Chapter 19

 

Elle

 

“That bitch!!”

“Elle, what’s wrong?”

Levi’s words just barely broke through my rage.  I was seething mad.

The posts made on social media that were either verbatim of mine or attempts to diminish what mine meant were already enough to deal with.  I was slowly getting to a point where I realized that Becky could do that all she wanted; it was creepy, but it didn’t have any real effect on my life.  The threats of sexual assault were not ok and I knew I’d never be alright with that; however, this new development was where I drew the line.

“I need more security!” I shrieked.  “This woman is possessed.”

“What is going on?” Levi pressed. 

“You said Trent is a genius with computers, right?”

Levi’s brows pulled together, but he answered, “Yes.”

“She’s invaded my privacy, Levi.”

“What?”

There was a knock at the hotel suite door.  Dom and Pierce.  The four of us were set to go to the shooting range today before my final show in Vegas later tonight.  Levi moved to open the door.

After opening the door, Levi announced, “Perfect timing, boys.  Elle’s losing her shit and she was just about to tell me why.”

“We can come back or just meet you there if you’d prefer,” Dom offered, clearly not liking what he was hearing.

Part of me wanted to laugh.  Dom thought I was losing my shit with Levi and not over the crazy psychopath in my life right now.

“Stay, Dom,” I started. “It’s about Becky.”

“Fucking hell.  What now?”

I took in a deep breath and repeated the words I said to Levi just minutes before, “She’s invaded my privacy.”

The three men stood before me and waited for me to continue.

“She accessed my private messages on Facebook.”

“How do you know this?” Pierce asked.

“Levi and I were here waiting for you two to show up so we could go to the shooting range.  I decided to pull out my phone and check in to my social media accounts.  When I went to Facebook, I thought I’d look and see if there was anything new.  I mean, I prefer not to look at her stuff at all, but this whole situation has gone to another level.  I figure it’s better to be proactive at this point.”

I paused a moment before I continued, “So, I get to her page and see that she’s made a post talking about family meetings.  She attempts to make it appear as though she’s talking about people in new relationships and how it must be nerve-wracking.  There are too many little things throughout the post that tells me she’s gone this far.”

“I don’t understand,” Levi confessed.  “How does her talking about family meetings have anything to do with invading your privacy, El?”

“We’re getting together with Emme and Zane when we get back.  Emme and I sent a few messages back and forth with each other when we were on the drive from LA to San Francisco.  She was telling me how happy Zane was for the two of us and how he knew, just from seeing the live session you and I did, that we were meant to be together.  Emme said Zane knew you found something good and was hoping Cruz would soon find something just like it.  If you look at what she’s posted, you’ll see what I’m saying.”

I held my phone out to them.  Dom took it out of my hand and read it before passing it to Levi who, after reading it himself, passed it to Pierce.  After all of them read what she wrote, Levi cautioned, “It’s a far stretch.”

My head jerked back.

He didn’t believe me?

“Excuse me?” I whispered in shock.

“I don’t know, Elle.  I mean, you don’t think it could be the slightest bit coincidental.  Look, she knows you are with me, obviously.  Zane’s one of the top snowboarders in the world.  It’s possible she’s just trying to find something to talk about and, on the surface, it looks like this was methodical.”

“You think I’m crazy?” I retorted.

“I’m not saying that.”

“Well, it sure sounds like it,” I shot back.

“She’s been doing a lot that would be difficult for anyone to deny was intentional.  This is just a little more far-fetched.  I’m not saying it’s not possible, but it’s just a bit unlikely.” 

Dom and Pierce looked like they were standing in a mine field.

“Whatever.  You don’t believe me, that’s fine.  I know.  Deep down in the pit of my stomach, Levi, I know.  I am certain she got into my account and read my messages.  This post she made tells me what I need to know.”

My eyes welled with tears at the thought that he didn’t trust my instinct.  Levi held my eyes and I could see the guilt.  I decided to let him off the hook.

“Can we go?” I asked.

“What?”

“The shooting range.  I’d like to go.  Can we leave now?”

“Sunshine…” he got out before I cut him off.

“Please, Levi,” I begged.

I was already on the verge of tears.  We had just experienced a fight in front of two of his employees, who were also friends, and it was awkward. 

Thankfully, Levi gave in and nodded his head.

With that, we left.

The ride to the shooting range was mostly silent.  Dom tried to lighten the mood and I did my best to shake off what happened, but it hurt.  Levi loved me and he didn’t believe in me. 

I took some time on the drive to reach out to Wes.  I didn’t plan to tell him what happened with Levi and me, but I wanted to tell him about the situation with Becky.  Maybe an outsider’s perspective would help.

I tapped out a text to him explaining briefly about Becky and her most recent post.  I also told him about my conversation via private messages with Emme.  He replied almost instantly.

Wes: Hang tight.  Let me take a look at her page.

Me: Ok.

Several minutes had passed before he finally gave me his thoughts.

Wes: It’s evident that she’s the stalker, El.  Seeing your stuff and then everything she posts; you’d have to be blind not to see that.  The most recent post, though?  I’m not so sure.  Is it even remotely possible she’s making statements based on what she might be assuming would happen?  I don’t know every detail of your conversation with Emme, but there isn’t anything I can see in what she posted that’s indication she viewed those private messages.

Me: You too?  Why does nobody believe me?  Am I crazy?

Wes: What are you talking about?

Me: Nothing.  Never mind.  I’ll be home tomorrow.

I looked up and realized Levi had just pulled in to the parking lot at the range.  I felt my phone vibrate in my hands.

Wes was calling.

I wasn’t going to do this now.  I turned the phone off. 

Levi parked and we all got out.  As the four of us were walking in, Levi’s phone rang.  I knew it was Wes.

“Hey guys, go ahead in and stay with her.  Let me take this call,” Levi requested of Dom and Pierce.

I gave him a glance and I’m certain he saw the hurt in my eyes.  I quickly turned away and continued walking into the range with the guys.  Levi stayed outside.

Once inside, I tried to shake off the thoughts I had about the Becky situation and decided to use the frustration over the whole debacle with Levi to my advantage.

“Ok, boys,” I called out to get Dom and Pierce’s attention.  “What do I have to do?”

Pierce explained, “We’re going to go up to the front counter and choose a gun for you to rent.  They have a few books you can look through of the firearms that are available.”

“Sweet.”

Pierce grinned.

“We’ll help you pick one that makes sense,” Dom added.

We walked up to the counter and Joe, the clerk, asked how he could help.

“Looking for lane and gun rental,” Pierce shared.  “With ammo.”

“Sure,” Joe said.  “How many lanes?”

“Three.”

“Hand guns or rifles?” Joe asked as he pulled out a couple of binders and set them on the counter.

“Hand guns,” Pierce answered.

“Wait,” I called.  “Rifles?  Like assault rifles?”

“You’re not shooting an AR, rock star,” Pierce announced.  “At least, I’m not going to be the one to make that call.”

“As should be the case, Pierce.  I’m a grown woman and can make the call myself.”

I turned my attention to Joe.

“Excuse me, Joe, but I’d like to look at the rifle catalogue as well,” I stated sweetly.  “Will you help me choose something good?”

“Elle,” Pierce warned.

Joe looked worried.

Dom chimed in.  “I’ll help you, El.”

“Dom, it’s not a good idea.”

“It’s fine, Reynolds.  Here’s what’s going to happen, Elle.  We rent a couple of hand guns and an AR.  You shoot the hand guns first, learn what to do, how to hold them, and get comfortable with the recoil.  If you can handle that, we’ll move on to the AR.”

I grinned up at Dom. 

He winked at me and we went about the business of selecting some hand guns and rifles to shoot.  The guys got a bunch of ammo to go with it all and, after we grabbed ear and eye protection, the three of us went into the range.

The range officer brought the guns we chose over to our lanes and Dom immediately went about showing me what I needed to do.  If I was being honest, I had to admit I was a little nervous.  I listened to Dom’s instructions and watched as he loaded the bullets into the magazine.  After, he inserted the magazine and set the gun back down in front of me.

We used the switch on the wall of my lane to move the target back.  Dom took the time to explain what the best shooting distance was based on the type of gun being used.  He set the target at an appropriate range and offered his encouragement.

“Alright, rock star, let’s see what you can do.”

With the gun in my hand, I swallowed hard, looked up at him, and admitted, “I’m a little scared.”

“Ok, put the gun down.”

“What?”

“Put the gun down,” he insisted.

I set the gun back down and looked back to him for an explanation.

“Be sure about what you’re doing, Elle.  You’re putting yourself behind something that can do some serious damage.  The last thing you need to do is be scared behind it.  I understand being nervous since you’ve never done it before; that’s ok.  Scared is not.  If you are scared, you can’t be prepared.”

That made sense.

“When you’re feeling confident, pick up the gun and hold it like I showed you.”

I gave myself a minute to get my head sorted.  Dom was right.  While I hoped I never needed to be in a situation where I’d have to use a gun, I knew it was imperative that I had the confidence to use it appropriately and without fear.

I picked up the gun, held it in my hands as Dom showed me, and pointed it at the target.

“Ok, now remember, keep your arms strong and use your sights to line up the target,” Dom repeated a portion of his earlier lesson.

I did as I was told.

“Whenever you’re ready, go for it.”

A few seconds later, I went for it.  I shot off a round and my body jerked back slightly, but Dom was positioned right behind me so I didn’t move too much. 

“Again,” he instructed.

I shot off another round.

“Good.  Now do it again and keep trying to hit the same spot on the target.”

I went through several more rounds until I had emptied the magazine.  I set the gun down and the target began moving toward me.

“Reynolds, check this shit out,” Dom said from behind me.

Pierce popped his head around the wall and looked at my handiwork.  His eyes dropped to mine and he asked, “You sure you never shot anything before?”

I nodded.

He grinned at me and praised, “Badass, rock star.”

I took this to mean I did a good job, so I looked up at Dom and practically begged, “Can I try the assault rifle now?”

He chuckled and suggested, “How about we get a few more rounds through the hand gun before we do that?”

My shoulders slumped in disappointment, but I agreed, “Alright.”

Dom helped me load another magazine and I prepared to find a new spot on my target.  Once I was ready, I started again.  According to the guys, I had done really well with my first try.  Halfway through the second magazine, I realized I was much more confident.  I held my body well and I was no longer rocking back into Dom after each shot was fired.

The slide shot back indicating I had fired through all the rounds, so I carefully set the gun back down.  That’s when I realized the two lanes beside me that we had rented were both being used.  I turned around and saw that Dom was no longer standing behind me. 

Levi was standing there, watching me.  I’m not sure how it was possible, but there was a mix of heat and remorse in his expression.

I didn’t know what to say.

“Killer shot,” he praised.

“Thanks,” I said quietly.  I wasn’t sure if he could hear me considering he had on ear protection. 

Levi took the remaining two steps toward me and closed the distance between our bodies.  When he was inches from me, he lowered his head to me and said loud enough so I could hear, but not so loud that anyone else would, “I’m sorry if I hurt you this morning, Elle.  When we get back to the hotel we can talk about it.”

“Ok,” I agreed.

He pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek and I melted on the spot.  It was so tender and sweet; and though I was still upset by what happened earlier in the day, I couldn’t deny that the kiss made me feel just a tad bit better.

“Can I try the assault rifle now?” I asked.

Levi’s eyes rounded and he pulled back. 

“The assault rifle?” he began questioning me. “Was one rented with the intention that you’d be using it?”

I nodded.

“Who thought that was a good idea?”

“Me.”

I could tell he was struggling with this, which was exacerbated by the fact that he was likely trying to avoid another argument.

“Fuck,” he muttered.

He turned and moved out of my lane.  A minute later he was back with Pierce.

“Let’s go,” he instructed as he held his hand out to me.  “We’re switching lanes.  The rifle is over two lanes.”

I placed my hand in Levi’s and we walked over to the lane on the end.  He took the time to instruct me, much like Dom had with the hand gun, on everything I needed to know about using the assault rifle properly.  After giving me a quick but thorough lesson, Levi stepped aside so I could try it out.

I picked up the rifle and held it as Levi had shown me. 

“Hang on,” he requested.  “Let’s adjust the stock so it’s in a good position for you to hold and shoot it.”

Levi adjusted the stock, confirming that I felt comfortable with the position it was in.  Once we had that all sorted, he leaned down and reminded me, “Remember this is different than a hand gun.  Your whole body is going to feel this.  The stock is pressed into your shoulder, which is part of the reason the recoil is easier to control and hitting your target is generally much easier.  Even still, you’ll feel this in a much different way than you did the hand gun.  The sound is going to be much deeper, too.”

I nodded my head in acknowledgement of everything he just said to me.

“I’m right behind you, El, whenever you are ready.”

I took a minute to focus in on the target and pulled the trigger.

Holy shit. 

That was incredible.

I did it again.

It was even more amazing the second time.

I continued through the entire magazine.  When I had emptied it, I set down the rifle, flipped the switch on the side to pull my target in, and turned back to Levi with the biggest smile on my face. 

His lustful eyes went back and forth between me and the target I had blasted to smithereens.

“That was so much fun,” I beamed up at him. 

“I can see you enjoyed yourself,” he replied.  “You did a hell of a job, sunshine.”

I took the target down and stepped away from the rifle.

“Do you want to try?” I asked him.  “You should.  Everyone should experience doing that.  Wow, what a rush.”

“I’ve already shot rifles before, Elle.  I hadn’t planned on shooting one today, but since you’re so amped about it, I’ll do a few rounds.”

It was then Dom snuck his head around the corner and peeked over into our lane.  I held my target up and showed it to him.  He grinned at me, gave me a fist bump, and praised me, “Solid work, sista!”

“Thanks!  Levi’s going to shoot a couple rounds.  Will you take my picture with my targets?  I can’t wait to share this.  If nothing else, Becky will know not to mess with me.”

Dom laughed at me, but took pictures for me anyway.

The four of us spent the next hour swapping lanes and shooting different guns.  I had such a great time that I asked Levi if he’d take me to the shooting range again when we got home.  He agreed. 

We stopped for a late lunch before we made our way back to the hotel.  When we arrived back at our suite, I walked in ahead of Levi and went straight through to the bedroom.  I kicked off my sneakers, closed my eyes, and dropped to my back on the bed.  Seconds later, I felt Levi’s body come over mine. 

My eyes slowly opened as my hands instinctively went to his shoulders. 

“It was Wes that called when we got to the range,” he shared.

I dipped my head and confirmed, “I figured as much.  I turned off my phone when he called me not two minutes prior.”

“Why did you do that?” he asked, his voice soft.

I took in a deep breath and blew it out.

“I don’t like the way it feels when the people I love most in the world, people I’ve put my faith in, don’t trust my judgment.  It hurts to know I have one hundred percent confidence in you and you don’t trust my instincts.”

“Elle, I’m sorry for making you feel like I don’t believe in you.  That’s not the case at all.  This isn’t about me not trusting you.  I know it’s possible that Becky got into your account, but I think there’s part of me that doesn’t want to believe we’re dealing with someone who is not only crazy, but also has the capability to pull that off.  She’s got to have some serious skills to hack into your account.  She’s making such calculated moves and I don’t like it.  For me, it’d be easier to believe that there was one thing that she did that was simply coincidence.”

When he explained his reasoning behind what he said this morning, I understood it.  Of course, that did little to change what happened earlier...and the fact that it happened in front of Dom and Pierce.

“I appreciate you offering me an explanation of your line of thinking, but it was embarrassing, Levi.  You made me feel like a fool in front of Dom and Pierce and, more than that, you broke my heart by not standing beside me in something I felt so strongly about.  It makes me question whether I should give you my thoughts on anything moving forward.  From where I’m standing, if you can’t support and believe in what I’m saying when I give you the bad news, why would I ever want to share the good with you?”

Defeat washed over his face and he dropped his head down.

When he lifted it, he admitted, “I never meant to disappoint you, sunshine.  You’ve got to believe me when I say that.  It kills me to hear you say you feel like you need to reconsider what you share with me.  I’m with you, Elle.  One hundred percent.  Please don’t doubt that.  I want you to give me all of it -- every thought running through your mind, every instinct in your gut, and every single emotion in your heart.  Don’t take that away from me.”

“I believe you, Levi.  I felt your apology in the kiss you gave me at the range.  I just needed to tell you how this made me feel because as much as you don’t want me to take those things away from you, I don’t want to do it that much more. I want you to have them and I want to know I can trust you with them.”

His face softened and he promised, “You can, sweetness.  I swear you can.”

“That’s good because right now I’m feeling lots of emotions in my heart that I’d like to share with you, the first of which is that we should kiss and make up.”

Levi grinned and challenged, “Oh yeah? What other emotions do you have for me after I kiss you?”

A seductive grin slid into place and I disclosed, “I want to give you honey.”

“Is that so?” he wondered with his lips inches from mine.

I didn’t answer him. 

I lifted my head and gave him my mouth.  He took it before taking the rest of what I was offering. 

It was then that I realized that having a spat here and there wasn’t so bad because Levi went above and beyond when he wanted to make things up to me.