“I’m scared, Clutch. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Everything is going to be fine, but we need to get going... now, Cass. Grab your stuff, and I’ll send one of the prospects to get Henley’s stuff later.”
“Henley… she’s babysitting Dusty. I need to tell her not to come back here.”
“I know, Cass. It’s already been taken care of. Now, put a move on it. We’ve got to get the hell out of here.”
“Okay,” I answered as I rushed to my room and threw a few things in a duffel bag. My mind was in a complete blur as I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. I had so many questions swirling around in my head, but I knew better than to ask. I knew something had happened with the guy from my window—that much was obvious from the blood on Clutch’s shirt, but I had no idea what. I desperately wanted Cotton. No matter what was going on, he’d always managed to make me feel safe, but since he wasn’t around, I had to figure it out without him. I had to. Falling apart in the middle of all the chaos wouldn’t help anyone.
As soon as we got back to the clubhouse, Clutch said, “I’ll get you to your room.”
He took my hand and started leading me down the hall. We were almost to my room when I asked, “But what about you. Where are you going?”
“I’ve got some things to take care of, Cass.”
I reached for his arm and said, “You have to tell me, Clutch. I need to know. That man… has he been in my apartment? Was he the one moving my stuff around and eating my food? Was it his cologne I smelled on my blanket?”
“There’s no use in thinking about all that now, Cass. It’s late. Try to get some sleep,” he told me before he freaking left.
I lay down on my bed and tried to settle my nerves, but there was no freaking way in hell I was going to be able to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about that stranger being in my apartment, going through my things. The fear was suffocating, and after a few hours of staring at the ceiling, I finally gave up and went into the entertainment room. I curled up on the sofa and turned on the news, praying the boring, monotone sound of their voices might help settle my nerves. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I was still up several hours later when Clutch walked in, looking as tired as I felt. He’d taken a shower and changed his clothes, but the image of his blood-soaked shirt was still burned into my memory. I almost cried as I watched him walk over to me, but the moment he sat down next to me, I immediately started to feel better. He’d always been such a good friend, and it meant so much to me he was looking out for me. Without saying a word, he put his arm around my shoulder, and once I laid my head on his shoulder, I finally managed to fall asleep.
I’d gone to bed with one thing on my mind—Cass. When I sent her away, I was being selfish. I was used to being strong and in command, and I didn’t want her to see me any other way. I knew I was hurting her, but it was what I wanted and it never occurred to me she had a say. Looking back, I understood how wrong it was. I finally understood that loving someone was about respecting the feelings of the person you love. It took getting my body blown to shreds to get it through my thick damn head. I wasn’t sure if she would ever forgive me. If the roles had been reversed, I wasn’t sure I’d be able forgive her, but I had to try. I had to get home and do whatever it took to make things right with her. I’d just need time to make her understand… to explain all my reasons for pushing her away, and to find a way to make her forgive me for being such a damn fool. I just needed a chance, and then I could spend the rest of my life making it up to her. That chance was almost ripped away from me when Derek showed up on her fire escape. When Clutch went after him, he discovered Derek had been hiding out in the apartment above Cass. None of us were sure how long he’d been there, but he’d managed to gather quite a collection of her things. And just like before, there were pictures… everywhere. I could only assume he hadn’t made a real attempt to hurt her, because she hadn’t been alone in days. I’d upped the watch on her, leaving him with no opportunity to get to her. Thankfully, Clutch made sure he’d never get that opportunity.
When Clutch discovered Derek cowering in the apartment above Cass’, he lost it. A fight ensued, and Clutch ended up shooting him—twice. He hadn’t killed him, which gave me the opportunity to decide his fate. The brothers brought him to the clubhouse, where they anxiously waited for my arrival. Since Guardrail called, I’d been doing everything I could to get back home. Thankfully, Sara managed to pull some strings to get us a private flight into Washington.
Just before we boarded the plane, I walked over to Sara and said, “Thanks for this.”