Paxton's Promise (Gloves Off #3)(25)

“Paxton, you still there?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, I’m going to get in touch with Ryan Griffin. He’s the lead detective down in Vegas, but he’ll know who to get in touch with. If things start getting really bad, I’ll come down there myself; but for now, I’ll fill him in on everything.”

“What should we do? What do you think we’re looking at here?”

Mason huffed out a frustrated breath. “I’ve seen shit like this all the time. With Gabriella being in the public eye, especially in the fighting world where she’s surrounded by men, I’m surprised this hasn’t happened before. She’s a good looking girl and I know there are people who fantasize about that shit. There are some sick f*cks out there.”

“So, we’re talking stalker here?”

“Pretty much. The only problem with this one is that the letters are very vague. I’ve seen instances where this sort of thing happened and we never see the girls again. It would be too late. This may turn out to be nothing, but it’s not something we can play around with.”

“What do we do in the meantime, while you get in touch with the other detective?”

“I want you to stay away from her apartment. Keep her somewhere where no one can get to her.”

Thankfully, she’d been staying with me. I had a gate and plenty of guns in my safe. My uncle wasn’t just big into racing, but hunting as well. I shot my first deer with him.

“She’s been staying with me,” I informed him.

He snorted. “Does Matt know?”

“He knows we’re together, but not that she’s living with me, or that she’s being stalked by some psycho panty sniffer. She didn’t want to worry him while he’s on vacation.”

“Fucking shit,” Mason grumbled. “I just hope he doesn’t call me because I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my mouth shut. This could potentially be some serious shit we’re dealing with.”

I sighed. “I know. Let’s just hope we get it figured out before it gets that far.”

“Let’s hope so,” he agreed. “All right, let me get off and see what I can do. Keep me updated if anything else happens.”

“Will do.”

Mason hung up the phone and Gabriella waltzed out of her room with two trash bags full of clothes.

“You’re staying for two months, not two years,” I laughed, sliding my phone into my pocket.

“Two months is like two years.” She dropped the bags onto the floor and caught her breath. “So what did Mason say?”

I picked up her bags and started for the door. “Basically, you have a stalker and I need to keep you safe until he figures something out.”

“Do you think there’s something to worry about?” she asked, concern etched in her voice. Gabriella was small, but she had a strong frame. I had no doubt she could fight her way out of most scenarios, but sometimes that just wasn’t plausible.

“He said it’d be best for you to not be left alone. I kind of had that figured out already. He’s going to get in touch with someone who’ll be able to help us.”

“I’m not going to be put on house arrest, Paxton,” she remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. “This could go on for months and I refuse to let someone make me cower in the corner. I’m not going to lie, it freaks me out, but I can’t be scared to go out in public.”

If I had my way, she wouldn’t go out at all. I’d be perfectly happy having her all to myself, twenty-four seven. “I’m not saying that, Gabby. God knows you’re stubborn as f*ck, and of course you’re going to rebel, just to show this person that you aren’t scared. We just need to be careful.”

Huffing, she lifted one of the bags in her arms and started for the door. “And we will be careful. But, if someone comes after me, they’re going to get the fight of their life.”

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Once we were out the door, Gabriella locked it and we descended the three flights of stairs. Even though she tried to appear strong, I could see her gaze darting back and forth through the darkness. As long as she was with me, she’d be fine. There was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe.





PAXTON WATCHED ME while I unpacked my clothes in the spare bedroom. My mind was a jumbled mess, thinking of who would be leaving me the messages. Every time, I came up blank.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

I folded up the last two shirts and put them away before joining him on the bed. “Yeah, I’m fine. It just sucks not knowing.” I laid down beside him and placed my head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

“You know I’m not going to let anything happen to you, right?”

“So what are you going to do, rescue me if something happens?” I teased lightly. “Like a super hero?”

“If need be,” he answered in all seriousness. Shifting his weight, he lifted up on his elbow. “I will do whatever I have to. If something happened to you, I’d spend every waking hour searching to find the answers. No matter what happens, I’ll always come for you. I promise you this.”

“You sure do make a lot of promises,” I murmured. “It’s got to be hard to keep up with them all.”