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.Iloved her dearly, but it s more than time I moved on.I m okay with that.And Iknow she would be too. She sipped her overly sweet coffee. Mmm.How did you know I like a littlecoffee with my cream and sugar? Seth grinned.It wasn t a subtle way to change the subject, but he appreciatedthe effort. Fajita night.Frankly, I was amazed there was any cream and sugarleft for anyone else. Forced amusement turned into a full-blown, slightly lopsided grin. Goodthing you take yours black, then. You re going to spend the night here. He nearly winced at his grim tone.Maybe he should have tried to be a little more diplomatic, but it was too latenow.There was no way he was leaving her alone.Abby s amusement faded away.She put down her coffee cup, the tension backin her shoulders. I don t know if that s a good idea. Oh, I definitely think it s a good idea. He put his cup next to hers.He stoodup and crossed his arms.He was dead serious about keeping her safe, either inhis home or hers.He knew which he preferred. You either spend the night here,or I spend the night there.It s your choice.Either way, you re stuck with me. Umm. Oh, and don t plan on going anywhere alone, either.I will be with you at alltimes.Understood? In fact, he d insisted on it when Bill called him.Thank Godher brother had agreed, because Seth would have done it anyway, and he didn tneed the big cop arresting him for stalking.Gabriel would have a field day with 40/222that one. Until we find who did this and we know you re safe, I m yourshadow. Who said this was any of your business? And who is we? He leaned down, placing his hands on either side of her head. The minutethat person entered your bedroom, it became my business. He hoped she couldsee his determination and understand it.She was his to protect and defend.She d let him in, and he would guard her now with his life.But first, he had toget her to relax.He tried to tone down the caveman instinct that wanted to lockher in a safe, well-padded box and backed away from her just a hair. And yourbrother asked me to. Some of the fear left her face.Her shoulders relaxed, the tension easing withthe knowledge that Bill had sent Seth to watch over her.Little did she know thatit was an angel who d really sent him. Okay, Seth. He damn near sighed in relief.He nodded and moved back to his chair.Hepicked up his coffee cup and took a sip. Do you have any idea who would wantto break into your home and leave you a message like that? If Seth got a hold ofwhoever had broken in, not even Zeke would be able to hold him back, and Zekewas the strongest Neph in Gabriel s cell.She shuddered. Only one, but he s in jail. The cup paused on its way to his mouth, and one dark brow rose in a ques-tion. Oh? And that would be.? She closed her eyes in remembered pain. Douglas Finley. Hell.Her psycho ex.But according to everything they knew, the asshat wasstill sitting in lockup, serving out a life sentence. Tell me about Douglas Finley. He needed to hear the words from her lips, to make her lance the wound thathad been inflicted on her that night.She sighed, staring into her coffee cup rather than at him. Doug was a man Idated about five years ago.He was smart, good looking, had everything goingfor him.He was a real-estate agent, and made good money at it, too.He couldsell anything to anyone, even with the downturn in the economy.When we star-ted going out, he d tell me that everything he did was for me.For the future hewanted us to have together.At first, I thought it was charming and romantic. Her smile twisted, became brittle. After a while it became smothering. The cup was put on the table, her hand going to the scars on her arm.Shestarted rubbing them absently. One day, I smiled at a guy I worked with just as Doug came by to take me tolunch.Judd said something amusing, that was all, a joke I don t even remember,and I smiled at him.Doug didn t like that.He told me that I was acting like hemeant nothing to me, that watching me smile at another man hurt him.I 41/222apologized.I explained to him that Judd made a joke and that was what I d beensmiling at.He seemed to accept the explanation. As time went on, Doug became more and more jealous.He wanted me to quitmy job, to move in with him, but for some reason I was never tempted to dothat.Maybe deep down I knew something was wrong, and the more he pushedthe more I told him no. She choked. God, I was so stupid. No.If you were stupid, you would have given in. He wasn t even certain she d heard him. He started telling me he didn t wantme working with male clients anymore.His temper became worse.He startedhitting me, little slaps at first that didn t really hurt.When I complained, he toldme that he d only been joking and that I shouldn t take it so seriously.I believedhim. Anguish and self-contempt filled her expression, her fingers digging intoher arm.Into her scars. I believed him, Seth. If he ever met Doug Finley, the man was dead, human or not. It escalated from there.One day he came to my apartment, screaming thatI d slept with one of his coworkers. She laughed, the sound low and bitter, andSeth had to clench his hands to keep from pulling her into his lap to protect herfrom the memories. I d complimented the man on his wife s potato salad at thecompany picnic, and he d put his hand on my arm when he thanked me.That sall. She rubbed her scars harder. I just couldn t take it anymore, so I told himthat it was over between us, and shut the door in his face. Abby took a sip of hercoffee, but her hands were shaking so badly she nearly dropped the cup whenshe tried to put it back on the coffee table. He knocked my door down, andnearly beat me to death.If one of my neighbors hadn t called the police, I wouldbe dead right now.As it was, they had to do reconstructive surgery on my face.It took two years to finish healing completely, and I still have scars. She poin-ted to the faint lines under her jaw and near her nose, barely visible until shepointed them out.She didn t need to point out the ones on her arm.Not whenhe was so aware of the way she rubbed at them. When I came to in the hospitalthe cops were waiting.After.some things I d rather not talk about, they finallycaught him. Was it possible? Could Doug be the Shemyaza that was hunting her? It wouldexplain a lot
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