Written in Ink (Montgomery Ink #4)(52)

“What the f*ck?”

“Yep. Pretty shitty, huh? The thing was, even though I couldn’t go to college, and my family didn’t trust me like they should have, I ended up with nothing because I was damn scared. And through all of that…I wasn’t safe. He was still there. Watching. Oh, he was different about it, you know? Much more careful. He never touched me again, but he was always there.”

“So you ran.”

She nodded. “At first it was just to get away from the looks, the fear. And after the first time he showed up at my job four states away, I knew I would never be safe unless I kept running.” She let out a whimper. “I need to run again, Griffin. It’s not safe for you.”

“Why do you say that? For me? Fall, you’re the one getting hurt each time. You’re the one on the run. How am I not safe? How can I help you?”

“He hasn’t hurt me since I’ve been running, but he’s hurt others.” She pressed her lips together. “Every time I get too close, others get hurt around me. Mary, a waitress I once worked with, ended up hurt because she wouldn’t tell him where I was. Others have been hurt, too. I can’t risk you. I need to go.”

She tried to stand up, but he held her tightly on his lap. He kissed her temple, and she closed her eyes. “You’re not risking me. I’ll be the one to risk myself.” He paused. “Why haven’t you gone to the police since?”

“I need to keep running. Jeff Sanders has money and knows enough people to get what he wants. He never got caught any other time he hurt someone. He always wiggles his way out.”

“You’re with the Montgomerys now. You go to the police now. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I want to believe that. God, I want to. But I can’t. I need to go.” She kept repeating that, knowing it wasn’t safe. “He was in my home tonight, Griffin. He ruined almost everything I own.”

Griffin’s hands tightened on her. “What? What the f*ck, Autumn.”

“He’s here, Griffin. He’s here.”

Griffin kissed her temple again and rocked her back and forth, his body as tight as a bow. The rage coursing through him was so palpable she could almost taste it.

“We should call the cops.”

“Not now.” She pressed her face into him. If she called the cops, Jeff Sanders would just get angrier. That’s how things worked.

“Baby.”

“I…I…”

“Then move in here. You can’t go home. Stay with me, Autumn. Stay until we can figure it out. Let me keep you safe.”

He kissed her softly, begging her to stay. She was just so…tired. Tired of running, tired of the fear. Tired of having no one to lean on. She could stay the night, maybe another day, but then she would run again and keep him safe.

“Okay,” she whispered.

Griffin squeezed her tight. “Thank you.”

He kissed her again, and she leaned into him. Only for the night, she told herself. Then she would gather her courage and keep the others she cared for, keep Griffin, out of the line of fire.

It was all she could do.





Chapter Fifteen


Griffin kept his eyes on Autumn as she slept in his arms. She’d let him put her to bed, though she’d slept in her clothes. She hadn’t wanted to be without the ability to run on a moment’s notice.

It broke him that she was so scared. That this seemingly confident woman would shake and not be able to breathe because of a teacher with an obsession, made him want to scream and rage. It was more horrifying than any novel he could write, any plot he could dream up.

He wanted to fix everything for her, fix things like he had countless times before for others. But this wasn’t something he could easily do. Not only was there a man out there threatening her, but she’d also forged documents and had had to lie to the police at least once that he knew of.

They could figure that out, though. He knew people on the force that he’d talked to at length during his research. Plus, he knew that she’d done what she’d done to protect herself; they weren’t fully lies. There was a difference.

He’d shot off a text to Decker before he’d gone to bed next to her to spread the word through the family that they should keep a look out. He hadn’t gone into detail, but after what had happened with Miranda’s ex, the family knew to keep tight in times of need. He also knew he wouldn’t be able to keep at least part of the events from his family once they were on a tear. Considering the way Maya and Meghan had both been texting all morning, he knew time alone with Autumn wouldn’t last long.

The idea that some * was after her…

She made a soft groan, and he released his hold on her, unaware that he’d started to squeeze tightly at the thought of that teacher trying to harm her.

He didn’t know if he loved the woman in his bed, didn’t know if they had forever or if this would fizzle out once they got it out of their systems, but he knew he cared.

Autumn mattered.

He’d have to show that without scaring her.

She turned toward him then froze, her eyes opening quickly. “Griffin.”

He leaned down and kissed her temple, brushing her hair from her face. “Fall.”

She sighed, and he kissed her lips.