Her CEO Stalker and Her Second Chance Mate Chapter 38

Carter

I woke up in the middle of the night, being pounced by Rosie, who immediately jumped off the bed. She whined as I cursed, then did a circle by the doorway. My senses sharpened as I followed her to Brair’s opened door, her face held anguish as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream, which finally took form as I rushed across the room, the sound cut off by her waking, and I gathered her in my arms. Her heart rate had skyrocketed and I held her to me as tears ran from her eyes down my chest. My fingers running through her soft pale hair, glistening in the moonlight coming through the window.

“I’ve got you,” I murmured into her ear and she sobbed. My heart broke at the sound, I couldn’t fix this, I could only be here as long as she let me. A rage I didn’t know I was capable of brewed within me. Nothing could make this right, but my teeth through his neck might make me feel better about it. She pushed away as if sensing my hostility.

“I need a cigarette,” she said, pushing the covers back.

She smoked? How did I miss that detail? I hadn’t seen her do it once. She got out of bed as I sat there watching her rummage through her bag. A cool gust of wind came in through the window and she shivered. I stood and grabbed the robe off the hook on the door. I draped it over her shoulders as she passed, and I followed her; Tucker and Rosie at her heels. “Thanks,” she said, shrugging into it as she got to the first landing. She didn’t bother to tie it, shoving the pack into the pocket and heading out the sliding glass doors to the deck. She wrapped her arms around herself as I closed the door, appraising the early morning, the sun a soft glow as it began its ascent on the horizon. Tucker wound around her legs and she scooped him up taking a seat in one of the chairs. Rosie circled at the gate wanting out. I walked over and lifted the latch to oblige her, however my eyes were on Briar. She slouched, leaning back, and Tucker rested on her lap as she dug into her pocket producing a purple lighter and the pack. She fingered one out and put it to her lips, lighting it as I took the seat beside her. She lit it, setting the pack and lighter at her side. I watched her inhale as one hand stroked the cat.

“I suppose my nightmares will find me even here,” she said, with a sigh before exhaling a stream of smoke. “I don’t know why I thought it would be otherwise,” she said, taking another hit.

“You want to talk about it?” I offered.

She shrugged, looking down at the cat who just purred, kneading into her robe. “It’s always the  , I’m stuck in that drugged state, I can’t move or make a sound, but when I wake, I’m screaming. I looked at her but her eyes were downcast as she took another drag. “I don’t know how to get free of this. It’s like every dream is a reminder that he didn’t take my ‘no’ very well, and that there’s no stopping the inevitable, that he will find me,” she confessed. 

There was so much I wanted to tell her just then, but I couldn’t. He had refused her rejection and she was paying a hefty price. While she suffered he was bolstered by her lifeforce. The world was a cruel place and in this moment, I cursed it.

All I could offer was. “Well, if he’s coming, we best be prepared.” That got her to glance over at me as she ashed her cigarette on the deck, and brought it back to her lips. 

Her head cocked to her side and she nodded. “I’m going to need more than a knife to do that,” she said, shrugging again. She was ready to shed blood to end it and that told me all I needed to know. I could provide her ammunition and training.

“Guess you aren’t going back to bed?” I asked, knowing the answer. She just shook her head no.

“Then I’ll get the coffee started,” I said standing. She glanced at me briefly and just nodded, still stroking Tucker’s fur as she took another drag. 

If I couldn’t be what I wanted to be for her, I’d give her the power and confidence she could use to do it on her own terms. I had a lot of questions, ones only he could answer, though I wanted to delay that conversation; it would be happening soon.