Page 11 of Protected by the Sinner (The Sinner’s Touch #2)
I should be texting the monsters to let them know I’m here—but I can’t.
Not yet, at least.
I keep reminding myself I can’t leave. Doing so would mean death for both of us.
At the same time, I want to scream about what I’m doing. I’ve never been this torn in my entire life.
I don’t care what Beau did to those men. This is his house—one of them, anyway—and he brought me here to stay. And I’m going to betray him.
I pace the room, not even thinking about getting ready to leave. All I want to do is what I’ve always done best: run and hide.
My phone rings, and my heart pounds so loud it feels like it echoes through the silence.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
If I didn’t know for a fact I had no heart condition, I’d swear I was having a heart attack.
“Hello?”
“Amber, it’s me.”
I sit on the bed, shaking. “Oh my God. Please tell me you’re okay.”
“Calm down; I’m fine. But I can’t stay on the phone long.”
“How did they let you call me?”
“They didn’t. I escaped—with someone’s help.”
“Who?”
“Amber, calm down. This isn’t like you. I need to give you instructions, and you have to follow them exactly, okay? That man they sent you to is dangerous.”
“I know.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, but after running and hiding for so long, I can smell danger. Now that you’re free, I’m leaving.”
“Leaving where?”
“We’re in Dallas.”
“No. Stay with him until I tell you it’s safe to go.”
“But you said he’s dangerous, Elodie.”
“Yes. But if what I was told is true, you were sent to seduce him,” she says without a hint of judgment. “Which means if you’re still with him, it worked. Don’t leave or it could be the end of the line for both of us.”
“Do you realize what you’re asking me? I barely know this man.”
“Amber, listen carefully: even if he’s dangerous, he hasn’t hurt you. The men who kidnapped me threatened to do unspeakable things to both of us. They were going to sell me, whether you followed their orders or not. I’m not going back there. And I won’t risk them getting to you either.”
Instead of focusing on what she’s asking, my mind drifts to something less terrifying. “How did you manage to call me?”
“The person who helped me gave me a phone.”
“You’re telling me to stay here, but what about you? Where will you hide? I won’t be at peace unless I know you’re safe too.”
“I am, but I’ll probably have to leave the state for a while.”
“Oh my God.”
“And you’re going to keep your head down with Mr. LeBlanc until I say it’s safe. Get rid of this phone and buy a new one.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know. So am I,” she says, making the fear inside me worse.
Elodie is the bravest person I know. “But we have no way out right now. You need to get rid of the phone you’re using.
Both the men who took me and that LeBlanc guy could easily trace your calls.
Buy a new phone and text me as soon as you can.
I’ll keep this number I called you from. He assured me it’s safe.”
“ He who?”
“I can’t say anything more than his first name. Giancarlo only got involved to help me. He’s an important and honorable man. His life can’t be tainted by this mess or our past. Stay close to your Beau until we can reunite.”
“He’s not my Beau, my man, or anything else. I’ll trust what you’re telling me and stay here for a while, but he’s already suspicious. He’s asked me questions. The longer I stay, the greater the risk.”
“I’ll figure out how to protect us both—like I always have. You just have to hold on for a few weeks. Or months.”
“Months?” My voice cracks, full of panic.
“Again, I’m asking you to trust me, Amber. And don’t panic. Never forget—we’re survivors. We weren’t defeated before, and we won’t be now. Remember what I said. Destroy that phone.”
When the line goes dead, I rush into the bathroom.
Elodie would never scare me without reason. She’s calm, level-headed. If she’s telling me to stay, I have to obey.
I look around for something to use to destroy the phone but find nothing. I memorize Elodie’s new number. I take out the SIM card, flush it down the toilet, then erase everything from the device.
Taking a deep breath, I look at myself in the mirror.
I have to put the mask back on, but this time, at least, I won’t feel like a traitor.
Not completely . Because even if my deal with the Italians is over, it doesn’t change the fact that I approached him like a spy.
Minutes later
I walk back into the living room, unsure of what to expect, but my knees nearly buckle when I see Beau sitting in an armchair, legs spread, back straight, facing me like he’s been on alert, just waiting for me to show up.
It’s almost surreal how a man, even seated, can project that much force and raw energy.
It’s not just his large body. There’s something primal in him, something that warns anyone who gets close that this is not a man to be messed with.
“We’re not going out anymore,” he says.
“No?”
He gestures with his head toward the room beside us. “I ordered dinner for both of us. Should be here any minute.”
I’m still standing a few feet away. “Okay,” I agree because now, more than ever, I don’t really have a choice. “Can you tell me why I’m here?”
“Because I’m attracted to you.”
“And do you bring every woman you’re attracted to into your home?”
One corner of his mouth lifts, and for the first time since I met him, I see a flicker of humor. If it can even be called that. “Not even close.”
“Then why me?”
He studies me for a moment, and I’m sure that if he handles his opponents the same way—whether in business or anywhere else—he probably makes most men tremble. “Because I’m not letting you run from me again. Not until whatever this is between us gets settled.”
I should stay quiet. But there’s something about Beau that makes me push back.
“And what if I don’t want to sleep with you? Because that’s what you mean, right? When you say we need to settle things?”
He stands slowly, with the grace of a predator, and when he’s in front of me, I feel overwhelmed. It’s like his dominant presence fills the whole room. Like he is the room—he’s the very air I’m breathing.
“You already want to. Maybe you’re just too scared to admit it.”