Inn Love

There’s no way he’s walking away from here without punishment. I want to make sure that he knows he can’t get away with what he’s done to her.

All this time, Olivia has been living in fear. Why should he get away with it? This disgusting human being has done enough damage. Now, it’s time for some payback.

“One moment,” I say, heading for the staircase. I need her to identify that I’ve got the right man. I find her coming out of the upstairs bathroom. She smiles when she sees me, but she soon senses the darkness in my eyes and stops dead in her tracks.

“What’s wrong?” she asks.

“I think he’s here,” I snarl. “There’s a man here asking for you.”

Olivia’s face drops. I can see the fear moving through her fast, hitting her like a hurricane.

“Oh my God. Oh my God….”

“I won’t let him hurt you,” I say sternly, taking her hands in mine. “I’m going to deal with him. I just have to make sure I’ve got the right guy.”

Olivia takes an unsteady breath and nods, steadying herself before she can spiral out of control. “Okay. Okay…” She closes her eyes. “I don’t want to see him. I don’t want it to be real….”

“I know. But after this, I swear, he’ll never bother you again. Not when I’m done with him,” I say.

Olivia swallows anxiously.

“Okay. Okay, let’s do this.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Olivia

As I head downstairs, I can feel my heart in my throat, Elijah’s protective hand on my shoulder. It’s good to know that he’s right behind me, ready to protect me from the man who has sowed fear into my life for so long.

I almost expect that it isn’t going to be him. It seems too nightmarish to be true. But as I reach the base of the stairs and peer into the lobby, I see him. It’s definitely him. I’d know that face anywhere. It’s haunted my dreams for long enough. He doesn’t see me, so I withdraw back into the stairwell, shaking like a leaf.

“It’s him. Oh God, it’s him,” I whisper fearfully. Elijah’s hand tightens on my shoulder, and I know he’s furious. Furious that I’m being forced to go through this. Furious that this man has found me in a place that was supposed to be my safe haven.

But from the look in Elijah’s eyes, I know he’s not going to let this man get away with what he’s done. He’s terrorized me for so long that the thought of him leaving forever is one I can’t even entertain. After all this time, it seems impossible that I might finally find peace.

But a growl rises in Elijah’s throat, and he steps back into the foyer, his fists curled as he advances on my stalker. I watch, horrified, as the two men who have defined my last year face off with one another. It feels like this could go either way. It feels like it could end with the man I love hurt, all because of me…

But then I watch as Elijah picks the man up by the front of his leather coat, raising him above the ground with ease. My stalker’s eyes go wide as he thrashes against Elijah’s grip, but he doesn’t succeed in freeing himself. Elijah is far too strong, too fueled by anger, to allow him to walk free.

“Why did you come here? How did you find this place?” Elijah snarls in the man’s face.

“I came for what’s mine,” the man spits. “Olivia…she belongs to me. I’ve followed her for so long…she should be mine.”

“Wrong answer,” Elijah barks, his grip tightening. “She doesn't belong to you. She’s mine. And you’re going to leave her alone if you know what’s good for you.”

“Or what?” my stalker spits. His eyes meet mine over Elijah’s shoulder, hungry and cold. I want to scream out in terror, but Elijah stands between the man and me. I know now that there may as well be a solid metal wall parting us because Elijah is never going to allow this man to get close to me.

“You don’t want to know what I’ll do to you if you don’t comply,” Elijah growls, harboring all of the fury of a wild animal. It feels like he’s capable of anything right now. This is the side to him that he keeps just below the surface, the protective part of him that would do anything for me, anything to keep me safe. It sends a shiver down my spine. What will he do if this man tries to disobey his orders?

“Try me,” the man snarls. He doesn’t seem to realize that Elijah has the upper hand here, his grip on the man is ironclad. And that’s why he doesn’t seem to expect it when Elijah tosses him across the foyer like a rag doll, making him look weightless.