her desk. She whirled around and smacked him in the eye with it. His hands flew to his face, and she grabbed her purse and ran to the door, but he’d locked it. Her shaking hands fumbled. She felt a click and yanked it open at the same second he grabbed her by the shirt. She hurled herself through the door, sending the buttons from her blouse flying as she bolted past reception and out the front doors. She didn’t slow down when she barreled into someone, sending them to the ground in her sprint to her car.
She couldn’t think, could barely breathe, as she sped toward Justin’s house, clinging to the steering wheel, trying to see the road through the blur of tears. She tried to turn on voice commands on the dashboard, but her hand was shaking too badly. It took several tries, and when she finally got it, she choked out, “Call…Justin!”
“Hey, sweet chee—”
The sound of his voice brought sobs, and her attempt to say his name came out all bumbled.
“Chloe? What’s wrong? Where are you?”
She coughed and sobbed, feeling like she was going to throw up. “Alan…attacked me—”
“Motherfucker.”
The malice in his voice brought more sobs.
“Are you hurt, Chloe?”
“No.” She gasped for breath. “I’m…going home. I’ll”—gasp, sob, gasp—“report it after”—she coughed—“I calm down.”
“I’m going to kill that fucker,” Justin growled.
“No. I need yo—”
The line went dead.
CHLOE STUMBLED INTO the house in a daze of fear and disbelief. Just being home among hers and Justin’s things brought solace and sadness. She sank down to the couch to wait for him, giving in to more tears.
A few minutes later she heard tires on gravel. Justin had taken the truck so he could bring Sampson to work. She heard a vehicle door close, and a modicum of relief swept through her, though it did nothing to stop the tears or the shaking. The rumble of a motorcycle sounded, and she ran to the window. The front door flew open, and Tank, Blaine, and Sampson strode in. Sampson trotted past them to get to her.
“Aw, sweetheart,” Blaine said full of anguish. He eyed Tank, who looked like he was ready to kill someone, and said, “Get her a shirt.”
Panic chased up Chloe’s spine as Tank headed into the bedroom. She pulled her shirt closed, crossing her arms over her middle as a rush of tears flowed down her cheeks. “What happened? Where’s Justin?”
“He’ll be here,” Blaine said gently. “Did he…? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
She shook her head, and he folded her in his arms, drawing more tears.
“I’ve got you,” Blaine said.
“I don’t know who that man was that attacked me,” she cried. “Alan was like Jekyll and Hyde.”
“I’m sorry, Chloe. You’re safe now.”
The front door opened again, and Chloe spun around, expecting Justin. But it was Serena running toward her with open arms. Reba came in right behind her.
Serena threw her arms around Chloe. “Are you okay? Justin called me.”
Chloe nodded, clinging to her sister.
Serena drew back with tears in her eyes, searching Chloe’s face. She pulled Chloe’s shirt closed and said, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “He tried….” Her voice was lost in sobs.
“Oh, my sweet girl,” Reba said, gathering Chloe—and Serena—in her arms. “Breathe, baby. We’ll get through this together, and that man will pay for what he’s done.”
Tank came out of the bedroom with one of her shirts and strode directly to them, putting his arms around all three of them, and rested his head on Reba’s. Blaine’s phone rang, and they all looked at him, but he walked into the other room to take the call.
Tank handed Chloe her shirt and said, “I’m real sorry this happened to you.”
“Thank you.” She put on her shirt over her blouse and said, “Justin went to my work, didn’t he?”
Tank gave one curt nod.
Chloe’s stomach lurched. “Oh God. Tank, you have to go after him. Justin will kill him. It’ll ruin Justin’s life.”
“Preacher went after him, honey,” Reba said. “He took the boys and Gunner with him.”
“I hope Justin slaughters him,” Serena fumed.
Tears tumbled down Chloe’s cheeks as she sank down to the couch. “He can’t do that, Serena. He’ll go to prison, and then what? Alan wins, and Justin’s life is ruined? I told Justin I was going to report it. I just needed to get my head on straight.” Sampson rested his chin on her lap, gazing up at her with his big brown eyes, and for some reason that made her cry