Trust Me Read online

  “Now isn’t the time to be silent.”

  That deep raspy voice pulled her off memory road, all the while tantalizing her with memories of their times together. I’ve come this far, if he’s to help me he needs to know everything.

  She fiddled with the unopened cap of her water. Tremors wracked her body and tears burned the backs of her eyes.

  Adam brushed his hand along the side of her face. “Talk to me, Pix.”

  Her heart clenched. Pix. His shortened form of Pixie. Adam used to tease her. She was so short, even for a pixie, so he cut the name down.

  “After you and I…umm…”

  “After you left and subsequently divorced me,” he supplied.

  Definitely some anger there. Anger she didn’t deny deserving. “Right.” Another gulp of air. “A year after that I got involved with a man named Dillon Sandoval.”

  His black eyebrows converged. “Continue.” Danger dangled from that lone word.

  So pissed. Now wasn’t the time to wonder why for surely he had relationships with women when she left. That thought churned her gut. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep on track. Therefore, she ignored the burning need to explain herself that had broadsided her. She dug her fingers into the palms of her hands.

  “We were married for three years.” Shelly Marie noticed him tensing. “First year, idyllic. Was the honeymoon period that people talk about. The next two years were wonderful, just little things would pop up. His anger if I was late from work. If dinner wasn’t on time. Never once did he get violent with me. Toward the end of the third year, he became verbally abusive toward me, still nothing physical. Then he’d apologize and say work was extremely stressful.”

  She ran one hand through her hair. “To be fair, I was really focused on my work and just brushed it off. Looking back, I see they were glaring warning signs. On the night of our third anniversary, I called him at work to tell him I was running late at work and would be unable to have our dinner ready on time. He told me that was fine, he was about to call me and tell me the same thing. So I didn’t think any more of it.”

  The tremors increased and she took several deep breaths to slow them down. Goosebumps popped up along her skin and she wanted nothing more than to climb beneath a big thick comforter and try to warm her soul.

  A knock came on the door and she jumped.

  Adam never took his eyes off her. “Come.”

  “Hey, Army, my wife sent me to ask if you wanted to come for dinner.”

  She took her attention from Adam and looked over her shoulder to see his youngest brother there. Kristopher, who went by Wild.

  “Sorry,” he said. Then he stepped closer. “Shelly Marie?”

  “Hi, Wild,” she greeted him with a small smile, unsure of how he’d receive her given her treatment of Adam.

  “Give us some time, Wild.”

  She hated she couldn’t read his expression. “Sure thing. Good to see you, Shelly Marie.” Wild backed out the door.

  “You, too.” Wow, he was married? She’d never thought he would settle down.

  “Anniversary night,” Adam prompted.

  That chill which hadn’t left her since that night grew from within. “I got home about three hours later. Around eight-thirty. He was on the phone with a client, I believe, and I went to shower.” That final word wobbled as it slid from her lips.

  “I’d been under the water for about five minutes when the door opened.” Adam tensed even more. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and she had to unlock her jaw releasing the part she had bit. “I looked at him through the glass door and smiled. That’s when everything changed. His expression grew hateful and furious.” She licked her lips and sought moisture for her suddenly dry throat.

  Adam’s expressionless face gave her pause and while she wasn’t sure what to make of it she forged ahead.

  “He ripped open the door and grabbed me, tossing me by him out through the glass of the shower. Then he followed, his heavy boots crunching over the glass as he walked to me.” She shrugged. “I remember wondering why he was wearing heavy boots given he usually wore loafers or wingtips.” A small head shake. “Anyway, he grabbed me by my hair and dragged me over the glass out of the bathroom to the bed. Once he threw me on the mattress, he pulled out a knife and began stabbing me. I don’t remember much after that, just passing out when a nice woman stood over me, asking me my name.”

  Rage filled Adam’s gaze. “And him?”

  “Got away. Amazing how money protects dangerous people.” She ran a fingertip along the scar at the base of her neck. “He stabbed me thirty-six times, once for each month we were married. Then the injuries from getting thrown through a shower stall. I’d lost a lot of blood.”

  “How do you know that’s why he stabbed you that many times?”

  “He told me.”

  “So he’s been in contact with you? This fucker lays a hand on you and is just walking around free where he has access to you?”

  Tears leaked free. “Pretty much. Wherever I go, whenever I run, he turns up. I’ve been away from him for five years now but I’m in the same prison.” A deep shuddering breath. “Before I came here, I got his usual long-stemmed daffodil wrapped with a purple bow and the card saying ‘peek-a-boo.’ He used to deliver bouquets of them to me at work with that card. Never perceived it as a sign he was keeping an eye on me.”

  “You don’t like daffodils. Why would your husband give you those when your favorite flower is the gladiolus?”

  She lifted her gaze to his. “You remember that?”

  “I remember everything about you, Shelly Marie. Answer me.”

  “He preferred the daffodil.”

  Adam ground his jaw and stood up. “Come on.”

  “Can you, or rather, will you help me?”

  “Pix, that man won’t bother you again, I’m not allowing it. He can try but I’ll kill him. Come on, I’m taking you home.”

  “Home?”

  “If he’s followed you as he has before, you’re staying with me so I can keep an eye on you and keep you safe. He won’t be able to break in to my house.” He beckoned with his hand. She hesitated and he added, “Trust me.”

  αβ

  Fire burned at his gut. Adam forced it to remain contained as he guided Shelly Marie back to the elevator. He wanted to get her in his house and safe. Not that she wasn’t safe here at D.A.R.K. Cover, Inc. headquarters, but he wanted her in his home.

  He couldn’t believe it when he’d seen her sitting there in the lobby, she’d occupied his mind numerous times over the years. The scars had pissed him off, her story infuriated him and he wanted to go find that bastard who’d dared scare and harm his woman, and kill him slowly. He flared his nose as the anger surged up.

  His Pix was back in his life and he aimed to keep her there. First things first, he had to get her comfortable and safe. He held the elevator door open and couldn’t help but notice how she tensed in the small inescapable space. Adam held his tongue, merely watching her fiddle with the strap on her worn canvas rucksack. It was obvious that possession meant a lot to her.

  Probably the one constant she’s had over the years.

  He had so many more questions for her, but he knew this woman and she’d reached the end of her limit. She needed a good solid night of sleep, perhaps even longer than that. The doors slid open and he stepped to the side, allowing her to go first. He was confident all was fine there for his brothers all stood near the reception desk and turned to look when they exited.

  He gave them all a look he knew they understood. No questions, he would explain it all later. Instead, each one of them gave Shelly Marie a hug and kiss on the cheek.

  “Wait here, Pix. I’ll get my vehicle.”

  He strode out into the cold Montana night air. New snow fell and he inhaled sharply at the bite. Pressing the fob in his pocket, he started the engine to his X5 M as he walked. “Fuck! I’m so screwed.”

  She was his one. The one who no one else
could ever compare to. The one who got away. Hearing she’d married another had been a dagger to his heart. However, learning what she’d gone through had kicked him into high protective mode. At his door, he took several deep breaths to get himself back into some semblance of control. Then he got behind the wheel and went to the front door to pick up the love of his life.

  Two hours later, he faced his brothers and finished telling them what she’d shared with him.

  All of them were furious. “I’m taking the case,” he told them. “I won’t have time to help with anything else until I’m sure she’s safe.”

  “Of course you’re taking it,” Rhodi said. “We’re here to help with whatever you need.”

  Wild nodded. “I’m going to pull up everything I can find on this asshole fucker. Find out his associates and hell, whether or not he sucked his thumb when he was a boy.”

  “He’ll be sucking it when I’m done with him,” Adam bit off. “Or he won’t be breathing.”

  “How’s she holding up?” Derek questioned.

  “She’s exhausted. She’s been running for five years now. I can’t believe she didn’t come to me sooner.” He slammed a fist on the table he and his brothers sat around.

  “Don’t go there, Adam.”

  “Don’t go there?” he snapped at Wild. “What the fuck do you know about situations like this?”

  If his words hurt his baby brother, it didn’t show. “I know this is the one woman who ever got to you. If you’re going to keep her safe you need to keep your head clear and you sure as fuck can’t do that if you’re berating yourself for not being there for her. You two had parted ways. That’s all there was to it. She’s here now and you can help her. You can stop this bastard from ever hurting her again. But you have to keep a clear head.”

  Adam shoved a hand through his hair and grunted. “Point taken.”

  “I’m out,” Wild said with a nod. “I’ll have the information to you as soon as I can.” He strode away without another word.

  His other two siblings left shortly after. Alone—rather, the only one awake—Adam strolled through his house. He had five acres, not tons but it was enough for him. He didn’t hunt like Derek or Rhodi. He had the lake that he fished on. That was all he needed. Wild’s property backed up to his and they shared the large, fish heavy lake.

  The only way someone could get on his property was to hop the fence and he had cameras and other sensors all around. They all did.

  He jogged up to the room he’d put Pix in and peered in the doorway. A soft light burned on the bedside table. She was so buried beneath the comforter he couldn’t see her face. She made him so protective.

  Adam backed away when he realized she’d tensed beneath the bedding. Her instincts had warned her she was no longer alone and the last thing he wanted was for her to wake in a panic. So he left her alone, leaving the door cracked open as it had been.

  As he walked to his office, he went over what he saw in the room. He’d told her, she was staying until this threat had been handled. One way or another. Yet, she still had everything in her bag, packed and within easy reach if she had to run.

  Veering from his office, he went to his workout room and stripped to the waist. Pounding the heavy bag, he allowed his rage to pour free. Thirty-six stabs, plus the injury from the shower. She had a will of iron to survive that.

  “Try again, you bastard, I’ll cut you into tiny pieces,” he growled, slamming his fists into the bag over and over again.

  Sweaty after his workout, he made his way to his bedroom, one door down from where he put Pix. Adam stepped in the shower and washed off the sweat. Keeping the shower short, he dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stared at his reflection and touched the scars on his body—he had some, yes, but he was a solider. Or rather had been one. It wasn’t anything Shelly Marie should have had to experience.

  He stared at his gunshot wound, pleased with how it healed, then went to his bedroom and drew on a pair of gray sweats. Fighting a yawn, he returned to his office, a bit calmer now, and began to trace Pix and where she’d been for the past few years. Anything to try and figure out how this man had been able to find her each time.

  Chapter Three

  She stirred and opened her eyes. A low golden light poured into the room and she wasn’t sure if it was morning or evening. The sun was low in the sky. She shifted on the sheets then slowly sat up. Her immediate onslaught of fear ebbed as her location sank in.

  Adam.

  Amazing how just being with him in the same house makes me feel safe. Adam had been the one man who’d made—she shook her head. Now isn’t the time to go down that road.

  She gazed around the room and took it in, sparse but comfortable. Simple wooden furniture with solid colors for the bedspread, curtains, and rug. Scenery pictures adorned the walls, making her smile. She lay back with a sigh and tugged the blankets back up as she burrowed back into the warmth.

  It had been so long since she’d not woken remaining scared after the initial spike of fear. There’d been no waking during the night, no screaming with plaguing nightmares. Yet, she was so tired.

  Her lids lowered and she allowed herself a few more moments of hovering along the border between light and dark. After she encouraged herself to climb out of the bed, she walked to the bathroom with her bag in hand.

  Stripping, she pulled out her clean clothes before placing them on the edge of the sink. Once the water had heated, she stepped inside the streams and enjoyed her shower. It didn’t take her too long and she was out, dry, and dressed.

  She’d never been to Adam’s house because when they’d been together, it was just in the planning stages. Leaving the room, she ambled slowly up the hall taking in his home. The smooth wood walls had more of the black and white art similar to that of the room he’d put her in. These were shots she recognized from when they were just in a file folder. Images of places he’d been. No people, just places. All done with a black and white camera. They followed the stairs and she continued down to the first floor.

  The man always had the eye to get great shots. She paused before a familiar one above the final step. Only the last time she’d seen it, the photo had been in color. While those vibrant green colored moss that lined the sides, crystal clear lakes at the bottom, and the turquoise water, seeing it in black and white held an impressive view as well.

  “The Plitvice Lakes.” Some equated it to the Grand Canyon just with the brilliant greens and blues.

  “Good evening,” he said from beside her.

  She didn’t even jump, knowing he was there on some level. “Why the black and white image?”

  She stiffened, however, at the slight touch of his finger down the side of her face, when he moved a red curl away from her eye. He didn’t comment but she had no doubt he noticed.

  “I wanted everything to fit well.”

  A slight chuckle slid free. “I remember that about you. Wanted everything always in order. Colors always matching. No room for impulsiveness in your life.”

  “Not true,” he countered.

  She looked at him. “Really?”

  Those damn blue eyes bore into her. “I had room in my life for you. And you, Shelly Marie, were impulsive in ways I’d never seen.”

  A lifetime ago. “Not so much anymore.” She angled herself toward him. “You have a beautiful home.”

  “You’ve not seen it all. Just from the bedroom down.”

  “Regardless, I’m sure it’s like your sketches and from what I have seen, it’s beautiful.”

  His gaze darkened slightly. “Are you hungry?”

  She tugged on her sleeve. “I could eat.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  With a nod as she scrunched up her shoulders, she tried to hide the scarring around her neck. “I did. And Adam, I know my coming here throws a wrench in your plans.”

  “Stop,” he barked.

  The edge in his tone froze her.

  His sigh was full of exas
peration. “I know you’ve been through hell, Pix. And what you’ve gone through pisses me off to no end but I will never, never raise my hand to you.”

  “I don’t want to compare you to him, but you are a man who’s extremely larger than me and stronger. I’m trying to control my fear, please understand it’s not about you, but me. This is something I have to work through. Something I am working through. But it’s slow going.”

  Even though she was on a step, he still towered over her causing her to tip her head back to maintain eye contact. His sigh, heavy, tore at her heart. I’m just hurting him all over again.

  He reached for her face, slowly but without hesitation. Her lids fluttered when he cupped her cheek. “Tell me you understand you’re safe now, Pix. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” His grip tightened. Not enough that it hurt, but enough for her to know how serious he was. “I would die before I let that happen.”

  “I don’t want you to die, Adam. Jesus, your family would really hate me then. I don’t want you hurt. I just…I just want my life back. I don’t want to walk outside in the rain to check on my generator and wonder if it was sabotage or not, all the while raw fear makes me nauseous to the point of vomiting. I don’t want to run in a closet when I see a daffodil. I don’t want shivers when I hear a child say ‘peek-a-boo’ because I think he’s paid a child to say it for the sole purpose of watching me devolve into panic.”

  “Let’s talk about that.”

  “About what?”

  He wound his fingers into her hair. “I need more information about him. Habits, proclivities, schedules, anything and everything.”

  “So you haven’t looked him up?” Surprise laced her tone.

  “Oh, trust me, Pix. I have any and all information on him I can pull from the web and Wild brought over more intel this morning. However, you married him. You know him. I want personal notes.”

  Her gut churned. “Right, I married him.” The grandest of mistakes she ever could have made.

  “You did, so we need to use that to our advantage. Hell, anything as small as the brand of food he likes can help, because if it’s something specific we can track down where around here it can be found.” He tightened his grip, and she swayed toward him, body reawakening to being in his presence. “I’ll get this fucker, make no mistake of that.”