It’s Quinn Lineman.
For goodness sake.
Quinn was my aunt’s boyfriend for a few months last year. She never had the best taste in men, and Quinn was the worst example. He was clearly a drug addict, always snorting and jittery. I think he was on steroids, too. That’s why my aunt was so attracted to him. He was huge, like a monster, unreal-looking with how grotesquely muscular he was. He was nothing like Liam, lean and huge and capable.
They broke up when he smashed a plate in an argument. She screamed at him that she wouldn’t have a violent junkie living in her house. I was proud of her.
But ever since then he’s been adamant that he lent my aunt five thousand dollars. He’s been constantly messaging me, asking for it back, sending me vile messages about what he’s going to do to me.
It’s make or break time, this one reads. If I don’t get the money by Sunday evening, I’m going to bust up that pretty little face of yours. Maybe I’ll see you at Hidden. Or maybe on one of the trails. Crest Fall is such a pretty place.
I let out a short gasp and clutch my hands to my chest.
He’s here.
He followed me here.
But how?
My eyes skirt up to the name. No matter how many times I block him, he always makes a new account with a new name to send me his messages. He uses a variety of platforms. It’s gotten to where I’m thinking about just deleting myself off the internet. Maybe I should have already. But it’s just so awkward, what with classes and everything.
I sit back and let out a trembling breath of rage.
Why can’t he just leave me alone?
My aunt was adamant that she didn’t lend Quinn any money. She’d sworn on her life, upset about it. Quinn is clearly deluded. And even if he wasn’t, he has no right to trail me to Maine, to bully me, to intimidate me.
Now I’ve possibly put Liam and Kayley in danger. They don’t deserve to get entangled in this.
I stand up and pace up and down the bedroom, arms wrapped around my middle. My mind fills with possible messages I could send back, but I can’t think of one that will make him leave. I haven’t got five thousand dollars for him. I don’t know what he’ll do if he doesn’t get his money.
I flinch and almost let out a yelp when a knock comes at my door.
It’s heavy, two thuds. I know it’s Liam.
“Yes?” I call.
“We’re going to make some dinner if you care to join us,” he says.
“O-Okay.”
“Lola?” he says, tone changing, becoming sharper. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Who said something’s wrong?” I murmur, voice strangled with my anger.
“I’m coming in,” he says.
A moment later, he pushes the door open and closes it behind him. He paces over to me and opens his arms, pulling me into a hug. Even if I know that Kayley could catch us at any moment, I fall into the embrace.
I rest my cheek against his firm chest.
I close my eyes and savor the sensation of being protected.
“Something’s wrong,” he growls softly. “There’s no use in lying to me and saying there isn’t. I can tell. I can read you. That’s just more proof that Cupid’s at work here, eh, if I can read you so well after so little time?”
I find myself smiling, and then smile wider when I realize that was his intention. He cares about my happiness. I’ve never had that with a man before.
“It’s complicated,” I tell him.
“Try me,” he says.
I explain the whole thing, starting with my aunt and Quinn getting together, and then how she threw him out. Liam’s face hardens when I get to the part about the messages and the harassment.
“He showed up at college once,” I say. “I saw him standing outside my class. He was waiting for me to notice him. When I did, he just waved and walked away.”
“When was that?” Liam asks coldly.
“At the start of the semester, so a few months ago now,” I say.
“Jesus, what a sick fuck,” Liam snarls. “I’ll handle this, Lola. You don’t have to worry about it again.”
“What do you mean, you’ll handle it?” I murmur.
I squeeze myself tighter against him, willing the scent of his cologne and his musky just-Liam smell to wash over me, to envelope and shroud me. I feel his firm body through his suit, my hands outlining his strength.
“You don’t need to worry about that now,” he tells me, his hand moving through my hair. “I promise I’ll never let him hurt you. I promise I’ll always protect you.”
I shiver against him. My womb is pounding and screaming. She’s telling me, This is your man, your protector, and now it’s your duty to give him your body as a reward for savagely shielding you from the dangers of the world.