by A J Manney
Emma stepped inside the nice restaurant and looked around for Kevin. She didn’t see him anywhere. “I don’t see him yet. I’ll just wait here for him. You don’t have to wait with me,” she said to Levi.
Levi’s eyes scanned the restaurant. “I’ll wait,” he said.
They waited for at least fifteen or twenty minutes. Emma was really thinking she’d been stood up when Kevin came in the door. “Hey, sorry I’m late,” he said as he came towards her. “You look ravishing,” he said and bent to kiss her cheek.
“Thanks,” Emma said softly.
She turned to tell Levi he could leave, but he was already gone. She glanced around but didn’t see him anywhere. Kevin approached the hostess and asked for a table. They were soon seated. “I’m sorry I’m late. The life of a police officer. What can I say?” he asked with a charming smile.
Emma smiled at him. “No problem.” She picked up her menu, thankful to have something to do. After glancing through the menu several times, she decided to get a grilled chicken salad. Everything else made her stomach queasy. She was more nervous than she thought.
The waitress came and took their order and their menus. Emma felt like her security blanket was gone. She took a sip of water. “So, how was your day?” Kevin asked, sitting back looking relaxed.
“It was good. The shop was really busy, so that’s good,” she said.
Kevin nodded. “Yeah, it’s really picked up business. I’ll bet Helen is glad she hired you,” he said with a smile.
Emma smiled but didn’t comment. She felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. “How about you? How was your day?” she asked.
“Crazy,” he said and launched into a story about a domestic situation he had dealt with. He kept her entertained with stories from his patrols. Soon their food came, and Emma had something to focus on.
The time passed, and Emma was surprised to admit to herself that she was having a good time. She was leaning forward listening to a story when sounds interrupted her concentration. She looked towards the sound of the noise and stiffened in surprise. She stared at the storm approaching them because she couldn’t look away. The storm had a name—Garrett.
Chapter 22
Emma couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Garrett was here, in this restaurant; and he was heading straight for her table. His eyes weren’t locked on her though, they were locked on her date. Emma’s heart rate started speeding up. She had no idea what was going on, but she had a feeling she was about to find out.
Garrett came and stood next to their table with his arms crossed, glaring at Kevin. Kevin crossed his arms and looked up at him. “Can I help you?” he asked.
“Uh, Kevin, this is Garrett, my...” she stopped, totally unsure what to say. “…friend,” she finally settled on.
“Emma, go to the car with Liam,” Garrett said in a low voice. He didn’t even look at her. His gaze was fixed on Kevin. Emma didn't know what to do. She didn’t want to leave Kevin with him. Garrett looked like he could possibly kill Kevin, but she didn’t want to risk making him angrier by staying.
She looked across the table at Kevin. “Um, I guess I’d better go. Thank you for tonight. I had a really g—”
“Go,” Garrett barked at her, interrupting her.
Kevin stood up. “You don’t have to go, Emma. You’re with me. I’ll take you home.” He said all this without dropping eye contact with Garrett.
“That’s okay. I’ll just... go,” Emma said. She stood awkwardly and put her coat on.
Kevin broke eye contact from Garrett to look at her. “Are you being threatened, Emma? Are you safe?” he asked.
A low growl-like sound rumbled through Garrett. Emma wasn’t sure what was going on but she knew things were escalating fast. She needed to get everybody to calm down, but she wasn’t exactly sure how to do that.
“Good evening, everybody, this is a nice place.” Emma had never been so grateful to see the easy-going Liam. “Emma, you look beautiful tonight. Let’s get you to the car. Officer,” he said, tipping his head to Kevin. Liam put his hand gently around Emma’s elbow and guided her to her feet.
Emma looked at Kevin quickly. “Thank you for a lovely time.”
“I’ll call you,” he said. This earned him another growl from Garrett. Liam pulled her away from the table before she could say anything more. They were walking quickly through the restaurant. Emma chanced a glance back at the table. Garrett was now sitting where she had sat, leaning forward, talking. She shuddered. She had no idea what he was saying, but she was thankful she wasn’t the one on the other side of the table.
Liam led her outside to a waiting car, different from the one she had ridden to the restaurant in. Liam opened the door for her. Emma slid in, and he shut the door behind her. Levi and Kyle got out of the car they were in and came over to stand beside Liam. Emma couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she could see facial expressions. She didn’t miss the looks of dismay on Levi and Kyle’s faces. She didn’t need to be an interpreter to figure those looks out. They were both in trouble.
A few minutes later, the door to the restaurant opened, and Garrett stormed out. Max followed him out. Emma stared at Max. She hadn’t even realized he had been in the restaurant. Emma shrank in her seat, hoping against hope Garrett wouldn’t see her. He looked right at the car. Emma wasn’t sure if he could see her through the tinted windows or not. Pick another car, pick another car, she began chanting in her head. It didn’t work. To her dismay, he came around the front of the car, opened the door, and slid in the passenger seat. She nearly groaned out loud when Max climbed into the driver’s seat. They pulled away from the curb. Emma glanced back to see Levi, Kyle, and Liam walking towards the other car.
Emma couldn’t breathe in the heaviness that was all Garrett. She could see he was still angry. She should have been scared, but her traitorous heart was happy to see him again. She closed her eyes as she breathed in his scent. He always smelled so good, like one hundred percent male with some amazing cologne. Her eyes popped back open, and she scolded herself for letting go of her emotions like that. She took a breath and tried to settle her racing heart. What was that back at the restaurant? Emma looked at Max. He was like a silent, but deadly villain straight from one of the novels she loved to read. He never seemed to say much; he just appeared wherever Garrett was. By now she’d figured out he was some sort of bodyguard or something for Garrett, which was weird. Garrett looked like he could handle himself against anybody. So why in the world would he need a bodyguard? Questions rattled around inside of Emma’s head until she was exhausted. It had been a really long day, and it wasn’t over yet. She somehow had to get to the house and escape a confrontation with Garrett. She grimaced to herself. The odds of that were slim to none. The longer they drove, the more frustrated Emma got. What did I do wrong? Why did Garrett storm in there like that? He had no right to. I was on a date. Now, I’ll never be able to look at Kevin again. He made me look like an idiot.
By the time they got home, Emma was angry. She had worked herself into a temper. They should have never let me stew to myself, she thought to herself. When they pulled into the driveway, Emma opened her door before they’d even fully stopped. She jumped out and ran inside. She heard Garrett call her name, but she ran inside. She didn’t want to face him right now. She opened the door and flew inside, past a startled Madison. “Emma? Are you okay?” Madison asked.
Emma made it only to the stairs before she heard his voice. “Emma,” she heard his commanding voice.
She turned around in anger. She’d had enough. “What, Garrett?” she snipped at him. “What do you want? Isn’t it enough that you ruined my date, humiliated me in front of the entire restaurant, and brought me home early? What else could you possibly want?” she demanded, crossing her arms across her chest.
His eyes narrowed at her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Max walk into the house and go into the living room. A moment later, the door opened again and Levi, Liam, and Kyle wa
lked in. Liam and Levi went into the living room, and Kyle walked over to Madison and talked to her quietly. Emma felt like all of them were just holding their breath at what was coming next. “I can’t do this,” she said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. She turned and walked towards the steps, ignoring Garrett’s call behind her.
She walked into her room, grabbed a bag Madison had insisted she buy. She threw some underwear and socks in, and grabbed some leggings, jeans, a few shirts, and pajamas. She walked into the bathroom and cleared out the cosmetics and shower supplies. She zipped everything up in her bag, stuffed the cash from Helen into her pocket, and picked up the coat Garrett had given her. She put the bag on her shoulder and walked back downstairs. The voices stopped the instant she began walking down the steps, and Emma rolled her eyes. She was over all of this. Garrett was standing against the wall in the living room with a scowl on his face. She could feel his eyes tracking her movement. She walked right up to him and thrust the coat into his hands, leaving no chance for him not to take it.
She stepped back. “The money’s in the pocket. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. I left most of the clothes, so Madison can take them back. I took just a few and I’ll make sure to repay you for them. Thank you for everything.” She turned to face everyone in the living room. Everyone was staring at her with surprised looks on their faces. “Thank you, all of you for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget your kindnesses to me.” Then she looked down and started towards the door.
Garrett was in front of the door a moment later, blocking the door. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked in an angry growly voice.
“I’m not sure yet. I’ll figure it out on the way,” she said.
He crossed his arms. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am,” she said stubbornly.
“Emma,” he said in warning.
“Garrett,” she responded right back to him.
“Hey, Emma, let’s figure this out. Will you give us a chance to at least talk things out?” Liam asked from behind her. Some of Emma’s fight went out of her at his calm, kind tone. She didn’t want to be a jerk to everyone when they had been so kind to her. He came up to stand beside her. “Come on. Let’s at least talk and figure out a plan. It’s too late to go somewhere tonight anyway,” he said. He put out his hand; Emma hesitated for a second. When she heard Garrett’s angry rumbling she put her hand in Liam's out of spite. Suddenly, the bright light was back. This time, Emma couldn’t drop Liam’s hand. He had a tight hold on her hand. The bright light cleared and Emma got a flash of trees, a parking lot, and a flash of hair. Suddenly, the vision was gone. Emma was yanked backwards. She stumbled before somebody righted her.
She was shocked to see Liam come towards her in anger, until she realized he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Garrett. “Don’t touch her again,” Garrett ground out in anger.
“I felt something,” Liam said in anger. “There’s something to her. I just need to figure out...”
“No,” Garrett growled out again.
Emma was once again in the middle of something but had no idea what. She was so confused.
“It’s not like that,” Liam said. “I’m not trying to do anything; I'm just trying to figure out what’s happening.”
Emma was confused. Her shoulders suddenly drooped. She felt so tired all of a sudden. Her really good day had gotten flushed tonight. Her emotions were all over the place, and she felt tired enough to cry. She felt large hands on her shoulders turning her around. She looked at Garrett. “Get some sleep; you’re exhausted,” he said quietly. His face was still angry, but his eyes had softened slightly.
Emma nodded. She was too tired to deal with all this tonight, let alone find somewhere to sleep. Without a word, she turned around and trudged up to her room. She didn’t bother unpacking her bag; she would need it tomorrow. She grabbed a pair of flannel pants and another long-sleeve shirt and threw them on. She quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth before collapsing into bed. Her heart was a confusing mess, and her mind was too tired to deal with any of it. Thankfully, her body let her fall right to sleep.
The nightmare hit her hard and fast.
She was running through the forest trying to get away, but no matter how hard she ran, she never seemed to get anywhere. “Help me,” she cried out. “Please, someone help me.”
She heard the angry sounds of the wolves behind her. She screamed and ran, but she knew she wouldn’t get away in time. She came to a stop when she saw an angry, growling wolf in front of her. His lips were pulled back, and he was snarling at her. She saw the huge fangs, and fear gutted her. In the next instant, he leaped towards her, and Emma screamed. Then she felt searing pain in her thigh. She couldn’t get away from the agonizing, searing pain. She screamed again.
“Emma, Emma!”
Chapter 23
Emma yelled and kicked her feet. “Emma, stop,” she heard the order. She instantly stilled.
“Garrett?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Yes,” came his low, gravelly voice. “Are you okay?”
Emma was anything but okay, but she wasn’t about to let him know that. She nodded. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “It was just a bad dream; I’m sorry to bother you.”
“What was it about?” he asked immediately.
“Just my past,” Emma rumbled. She wasn’t in the mood to delve into her dream with him.
She felt the bed move as he sat down at the edge. “Are you okay now?” she heard him ask in a much gentler tone than she’d ever heard him use with her.
“Yes,” Emma said quietly. “I'm sorry for waking you up.”
“You didn’t,” he said. They were both quiet for a moment. “Was it about when you were attacked?” he asked in a soothing voice.
“Yes,” Emma whispered. She was still trying to push away the fear that she had experienced in her dream.
“You’re safe here, Emma. Nothing and no one can touch you,” Garrett said.
Emma laughed a humorless laugh but said nothing.
“Why did you laugh?” Garrett asked.
Emma shook her head. “You obviously don’t know my brother and his friends.”
Garrett didn’t say anything, and Emma lay back down, hoping he would get the hint and leave. He did. He stood up a moment later. “Get some sleep,” he said. He walked towards the door. “And Emma,” he called out.
“Yes?” Emma almost whispered.
“They’d have to get through me to get to you, and that’s never going to happen,” he said with conviction. Without another word, he closed the door.
Emma just stared at the door he had gone through. She had no idea how to respond to that. Luckily, she didn’t have to. It only took her a few minutes to go back to sleep. Thankfully she didn’t have any more bad dreams.
The next day, she got up, showered, and was ready to go by 3:30. She walked down into the living room and sat on the couch. She was tired. Between working at the shop and training with Madison, she was exhausted. She put her head back against the couch for a moment. The next thing she knew, she felt a hand on her knee. “Emma.” She opened her eyes and saw Garrett crouched in front of her. “Do you need to take the day off?” he asked.
Emma glanced up at the clock and squeaked. It was after 4:00. “I’ve got to get going,” she said. Garrett backed up, and she stood quickly. He moved ahead of her to the door. He handed her coat to her before she went outside. Without a word, she put it on. He walked her out to the car. He held the door open and shut it behind her. Max was already behind the wheel. On the way, Emma studied Garrett’s profile, wondering if the man ever slept. He sure seemed wide-awake and alert and perfectly put together in his suit for this early in the morning. For that matter, so did Max. Meanwhile, her hair was in a wet braid, and she was wearing leggings, tennis shoes, and a long-sleeved white t-shirt.
She put her head back against the seat and thought about the day ahead of her. In
what seemed like no time at all, they arrived. Garrett opened her door before she could, and he walked with her to the shop. Helen opened the door and let them in while Emma walked back to get an apron and get to work. The store opened, and they were off and running.
It was busier than usual. Around six a.m., a group of four guys came in. They were loud and obnoxious. If it wasn’t so early, Emma would have thought they’d been drinking. But what did she know? Maybe they had been up all night, drinking. She made all their drinks and carried them over to the table. She ignored their endless flirting with her, smiling politely at them. After dropping off their coffees, she went back for cinnamon rolls, coming back with four plates. She dropped them off and turned around to go back to the counter when one of them tripped her, landing her right in another guy’s lap. Mortification swept through her, and she tried to stand but his arm was locked around her. She panicked, and memories of Alec and his friends restraining her flooded her mind. Suddenly, Garrett and Max were there. “Release her,” Garrett said in a deadly voice. The man immediately released Emma, and she stood to her feet. “Go back behind the counter, Emma,” Garrett said quietly. Emma did as he said, her cheeks flaming. Thankfully, Helen was in the back room grabbing supplies, so she hadn’t seen what went down. Emma decided to go join her for a moment until she was steady on her feet again.
A few minutes later, she came out and noticed the table was empty. She picked up a rag and walked out into the dining area and peeked around the corner. Max and Garrett were seated in the back working. Emma went back and made two large black dark roast coffees and put two cinnamon rolls on a plate. She would have taken more, but she didn’t peg Garrett and Max as “sweets” guys.
