Page 105 of Stolen Voices

“Only for a couple of days. I have some work that I need to do in person,” he says too quickly.

He’s lying.

As much as I want to be patient and give him space, I need him to be honest with me. Is this about what happened at rehearsals or between us?

“Does this have to do with the accident?”

He swallows and looks away, but nods, confirming my suspicion.

“And you’re not running away because you kissed me?”

His brows pinch as he looks at me in confusion. “Why the hell would I runway after kissing you?”

I shrug. “You do this. We share a moment, and then you ignore me.”

“I—”

“Be honest, Eli. Please, for me.”

His fingers dig into my thighs. “Fine. I’ve done that before. But that’s in the past.”

“And now?”

“I’m not leaving to run away. If I could, I’d take you with me.”

“Then take me.”

“I can’t.”

“But—”

“No, dammit,” Eli snaps. He cups both my cheeks in his hands and softens his tone, staring me in the eyes. “It’s not safe, princess.”

His phone conversation in the hospital comes back to me in pieces. “Why? And tell me the truth, please. I deserve the truth.”

Eli exhales and rests his forehead against mine, closing his eyes. “I don’t think the cable malfunctions were an isolated incident.”

“What?” I ask, astonished by his candor and the implications of it.

He trails his warm hands down my neck to my shoulders, sending hot shivers down my spine. “Callie, think about it. The closet, the fall, the cupcake,” he lists off the other weird coincidences that have occurred over the last few weeks.

Separately, each incident looks like an isolated event. Accidents. But put them together, and they all have one thing in common: hurting me. Or worse. I can’t go there. Admitting theworseout loud makes it real.

“Someone has been trying to hurt you for a while. I need to figure out who the hell it is so I can end them.”

Visions of my dad fighting the thief and lying helpless in the street pop into my head. “No. Don’t. Please don’t do anything that will get you hurt. I…” I can’t even finish the sentence. I can’t lose Eli. Even if nothing happens between us again, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to him. I’d never be able to look his family in the eye.

“I won’t. Mason and Jace are going to help me from here, and I’m going to call in some friends of mine to help sort all this out back in LA. I need to talk to Hudson.”

“So, I’m supposed to just stay here and do, what, wait? I can help if I go with you.” My plea falls on deaf ears. Eli has already decided. I stay; he goes.

“No. I told you. I need you to be safe. My family will look out for you. No one knows you’re here, and I want to keep it that way.” He pulls out his wallet and hands me a black credit card. “Take this.”

“What’s this for?”

“I want you to use this to buy whatever you need. Toiletries, clothes, food. Whatever.”

“I have money, Eli.” It’s not a lot but enough to survive. I’ve squirreled some away over the years without Silla knowing.