
Casually, Austin walked over to the front window. “I need you to get your shoes on. We need to leave.”
I froze. Yes, he had prepared me for this, but I hadn’t it expect it to really come to pass. I stared at him like an idiot, wondering if I’d misheard him.
“Scarlette, sweetheart, I need you to listen to me.” Austin was calm—too calm. This wasn’t a drill. It was the real thing.
I dropped my toast. “What?” My voice was a hoarse whisper.
“Get your shoes. We need to leave.”
On autopilot, I grabbed my tennis shoes. He must have seen something in the surveillance video on his phone. Every morning he reviewed the tapes from the night before. “What did you see?”
“I’ll explain on our way. Just trust me. I need you to stand by the garage door while I get something off your front porch.”
Of course, I trusted him. Completely. Austin grabbed a broom from the kitchen, stuck it outside, and swept it in toward the house. What is he getting? For him not to open the door, it had to be dangerous.
Fear settled deep in my chest. “Be careful.” If something happened, I would be lost without him.
After locking the door, he grabbed a pair of tongs and put what looked like a bullet in a Ziploc bag. A large bullet. My mouth went dry. “Is that—"
“Yes. We need to get out of here.” I followed him out to the garage and to his truck. He locked the doors as soon as we were inside. “Duck down. Stay low so no one can see you.”
“Austin, I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t.” The confidence in his voice, which I knew came from years of training, helped calm me.
There was a roar as the engine came to life, and my nerves shot up again. I hugged my knees tightly as the truck swerved to the right. Austin was intense as he stared out the windshield. We made another sharp turn. My heart thundered in my chest, and my back pressed against the door. The noise from the engine filled my ears as I tried to process it all. I was terrified.
This is dangerous.