Love Me (WITSEC #3)(75)

“They could have, but I find it odd that nothing else is missing,” I said.

Creed stood and started to walk away. “I’m going to go check your car just in case they might have fallen out there.”

“Don’t go alone!” I shouted, startling them.

Creed froze and spun. He stared at me with a concerned look.

“Please,” I said calmly. “Please don’t go out there alone.”

“What’s going on?” Knox asked as he returned. He was out of his work clothes and dressed in a T-shirt and basketball shorts.

Keelan took my purse from me and took my hands. “I know finding Jacob like that—”

“I don’t feel safe,” I blurted.

The four of them went quiet.

“I don’t want to be here.” I got up and started pacing in front of the TV. “Something isn’t right.”

“Babe, stop pacing and take a deep breath,” Colt said.

“I’m not having a panic attack,” I snapped. “It’s my gut—my instincts are telling me that things aren’t right.”

Creed stepped in front of me, blocking me from pacing, and put his hands on my shoulders. “What isn’t right, Shi? Talk to us.”

I began talking about the window in my spare bedroom, the noises in my house, the feeling of being watched, the strange way Jacob’s note was written. I brought up the weird phone calls, even though they knew about those, and now, my missing birth control and meds.

“Those can all be easily explained,” Keelan said gently.

“I know,” I said frustratedly. I’d been about to bring up the dream I’d had of Knox, which I now thought hadn’t been a dream and the man I’d seen hadn’t been Knox. “I know I sound crazy, and I know the likelihood that it’s Mr. X is slim because I have no idea how he would have found me, but everything in me, down to my bones, is screaming for me to run.”

“Why don’t we go stay at a hotel for the night?” Knox suggested.

I felt relieved, while the guys gaped at their brother.

Knox stared back at them. “Our girlfriend is scared and doesn’t feel safe. I think for at least tonight, we can do this for her.”

Keelan nodded. “Also, we might benefit from putting some distance between us and what happened next door.”

I knew they thought what I was feeling was due to finding Jacob dead in my house, but I wasn’t going to fight it. For tonight, I had a way to keep them safe.





We got a one-bedroom suite at the nicest and closest hotel. We were on the tenth floor and there was only one way in or out of the room. As soon as you walked into the suite, you were in a small hall that had a bathroom to the left. Coming down the small hall, you entered a little kitchen, and past the kitchen was a living area with a pull-out couch. Off the living space was a door that led to the bedroom, where there were two queen beds.

“I’ll sleep on the pull-out,” I offered. For one, we were staying here because of me. And two, I wanted to be able to keep an eye on the only way in here.

“You three take the bedroom. I’ll sleep on the pull-out with Shiloh,” Knox said.

No one argued and we all got ready to go to sleep. It was late and today had been another rough one. To say the least.

The door between our rooms was left wide open at my request. It made them feel closer in case anything happened.

After shutting off the lights, Knox climbed into bed next to me. The pull-out was surprisingly comfortable. I scooted closer to Knox until I was able to rest my head on his shoulder and drape my arm across his chest. His arm wrapped around my back, holding me close.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He kissed the top of my head. “I don’t like you being scared.”

“I hope I’m wrong. I hope I wake up tomorrow feeling stupid.”

“Have you thought about calling your uncle?”

“He accused me of using him.”

“I know, but if you really think X is here, you need to call him, no matter how upset you are with each other.”

I sighed. “I’ll call him tomorrow.”





“Shiloh.”

I opened my eyes to the dark hotel-room ceiling. Seeing that it was still nighttime, I closed my eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

“Shiii…loooh,” a voice whispered.

My eyes shot open and looked in the direction of the voice.

Standing at the foot of the bed was a dark outline of a man.

“I found you,” he whispered.

Quickly, I sat up and began shaking Knox, who was still asleep next to me. “Knox!”





I jolted upright in the bed, breathing heavily. Knox sat up with me, his hand going right to my back to rub up and down in soothing strokes. I looked around the dark room frantically and found nothing amiss.

“Shh, it’s all right,” he said tiredly. “It was just a nightmare. You’re safe.”

I focused on breathing for a bit, taking air in through my nose and out through my mouth.

“That’s it. Let’s lie down,” he encouraged, and we both lay back. I lay on my side, facing him, unable to close my eyes. He brushed my hair back from my face and behind my shoulder. “You’re safe.”