Page 14 of Stormy Knight

Reeves kissed her softly, which quickly turned into much, much more. A much rougher kiss. One he didn’t want to end. Breaking the kiss, he nibbled his way down her throat, peppering her collarbone with tender kisses. He nuzzled into her neck, breathing her scent in.

Moving back he saw her eyes blink a few times, smirking, he leaned over and kissed her quick before retrieving her shoes and clothes from the floor. “Let’s finish packing so we can get going.”

Reeves looked around checking for anything they’d missed. Once he was sure they had gotten everything, he closed the suitcase and pulled it off the bed. “Ready?”

Stormy nodded, more than ready to get out of there. “Ready.”

8

Walking out of the house, Reeves watched as the bodyguards approached them. “Gentlemen.” He handed over the suitcases they had packed. Anything else he’d grab and bring with him.

“Mr. Salvador?”

“Marco, I’d like you and Dale to take Miss Knight to the ranch. Do not stop anywhere.” Reeves’ voice was steady, authoritative, but there was an edge to it—something that spoke to urgency. He didn’t look at his men when he spoke, his attention was fixed solely on her. Stormy.

She stiffened in his arms, the tension in her shoulders making the already charged atmosphere more palpable. She’d been through enough. And now it seemed like her ex had tracked her to Texas.

The reality of the situation hit Reeves. It was clear enough: whoever had been after Stormy had found her. They wouldn’t stop until they had her, and if Reeves was going to make sure she made it out of this, it meant keeping her away safe.

Rubbing a hand over her back in slow, deliberate motions, Reeves tried to soothe the woman he loved—though he hadno right. Even with years stretching out between them, he was ready to protect her once more.

“I need you to go with Marco and Dale.” When Stormy shook her head no, he tilted her face up, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Marco and Dale will protect you with their lives.”

She hated she sounded like a whiny woman. She didn’t know Marco and Dale, for all she knew they could be creeps. “Why can’t I ride with you?” Stormy murmured, voice raw with the weight of memories.

Reeves gave her a wink trying to make light of the situation. “Because I’m going to look around and I don’t want you here while I do it.”

“Why can’t I be here?” she asked.

“Because I’m hoping your ex shows his face.” He was going to find everything this guy had done in the house. Then he would call the cops to come process the scene. After that, he’d call a cleaning company they used for sensitive situations.

Once he had Stormy settled down and ready to leave with Marco and Dale, Reeves informed his men, “Have Dale drive Stormy’s rental.” Reeves’ entire body trembled with anger. If he was honest with himself, it was fear. Fear that whoever this sick fuck was would get to Stormy and kill her before he could find him.

“Take the back roads,” Reeves added sharply, locking eyes with Marco. “No matter what, you don’t let her out of the truck.”

“Not a problem, Mr. Salvador.” The two men nodded and fell into line.

“Reeves?”

Hearing Stormy’s voice crack, Reeves grabbed her hand, walked her to the vehicle, and helped her inside. Kissing her quickly, Reeves closed the door and told Marco one more time to not stop until they were at the ranch.

Reeves glanced up and down the street before watching the SUV disappear. Turning back for the house, he felt as if he was being watched.“Come on, asshole, show yourself.”Walking back inside, he closed the door and got to work searching for more evidence of how often this person had been in the house.

Standing in the rental house he looked around, searching for any spot a hidden camera could be concealed. He checked everything from the fake plants to the air vents. But he found nothing.

He did a once over, making sure Stormy, in her haste, hadn’t forgotten anything. He spotted her laptop on the table. Reeves’s brow furrowed as he studied it. Stormy was meticulous when it came to her things, especially her work. The idea she’d leave it out seemed out of character. It told him her level of stress was enormous. He moved toward the table and, with a glance around, opened the laptop.

The screen lit up, casting a faint glow in the dim room. It was unlocked—another strange detail. Stormy was usually so cautious, especially about security. Reeves ran his finger over the laptop’s cursor and watched as a slideshow appeared on the screen. The pictures were of Stormy—Stormy and Whiskey?—

he and Stormy.

Reeves scrolled through the desktop quickly, his eyes scanning for anything unusual. Nothing in the files looked out of place at first, but his instincts were already tingling.

He clicked on the most recent file—something Stormy had been working on for weeks—and found only a handful of unmarked documents. But then, in the screen’s corner, an unfamiliar folder caught his attention. It was buried deep in her system, almost like someone had intentionally tried to hide it. The folder’s name was cryptic—X-2.

His fingers hovered over the mouse, but something in the back of his mind made him hesitate. Screw it. If it was somethingshe didn’t want anyone to see, she should have locked the laptop. Clicking on the file, Reeves realized what he was looking at. It was a backdoor into her laptop. It was the same thing technicians used to remotely access clients’ computers. Her ex was watching her every move through the laptop. Closing it, Reeves knew he’d have to take it to a friend to have the program wiped before Stormy could use it again.

How did this happen to her? Reeves had made sure he stayed out of her life where she’d be safe. Still, trouble had found her, and it had nothing to do with him. Finding the welcome folder, he called the homeowners explaining the situation. They were more concerned for Stormy than anything else. Reeves told them the house would be paid in full, and he would call a cleaning company once he was finished at the house.

---