14. Leslie

Chapter 14

Leslie

A low groan has my body tensing and dread filling me. I panic as I try to move out of the arms holding me down, but I can't get away.

Jimmy must've found me. He broke into my house while I was sleeping and now, he's holding me captive.

I flail against the strong body, doing anything to get away from him. I refuse to open my eyes. I don't want to see him ever again. I don't want a new image of him haunting my dreams for the rest of my life. I want him gone. All traces of him to disappear from existence.

"Ow! Baby, what the hell?" Colton's deep voice washes over me and my eyes fly open. He's rubbing at a red spot on his chest and frowning at me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper as my bottom lip begins to tremble .

Colt's been nothing but sweet to me and all I seem to do is hurt him. I'm so worried about Jimmy finding me, I can't even enjoy sleeping in his arms.

"What's going on?" Colt slides higher in bed until his back is resting against the headboard.

He tugs me closer until I'm straddling his lap. I shake my head, not wanting to tell him anything. The less he's involved, the better. The last thing I want is Colt becoming the target of Jimmy's rage.

Colt cups my cheeks and stares deep into my eyes. His bright blue eyes aren't sparkling with mischief like they normally do. Instead, they're filled with worry and concern.

"I don't want to talk about it," I whisper.

"You keep saying that and I'm really starting to get worried." He wraps his arms around my waist and tightens them until I'm pressed against his chest. I snake my arms around his neck and hold onto him like he's my lifeline.

The love and care he's showing me has tears trickling out of my eyes and splashing against Colt's bare skin. He must notice because he holds me a little closer and buries his face in the crook of my neck.

"You can trust me, sweetheart. But I can't help you if I don't know what's going on. You're scared of something and I need to know what."

"Why?" I whisper.

"Because it's hard to protect you if I don't know what's after you… Please, babe?"

It's the second time he's called me that and it's making me fall a little harder for the man who refuses to take no for an answer.

I pull back far enough to meet his eyes. He doesn't waste a second. He's brushing away any wetness on my cheeks, then he takes my hands in his large ones and squeezes them gently.

"What are you trying to get away from?"

"My ex," I murmur quietly.

"Did he hurt you?" Though he asks it like it's a question, based on how his eyes are darkening, he already knows the answer.

"A few dozen times." I drop my gaze to Colt's chest, more than a little embarrassed about how Jimmy treated me and how long I allowed it to continue.

"Fucking hell," he mutters under his breath and squeezes his eyes shut. He takes a moment to compose himself, then he's lifting my chin until he's staring into my eyes again. "You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

I nod my head, knowing if I try to talk, I'll start crying all over again and I don't want to do that.

"How many times did you try to leave?"

"Fifteen. Each time he came after me. One time he pushed me off the road when the roads were icy."

"And that made you think of Jenny's accident," he murmurs more to himself than to me. "Is that why you wanted me to come back here?"

"A little, but I could also tell you were struggling with that accident. I didn't want you to be alone."

"How the hell did you notice that?" A soft smile tugs on the corner of his lips and he shakes his head.

"When you live with an abusive boyfriend, you learn to pick up on tiny details most people overlook." I lift my shoulder in a shrug. "Some days he was super sweet and loving. Other days, he was a monster even my wildest nightmares couldn't compete with. I had to decode the small things and prepare myself for what type of man I was dealing with that night."

"How'd you get away from him?" He asks softly. "I'm so proud of you for doing it, Les. I'm sure that was terrifying and yet you did it."

"My Uncle Mason was a cop. He went undercover and took down some men who made Jimmy look like a saint. He quit the force after my aunt was kidnapped and became a private investigator. He served with Ollie overseas in the military and they worked out this elaborate plan to get me as far away from Jimmy as possible."

"Your name isn't Leslie, is it?"

I shake my head, hating how horrible I feel for lying to him. I wish I didn't need to do this, but I had no choice. I needed to protect myself.

"Leslie Jameson… What's your real name?"

"Zoey Moore."

"Zoey Moore…" He tests my name out and a playful grin spreads across his lips. "I think Zoey fits you better than Leslie."

"It doesn't matter, you can't call me Zoey. No one can know who I am."

"Does Mason keep an eye on your ex?"

I let out a long sigh and stare up at the ceiling, trying my hardest to keep the tears at bay. I don't want to be a blubbering mess in front of Colt.

"Yes, but no one knows where Jimmy is right now."

"And you're terrified he's found you, which is why you've been so jumpy lately." He nods his head.

"I don't want to have to move. I finally started living again," I whisper.

"You won't have to, Zo, I'll make sure of it."

My heart skips a beat when he uses the nickname I haven't heard in forever. Only my family has ever called me Zo and I miss it more than I realized. I can't go home to visit my family because of Jimmy and it sucks.

"Thank you." I throw my arms around him and bury my face in the crook of his shoulder.

"Give me Mason's number and I'll handle everything from there. But there are a few things I need you to do for me."

"Anything," I murmur against his neck.

"First, I need you to trust me and let me in. All the way in. I need to know exactly what Jimmy's done and what he's capable of. Not only do I need to protect you, but I need to keep this town safe."

I nod my head, refusing to end this amazing hug. I haven't felt this safe in a long time and I know that has everything to do with Colton.

"Second, I need you to move in with me."