Liam follows Harper and me home. All of us pull into the driveway. Liam is out of his car first, scanning the street for any threat. He ushers us up the steps. Bile rises in my throat when I see the spilled vase of roses. After I unlock the door, Liam tells us to wait there while he checks the house. He pulls a gun from the back of his pants before stepping inside.

After a few minutes, he comes to get us, pulling us inside and locking the door behind us. “Both of you, hurry. Grab what you need and as much as you can.”

Harper takes off toward her room. She didn’t even want to come back here for clothes, saying she can just wear things from work, but what she couldn’t be without is her computer and other essentials for the online side of her boutique.

I turn toward Liam. “Can you help grab some of my things while I call the victim line number to see what happened?”

His knuckles brush over my cheek. “Anything, baby. You have a lot of stuff at my place, anyway.”

We go to my room together, walking hand in hand. He guides me in, looking around again, even though he just cleared the house. “I don’t want to stay here long. I want to get y’all back to my place where I know it’s safer. I don’t care if the cops said to wait for them. They’re taking too long to get here. You can go in later for your statement.”

“Just pack any clothes. I’ll make it work. My toiletries are still at your house from last night.”

Liam pulls a duffle from the closet, setting on the bed. He goes back into the closet to grab clothes. I start searching for the number and identification number. Once I find it, I call.

I go through the automated prompts until I can speak with an agent. I wait on hold, listening to awful music until finally, someone picks up the phone.

“This is Brenda,” a soft voice says. “How may I help you?”

Liam is now sitting on the edge of my bed with a stuffed duffle next to him, watching me. He says quietly, “Put it on speaker.”

I take the phone from my ear, putting it on speaker. “Hi, I’m looking to get information on an inmate.” I rattle off my ID number and Aiden’s inmate number.

“Just give me one moment, please.”

I step toward Liam. He grabs my hand between both of his, bringing my knuckles to his mouth to kiss them. I look around the room that I’ve made my home for the last five years. This room used to be my place of solitude, my only sanctuary. It was the only place I felt safe. Back when I couldn’t go to a grocery store, I barely left this room. I chose to stay in here, in the dark, and pretend I could somehow be fine someday. I finally found ways to move on, and Aiden has taken this room away from me, along with everything else he took.

I tighten my grip on the phone, rage pumping through me. I find more hate for him, hating him for taking more from me. I will not let him win this. When this is done, there will only be one of us, of that I’m sure. I’ll make damn sure that it is me who is remaining here on the earth—breathing, living, and loving.

“Yes, I have that right here, Ms. Evans. Inmate Aiden Klein was released three months ago due to overcrowding and good behavior. You were contacted by phone a week before the release.”

“No one called me,” I insist. Three months. I look at Liam. He’s been out longer than we’ve known each other. He could have been watching me—watching us—this entire time. I think back to each moment when I thought someone was watching me. Was that him? Was that my imagination as I thought it was all these years? I’ve felt watchful eyes since he’s been in prison. I always looked around and wondered, but usually chalked it up to my imagination because he was in prison, but for three months he’s been wandering free.

“Yes, I have here in the notes, that you were notified by phone one week prior to his release. You were spoken to directly, no message left.”

“What’s the number on file?” Liam barks. My eyes shoot to Liam. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that question. How can they insist they’ve had a conversation with me that never happened? I would have remembered if my psychotic ex-boyfriend was being released from prison, that’s the kind of thing you keep on the calendar. The day that your world will crumble around you again is a pretty important day.

Brenda rattles off a number. I nod … until the last digit. “That’s not my number,” I mumble. “Y’all called the wrong person.”

I hang up the phone, not caring for a response. It’s too late now. The damage is done. He’s out. He knows where I live and they had the wrong number.

* * *

The next week passes without incident. Harper and I continue to stay at Liam’s, neither of us wanting to go back to the house yet. We went back once to get more clothes. I felt like the entire house was ready to pounce, that something was hiding behind every nook and cranny, waiting to jump out at me.

After two days, Harper went back to her store.

Liam has been extremely protective throughout the week, begging me to stay home from work while he works from home. I feel like a caged animal inside of Liam’s house. He doesn’t want me going to check the mail by myself. He barely lets me out of his sight in his own home with a new state-of-the-art security system.

“Where are you going?” Liam asks as I get up from the couch I’ve been perched on for days.

“Outside,” I bite out.

“I’ll come with you, I could use some fresh air.”

I turn toward him, my hands balled into fists. I can’t take this anymore. I can’t be caged. I can protect myself. I can stand in a fenced backyard for a while without a damn bodyguard. I want air and sun. I’ve been trapped in a house before, once against my will and once of my own doing. I refuse to live that way again. “No, I want to go alone.”

“I want to come with you, gorgeous.” Liam puts down his laptop and stands, sauntering over to me. His arms come up as if he’s going to touch me.

I take a step back. “No,” I say as calmly as possible. “I want to be alone.”

The easygoing mask drops from his face, his features set into a scowl. He crosses his arms over his chest, taking a step toward me. “That’s not a good idea right now.”

“It’s been a week,” I tell Liam. “Nothing more has happened. Harper has gone back to work.”

“That fucker isn’t after Harper.” Liam points at me, almost yelling, “He’s after you.”

“You don’t think I know that?”

Liam’s hand dives through his hair roughly before he crosses his arms again. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I would rather be with you if you’re going outside.”

I’m vibrating with the need to break free. My eyes start burning, tears threatening to pool in them. I grit my teeth to keep my lip from wobbling. I’m feeling helpless, trapped in a house. I know Liam and James think it’s for my protection, but I can protect myself. I can get some damn air by myself. I hate that I slipped back into my old ways when I saw the roses on my desk and at my house. I knew this day would come, and I still reacted exactly how I didn’t want to. I will not live my life in fear of him. I will not react that way again.

“You think he’s hiding out in the bushes in your backyard?” I shout at Liam.

He takes another step closer to me, eyebrows pulling in farther. His nostrils flare. “I want to keep you safe.”

“I can keep myself safe,” I cry, running my hands through my hair, pulling at the roots. “I can’t stay trapped in here. I’ve done that. I refuse to do it again.”

Liam just stares at me, breathing hard. His face softens a fraction as he takes another step toward me. “Savannah,” he pleads.

“I need air, Liam,” I plead with him. I bite the insides of my cheeks to keep from crying. “I can’t be caged. I’d rather be in danger than be caged again.”

“I just want to keep you safe, baby,” Liam says, looking down and letting out a big breath.

“I don’t want you to keep me safe.”

Liam’s gaze darts back to mine. Fury takes over his features. “You don’t want me?”

“Don’t twist my words.”

“Then say what you meant because it sounds a whole hell of a lot like you’re trying to get rid of me. What is so wrong with wanting to keep you safe? I don’t want to lose you, Savannah.”

I huff out a breath, clenching my teeth together. “I don’t need a man standing in front of me, protecting me. I fought hard and trained hard to be able to protect myself. I will not be a damsel in distress, standing behind a man begging him to stop the danger.”

“Dammit, Savannah.” He takes another step toward me, and I take one more step back, my back pressing against the wall. He’s right in front of me, but he doesn’t touch me. His eyes are flitting all over my face. He raises a hand like he’s going to cup my cheek, but balls it in a fist instead, dropping it at his side.

“Don’t you get it, gorgeous? I don’t want to stand in front of you. I see you exactly as you are. Strong and fierce. I know damn well you can protect yourself. I don’t doubt that for a second, but you can’t blame me for wanting to protect you. I would stand in front of a bullet for you.”

I shake my head, wanting to protest, but he keeps going. “I don’t want to defend you in front of you, blocking you from any danger. I know that isn’t you. I just want the opportunity to fight next to you. With you. Us together.”