Captured (Devil's Blaze MC #1)(80)

After the line rang four times, someone finally picked up. “Maxwell Secures, this is Keeley, how may I help you today?” Unsure of what to say, Emily froze. Making the person say, “Hello, are you there?”

Finding her voice again she said, “Yes, umm, well, I need help.” The words cracked at the end and tears filled her eyes. She was relieved when the woman understood her panic.

“Honey, we will help. What’s your name?” she asked kindly.

“Emily.” Clearing her throat so she sounded stronger instead of some oversized mouse she repeated it. “It’s Emily Baxter.”

“Alright Emily, why don’t you come on in and we’ll talk. I feel like it might be easier on you to know who you’re talking to.” Keeley phrased it as a question, but Emily knew it was more like a demand. “Ok,” she whispered. Hanging up after getting the address, she rushed around getting ready so she could, hopefully, get help and maybe have her peaceful life back.

~~~~~~

Getting off the bus just a block from the address she was given for Maxwell Secures, Emily made her way towards the building. Looking at it, it seemed like a modern warehouse with a slanted roof and gray exterior walls that looked like they could be reinforced steel, but she didn’t really know anything about that. The doors were huge glass panes with a simple M across one and S on the other, both letters acting as the handles. She noticed cameras strategically placed along the front and top of the building, as well as in the parking lot. If it had not been for the initials on the doors, she wouldn’t have known it was a security firm. Taking a deep breath and walking in, she was greeted with a very bright, modern-looking reception area. The walls were a light blue, beige carpeting covered the floors, plants were placed in every corner, and different types of artwork hung on the walls. Books and files filled shelves behind a big oak desk that held a computer screen, phone, and small picture frame.

Hearing laughter coming from a hallway, she stayed where she was and waited with baited breath for them to appear.

Body tense and feet ready to bolt at the first sign of danger, she felt the breath knocked from her at the beautiful, black-haired, young woman that rounded the corner, followed closely by two of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen.

“Oh!” The woman exclaimed, startled at seeing her. “You must be Emily. I’m Keeley,” she said walking up to her and giving her a quick hug before grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the two hulking men. “Nathaniel, Tyler, this is Emily. I told you about her earlier.” She introduced them while pulling Emily into a meeting room and sitting her down. She was helpless to do anything so she just followed like a lost puppy.

Sitting down across from her, Nathaniel and Tyler scrutinized her. While she tried hard not to give in to the urge to squirm under their intense gazes, it was hard to hold their eyes, but she managed to, just barely. She let out a breath when Keeley sat down beside her and squeezed her hand on the table. “Alright, Miss Baxter, tell us what’s going on,” Tyler, she thought, said to her.

Looking down and clearing her throat of the balled up emotion and anxiety she was feeling, she looked up and explained to them some of her problems. “I have had a stalker since I was nineteen, and I don’t even know how I got one. I’m as boring as watching grass grow. I hadn’t met anyone new when I found out. Hell, it wasn’t until he took the liberty of defiling my house that I even knew about him.” Taking a breath, she continued while looking at a point between their shoulders so she didn’t have to see the pity in their eyes. “It’s been over two years now. He keeps finding me, and I’m tired of running. Tired of fighting. This is my last stand or I’m done. I don’t know what he wants from me, but I can’t take all the fear and stress anymore. It’s driving me insane not knowing when he’s going to eventually get his hands on me, I just can’t…” Stopping because her voice finally broke, Emily didn’t realize she had tears streaming down her face until Keeley handed her a Kleenex. With a whispered “thanks”, she wiped her eyes and waited for what would happen next.

“Have you gone to the police about this?” Nathaniel asked the obvious question.

Snorting at the ludicrousness of that question, she responded more sarcastically than intended. “Of course, I did. Lot of good that did me. They investigated, but not very hard, and in the end they thought I was making it up. Even though this sick freak had been in my home, ripped my bras and panties to shreds, and left pig’s blood all over my room and walls.” She told them leaving out the part where as she was passing out he came all over her face and chest. She was still humiliated about that, and it never failed to have bile rising in her throat and shame running through her body. Shaking the thought from her head, she concentrated on the here and now. “The police think it’s my fault. That I somehow brought this on myself. I don’t know what old school crap they’re teaching in the academy these days, but I assure you, I want nothing to do with whoever this creep is. I stopped reporting the incidents about eight months ago because almost immediately afterwards, he would find me again.”

“Probably because you gave your real name, and they would have entered that into their systems. What happened this time? What brought you in here today?” Tyler asked her.

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the pictures he’d sent her with the flowers this morning. “These were on my steps this morning, along with a vase of blood red roses,” she said handing them over.