“I happen to know that you aren’t with West.”
Her hand went to her mouth. He wouldn’t try to hurt West, would he? “How do you know that?”
“I saw him with your daddy yesterday. They looked real chummy.”
That meant he was safe. Daddy had bodyguards that made grown men cry with fear. That also meant that her stalker was from Nashville, and possibly someone who went to the same parties that they did. And if West said something to anyone about where she was?
“If you knew where I was,” she said, “you’d be here.”
“I am.”
Liar! She actually snorted at that. “Prove it.”
A bell rang outside, loud, crashing, and ugly. She couldn’t help it. She screamed.
Chapter Twenty
Cole was halfway up the stairs when he heard Eva scream.
He wasn’t aware of much else before he broke into her room. She flung herself into his arms, screaming out. He grimaced at how tightly she held him. The girl had some strength on her.
“What happened?” he asked.
“A bell! A bell outside!”
“A bell? Like a cowbell or?”
“No, no, I…” She shoved her phone at him and he read through her messages as she baited her stalker.
His shoulders tensed. “You think that was this guy?”
“Yes!” she shrieked. Her hands loosened on him. “No! I don’t know.” She seemed torn.
“I’ll go outside and see if he’s out there.”
“Noooo!” Her fingers bunched into his shirt. He’d never had anyone forbid him to face danger before. His momma thought her boys could slay lions. “Don’t leave, Cole! Just stay right here.”
“I’ll be fine,” he tried to reassure her.
“I won’t be!” she shrieked.
This wasn’t about keeping him in one piece. He grinned, not bothering to hide it. At least she thought him capable enough to fight bad guys–earlier he was having his doubts.
“Nothing about this is funny!” She pushed her head into his chest. “Please, please, just protect me this once, and I promise that I won’t ever ask you to do it again.”
“There’s not a limit on how many times I’ll protect you,” he said.
“Of course not, it’s just that I plan on being strong next time. I’m just not feeling it right now.”
Eva was killing him. If she let him go outside, he could prove to her that there was nothing out there to fear… well, maybe a really vicious windstorm that knocked everything around. Anything could’ve sounded like a bell out there. “If anyone was outside,” he said, “we’d see headlights at least a mile away when they were coming in.”
“Yeah?”
He nodded.
“What if he came by foot?” she declared.
“Foot? It would take him days.”