A small noise left her. She really must’ve looked rough before if that was the case. “I’m sorry about…earlier.”
“No need to apologize.”
“But there is. I’ve dragged you into something horrific, and then I practically had a nervous breakdown on you. It just…got to me, and I’m sorry you had to deal with the fallout.”
Elias lifted his hand and waved her forward. “Come sit down.”
Yeah, that didn’t sound good. “You’ve talked to Cole again, haven’t you?”
Elias nodded. “He says you need to call your ex, and…I agree. I know it was rough hearing about the death threats, but getting information second hand isn’t ideal. You need to talk to him and get an update from him and his security team.”
“Oh, is that all?” she quipped weakly, sinking into the chair near the couch. She ran her fingers through her wet hair and let them slide out.
“Despite everything that’s happened, it sounds as though your ex is worried about your safety and the threats. He has the resources and is willing to provide protection for you, Quinley.”
“I know, but no one knows I’m here.”
“What if they find out? Figure it out? I rented the cabin under my name. And from the looks of things, the media knows who I am now.”
She wrapped her arms around her front. “Is it bad? What they’re saying?”
“All they know so far is that I’m not at work, which given the circumstances, makes sense.”
Her shoulders sagged.
“My point is that it’s only a matter of time before the cabin’s owner realizes who his tenant is. And if they check the camera at the door…”
“Maybe they won’t care? Maybe they’ll stay quiet?” She knew the odds were against that happening when their whereabouts could mean a payoff, but she didn’t want to take the rose-colored glasses off. She didn’t want to deal with anything else.
“Quinley, I can’t risk people showing up here wanting to harm you.”
“You want me to leave.”
“I want to keep yousafe,” he countered, sounding angry. “Dealing with reporters who stay outside is one thing but someone who wants to hurt you? More than one person who wants to hurt you? They aren’t going to follow rules.”
She shoved to her feet and ignored the head rush that followed as she paced across the floor. “I understand. It’s okay. I don’t blame you for wanting no part of this…madness. The sooner I’m out of your hair, the better off you’ll be.”
He muttered something beneath his breath before he surged upright and moved to where she stood in front of the large gas fireplace, staring down at the low flickering flames.
His hands descended on her shoulders and gently squeezed.
“I would do whatever it takes to protect you, Quinley. To protect anyone in danger, but I’d be lying if I said I could protect you better than your ex’s team of bodyguards. They’re trained for this sort of thing.”
Money did buy some things, she supposed. “I’ll call Rhys,” she said, reluctant but knowing she didn’t have a choice.
She felt Elias’s fingers tighten slightly, and then she sucked in a breath when he gently began to massage the impossibly tight muscles locking her neck and upper back. The squeezing massage was heavenly, a pleasurably painful press that had her lowering her shoulders from her ears after a while.
“Just see what your ex says,” he said. “He might have an alternative you haven’t considered. And putting off the conversation will only make things more awkward.”
He was right. She knew he was right, but it didn’t make the doing any easier.
She owed Rhys—whatwas itwith the name change now of all times?—everything. An explanation, an apology. She owed him.
“I’m going to start dinner,” Elias said. “Your phone is on the coffee table. I didn’t want Ana waking you, so I brought it out here. I don’t think you can put off calling him any longer though. Go make that call, and get it over with.”
She didn’t like being ordered about. Controlled. That was one of the many reasons she’d runaway.
But she’d put the call to Rhys off longer than she should’ve. And like everything, there was a limit to how far she could push things. Her time was up.
