Page 19 of Protective Love

I think about calling Chrissie, but with it being so early, I turn my phone back off and crawl over to my bed, reaching for the box underneath it.

I quickly flip the lid off and grab the handgun tucked inside.

Flicking the safety off, I stand up and tiptoe down the hallway and back into the living room. The knocking starts up again and I can hear the gruff mumbling of someone outside my door.

My heart beats rapidly in my chest the closer I get to the door and when I reach it, my breath catches in my throat as I think about who could be on the other side of the door.

Lifting onto my toes, I peek through the peephole and see the dark features of the man I saw walking through the hospital corridor yesterday, with a scowl settled on his face and his phone in his hand.

What the fuck is Kaleb Rossi doing at my front door?

My grip tightens around the butt of the gun and my finger rests on the trigger when I see a glimpse of the menacing man beside him, a gnarly scar slashed across his face.

I press my ear against the door when I hear him talking again.

"Can't I leave now? She's not answering the door and I don't want to keep standing here looking like some sort of creep."

"If you'd have let me go instead, then you wouldn't be having this issue, so stop complaining. Just try knocking again. She's obviously home because Leo hasn't seen her leave."

When I hear Sophia's voice through the phone, a relieved breath passes through my lips.

Sophia seemed nice and genuine, so surely, if she has something to do with this and she knows Kaleb's here, then he's not here to kill me or cause me any harm.

Before he has the chance to knock again, I unlock the door and pull it open, holding my gun behind my back just in case I need it.

Both men look down at me in surprise, and I take advantage of their momentary pause to analyse them both.

Kaleb looks annoyed, and maybe even somewhat embarrassed as he stares down at me, whereas the man beside him watches me with an unbothered expression, as if he's bored.

The scar across his face catches my attention and I gulp as I drag my eyes away from the jagged red mark and focus on the less intimidating man who's girlfriend is on the phone and asking him what's happening.

"What's going on here?" I ask, flicking my gaze between Kaleb and his phone.

He clears his throat and pushes his phone out in front of him.

"Sophia was worried about you and has asked us to escort you to work this morning and for the foreseeable future."

My brows raise in surprise and a scoff releases from my throat.

"Worried about me? Why?"

He glances at his phone and when Sophia doesn't speak, he sighs and shakes his head.

"Well, you're new and caring for Jaylen, who is a very important person to Sophia, so obviously she was curious about you and wondered what you were like, therefore I had Leo keep tabs on you so that we could try to get to know what sort of person you are."

"Keep tabs on me?"

He nods in response.

"Leo followed you home and when he informed Sophia that you took the bus home, she insisted that we don't allow you to do that anymore. She went on an hour long rant about how dangerous it is for woman to be alone in the city at night time by themselves," he saysin a bored tone as if he's reciting something from a book he has no interest in.

I chuckle slightly, because Chrissie was right, Sophia is a badass and has this man wrapped around her finger.

My laughter stops when I realise what he said, and I frown as a shiver travels down my spine.

"Hold on. You had someone follow me home?"

Again, he nods.