And with that, I slammed the door and pulled Fern into me, letting her fall apart.
Fifteen minutes later, Fern clung to me on the sofa when the front door sounded. “Fern?” Jarrid shouted.
“What the actual fuck?” I yelled as he stormed into the room, followed by two angry men. “I don’t know what’s gone on today, but whatever happened, Fern came home today to find a man in her fucking bedroom. After you…” I pointed at Jarrid. “Had checked the house. Aren’t you supposed to be protecting her?”
“And you are?” the tall gray haired man asked, making me want to punch him.
“Me? I am the man who stopped her getting raped, got her out of her parent's house, found her somewhere safe, and looked after her. I’m the man she called when she was terrified thatthere was a stranger in her house, despite her having armed guards supposedly protecting her.”
“Charlie. Nice to meet you, I’m Sean Slone.”
“I don’t care who you are. What I care about is the man in her bedroom situation?”
“Fuck, I don’t know. Boss?” Sean turned to the dark haired man next to him who pulled up the sleeves on his sweater, showing off his tattooed forearms.
He shook his head before bending down to talk to Fern, glancing over at me to help. “Fern. Can you hear me? Just breathe. We’re right here.”
Her eyes popped open. “No. No. No,” she yelled, looking terrified. “You weren’t here. There was a man in my bedroom. A man that could have hurt me, raped me. Fuck, he could have killed me. You, Thomas.” She poked him in the chest with her index finger. “You promised I was safe. I’m not fucking safe. I’m done. I just want out.”
The room fell silent before the dark haired man spoke again. “Done with what, Fern? Your job, your house, your life, your relationships? What are you willing to give up for this man? Because he will take it all. You want to give up your life for him, Fern?”
Her face tensed as she blew out a long breath before she spoke again, her voice quieter this time. “No, but I’m also not willing to live in fear. You promised me the best Thomas… so, how did he get in here?”
She buried her face in my neck, her whole body trembling.
“Tell me exactly what happened. Jarrid checked the house and then what?”
I cupped her cheek, gently turning her to look at me. Tears streaked down her face, her make up was smudged, hair disheveled. I just wanted to protect her from the world and kill James for putting her through all this.
“Princess? You need to tell them what happened after Jarrid checked the house.”
Her glazed eyes snapped back into focus, and there she was; my warrior. “I left my bags at the bottom of the stairs like I always do, kicked off my shoes, and came to make a tea.” She paused to think. “I was in the kitchen for about twenty minutes. I was sending some emails, and I ordered dinner to be delivered as I was too tired to cook.” Her gaze flicked up until her green eyes met mine. “I didn’t sleep very well at all last night.”
My heart swelled as I wondered if she meant because she missed me and then she offered the smallest nod as if she was answering my unspoken question. If it hadn’t been such a serious moment, I think I might have noticed that this was the exact point I started to fall for Fern Richards, because even in her darkest time, she was trying to reassure me.
“And then?” Sean asked as she wrapped her hand in mine, pulling it into her lap.
“I turned on the TV in here and then my food came about fifteen minutes later. I ate it and then went upstairs for a shower. That’s when I saw him.”
“What did he look like?” Thomas asked, standing with his hands on his hips looking… well, murderous, as if he’d already worked out what happened even though no one else seemed to have a clue.
“Average… about twenty-five, thirty, I guess. Mousy brown hair, black clothes. In fact, there was nothing distinguishable about him. I’m not sure I’d be able to pick him out if he walked past me tomorrow.”
“And that was probably the idea, Fern,” Jarrid growled.
“Fern, did a delivery man bring your food to the door?”
She shook her head. “No, Paulie.”
“Paulie. You’re sure?”
Nodding, she looked between her three protectors. “Yeah, he yelled from the doorway that the driver was just pulling up and to stay in the living room until he’d gotten the food and he’d leave it on the side table in the hall. He shouted me when the driver had left.”
“How long,” Thomas whispered. “How long between him telling you to stay put and then giving you the all clear?”
She frowned. “I don’t know. If I had to guess, three or four minutes. Not long.”
“Long enough,” he replied through gritted teeth. “Paulie is new. Recommended through a friend of a friend when I was looking for new hires recently. His background was squeaky clean and now I know why.”