24. Veronica

Chapter 24

Veronica

T he car ride to the Phoenix airport felt quieter than it should have been, though Eli’s presence beside me filled the space without needing words. I kept sneaking glances at him, tracing the sharp lines of his face and the way his hands gripped the steering wheel with a mix of strength and ease. He caught me looking once and smirked, making me roll my eyes to hide the flutter in my chest.

We’d spent the rest of the day hanging out with Maxim, reviewing the data I’d found on Spato instead of in my bedroom, as I’d imagined. The whole time, I’d been fascinated watching Eli doing the man spread across from my cousin, who looked like he was eating ground-up glass. The dick-measuring contest was insanity .

But even with Eli next to me, my mind was busy. With Maxim at the house, I couldn’t shake the lingering tension. He hadn’t said much, but how he’d looked at Eli—like he was assessing a threat—had told me everything I needed to know. Maxim didn’t trust him, but that didn’t stop me from wanting Eli, from being drawn to him in ways I couldn’t explain.

I stared out the window, the desert landscape blurring by, trying to make sense of everything. “Maxim’s going to be watching us, you know?” I said, breaking the silence.

Eli’s eyes flicked toward me briefly. “Figured as much.”

“He doesn’t trust you.” I bit my lip, hesitating before continuing. “He thinks you’ll hurt me.”

Eli’s jaw clenched, and I regretted saying it for a second. But then he spoke, his voice low. “Maybe he’s right.”

My chest tightened at his words, though I knew Eli wasn’t trying to scare me. If anything, he was warning me. But I wasn’t afraid of him. If anything, that edge of danger was what pulled me closer. “Maybe I want you to,” I said softly, looking over at him.

He didn’t respond, just kept his eyes on the road, his fingers flexing on the wheel the only sign that he was affected. I could still feel the lingering touch of his hands from the night before, the way he knew just how far to push me without crossing a line. That was Eli—dangerous but in control. And despite everything, I trusted him.

“Is that so? You’re going to be punished for that later.”

I shifted in the seat, gripping the seatbelt, knowing that he meant it only in the best ways. Since knowing him, I’d realized that my interests might be a little more varied than I thought.

As we pulled into the airport parking lot, I shifted the conversation, trying to lighten things up. “That sort of thing doesn’t make me want to be good. It’s all incentive for me. The punishment.”

He adjusted his zipper. “Noted.” He slanted a look at me. “Does your friend know I’m with you?” Eli asked, parking the car.

“Yeah, I told her,” I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. “She’s excited to meet you,” I lied. It hadn’t come up. When Reed called this morning, she’d been in an absolute blind panic. She said she’d take me up on the offer to fly out if it was still available. Of course, I agreed immediately, but I was curious about why she was so eager to come out. I was sure Reed was interested in Eli, but it wasn’t why she was coming to Arizona.

Eli raised an eyebrow. “Excited, huh?”

I grinned. “Well, curious might be the better word. She’s been hearing about you for a while.”

Reed and I had been friends for years through a lot of different hospital trips and battles with my family over my health. She had been one of those few people that I could count on. One of my girl crew. And while I’d told her about my life, I hadn’t exactly explained everything. How could I?

We headed toward the terminal, walking side by side as we moved through the bustling crowd. Eli stayed close, holding my hand in his like it was precious. This was the first time we had been together in public, and I realized we’d never even walked anywhere together. He was tall, broad, and muscled. Next to me, he appeared to be a giant hulking beside me. Women and men alike shifted away. He scowled so much at people you’d think he was planning to knife someone any second.

“Relax, buddy. Nobody will bite you,” I teased, squeezing his hand. “I’ll protect you.”

“Very funny. You never know about people.” He looked darkly at some poor lady who scurried away from us. “You know what I mean? They hide behind their cardboard faces and their fake lives.”

I looked at him, startled, but he kept moving us forward as if he hadn’t said something so shocking. He wasn’t wrong. So many people loved to post pictures of their perfect lives on social media when behind those photos lay broken pieces—travesties nobody knew about. I didn’t think that made them ‘cardboard people,’ though.People were just doing the best they could. Maybe Eli saw that as people being fake … but sometimes it was just people getting by.

As we approached baggage claim, I spotted Reed immediately. She stood out, as always, with her red hair swinging in a sassy bob and a bold graphic tee that read ‘Spicy’ in bright neon letters. She waved when she saw me, her face lighting up with unmistakable relief.

“Ronnie!” she called, waving us over.

I pulled Eli with me, trying to walk faster. “Slow down, angel. We’ll get there.” He kept me ambling forward until I pulled Reed into a hug.

“It’s been way too long. I’m so glad you came,” I told her.

She looked as exhausted in person as I thought she looked the other evening. Reed had always been naturally bubbly, and while we had only met once in real life (I’d been in the hospital), she’d always been energetic in every conversation and video chat. Right now, she looked like she’d been wrung out of every drop of vibrancy.

Reed stepped back, eyeing Eli with open curiosity. “So, this is the infamous Eli that you’ve been obsessing over?” she asked, giving him a brief once-over.

Eli crossed his arms but held himself close enough to block the traffic around us. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes. “I guess I am.”

The question hadn’t been directed at him, but she steeled herself and said, “Good to finally meet you. Ronnie’s been talking all about you while she hunted around for information.” Her words were cautious, but her hands gave her away. They were shaking, and I wasn’t the only one that noticed.

“Nice to meet you, too. Veronica has been looking forward to your visit.” Eli’s posture hadn’t changed, but he kept his tone low and measured. I caught the fact that Reed seemed to struggle to look at him. What the hell was going on with her?

“Come on, babe.” I looped my arm through hers. “Let’s find that bag of yours. Eli here has the muscles, and he’s our driver. We’ll blow out of this joint before you know it.” Gratitude shone in her eyes as her hand gripped mine.

In no time, we found her battered suitcase—I was surprised it made it through handling and the transfer—and we were back in the car.

I asked her, “Do you want to stop for food? Are you hungry, or should we wait until we get to the house?”

“Let’s wait.” She was preoccupied with looking out the window at the terminal as we exited the airport, but there wasn’t much to see. Honestly, this part of Phoenix was pretty boring.

“They’ll be sights to see once we get closer to my house. The desert is pretty there, especially right around the house. We live out kind of by ourselves. It’s beautiful at night.”

“I don’t think that’s what she’s looking for,” Eli said under his breath as he signaled a lane change onto the freeway.

I was confused; looking over my shoulder at Reed, I could see she was still looking out the back window. Eli shook his head, indicating that I shouldn’t ask, so I shut my mouth, and he turned on the radio .

During the entire ride back to Haverboro, Reed alternated between looking out the window as if the devil himself were chasing her and answering my questions distractedly.

S he wasn't her usual carefree self. Instead, her eyes kept darting to the rearview mirror, like she was expecting someone to pop up behind us. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and the lively energy I was used to from her was replaced by something wan and tired.

I glanced over at her as we pulled into the driveway, and she quickly averted her gaze, her fingers tapping nervously on the edge of her seat. Reed never fidgeted. This was new.

Something was wrong.

Eli noticed it, too. He stayed quiet the whole ride back, his eyes always sharp, watching everything, including her.

"Hey, are you okay?” I asked as we parked, turning toward her. My voice was light, and I tried not to push too hard.

Reed forced a smile. "Yeah, just tired. It’s been a long week." Her voice was flat, and I wasn’t buying it.

"You seem... different," I pressed gently. "More than just tired."

I saw the panic flash across her face for a split second before she smoothed it over. "I’m fine, Ronnie. Just a lot on my mind. Let’s go inside."

I watched as she climbed out of the car, her shoulders tense, and then glanced at Eli. He met my eyes briefly, giving me a subtle nod. He was on alert, too, probably more than me.

As we walked into the house, the noise hit me instantly. Male voices rang out from the courtyard from the open patio doors. I could see Natasha lounging in Pike’s lap, her bare legs draped over his, and I was amazed to see Maxim and Dimitri across from them.

What alternate universe was I in?

“Gangs all here, I guess,” Eli said with a smile, his hand firm on the small of my back.

Reed stepped forward gingerly. “Wow. Who are those guys?”

“Family. I’ll introduce you.”

She’d seen photos of a few of them, but I guess she was too stressed out to remember. I pulled her forward. It was best to get it over with .

“We’re back. This is my friend Reed. Everyone Reed. Reed everyone. Those are my cousins Maxim and Dimitri. My sister Natasha, you know already from before. That’s her boyfriend, Pike.”

“Nice to see you again, Reed,” Natasha said. “I’m so glad you came.”

The men all gave their required pleasantries, and I moved to pull her from the courtyard. She was already making me nervous about the way she was acting. The sooner we got out of the testosterone-fueled environment, the better.

"Nice to meet everyone. I promise I won’t take up too much space."

Maxim’s brow furrowed, and I could tell he also picked up on Reed’s weird energy. “Don’t be ridiculous. There is plenty of room here.”

“I’m just going to get her settled in the guest room. Eli, can you bring the suitcase?”

“When you’re done with that, Eli, we have some questions,” Dimitri let the comment hang in the air for a torturous second. “About the fight.”

“No problem. I’ll be back to answer those for you after I do what my girl tells me to.” He winked at them like he wasn’t pissing off people who could and would kill him .

As we retreated, I could hear behind us a litany of comments.

“I want to kill that little fuck.”

“He’s my brother. No killing.”

“Ronnie likes him.”

“Maybe we could just beat him up a little.”

“Why do you have to poke the bears?” I asked Eli with exasperation, blowing hair out of my face.

“I thought that was what all the signs said. Poke the bears? Feed the Bears? Don’t feed the bears? Don’t poke the bears? I can’t remember. I never went to school, you know.” He gave me a wicked smile.

Once we reached the guest room, he put her suitcase on the foot of the bed and kissed me. “Alright, angel, I’ll go face the bears. You come to find me soon, alright.”

“Alright.” I leaned up for another quick kiss. “See you soon.”

Once he’d left, I turned to face her. “Ok, Reed. Seriously, what’s going on?"

She sighed heavily, sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers trembling as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I don’t know how to explain it, Ronnie. I just... I had to get away. There was someone at home that wouldn’t leave me alone. I promise I won’t stay long.” She flopped on the bed and let out a sigh. “It just all seemed to go wrong.”

“What are you talking about? Who wouldn’t leave you alone? Like, you’re in trouble? You can stay as long as you want. I mean that. Forever if you want.” My pulse skyrocketed, and I looked at her in alarm.

“Thanks, Ronnie. I really appreciate it and the ticket. I didn’t know where else to go. She leaned forward to hug me, sniffling. I hugged her back but withdrew as soon as I felt the telltale buildup of the tickle in my throat, which meant I was about to start coughing.

She watched me with concern as I struggled for a few minutes before I gave in and started coughing. There were always those few moments where I just struggled to get air into my lungs and then coughed some more. It was a vicious cycle. Reed got up and went to get a cup of water from the bathroom. “Have you been hydrating? You know that you should be hydrating.”

The bedroom door burst open, and I considered going for my inhaler. Eli came in carrying my purse. He thrust it at me and then sat to rub circles on my back while I took a puff and then another .

“That’s it, my good girl. You’re fine. You’re okay. Take slow breaths.”

I nodded as I coughed, but I could already tell that the medicine was taking effect. “I’m okay,” I repeated. My body gave a few more half-hearted coughs and heaves, my lungs feeling like they were aching in my chest with each breath. I thought about asking Eli how he knew I needed my inhaler, but I decided I didn’t care.

“Stalker,” I whispered.

“That’s me.”

Reed watched me with concern and guilt in her eyes. Her lips pressed tightly together as she fidgeted with the hem of her shirt again. "I shouldn’t have come here, Ronnie. Not with you already dealing with your own stuff." Her voice was quiet, but the weight of her words was heavy. She was spiraling, and the worry I had for her deepened.

"You’re exactly where you should be," I said firmly, leaning back against Eli for a second as I caught my breath. "You needed to get away, and you’ll be safe here. Don’t think for a second that you don’t belong here. You do."

Eli’s hand moved from my back to my shoulder, squeezing gently as he stood up. "Veronica’s right. Whatever’s going on, we’ll handle it. You don’t have to be alone if something is happening or someone is bothering you.”

Reed didn’t respond; she just stared down at the floor, her brows furrowed as if she were wrestling with something in her mind. Even now, she was still on high alert, even in the safety of the house, as if she half-expected someone to burst in and drag her out.

"Reed, who was bothering you back home? Who couldn’t leave you alone?"

She hesitated a long moment before finally whispering, "I took an extra job at the front desk of a hotel. I needed the extra money. There was this guy, Doug. He was a customer at the hotel. He stayed a few nights, and he asked for my number.” At the alarm on my face, she rushed to answer. “He was a creep, so I said no.”

The knot in my stomach tightened. “I’m guessing that wasn’t the end of it?”

“No. Then, he started to come by during my shifts. He called the desk, and somehow he got my number.” Eli’s face hardened. “I saw him a few times near my apartment, so I moved.”

“Sounds like he was stalking you,” I said. It was all making a lot more sense to me now, her trepidation about Eli’s stalking and my reaction to it. It hadn’t made sense to her why I’d been okay with it when she’d been scared by what was happening in her life. I fumbled in my purse for a throat lozenge, unwrapping it and popping it in my mouth.

Reed shook her head slowly. “I don’t know, but I felt like I was seeing him everywhere. I quit the hotel job and blocked his number. I couldn’t afford to get a new one. Then, I stayed on a friend’s couch for a few nights, but when I went back one night, he was on the street outside. Maybe he’s nice and just really likes me.” She looked down, her eyes rimmed with exhaustion. "I can’t tell what’s real anymore."

“Reed, did you get a good feeling from him? Like a feeling that you felt safe with him? That he was a good man for you?” I asked.

“No.” A whole body shiver took her from head to toe, and her eyes met mine. “No,” she repeated.

“Then that’s what’s real babe. That fucker is a creep.”

"You’re not paranoid," Eli cut in, his voice quiet but firm. "If your gut tells you something’s off, you listen to it. Always. You did the right thing to run.”

I nodded, feeling the seriousness of his words. "We’ll handle this, Reed. You don’t have to do this alone anymore. "

She gave me a small, grateful smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Thanks, Ronnie. I’m just... really tired. I hope I didn’t bring trouble here.”

“Take a nap,” I told her, squeezing her hand. “I’ll wake you for dinner. Maybe we can watch a chick flick and video the girls.” She nodded. “What was the hotel called?”

“Sunset Lodge.”

As I stood, Eli followed me out of the room, his hand resting on the small of my back again. "You think she could have been followed?" he asked in a low voice once we were out of earshot.

I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "I don’t know, but that guy sounds like he was a total dick.”

“Well, let’s see what we can dig up on Doug,” Eli said, his voice thoughtful. "And I’m sure you have ways to see if anything pops up around the house. If someone’s following her, we’ll find out. We can take care of it if he doesn’t follow her, but I hate to chase people.”

We made our way back to the courtyard where the others were gathered. Pike and Dimitri were in the middle of some banter about bikes, and the easy flow of conversation was the opposite of what Reed was dealing with .

"Did Reed settle in?" Natasha asked, her voice soft and happy. She still sat with Pike, her legs swinging idly.

"Yeah," I replied, sitting down next to her. "She’s just tired. She’s going to have a nap before dinner."

“Maybe a nap is a good idea,” Eli suggested, tucking me next to him and placing a glass of water in my hands. “Drink up.”

“For fuck’s sake. Are you insane?” Dimitri growled at Eli.

“She’s tired it’s been a long day, and she could use a nap. Don’t be such a dick.”

On any given day, the notion of me taking a nap would have been met with a round of applause if they had noticed. I usually didn’t even come upstairs to socialize, so my nap habits were unlikely to be common knowledge.

Maxim’s gaze was on my face, and I knew he’d clocked something.

“A rest would be a good idea. Why don’t you lie down until dinner?”

I nodded, feeling a bit more drained than I wanted to admit. The concern in Maxim’s voice was subtle, but it was there. He always noticed when something was off with me, even if I tried to hide it.

"Yeah, maybe you're right," I said softly.

Eli leaned in to gently kiss my forehead. "I'll wake you for dinner," he promised.

I collapsed onto my bed, the weight of everything finally settling in. Reed’s problem, Eli’s protective side, my health—I felt like a delicate thread pulling tighter and tighter, just waiting to snap.

Before I knew it, I drifted off, lulled into a shallow sleep by the hum of voices upstairs. But in the back of my mind, the thought of Doug lingered. If he had followed her here, we’d have more than just our troubles to worry about.

And I wasn’t sure how much more we could handle.