Ruthless Salvation

25

Oran tossed the folder back onto the desk when Keir’s phone buzzed. He stared at the screen, eyes narrowing. “Better not be a damn spam call,” he groused before accepting the call. “Yeah … oh, yeah. Storm said I might get a call.”

I was instantly on alert. Who the f**k would be calling Keir about Stormy and why?

“We haven’t had any problems with her at all. In fact, I kind of hate to see her go.”

The f**k? See her go?

Had she applied for a new job and listed Keir as a reference? Not f*****g likely.

Before I had a chance to think, I snatched the phone from his hand.

“What my cousin here is too PC to say is that Storm has a little problem with sticky fingers. He doesn’t want to get sued, but I’m not afraid to tell the truth. You’re going to want to steer clear of this one.” As I spoke, I could feel Oran and Keir staring at me like I’d lost my goddamn mind.

News flash, I had.

“Oh, I see. That’s disappointing to hear, but I appreciate your honesty.”

“No problem. Good luck on your search.” I hung up and held out the phone for Keir. He didn’t move.

“You gonna tell us what the f**k that was all about?”

“Why didn’t you tell me Storm was lookin’ to leave?” I asked instead of explaining.

His gaze sharpened. “Why’s it matter to you if she stays or goes?” I’d wondered if word had gotten around about my actions at the fight. Bishop had a big mouth, so I assumed Conner had heard, but it looked like the news hadn’t reached my other cousins.

“I thought she and I had worked out our differences. If she’s looking to leave, she should have told me herself rather than go behind my back.” I dropped his phone on the desk, sick of holding it like a fuckin’ golden retriever.

“Your differences? Your foul attitude running off our employees?

’Cause you can’t hardly find a girl as good as her.” f**k, don’t I know it.

Keir was really starting to piss me off.

“Last I checked, I don’t have to explain myself to you.” I stood with the intent to leave, but Keir did the same, bringing us toe-to-toe.

“You may not owe me an explanation, but you do have a duty to honor our family name. If you’re mistreating a woman, we’re going to have a real problem.”

“I would think you’d know me better than that,” I bit out through clenched teeth. How f*****g dare he insinuate I’d hurt Storm or any other woman for that matter?

“No one in this family knows what goes on in that head of yours. Not since you spent that year away.”

The blood boiling in my veins instantly cooled and coalesced like lava pouring into the sea. My entire body stiffened.

“We’re family. That’s all there is to know.”

His shoulders visibly deflated as I pushed past him, done with the conversation.

EVERY FIBER in my being wanted to confront Storm the second I left that office. I wanted to so badly that it physically pained me not to, but whether he knew it or not, Keir’s admonishment had hit home. I hadn’t made things easy on Stormy. The least I could do was give myself time to cool off before talking to her.

It was her night off from work. I managed to control myself until the following day with the intent of talking to her when she got to work.

A good plan, except that I was blistering with frustration by the time she showed up for work the next day. I felt so f*****g powerless, and I hated it.

I stationed myself by the front entrance so I could get to her before anyone else. I didn’t want her coming up with any excuses to avoid me.

“Hey, Storm. Can we talk for a minute?” I asked with measured calm, motioning to the nearby bathroom hallway. It wasn’t an ideal location for a conversation, but it gave us at least some semblance of privacy.

“Uh, yeah.” The uncertainty in her voice sent a wave of guilt crashing over me. I might have been a surly bastard, but the last thing I wanted was to make her scared of me.

I took a steadying breath, trying my damnedest to be gentle. “I thought we were working things out, you and me. I thought we had somewhat of an understanding after the other night, but then I learned you were looking to leave. Why would you do that?”

“Are you serious?” she hissed.

All of the shields I’d been forcing to the ground were instantly back up and armed. Didn’t she realize how hard I was trying? Didn’t she see the sincerity?

“Yeah, I am,” I bit back at her.

“Torin, I know what you’ve been doing, and it’s not okay. I thought you were just being overprotective at first, but now … I know it’s more than that. And it’s not healthy.”

“Letting myself in your place? You’re absolutely right, but I didn’t lie about it, and I can swear I won’t do it again.”

“No, Torin.” Her voice dropped to an angry whisper as though protecting my secret from eavesdroppers. “The stalking. You’ve been following me for weeks now.”

“And you left your shades open on purpose,” I shot back, growing more defensive.

Storm stiffened. “I didn’t realize the extent of the problem at first. That’s an extension of my own issues. What you did is still wrong. The stalking. Letting yourself in my home. How can I feel safe around someone who’s doing those things?”

How could I ever convince her that a man as f****d up as me would never harm a hair on her head? It was impossible, which meant only one thing. I was going to lose her.

I felt myself dangling from a cliff, my fingers straining to cling to the tiniest twig, keeping me from careening to my death. My ears rang, and my heart thundered to exhaustion.

“Tell me one thing,” I growled breathlessly. “Have I ever done a single thing to hurt you?”

Tears gave her wide brown eyes a glassy sheen before she whispered the most heartbreaking words I’d ever heard.

“Not yet.”