Page 13 of Splintered Memories (Ember Hollow Romance #2)

August

T he flash of auburn hair caught my eye before she disappeared, gobbled up by the shelves of books lining the second floor of the coffee shop and bookstore. My hackles rose, teeth clenching as I made to follow her.

It had been a rough transition into my new employment situation.

I didn’t enjoy being blackmailed into working for a man I barely knew.

Emersyn wasn’t the only one struggling with this arrangement.

Even so, the fact that she’d blatantly snuck away from me, risking her safety—it had my anger surging.

I was only trying to do my job. Whether she was just trying to piss me off, or there was something else going on here, this wasn’t a joke to me.

Sprinting up the stairs, I followed the direction Emersyn had fled. The scent of her perfume lingered in the air, a mix of sweet floral and warm amber. I wasn’t far behind, but as I stalked toward the end of the floor, she had disappeared .

My eyes scanned the space as I hit the back wall. There wasn’t anywhere to go, other than a door with an employees-only plaque glued to it.

After a brief inspection of the surrounding rows of shelves, all of which were empty, I returned to the door and tried the handle.

It was unlocked. My mouth tightened as I entered into a stairwell.

It was also empty. I descended the stairs, finding two doors at the bottom.

One to the right, and one to the left. The one to the left was obviously an exit outside.

Without even considering my decision, I opened that door and strode out into the sunlight.

I blinked out at a small parking lot, on alert for any sign of movement.

There was none.

My eyes narrowed as I took in my surroundings. Dumpsters to my right. It all seemed calm; the only sounds were the dull drone of vehicles from the main road. I glanced down at the ground. It was old pavement that was crumbling to gravel, but there wasn’t enough of it to make out footprints…

A soft, strangled cry had my head snapping up. My muscles tensed, ready to spring into action as I processed where the sound had come from. A few paces to my left was a gap between the tall buildings that lined Center Street. An alley leading to the main road.

I ran.

My heart jolted as I rounded the building and I peered down that alleyway.

Halfway down, a heap was crumpled on the ground, her vibrant hair a stark contrast against the gray, dusty gravel.

A lance of fear struck my chest. My legs propelled me toward her as I called her name.

I searched for blood, on alert for the metallic tang of it.

I didn’t detect any, but that was little comfort.

It seemed like it had taken much too long to get to her. I gripped her shoulders, gently pulling her toward me.

A small gash marred her forehead. Blood oozed down her temple and the side of her face, but it was already slowing. She let out a low groan as I moved her. The sound of her consciousness sent relief coursing through me.

“Emersyn?” I said her name, and her eyelids fluttered open.

Those emerald eyes were dark and unfocused, darting back and forth too quick to comprehend anything.

I pinched her chin between my thumb and forefinger, directing her face toward mine.

“Hey, I need you to look at me. Focus.” I locked my eyes on hers.

It took her a moment to shift those pupils to mine and stay there.

They seemed slightly dilated, but it was dark and shaded in the alleyway.

“August?” she said, slow and lethargic, as if it were difficult for her to grasp the word.

My frown deepened. “Are you okay?” The question seemed irrelevant because she obviously was not okay, but I wanted to gauge her response level.

After a couple of long, slow blinks, something seemed to snap into place. Her eyes widened, her body going rigid in my arms. “Oh,” she gasped, sitting up, alert as she looked around our surroundings in a panic. “Oh my God.”

I didn’t let her shoulders go as she started to shake. “What happened?” I asked .

Her eyes bounced back to mine. The blood was drying on her face, which was good. If the bleeding stopped on its own, she probably wouldn’t need stitches.

She gasped for breath, staring at me with wide, wild eyes. “Someone snuck up on me.”

My back teeth ground together. “Who attacked you?” That had to be what this was. An attack.

She shook her head, gazing around the alley as she paled. “I—I don’t know.”

“Do you remember what happened?”

The color even drained from her lips. “Whoever it was pushed me up against the building. I didn’t see who it was, but it sounded—” She swallowed hard. “It sounded like a man.”

“What did he say?”

She grimaced. “Nothing.”

“Stop with that,” I said, firm but with a caress of gentleness. “I need to know what happened. Don’t hide it from me.”

Emersyn looked away. “He wanted me to delete my videos. He said I was a liar.”

My stomach knotted. “He threatened you?”

She nodded. “Yes. He didn’t get specific, but he said I wouldn’t walk away the next time.”

Hot, acrid rage surged through my veins. Not only for whoever was continually trying to hurt her, but because she didn’t deserve this and this never should’ve happened.

“You shouldn’t have been out here alone,” I spat between clenched teeth .

Her eyes widened, and something that looked like shame flitted in her eyes before morphing into anger. “I’m a grown woman,” she growled. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

I shook my head at the pure ridiculousness of this woman. I leaned toward her, so close the heat of her rushed against my skin. “No, you don’t need a babysitter, but you do need someone to watch your back. Someone wants to hurt you, Emersyn. And I need—I need you to work with me. Please.”

Her eyes grew even wider. Her mouth opened, but she didn’t answer me. Her pulse pounded frantically, thumping under the delicate skin near the base of her throat.

I let out a long sigh, forcing my frustration and anger back. Refocusing myself, I grabbed her hand. “Can you stand?”

She blinked, but eventually she nodded.

I stood and slowly pulled her to her feet. She swayed, her knees weak, and I gripped her hips, steadying her. “Whoa,” I murmured, stepping closer as she pressed a palm against my chest for leverage. “I think we should have you checked out by a doctor.” I eyed the bloody gash on her forehead.

At the mention of a doctor, she stiffened, pulling her hand away from my chest as if it had burned her. “No,” she said instantly. “I’m fine.”

I gave her a doubtful look. “You’re bleeding.”

As if she were made of glass that would shatter at the slightest pressure, I brushed the pads of my fingers under the cut on her head. The blood was tacky, and when I drew my hand back, she winced at the dark crimson.

“It’s fine,” she repeated, as if by habit.

“I’m not sure that I believe you. ”

Her lips thinned, her gaze shifting from her blood on my fingers to my face. “I don’t want to go to the doctor. I want to go home.”

The look she gave me was the closest to desperation I’d ever seen on her features. I studied her, taking her in from head to toe. She did seem more stable on her feet, though one of my hands lingered on her hip. She was getting color back in her cheeks.

“Are you still dizzy?” I asked.

She paused, as if assessing herself. “Only a little.”

I didn’t like that. “Headache? Nausea?”

“No nausea,” she said, confident.

That was something, at least. I glanced around us. It was getting late in the afternoon, and I knew for a fact she had hardly eaten anything today. My first priority was getting her out of this alley and somewhere secure. Somewhere safe.

“Fine.” I relented.

Her eyes brightened, but I held up a finger.

“I’ll bring you home, for now. I’m not making any promises, though, and I’ll be keeping an eye on you.

” If she had a concussion, there wasn’t much a doctor could do for her anyway.

She was standing and speaking coherently.

If she didn’t want to be checked out, I couldn’t force her.

Emersyn nodded. “Okay.”

I held out my hand toward her, palm up. She stared at it, frowning.

“Your keys.” I wiggled my fingers. “I’m driving you home. No arguments.”

For once, thank God, she didn’t fight me.