Page 24 of Has-Been
Reacher nodded. “Deal with that first, and then please, do me a favour, and stay away from her. At least until we get this crap under control. Give Stitch time, and then maybe you guys can settle the other shit going on with you before you try getting closer to his sister, yeah?”
I stood up, my fists clenching at my sides, as I fought another wave of that fucking impotent anger. Impotent, because I couldn’t let it out.
“You know what, Pres? She isn’t just his sister. She’s a woman, and an adult, and it’s time everyone stopped seeing her as his to protect. He’s practically fucking forcing her to stay a child, because he won’t let her live.”
Reacher sighed, turning to face me again.
“I know he’s overbearing. In his position, you might feel the same way, especially with what we’re dealing with right now. Let’s just get all of this resolved, and then maybe things can change. Our priority for now is finding a killer and protecting anyone they already have their damn sights on, and right now that could just be Elise.”
He pointed at the door and I got the message loud and clear.Fuck off and do what I’m told.
Elise
WhenHas-Beenfinallyreturnedwith the door and locks, my brother decided to be a stubborn ass again and sent him away, instead enlisting two of the prospects to help him replace the damn thing, while I sat and stared out of the window at a world I might now be too afraid to visit.
The man who called me and sent those awful messages was out there somewhere, or worse, he was in here somewhere. Maybe nowhere was safe. Maybe he’d get to me no matter what. How could I be sure?
Even though Seth said he trusted Has-Been, he’d passed his phone to Ice so he could do the snooping around for him, and then he wouldn’t let him near me again to make my room safe.
All I wanted to do was find Has-Been, and stay wrapped in his arms in a locked room. It was the only way I felt safe. I definitely didn’t feel safe when he wasn’t beside me, not even with my brother in the room. Not because I feared my brother or thought he couldn’t protect me, but because I knew in Has-Been’s arms was where I should be.
“There you go. That should hold. Here are the keys, and I’ll show you how the locks work. Thanks lads, off you go.” The new door was heavy duty, and needed a little work on the frame to make it fit. The new locks included the new key for the new door, and three bolts I could pull across. One each at the top and bottom of the door, and one at the centre. Has-Been had instinctively known exactly what to get to help me feel safe, and I couldn’t even thank him for it.
“Can I see Has-Been to thank him at least?”
Seth shot me a strange look, while he was demonstrating the bolts, like somehow I wouldn’t know how to use a fucking bolt.
“Dammit, Seth. I know how these work, stop treating me like a child!”
“If you’ve got some kind of crush on Has, you can stop that shit right now. You don’t know him, sweets. He has his darkness. He has his secrets.”
“I wouldn’t know about that, now, would I? I’m not allowed to talk to anyone.”
Seth slammed the keys on the counter.
“What do you want from me, Elise? Should I stop trying to keep you from being raped and murdered by some sicko? Do you want to be out there somewhere when that fucker who sent the messages finds you? I’m scared to death that something will happen to you, and I’ll fail you!”
I watched my big brother as he passed his hands through his hair, and clenched them immediately after.
“You act like I’m some kind of monster, locking you away from the world, but all I want is for you to live a long, happy, and safe life. Is that really so wrong of me?”
I shook my head, wishing I could say the right thing at the right time, instead of fighting with him all the time like this.
“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be ungrateful, or to diminish how much you’ve done for me, Seth. I just need the freedom to live my life. Once this killer is found and arrested, you have to let me live my life however I choose, and wherever I choose. Promise me.”
He nodded, grasping my shoulders and resting his forehead against mine.
“Sweets, let’s just keep you safe from this fucker, and make the town safe again, and then the world is your fucking oyster. I promise to let you get the hell away from here. You’ll never have to set foot in the clubhouse again.”
Why did that thought make me want to cry?
Sixteen
IcewascrankywhenI joined him to offer help, and it reminded me of what he was like back when he was using. In fact, it was unnervingly like when he was on drugs.
“Brother, what can I do to help?”
He glared at me over the screen he was in front of.
