Landen

by Holly C. Webb

  “Look, if you really want to help me, like you said you do,” She finally said as she looked up into his eyes. “Then you will do as I ask, and just leave me alone.”

  “What is it you’re so afraid of?” He asked knowing that once this girl left his office, he would never see her again. He had one shot at this and he was not ready to give up just yet. “Let me help you, please!”

  “Don’t you get it?” She cried as once more she couldn’t look at him. “No one can help me. Now please, just let me go.”

  “But I want to try,” Landen said as he reached out and softly touched her arm. “Please, Kate.”

  “My name is not Kate,” she replied in a bare whisper as her eyes met his once more. There was something in the way she looked at him, something that took Landen’s breath away; like when she looked into his eyes, she could see deep inside his soul. “It’s Amelia, and I beg you, forget you ever met me.”

  “Well, Amelia,” Landen said with a cautious smile on his face. “I’m afraid I just can’t do that.”

  Amelia stared at him for a moment, before she released another long, frustrated breath.

  “What is it you want from me?” She asked, and Landen could almost hear the fight was completely gone from inside her.

  “I want you to trust me,” he replied. He knew he was asking a lot of her. “I know you don’t know me, and clearly I don’t know you either, but I give you my word; if you let me, I will do whatever it takes to help you, so you don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

  “Why would you even do that?” She asked as she gave him a confused look.

  “Because I can,” Landen shrugged. “And because I want to.”

  “I’m just so tired of running,” Amelia breathed out, as the tears she had been fighting to hold back, finally broke free, trickling down her cheeks.

  “Then stop,” Landen replied with a smile, as he held out his hand toward the sofa. “Why don’t you sit down, so you can tell me what it is that you’re running from?

  Amelia nodded, before she turned, walking slowly toward the sofa, and sitting down. Before Landen joined her, he walked to his desk and hit the button on the intercom.

  “Yes, Boss Man,” Nikki said through the speaker.

  “Nik, can you get us some coffee, please,” Landen asked as he glanced over at Amelia. “And can you hold all my calls.”

  “Sure thing,” Nikki said before Landen turned, slowly walked across the room, before he sat down next to this woman that had haunted his dreams for the last few days.

  “So,” he said as he sat back into the sofa, crossing his foot over his knee. “Would you like to tell me what you are running from?”

  “It’s not a what,” Amelia said as she let her eyes meet Landen’s “It’s a who. His name is Pete Reynolds, and he is a living, breathing nightmare.

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning?” Landen said, knowing that he needed to know every little detail if he was ever going to be able to help this girl.

  So she told Landen everything. About how Pete once worked for her father. How she had thought that he was sweet, but how she had never seen him as anything more than a friend.

  Amelia explained that her mother had passed away when she was a little girl, how close her and her father had been until he was killed in an accident two years earlier.

  She told him how, in the beginning, Pete had been such a good friend, but then when he made it clear he had feelings for her, she told him that she didn’t feel the same way, and that’s when all the trouble started.

  At first it was flowers and gifts, but then when she asked him to stop sending them, the phone calls started.

  Amelia stopped talking when Nikki walked into the room, with their coffees. She set them down on the table in front of Landen and Amelia, as she did, she gave Landen a questioning look.

  He gave her a smile, and Nikki smiled too. Landen knew that Nikki now knew exactly who Amelia was.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” she said as she walked back out of the office, closing the door behind her once more.

  “So, what happened with the phone calls?” Landen asked as he poured Amelia and himself a cup of coffee from the coffee pot on the tray.

  “At first, they were once or twice a week, no one would speak, but I could hear someone breathing” Amelia explained. “Then they became nightly. So, I got my phone number changed, and for a while, they stopped. But then they started again, so did the notes.”

  “The notes?” Landen asked. “What kind of notes?”

  “They turned up everywhere,” Amelia continued. “On my desk at work, on my windscreen, under my front door. Then I found one on the pillow on my bed. That’s when I went to the police.”

  “What did they say?” Landen asked.

  “They said until there was a credible threat, there was nothing they could really do,” Amelia sighed. “I knew it was Pete, but I couldn’t prove it, I just knew it. In the note, I was always called Millie. Pete was the only one that ever called me that. Everywhere I went, I could feel him watching me. At first it was just a feeling, I never actually saw him. But then I would catch a glimpse of him, but he would be there one moment, gone the next.”

  “And the police still didn’t do anything?” Landen asked.

  “Oh they suggested I get a restraining order,” she replied. “So I got one. I changed my number again. Whenever I saw him, I would call 911, but by the time the cops got there, he would be gone. I think they thought I was losing my mind; and sometimes I thought that I was too.”

  “I can’t even imagine how you must have felt,” Landen said as he gave her a sad smile.

  “Then I met Danny,” Amelia continued. The look of sadness in her face almost broke Landen’s heart. “We were dating a few weeks, when the calls started again. Then one night, while Danny was in my house, someone slashed his four tires. It happened again two weeks later. I knew it was Pete, but the police said that there was no proof and there was nothing they could do.”

  “Did they even question him?” Landen asked feeling frustrated for this girl.

  “Yeah,” Amelia replied. “He said he was at the movies both times the tires were slashed, but I knew it was him. A week later Danny was driven off the road after he had left my house and was almost killed. I think he couldn’t cope with it all, so we broke up. I didn’t really blame him. I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t want to leave the house. I was always on edge.”

  She stopped, taking a sip of her coffee. As she did she glanced up at Landen. He gave her a reassuring smile. He knew she was still unsure about him, but then, he really couldn’t blame her.

  “I decided I needed a fresh start, so I moved to New York,” Amelia finally continued. “I thought, biggest city in the country, it would be easier to hide. I was living there six months. I was finally starting to feel like I was free. Then one day, I was at lunch with a client in this restaurant, and there he was. He was standing outside on the sidewalk, just staring at me through the window. I went to the police, and they told me to get another restraining order. Then I came home one night, he was waiting for me outside my building. He said he just wanted to talk, but I asked him to leave. He started saying how much he loved me; that if he couldn’t have me, he would make sure no one would want me.”

  “Tell me the cops picked him up,” Landen said, stunned by what this girl was telling him.

  “They did,” she sighed. “But he was released with just a caution.”

  She stopped taking a deep, calming breath before she continued.

  “I knew I couldn’t stay in New York, I knew he would never leave me alone. So, I moved to Chicago. I had a friend there, and they helped me find a new job, and somewhere to live,” she continued in a small voice. “I thought that maybe this time I had found somewhere safe. I was wrong. Three weeks after I moved to Chicago, he broke into my apartment while I was sleeping. I woke up and he was standing there, next to my bed. Before I could react, he was on top of me. He kept telling m
e he loved me, that I belonged to him. I pleaded with him to stop, but he said he would never stop till I seen that I loved him too.”

  She stopped again, Landen reached out, taking hold of her hand.

  “You don’t have to continue, Amelia,” he said in a soothing voice.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered as fresh tears trickled down her face. “He started to choke me. I tried to fight him off me; I thought he was going to kill me. I don’t know how, but I managed to fight him off. I got out of my apartment, to my neighbour’s apartment. The police picked Pete up and he was arrested. He pleaded guilty, but instead of going to jail, he was sent to a mental hospital. But he was off the street, so I was free. Then I got a call one night. It was him. He told me that he would never let me go, and I knew he meant it. That’s when I moved to San Francisco. I sold everything I owned, and just left. A friend of a friend is letting me stay with them, but I have cut all ties with my old life, I figured if I just disappeared, he wouldn’t be able to fine me again.”

  “And then I turned up, scaring the crap out of you,” Landen said feeling like a dick for scaring her the way he had. “For that, I am so sorry.”

  “I know you think you can help me,” Amelia said giving him a smile, as she brushed the tears away from her eyes. “But like I said. No one can help me.”

  “I’d like to try,” Landen said as he reached out once more and gave her hand a squeeze. “I just need you to trust me,”

  “I honestly don’t know that I can trust anyone,” she whispered looking deep into Landen’s eyes. Once more Landen felt somewhat exposed when as he returned her gaze. There was just something about her, something that seem so alien, yet so captivating about her.

  “I’d still like to try,” Landen repeated, then smiled again.

  Chapter 5

  Amelia

  Amelia sat on Landen’s sofa wondering why the hell she had just told this total stranger everything. She had no clue who the hell he was, but she also knew, for some unexplainable reason, that she believed him when he said he wanted to help her.

  She felt so tired of constantly running; so tired of always being afraid. Since all the trouble started with Pete, she had never been able to relax; she was never able to think about the future. But sitting there, she felt something she hadn’t felt in such a long time. She felt hope.

  “Amelia,” Landen said as he stood up then walked to his desk. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help you; to stop this Pete Reynolds for good. I just need you to believe anything I do is for your own safety.”

  He pressed down on his intercom.

  “Nikki,” he said without taking his eyes from Amelia. “Can you come in here please?”

  “What are you doing?” Amelia said, as she instantly stood up, a wave of panic bubbled deep inside her. “You can’t tell her who I am; you can’t tell anyone. You asked me to trust you, but I hardly know you, and now you want to tell someone else who I am.”

  “You can trust Nikki,” Landen assured her. “She is one of the good guys,”

  “But how do I know that?” Amelia asked. “I don’t know who she is. I don’t know either of you. Maybe this was a mistake.”

  She grabbed her bag from the coffee table and quickly headed for the office door.

  “Amelia,” Landen said as he stepped in front of her. “I know you don’t know me, but I am asking you to trust me. I swear, you can trust Nikki too.”

  “Why?” Amelia asked, looking up into his eyes. “Why do you think I should trust her?”

  “Because if I killed someone,” Landen said with a grin. “Nikki would be the person I would call to help me hide the dead body. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t tell her or trust her with. I promise you that you can trust her, too.”

  Amelia looked at him for a moment. Despite everything that was telling her that she needed to protect herself and just go, something inside her told her to trust him. It was the strangest thing she had ever felt. There was something about him that Amelia liked, and she wanted to believe that what he said was true.

  Before she could reply, the door to the office opened and the girl who had brought in the coffee a short while earlier, walked back into the room, holding a notepad and pen.

  “What do you need?” She asked giving Landen a smile before she turned looking at Amelia. Landen looked at her too. She knew he was waiting for her to give him permission to involve her in whatever he was planning.

  She took a deep breath, before she nodded her head, giving him permission to talk in front of his assistant.

  “Nikki, this is Amelia,” Landen said as he walked around his desk and took his seat. He pulled out some papers, and a file cover, and began to write something down “She is the newest client of, Cole, Murphy, and Finch, which means whatever is in her file is top secret. Her case is to be treated on a need to know bases; that means, outside of this room…”

  “No one needs to know,” Nikki finished his thought and smiled. “Got it, Boss Man.”

  “Nik,” Landen said as he looked from Nikki to Amelia. “I need you to find out everything you can about a Peter Reynolds. I want to know where he grew up, where he went to school. I want his doctor's name, a copy of his criminal records, his medical records; hell, I want to know what this asshole eats for breakfast.”

  “You got it,” Nikki said as she made a note of what Landen was looking for.

  “Nik, I can’t stress this enough,” Landen said giving Nikki a look that clearly meant he was deadly serious. “You cannot let anyone know you are looking into this lowlife. I don’t want anyone coming back to this company asking why we are looking into him, do I make myself clear?”

  “Crystal,” Nikki replied with a nod.

  “Finally,” Landen added. “This case will be done pro-bono, so there will be no financial details needed.”

  “Got it,” Nikki replied before she turned to Amelia smiling. “I promise you; you’re in good hands.”

  “I hope so,” Amelia said as she gave Nikki a nervous smile.

  “I will need some other details about this asshole,” Nikki said as she looked from Amelia to Landen. “But you can send whatever you have on him to me when you’re ready.”

  “Okay,” Landen said as he gave the girl a grateful smile.

  “I’ve got this,” Nikki said before she turned and walked out of the office, leaving Amelia alone once more with Landen.

  “You look worried,” Landen said as he stood up from his chair behind the desk walking back around to where she was standing.

  “That’s because I am scared,” Amelia admitted honestly. “I have spent so long not telling people anything about me, hiding who I was so I couldn’t be found, it’s hard to trust someone new. I guess I’ve been running so long from this creep; it’s hard to believe there will ever be a time when I can stop. I just want it all to be over so that I can live my life.”

  “You won’t have to run anymore,” Landen replied. “I give you my word. It’s time for you to be happy again. I’m going to make sure you get to stay that way.”

  “Why are you doing this?” She asked as she gave him a curious look. “You don’t even know me. And please don’t tell me it’s because you got me fired from The Voodoo Club. No one could feel that guilty.”

  “I honestly don’t know,” Landen replied, and Amelia was surprised by his honesty. “There was something in your face, something that told me you were lost, and in trouble. That’s why I had to find you.It’s why I will do whatever it takes to fix this for you.”

  He smiled before he added.

  “And maybe I’m just a sucker for a damsel in distress,” he said with a laugh. Amelia couldn’t help but laugh too. Despite herself, she liked him. She desperately wanted to believe that she could trust him. “How about another coffee?”

  “I would love one,” Amelia said as she gave Landen another smile.

  “So, this friend of a friend you’re staying with,” Landen asked as he poured them both another coffee. �
�How well do you know them, and how much about Reynolds do they know.

  “I don’t,” Amelia sighed. “He is a friend of a friend. It’s not a permanent solution. Not that I would want it to be. His name is Lucas. He has been a real lifesaver these last couple of weeks. It was him who got me the job at The Voodoo Club. But I haven’t told him anything about Pete. My friend asked for a favour, and he owed her.”

  Landen made a face, and Amelia knew he wasn’t happy with her response.

  “You don’t think I should stay with him?” Amelia asked suddenly feeling a little more anxious once again.

  “I just think, if you’re going to move, then now is as good a time as any,” he replied with a shrug. “And I wouldn’t leave a forwarding address, it’s the safest way to go, for you and him both.”

  “Okay,” Amelia said, feeling even more unsure than she was moments earlier.

  “I have a great idea!” Landen exclaimed, as he gave Amelia a killer smile. “Okay, this is gonna sound a little nuts, but just hear me out.”

  “So, this is your room,” Nikki said as she opened the door to the spare room in her apartment. Amelia stepped through the door looking around the room. It was a beautifully decorated room, in soft shades of green and cream. There was a great view of a park from the window. Amelia loved the stunning walnut wooden flooring. But it was still someone else's home, someone else’s charity, and she really wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea.

  “If you don’t like the décor, you can change it to whatever you want it to be,” Nikki continued with a smile as she stood by the door next to Landen watching Amelia as she looked around her new room. “Landen isn’t much good at decorating, but he knows a few good decorators.”

  Amelia couldn’t help but smile at her comment, but inside, her mind was working overtime. Was she actually going to move in with this perfect stranger? There was nothing about this whole thing that didn’t seem beyond insane.

  Okay, Lucas was a stranger too, but her friend Jenna knew him, so it made it feel less strange somehow. But she didn’t know anything about Landen or Nikki, and as much as they seemed to be genuine, Amelia couldn’t get past the fact that once, Pete seemed genuine too. She hated that because of him, she found it hard to trust anyone, but trusting no one was the only way she knew how to protect herself.