Chapter 27
Keith’s POV
Lily was nestled against my chest, her soft breaths in sync with the rise. and fall of my own breathing. We were watching a movie, but I had to force myself to stay focused on it.
It had taken so much effort to get her to forgive me, to let things between us return to something resembling normal. I kept telling myself that tonight was about her, about us, and making things right.
Yet, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t push away the memory of that searing kiss with Emily–the one that had ignited something in me I hadn‘ t felt in years.
As I absently ran my fingers through Lily’s hair, I kept reminding myself that I was here, with her, and this was where my attention needed to be. But it was hard. Emily’s face kept intruding on my thoughts, a constant reminder of something unresolved, something I wasn’t ready to face.
Then, the phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling me out of my internal struggle. I hesitated, not wanting to ruin the moment, but something in me urged me to answer.
Gently, I moved Lily off my chest and glanced at the screen. It was Matt, and the urgency in his voice made my blood run cold.
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Chapter 27
“Boss, you need to get here now,” Matt’s voice crackled through the line, filled with a panic that immediately set me on edge. “Emily’s been
attacked.”
My heart skipped a beat. I shot up from the couch, ignoring Lily’s startled question, “Keith, what happened? Where are you going all of a sudden?” as I grabbed my car keys.
The thought of Emily in danger sent a rush of adrenaline through me, propelling me out the door and into the car. I didn’t even think to explain to Lily as I sped down the streets, my mind focused solely on getting to Emily’s place.
When I arrived, Frank arrived too. We found her, her face pale, with a deep gash on her forehead and blood seeping through the fabric at her
waist.
“Emily,” I called out, rushing over to her. I wanted to pull her into my arms, to make sure she was really okay, but I stopped myself, unsure of how she would react. “What happened?”
Frank was beside her, holding her hand, his expression filled with deep.
concern.
Emily didn’t reply to me; she simply looked past me as if I wasn’t even there. I felt a knot tighten in my chest, but I didn’t push her. Instead, she turned her head slightly, addressing the officers nearby with a voice. barely above a whisper, “I just want to sleep.”
One of the officers stepped forward gently. “I understand, maʼam, but you‘
Chapter 27
Il need to wait for the medics to check you over first. It won’t be long.”
I clenched my fists, anger surging through me as I turned to Matt. “I told you to take care of her! If you can’t do your job, then why the hell am I paying you?”
Ve tried our
Matt looked down, guilt etched on his face. “I’m sorry, B best, but… he was too quick, too prepared. He knew the layout of the house and the neighboring, he’d been watching her.”
I glanced back at Emily, my anger giving way to worry. The sight of her so fragile, so vulnerable, tore at something inside me. I had never felt this way before, not even with Lily. This wasn’t just about protecting Emily; it was something deeper, something I couldn’t quite put into words.
Vincent, the detective assigned to the case, approached us. “We’ve got a partial description of the assailant from Emily. Tall, brown hair, wearing a mask. He was hired to kill Emily, but we haven’t been able to identify who’s behind it.”
“Why would anyone want to kill her?” I muttered, more to myself than anyone else. Emily had always been kind, always kept to herself. Who could possibly have a vendetta against her?
Vincent shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense. We’ve got blood from the scene–Emily managed to stab him, so we’ll run it through our database. But the guy knew what he was doing. He’s been stalking her, waiting for the right moment.”
Chapter 27
The thought of someone watching Emily, planning to kill her, made my blood run cold. How had I let it come to this? How had I been so blind to the danger she was in?
Just then, the security team entered the room, looking grim. “We lost him,” one of them said, his voice tinged with frustration. “He was injured, but he knew the area too well. He slipped away before we could catch him.”
I felt a surge of disbelief. “How could you let that happen?” I’demanded, my voice rising. “He was injured–he should have been easy to catch!”
The guard looked at me, with guilty. “Whoever this guy is, he’s a professional. He’s been planning this for a long time. He won’t stop until he finishes the job.”
A shiver ran down my spine. Emily was still in danger, and I had no idea how to protect her from a threat I couldn’t see.
Just then, the medical staff arrived, moving quickly to examine Emily. I stepped back, feeling helpless as they tended to her wounds. I wanted to do something, anything, to make her feel safe, but I didn’t know how. All I could do was stand there, watching as they took care of her, the guilt and fear gnawing at me.
As the medics worked, my phone buzzed again. It was Lily, calling to check in. A pang of guilt hit me–I had left her without any explanation. But how could I explain this? How could I tell her that, despite
everything, I had rushed to Emily’s side the moment I heard she was in danger?
I hesitated, my finger hovering over the answer button, before finally letting it go to voicemail. I would deal with Lily later. Right now, Emily needed me more.
