Yes, Masters (Book 2 of Desire's Den)

Chapter 31 - Emma

This day had been...eventful, for a lack of a better word. I'd been bone-deep tired before I went off to work, and with the man's assault and the adrenalin leaving my body, I was even worse for wear now.

After the kiss with Mateo, I had been so high for life, that when I received another package from my stalker, the crash had been devastatingly hard. For a brief moment, I'd let myself forget—let myself feel a little bit of life—but it turned out that made the hopelessness afterwards feel a million times worse. I wasn't usually a Debbie Downer, but I would think this situation would make anyone depressed.

The incident at the club...it had left me feeling more defenseless than ever before. The amount of self-defense tools I'd bought, like the pepper spray and rape-whistle, had been for nothing. After all, I was supposed to feel safe at my place of work, and I hadn't thought I needed to be on guard. What would've happened if Gideon and Callan hadn't showed up? Would anyone else have gotten there before that guy could've done any real damage?

It was crazy that men had no issue harassing and attacking women in public places. I could remember vividly the look he'd had in his eyes when he called out for me in the hallway. They had been frighteningly intently focused on me, and there had been this gleam in them that had made me go cold.

"Excuse me?" a man called from behind me as I made the way to the break room. I jumped slightly, caught off-guard by someone that sounded way too close.

I turned around and immediately took a couple of steps back, getting some distance between us. The man was normal looking—there wasn't anything really noticeable about him, except for what I could only describe as crazed eyes, with dark circles beneath them. It was them that make me take note of the man.

"This area of the club is off limits to the public," I stated, albeit shakingly. I got the sense that I should be careful with this guy.

"You don't mean that," he said with a laugh, like I was joking. "I've seen the way you've looked at me tonight. You wanted me to follow you."

My whole body tensed at the absurdity of his words. I had never seen this man before, and I definitely didn't want him to follow me. A thought came to mind, and my pulse sped up as my hands grew clammy. Could this be my stalker? He was delusional enough to be him.

"I won't say this again. You need to leave." I forced out the words from my dry mouth. My eyes flitted quickly behind him, but we'd turned the corner and I couldn't see anyone behind him.

The man stood firmly before me, making it clear that he wasn't leaving.

Cursing the fact that I didn't know how to fight, I did the one thing I could do, escape. I'd only managed to turn around, hoping to get to the lunchroom and lock the door before a hand clasped my arm and forcibly turned me back towards him. He didn't remove his hand; he only tightened his grip.

"Hey! What are you doing? Let go of me!" I shouted, praying that someone would hear me over the steady, loud beat of the music outside. And luckily, my prayers were heard.

It had all happened so fast, and fortunately ended just as quickly, but the fear held on for quite a while longer. Being assaulted...it left a sickening feeling behind. I wanted to take a shower, wash it off of me, but I couldn't find the strength in me to do it tonight.

I sat in bed, feeling the hard muscles of Callan's body on my left side as we waited for Gideon to get back from the store. His scent, warm with a hint of something spicy, cocooned me in warmth; it smelled like a safety blanket would feel like. It eased the nerves from the earlier event.