skin contact, the better.
“Can you show me the box?” Elias asks gently. He’s still holding me tightly against his chest, and I listen to the steady beat of his heart.
“It’s on the table.” I let him shift me to the side, and Carly sits beside me, grabbing my hand firmly in hers. My gaze wanders from the evil black object as the men discuss. There’s nothing particularly gruesome about a pile of hair, except thinking about whom it came from hollows out my stomach.
I catch sight of the pictures of DJ and me on my bookshelf. Thinking back to an hour ago, a pang of sadness ricochets through my heart. He needs my forgiveness. Even though I’m so angry with him, I’d take dealing with his betrayal over this psycho stalker any day. If he’s willing to work on our relationship, so am I. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss him. God, I miss him so damn much.
“We need to turn this in to the police,” Elias announces.
“I agree,” Sin adds while moving into my kitchen. The sound of drawers being open and closed confuses me until he returns carrying a plastic Ziploc bag.
“Wait!” I call, stopping Sin in his tracks. Elias’s arms tighten around my waist to get my attention, but I ignore him. “We can’t take that to the police.”
This time, Elias wraps his fingers around my chin, turning me to face him. “Look at me,” he commands. Regardless of the nature of this situation, my stomach still swoops at his deep, rumbly voice. “Why not? It could have evidence—fingerprints.”
“Yeah, my fingerprints. I’ve touched it several times now.”
“Babe, we need to turn it in. This could be paramount in taking down Travis.”
I scurry off his lap and stand in front of them, crossing my arms across my chest. “In case you’ve forgotten, Elias, or haven’t filled your friend in, I had a detective at my desk asking me questions. Nobody will believe me if I say this just showed up on my doorstep. This is just another piece of evidence they can use to point the finger at me.”
“That’s absurd,” Sin puts in with his gruff voice.
My spine sheathes in steel, and for the first time since I met him, he doesn’t scare me. I pivot slowly to face him and contort my face into a harsh glare. “Can’t say this is really any of your business. This is my life at stake. My reputation. And I say no.”
“You don’t know the first thing about me, girl, but I’ll be the one to tell you that I can help you. I know what I’m doing.”
“He’s right,” Elias adds, standing beside me and joining the conversation. “We both do. You can trust us.”
My glare swerves to Elias. “Trust you? I do trust you, but you can’t throw that in my face. How do you know the heat won’t shift to me? Can you promise me that?”
“This could be a big mistake,” Elias mutters while exchanging looks with Sin. They probably know each other well enough to have a silent conversation, but I’m past caring. I drove past that pit stop an hour ago.
“So could putting all my trust in you two.”
If words were a bomb, mine just detonated. Elias’s face falls as if I slapped him before shifting back into an angry mask. Sin curses under his breath. I know the second the words leave my mouth that I don’t mean them, but there’s no way to take them back.
“Look, today has been absolutely crazy. Before this whole mess, my brother showed up unexpectedly, and my emotions are running wild. I’m sorry.” My fingers gather the hair on my crown in agitation. “What I meant to say is I have to trust myself too, and my gut is telling me no. I’m just—” My words cut off as Elias pulls me into his chest.
“Scared,” he finishes for me, caressing my back with soothing strokes. “I get it. That’s what I’m here for. That’s what we’re all here for. I can give you tonight to think, but please consider what we’re telling you, okay?” He gives me a gentle squeeze, and I listen intently to the sound of his steady breathing. I imagine taking the strength from him and putting it into me, building me up.
“Okay. I can do that.”
When I first met Elias, I knew he had all the power in the world to hurt me, and I was terrified he would, never knowing what moment