“HE WAS IN MY FUCKING HOME, LIAM!” Landen yelled as he stomped up and down the floor of his living room in temper. “In my home. What if Amelia had been home? What if he had hurt Carla? I want you to catch this son of a bitch, and this time I want it finished. Because if you don’t, I will find him myself, and I will end it for good. I promise you that.”

“We have an APB out on him,” Liam assured Landen as he tried his hardest to calm his brother down. “And this time, I promise there will be no taking the easy way out for him. This time he will go away for a long time. That I can promise you.”

“I don’t want him gone for a long time,” Landen griped. “I want him gone for good.”

“I know, you do,” Liam sighed. “But I need you to let me do this Landen. I need you to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid.”

Landen stared at his brother for a moment. If he was honest, he knew in his heart it was a promise he couldn’t make. If he had the chance, he would kill Pete, of that he was certain.

After his conversation with the hospital in Chicago, his first thought was to call Amelia to check on her. He knew she was at work and that with Callum around, she would be safe till he got to her to take her home.

When she answered the phone, Landen instantly felt a rush of relief, but her phone cut off, and Landen didn’t know what to think. He tried calling her back a couple of times, but now she wasn’t answering.

Without even thinking, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the elevator, as Nikki hurried after him pleading with him to call Liam before he did anything stupid. But Landen didn’t even slow down. He needed to get to Amelia as quickly as he possibly could. He thought of ringing Mike to come get him, as he rode down in the elevator, but he knew jumping into a cab would be just as fast.

By the time he reached the Kennedy Headquarters, Landen’s mind was working in overtime; filled with what if’s and maybes, and every worst-case scenario he could think of.

“Where’s Amelia?” Landen demanded as he rushed into the office, almost killing Eloise with fright.

“She left a little while ago,” Eloise replied, giving Landen a confused look. “She finished what she had to do then went home.”

“Did she say she was going straight home?” Landen asked as he tried to think what his next move should be.

“I don’t know,” Eloise replied nervously. “I don’t remember.”

“THINK, DAMN IT!” He yelled as he hit her desk hard with his fists. “DID SHE SAY SHE WAS GOING HOME?”

“I…I think so,” Eloise stammered.

“What the hell is going on?” Callum asked as he came rushing out of his office. “Landen, why are you shouting at my assistant?”

“I need to find Amelia,” Landen replied as he turned, looking at his brother. “Reynolds is out.”

“Fuck!” Callum exclaimed as he too looked at Eloise. “Did she say where she was going?”

“I…I don’t know,” Eloise replied as she looked from Callum to Landen. “But she had that huge bouquet of flowers with her, so I don’t imagine she would be going anywhere but home with them.”

Landen quickly pulled his phone from his pocket, hoping that just maybe Amelia called Mike for a ride home because she had the flowers.

“Mike it’s me,” Landen said before Mike even had a chance to say hello. “Is Amelia in the car with you?”

“Yes, Sir,” Mike replied. Landen could instantly feel himself relax a little.

“I want you to take her straight home,” Landen instructed him. “I don’t care what she says, I also want you to accompany her up to the penthouse. Don’t let her out in front of the building. Don’t let her out of your sight until you get her home. Is that clear?”

“Certainly, Sir,” Mike replied.

“Good,” Landen said before he added. “I think that fucker is in San Francisco, so keep your eyes open.”

Landen didn’t wait for a response before he hung up the phone. Right now, he just wanted to get home to Amelia, to make sure that she was okay.

Callum offered to drive Landen back to his penthouse and then insisted that he came up with him, to check that Amelia was okay too.

Landen knew that Callum was probably as worried about him, as he was about Amelia. Liam had warned them all that Reynolds would probably come after Landen before he went after Amelia.

In Pete Reynolds eyes, Landen was competition, the one thing standing in the way of him and Amelia. Landen knew that Callum wanted to be sure that he was okay, and if Landen was honest, he was grateful for the support.

He had just stepped off the elevator, making his way down the hallway to the bedroom when he heard Amelia scream.

His heart almost stopped as he kicked in the bathroom door, not really knowing what he was going to find. Never in his life had he been more terrified than he was right at that very moment.

“Landen, promise me,” Liam urged his brother, bringing him back from his thoughts. “I need you to take care of Amelia, let me take care of Reynolds.”

He looked at Amelia, who was sitting next to Nikki on the sofa. As he did, she looked up at him and gave him a pleading look. He wanted so much to protect her, but he also knew that if he had the chance, he would kill Reynolds.

But right now, she needed him. She needed him to keep her safe, all he wanted to do was to make her happy once more.

“I promise,” he replied as he walked across the room, sitting down on the sofa next to Amelia. He instinctively wrapped his arm around her, as she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace.

The buzzer on for the door sounded, and Amelia froze. Landen hated that even with everyone there, she was still beyond terrified of Pete.

Carla hurried to answer the door and came back a few moments later to inform Landen that his mother and father, were on their way up and that Finn was with them.

“I can’t do this anymore,” Amelia sighed as she pushed away from Landen and stood up from the sofa.

“Amelia?” Landen said as he gave her a questioning look. “What do you mean?”

“Look at us,” Amelia exclaimed as fresh tears trickled down her face. “Is this going to be our life forever now? Am I to spend the rest of my life being baby-sat like some precious diamond? Because that’s no life, that’s a prison sentence.”

“It’s only until we pick him up, Amelia,” Liam assured her, but Landen knew his words had fallen on deaf ears. She had reached breaking point, he knew she was coming undone.

“I know you think that Liam,” Amelia replied, sounding completely defeated. “But this is never going to end. He is going to keep coming back until one of us is dead. Sometimes I wish he would just get it over and done with, and kill me already.”

Without saying another word, Amelia turned, heading back down the hallway, towards her bedroom.

Landen stood up to follow her, but before he could, Nikki stood up too, stopping him.

“Let me,” Nikki said as she gave him a knowing smile before she turned, hurrying down the hallway after Amelia.

“You know she doesn’t mean that,” Callum assured Landen, as he just stood there, staring into space. Before Landen could answer, the ping from the elevator sounded, as Nell, Sean, and Finn made their way down along the hallway to the living room.

“Is she okay?” Nell demanded the moment she saw Landen. She quickly closed the distance between her and her son, instinctively wrapping her arms around him.

“No, not really,” Landen replied knowing that everything was falling apart but having no clue how to fix it.

“Where is she?” Nell asked as she released Landen from her embrace, holding him at arm’s length.

“She’s gone to lie down,” Landen nodded towards the hallway where Amelia had vanished moments earlier. “Nik is with her, but she isn’t doing so good.”

“Can you blame her?” Nell asked, giving her son a sad smile. “That poor girl has to be scared out of her mind.”

“He was in our home, Mom,” Landen breathed out. “In our bedroom. I promised her he would never get near her again, and he was right here. What am I supposed to do?”

“We will get him, Son,” Sean promised. “I have called in a few favours, we aren’t going to stop until this asshole is behind bars.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Landen said, giving his father a grateful smile, but in his heart, he knew that wasn’t going to be enough. Not for Amelia to ever feel truly safe.

“What are you going to do now?” Finn asked, and Landen hated that even Finn looked scared for them. “Surely you can’t stay here.”

“I don’t know,” Landen replied honestly. “I don’t know what Amelia wants. She won’t talk to me, so I have no clue what she is even thinking.”

“Well, you could come and stay with me for a bit,” Finn offered. “I mean, I’ve lots of room.”

“Nonsense,” Nell interrupted him. “They are coming home, and that’s the end of it.”

“Mom,” Landen sighed. “I need to see what Amelia wants to do. I don’t want to do anything until she talks to me.”

“What about the wedding,” Callum asked the one question Landen didn’t want to answer. He had no clue what was going to happen about the wedding now. As far as he was concerned, nothing had changed for him regarding the wedding, but he didn’t know if the same thing applied to Amelia.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, wishing he could have given his brother a different answer. “I mean, I want to get married. I would marry her right now if she agreed to it, but I honestly don’t know what she is thinking.”

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Nell asked, giving her son a sad smile.

“Thanks, Mom,” Landen sighed. “But I think this is something I need to deal with myself.”

Landen turned, walking down the hallway to their room and tapped on the door softly before he pushed it open, stepping inside.

When he stepped inside, he found Amelia sitting on the bed, next to Nikki, sobbing once more. Landen hurried across the room, as Nikki stood up. Landen sat down, wrapping Amelia in his arms.

“Please don’t cry,” Landen whispered, as he held her tightly, while Nikki just quietly left them alone. “I will do whatever it takes, whatever you want to do, I will do it. Just please, talk to me.”

“What is there left to say,” Amelia sobbed without lifting her head from her chest.

“I need you to tell me that we are going to be okay,” Landen pleaded. “I need to know that I’m not going to turn around and find that you’re gone. I need to know that the love you feel for me, is stronger than the hate you have for that man.”

“Of course it is,” Amelia said as she sat up, looking at him. “How could you even ask me that?”

“Because I’m scared, Amelia,” Landen replied honestly. “I’m scared that I’m going to lose you; that I’m going to lose the best thing that's ever happened to me. I don’t know the right things to say to make this right,”

“Why do you have to make it right?” Amelia replied as she reached out for his hand.

“But what you said earlier,” Landen explained. “About how you wished he would just kill you…”

“I was upset, Landen!” Amelia replied as she looked up into his eyes. “I still am.”

“And what about the wedding?” Landen asked.

“I don’t know,” Amelia replied honestly, much to Landen’s dismay. “I mean, right now I can’t think about anything except how that creep was in our home.”

“That will never happen again,” Landen assured her.

“I know,” Amelia sighed. “And I know you said that what happened with the hospital will never happen again either; but don’t you get it. This is Pete. This is what he does. He worms his way out of everything…”

“He is not going to worm his way out of this,” Landen stopped her mid-sentence. “We are going to catch him, and when we do, I will make sure that he never sees the light of day again.”

Amelia smiled as she reached up as softly touched Landen’s face.

“I know you believe that,” Amelia sighed, giving him a smile. “But he will never give up. He is never going to let me be happy. He is never going to let me go.”

“So now what?” Landen asked Amelia, not knowing if he wanted to hear her answer. “What do we need to do to make this right?”

“I don’t know,” she replied, blowing out a long, deep breath. “I just feel so tired.”

“I know,” Landen said, pulling her to him once more, and kissed her on the forehead. “And I don’t want to force you to do something, or make a decision when you feel like you do, but I need to know. Amelia, I want you to be my wife, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I need to know, is that what you still want, too?”

Amelia lifted her head and looked up at Landen once more. Landen held his breath for a moment, unsure of what she was about to say.

“Every fiber of my body is telling me that the right thing to do it leave,” she admitted, her eyes not leaving his. “It’s the right thing to do. Getting married while that…that monster is out there somewhere; it seems like the most ridiculous idea in the world… it’s meant to be the happiest day of my life.”

“Amelia,” Landen sighed taking hold of her hand. “I know I’m asking a lot, asking you to trust me again, but I am. I’ll hire an army if that’s what it takes to protect you. The best men that money can buy. Just don’t let him win.”

Amelia stared at Landen for a few moments, and he knew she was considering her response. Landen had no idea what was going through her mind, and if he was honest, he wasn’t sure he really wanted to know.

“Okay,” Amelia finally said, as a slow smile spread across her face.

“Okay?” Landen repeated, unsure what she was saying okay to.

“Okay, Landen Murphy,” she continued with a smile. “I will still marry you.”

Landen gave Amelia a huge grin before he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you,” he whispered against her lips before kissing her softly.

Right at that moment, Nikki came barging back into the room.

“Shit, I’m sorry!” She exclaimed as she turned her back to them. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but the troops are getting restless out here. Nell is moments away from coming down here and packing a bag for you both, to take you home with her.

“She’s what?” Amelia asked as she stood up from the bed. Nikki turned to face her and gave her a smile before Amelia turned to Landen as gave him a questioning look. “Why would your mom think we are going home with her?”

“She wants us to stay there for a few days,” Landen explained as he too stood up. “You know, until everything settles down again. I mean, I wasn’t sure if you would want to stay here after…”

“This is my home,” Amelia told Landen, stunning him a little with her reaction. “This is our home. I am not letting that asshole run me out of another home. Not this time.”

“But I thought…” Landen said, not really sure what it was he thought.

“If I’m going to do this,” Amelia explained as suddenly there was a new determination in her voice. “If we are going through with the wedding, and everything else; then I’m staying here. I’m not running. Not this time.”

“Are you sure?” Landen asked her as a wave of pride swell deep inside him.

“No,” Amelia replied with a nervous laugh. “But this is what I’m going to do anyway. I refuse to let him win. Not again.”

“Then we are staying here,” Landen replied with a nodded, leaning forward and kissing Amelia on the forehead. “I guess I should go and tell Mom the good news. Though I am not sure, that’s how she’ll see it.”

“Thank you,” Amelia said, giving him a grateful smile.

“Anything for you,” Landen replied before he hurried out of the room, and back down along the hallway. He felt happy knowing that no matter what else happened, he and Amelia were going to be just fine.