I glanced around the pod, hyperaware of anyone being able to hear. “Her ex-boyfriend was…abusive.” I ground my teeth together at my words and my hand clenched harder around the receiver. I should have taught the fucker a lesson the first time I’d witnessed him laying hands on Elodie, but I hadn’t, and now we were here. “I found him beating on her outside the tattoo shop, and…let’s just say it wasn’t the first time.”
“So, you helped her?”
“Yeah. I…” I ran my palm through my hair. “We kind of knew each other before that. She works for Jax, and I…fuck…I…we kissed and—”
“Yeah, I get it,” Dad interrupted. “You don’t need to say anything else.”
I shuffled my feet on the floor, waiting to hear what else he was going to say, but when he was silent, I asked, “Where is she now?”
“In your room,” Dad answered. “Fuck, Asher. Why didn’t you tell me what the hell was going on? I could have helped—Ford could have helped.”
I let my head drop back. “It wasn’t my place to tell you. And it’s not something you tend to say when you introduce a girl to your parents. Fuck.” I slapped my palm on the wall. “None of this was meant to happen. I promised to keep her safe and then left her there because fuckin’ Jax called me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Dad ground out, but he could say that all he wanted, and it wouldn’t make a lick of difference. I always walked her up to her apartment, and if I would have, this probably wouldn’t have happened. But then her ex had been determined, that much was clear. If it wouldn’t have been then, it could have been anywhere, anyplace, and I may not have been able to turn up. It could have been worse…so much worse.
“You know who the ex is, don’t you?” Dad asked, his tone lower now. I didn’t bother answering him because I didn’t give a flying fuck who he was. “His dad is a judge.” My back straightened at his words. “I’m guessing you’re listening intently now,” Dad commented, and I could just imagine his brows raised. “I’m in touch with my contacts, but I have no doubt if this judge has his way, you’ll go down for what you did to his son.”
“He fuckin’ deserved it,” I growled. “He fuckin’ raped her, Dad. Raped her. He took her choices away. He’s been taking her choices away for god knows how long.”
“I get it, son, I do. But you need to be real goddamn clever right now. You have people on your side and evidence to back you up, but I need you to be prepared for what could happen. You might not get out of there this week.”
“I have to,” I gritted out. “I can’t stay in here. Elodie needs me. I…I can’t fuckin’ stay in here, Dad.”
“I’m working on it, Asher,” Dad said, his voice tired. “I’m not gonna let you go down for protecting what’s yours. You should know that by now.” He cleared his throat. “Ford just pulled up. I’m about to fill him in.”
“Dad…” My eyes widened. “You can’t tell him what happened to Elodie. It’s not your place to—”
“Elodie has already said she’ll do anything to help.” I heard his breath over the line and then a car door closing. “That was before she went and got into your bed.” I frowned at the way he was talking. “She’s not doing good. She hasn’t moved out of there since we got home early this morning.”
“She just needs time,” I said, hoping that was all it was. She’d been through so much in the last twenty-four hours. She needed to process it all. She needed to heal. And I was stuck in here, not able to do anything but rely on my mom and dad to take care of her the best they could. I was trapped inside this damn place with no idea when I’d be getting out.
“That’s what your mom said too, but fuck, I’ve never been good at this kind of stuff, and now I gotta sit back and let Ford try to handle it and—”
“Really, Dad?” I shook my head but couldn’t help the quirk of my lips. “I’m stuck in this place and you’re complaining because you gotta let Ford handle this instead of you?”
“Shit, yeah, you’re right.” He chuckled and the sound relieved some of the tension in my body. I wasn’t sure whether I felt better now that I’d spoken to Dad and knew Elodie was safe at their house, or worse because I couldn’t get to her. “I’m gonna fill Ford in. When you calling next? I’ll try and get Elodie on the phone.”
“Tomorrow.” I glanced over to the last room on the bottom row and saw Artie standing there watching me. There was an edge to him, but for some unknown reason, I trusted him. I knew I shouldn’t, not in a place like this, but my instincts were never wrong. “Look after her, Dad.”
“I will. Make sure you look after yourself.”
“I will.” I placed the receiver down on the phone, sauntered over to my bed on the floor, and scooped it up. If being in here longer than a few days was a real possibility, then I may as well get comfortable in a room instead of the open floor.
Chapter Three
ELODIE
The sun shone through the gap in the curtains. Birds chirped outside the window. Voices drifted from downstairs. The world was still spinning. Life was continuing. But I didn’t move from the position I was in. Asher’s childhood ship bed had become my safe haven, and I was afraid to leave, even to use the bathroom. It had only been days since Asher had brought me in here while the cookout was happening, and I tried to keep my mind occupied with the memory—anything to not remember what happened after we’d left.
“And this is my bedroom,” Asher said, his large hand encasing mine. It was so big and strong, and the calluses on his fingers scraping against my palms had me shivering. There was something about the smooth mixed in with the rough that ignited a fire within me.
I smiled up at him, still not taking in the room we’d walked into. I could have been in the most beautiful place in the world, but it wouldn’t have compared to him. Big, protective, handsome, and sexy. He was the full package—the perfect package—and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was an illusion. Was it all a trick? No. I shook my head. My gut told me what you saw was what you got with Asher.
I’d always known there was something eerie with Knox. There was a darkness to him, even when he was a kid. I should have known back then that it didn’t matter what I did and how much I followed Knox’s rules. I should have known he wouldn’t let me walk away from him. I’d been too stupid and blind to see it—no, I hadn’t been blind, I’d chosen to ignore all the warnings. It was my fault. I’d allowed him to continue. But then I’d tried to put a stop to it. I’d been on a mission to escape the bad in my life, but I hadn’t entertained what would come from it. I hadn’t thought it through the way I did with everything else.
I’d acted on my instincts, and now I was paying for it.
I’d chosen the short straw in life, and this was what I had to deal with. Everything happened for a reason, right? I’d suffered at the hands of people who should have loved me the most, and it had all led me to Asher. So maybe he was my end point. Maybe all roads led to him and the happiness I craved but had never gotten.