Forsaken (The Protectors 4)

Eli stepped around me and went to the passenger side. There was no key fob to unlock the door so I had to do it manually and once I had the door opened, I realized the locks weren’t power ones so I dropped down into the driver’s seat and leaned across the passenger seat and flipped the lock. While the car wasn’t comically small, it was a tight fit for me and my head kept brushing the roof even after I slid the driver’s seat all the way back. I glanced at Eli who was watching me with a small smile on his face and I felt something shift in my chest at how different he looked. Yes, he was clearly still in pain, but to see that momentary change in his expression made it all worth it. But when his eyes shifted up to mine, he quickly shuttered them and reached for his seat belt. I watched him struggle for a moment before I reached across him and grabbed it and clicked it into place. The move had my arm nearly brushing his chest and my head precariously close to his, and I didn’t miss his indrawn breath when I held there, our mouths just inches apart. To say that I was tempted to lean in and take a taste of him was an understatement, but then I remembered his admission about being afraid of me.

I moved back into my own seat and fumbled with the keys. It took several tries to get the car started and when it finally did turn over, I had to give it a little gas to keep the engine going. It took a couple of minutes to work our way through the multiple levels of the parking garage to get up to street level and Eli pointed to his parking pass in the cup holder when we got to the gate. After that, the only words spoken between us were Eli giving me directions to his place.

Based on the shitty car Eli drove, I wasn’t expecting much when it came to Eli’s house, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I’d been in Seattle long enough to have a chance to explore the city, so I knew we were within blocks of the University of Washington as I pulled up to a large green house that had clearly been converted into multiple residences. Most of the houses up and down the street also appeared to be geared towards student housing, but since it was the middle of June, there was little activity going on.

The reminder that I was lusting after someone who was likely still in college had me asking, “Are you a student?”

“Um, I start medical school in the fall,” Eli said as he unbuckled his seat belt.

A sliver of relief went through me that he wasn’t just this side of legal, but I shoved the thought away. It didn’t matter how old he was. I might be attracted to him, but that was as far as it went. That was as far as it would ever go. Because I knew without question that Eli wasn’t a no strings, quick fuck kind of guy. And if he was, he’d made it clear that just like he wasn’t my type, I wasn’t his either.

I got out of the car and met Eli around the other side and handed him his keys.

“Thanks,” Eli said. “How will you get back?”

“I’ll call a cab.”

Eli nodded and when he turned to go, I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out to stop him. He flinched briefly, but didn’t try to escape my hold. “Eli, this guy…if you know who he is, you need to tell the police. Press charges.”

Eli held my gaze for a moment and then dropped his eyes. “I’ll think about it,” he finally said, but I knew it was lie. Frustration coursed through me, but I kept it to myself as I searched out my phone to call a cab. I might not be able to force Eli into seeking help, but I could do a little recon on my own to see if I could identify the bastard who’d hurt him.

“Do…”

I looked up as Eli’s voice caught. He was shifting back and forth on his feet, his injured arm still pressed to his chest.

“Do you want to come inside while you wait for your cab?” he asked, his voice shaky.

I could tell he was regretting the question as he waited nervously for my answer. The smart thing to do would have been to call the cab and just wait on the curb. But that invisible pull that always made me look at Eli as he walked past me when he was leaving Matty’s hospital room was working overtime now, and I was nodding before I could think better of it. And instead of calling the cab, I tucked my phone back in my pocket and followed Eli up the walkway. He kept glancing over his shoulder at me as we neared the house, but instead of taking the stairs that led up to the porch, he walked around the side of the house. A set of rickety wooden stairs led to a door on the second floor along the side of the house and as I stepped on the first one, I couldn’t help but wonder if they would hold my weight. But they were sturdier than they looked. The landing at the top of the stairs was narrow, so I was practically pressed up against Eli’s back as he tried to get the key into the lock with his left hand.