He chuckled a deep, dark laugh. “Let him come. I’m just setting things right.”
“What do you mean setting things right Evan?” I asked in a shaky voice.
“Stop calling me Evan.” He yelled.
I flinched away from his booming voice.
He moved around the back of the couch and I backed further away from him.
Maybe if I can get near the elevator…
I knew I was wasting my time trying to get down there. It would take too long. I just had to hope that Lisa was okay and that she was able to get to Lawson.
Lawson will know what to do… I just need to stall him.
“He’s always missing out, always getting flipped off. Not anymore.” He rambled.
“Who misses out?” I asked softly.
His eyes flashed with anger. “My brother.”
I had absolutely no idea what the hell he was talking about. He had to be mentally unwell – it was as if he had split personalities.
“Are you okay? I can get you some help Evan.”
“Stop calling me Evan!” He roared.
I backed further away again.
“My name isn’t Evan.”
“Okay.” I said quietly.
“My name is Matthew.”
Oh sweet Jesus. He’s lost it. He’s gonna kill me.
“Evan is my twin.” I froze as he spat the words out, his voice full of venom.
Evan has a twin?
I looked at him more closely. He looked just like Evan, same build, same hair colour. But the eyes – the eyes were darker. He was different. I hadn’t imagined it.
“What do you want?” I was even more terrified now, this man in front of me, I didn’t know him at all – I had no idea what he was capable of.
“You.” He replied simply. “I’m either taking you back to him, or…” he made a cut throat motion with the knife he was carrying.
“You can’t take me anywhere. I was never with Evan. It was one date.” I told him in a pleading voice. There was no way in hell I was going anywhere with this nut case. I’d rather take my chances with him here and now.
“You told him you weren’t ready for a relationship.” He spat.
I tried to think back to what I’d said to Evan.
Had I said that?
He was right, I had said that. I nodded. “I did tell him that.”
“But here you are, acting like a whore with that prick Pierce.”
I wanted to scream at him, for calling me a whore, for calling Lawson a prick… for terrorising our lives for nothing. But I didn’t. I took a deep, calming breath and centred myself.
“I’m not going anywhere with you Matthew – you need help.”
He took three quick steps towards me, but this time I didn’t move away. I focused on him, his movements, his posture, the blade in his hand.
“You’ll come with me alright… one way or another.”
I shuddered at his menacing tone. He stepped closer and I grounded my back foot in a stable stance.
“Let’s just make this easy shall we?” He drawled.
I shook my head and he grabbed for me. He pulled roughly on my arm and tried to drag me towards him.
The natural reaction when someone grabs you is to pull away – I had been trained to do the opposite. I threw my weight against his body and over balanced him. I felt a sharp burn as his knife sliced into my left bicep. I swung my right arm around and knocked it from his hand. It cluttered to the floor and skidded under the couch.
Now it would be a fair fight.
I wrenched my knee up and he groaned deeply and doubled over as I made contact with his groin – hard. He released me from his grip.
Go for the throat and the balls.
I swung up with an uppercut and knocked him square in the throat. He fell to the floor in pain. I spun toward the elevators and ran for it. I pressed the call button over and over and over – the damn thing was on a higher floor and not moving.
C’mon, c’mon.
I knew I’d gotten lucky – he was not a fighter, he went down easily. I wasn’t planning on sticking around to see what would happen if he got back up. I looked back and saw he was still lying on the floor in pain.
Fuck… hurry, please hurry.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened – I was nearly bowled over by Lawson.
“Ells!” Lawson grabbed me and pulled me behind his body protectively.
“I’m okay.” I whimpered slightly as his fingers dug into my cut. “He’s down. Call the police.” I panted.
“They’re on their way El.”
I jumped at the voice behind me – I spun and saw Logan sitting on the floor of the elevator, Lisa cradled in his arms.
“Lisa.” I whispered my voice barely audible.
“She’s okay, she’s just had a fright.” Logan reassured me as he slowly rocked her back and forth.
“Where is he?” Lawson roared.
I spun back to him.
“He’s back there.” I pointed into the apartment. “Please can we just get out of here Lawson.” I pleaded with him and grabbed onto his arm – it was no use.
“I’ll fucking kill him.” Lawson strode into the living area, dragging me along behind him.
“Lawson please!” I screamed. “I’m okay, please. I just want to leave.” I was begging him.
He ignored me and walked towards the moaning man on the floor. He shook me off and strode towards him.
“Lawson!” I screamed as he threw a powerful kick into Matthew’s side.
Matthew lay groaning on the ground – there was no way he was getting up.
“I should skin you alive you little prick.” Lawson spat at him.
“Logan!” I screamed back towards the elevator. “Stop him Logan!”
He is going to kill him.
He put his hands on me, and now Lawson will kill him for it.
Logan flew past me and grabbed hold of Lawson, roughly dragging him backwards. “Leave him man, he’s not worth doing time for. The cops are on the way.”
Lawson wasn’t listening. He was thrashing against the hold Logan had on him.
I ran to him and stood in front of him. “Lawson look at me.” I begged. “Look at me!” I yelled. I pulled his face down and the second our eyes met I saw him snap out of it.
His body relaxed and he stopped pulling against Logan.
“I want to go. Please can we just go.” I pleaded.
“You can let me loose.” He told Logan calmly.
Logan looked at me and I nodded. He released him.
Lawson pulled me against him and lifted me into his arms, I wrapped my legs around his waist and snuggled my face into his neck. He walked us slowly back to the elevator. Logan had jammed a chair into the opening so it wouldn’t close.
I looked at Lisa. She was standing up now – she still looked white as a ghost, but I could see she was okay at least. She didn’t appear to be physically hurt. She gave me a small smile and I reached my hand out for her. She took it and I squeezed lightly.
“I’m so sorry Lisa.” I looked straight into her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She gave me a small nod. “Are you?” Her eyes assessed me. “God your arm. El you’re bleeding.”
I looked down at my bicep – she was right, it didn’t look good. There was blood everywhere. “I’m okay, it looks worse than it is.”
“Let me see.” Lawson slid me down his body and looked at my arm. He took off the shirt he was wearing and tied it firmly around my cut. “You’ll need stitches baby.” He whispered.
“I’m okay.” I told him softly. The elevator reached the ground level and the doors opened.
“El!” Reeve swallowed me in a bear hug the second I stepped out. “I couldn’t get up, the elevator was stuck.” He let me go and looked around, looking for Lisa.
Logan chuckled nervously. “Sorry. I jammed it. Didn’t want to risk getting the girls stuck up there.”
Reeve didn’t respond. His eyes w
ere locked on Lisa. “Are you okay princess?” He asked cautiously.
She lunged for him and he caught her tiny frame easily.
“Shhh it’s okay, you’re safe now princess.” He crooned as she bawled in his arms. “I’m so sorry something like this happened to you again.” I heard him whisper softly in her ear.
Again? What the hell?
I heard the sirens approaching – three cars pulled up to the curb, closely followed by a black SUV and an ambulance.
Logan ran outside and was followed back in by four police officers. “He’s in my apartment.” I told them. “Level 3.”
“We need to get you all outside.” One of the officers told us. “Ma’am, you need to see the medic immediately.”
I nodded. I must have looked a complete mess.
“C’mon pretty girl.” Lawson led me outside to the ambulance. He hovered around while they cleaned the cut and did their best to bandage it. Lawson was right, It would be needing stitches.
A few minutes later the four officers appeared from the front doors – two of them dragging Matthew between them.
The black SUV belonged to Mark. he had spoken to Lawson only briefly. I watched him jog over to the officers and come back only a minute or two later.
“He’s not talking.” He told us.
“He doesn’t need to.” Lawson’s eyes were focused on the man in handcuffs. “His name is Evan Graham.”
“No!” I interrupted him. Lawson and Mark both snapped around to stare at me. “It’s not Evan.” I told them more calmly.
Lawson looked at me in concern. “El honey, it’s him. I can see him with my own eyes.” He turned to the medic. “Can you check her for head injuries.”
The medic started lightly prodding at my skull and I swatted his hand away. “I’m fine.” I snapped. I stood up and hopped lightly out of the back of the ambulance. “That.” I pointed to where the officers were loading Matthew into the police car. “Is Matthew Graham.” I looked at their confused faces. “He’s Evan’s twin.”
I watched as both of their mouths dropped open in shock.
“He’s clearly mentally unstable. He needs help. And someone needs to call Evan.”
“His twin?” Lawson gaped.
I nodded. “His twin. He’s lost it. He thought he was taking me back because I belonged with Evan or some shit like that.”
They both stood in silent disbelief as they absorbed this new information.
“El?” Mark asked softly. “Lawson said when he got there, you were already on your way out. Evan- or Matthew, was on the ground. How did you get away from him?”
Lawson was watching me like a hawk. It was clear he wanted the answer to this question as much as the detective did.
“I used self defence.” I said with a slight shrug.
They both stared at me, waiting for more of an explanation.
“I was mugged when I was 18 back in L.A.I felt helpless. I couldn’t protect myself… I went to some classes after that, I actually ended up being quite good at it and I was an instructor for a few years.”
Lawson’s mouth had dropped open in shock again.
“I used my weight against him, set him off balance and then I did what I was taught. Go for the throat and the groin.”
“What about your cut?” Mark asked.
I looked at my bicep and shook my head. “I’m not too sure, it all happened so fast, I think maybe when I threw my body towards him… I knocked the knife from his hands. I think it went under the couch.”
“Well…” Mark replied. “Well that is… really something.” He looked completely astounded.
Lawson still hadn’t said a word.
I shrugged at Mark. “He wasn’t a fighter. If he was it might have been a different story. And like I said, he’s not right in the head. He needs help.” My eye caught sight of the flashing lights and I turned to watch as the police car drove away with my stalker inside.
75. Lawson
Wait, she fucking what?
I was having a hard time getting my head around all of this. I hadn’t really stopped long enough to think about what had happened between the two of them in that apartment – how she had gotten away from him. I’d finally made it to her floor and there she was, looking like she was bleeding half to death.
My blood had boiled. I’d wanted to kill him.
I would have killed him.
I could hear El screaming at me, but even that wasn’t enough to stop me. I was possessed by rage. It was lucky for me that Logan had been able to hold me back long enough for Ellerslie to bring me back from the brink.
He’s not Evan…
That little detail had thrown me for a loop.
Not Evan… well fuck me dead.
El… she’d protected herself, defended herself against a man who had at least 40 pounds on her. Sweet Jesus, I didn’t know what to do with this information. I was so proud of her for being able to handle herself… but I was so angry with myself for putting her in the position where she had to.
I should be protecting her.
I watched her, watching the police car drive away, lights flashing. It disappeared into the distance and she turned back to face me. The white long sleeve shirt she had on was covered in blood – just the sight of it made my stomach churn.
“Don’t cowboy.” She told me sternly. I knew the guilt was pouring out of me. It was suffocating us both. She pointed a finger into my chest. “Don’t you dare apologise to me. This was not your fault Lawson. You didn’t let me down.”
Once again she knew how I felt. “I should have been there.” My words were choked and quiet.
Ellerslie stepped into my body and wrapped her arms around my waist. I rested my head down into her hair and breathed in her in.
French vanilla.
“You did everything you could.” She murmured into my chest. “I know you came as soon as you could. I still don’t know how you did it, but I’m grateful Lawson. You were there when I needed you most.”
“Needed me most?” I huffed out a breath. “You needed me there to fight that bastard, and I wasn’t there.” I was getting louder, angrier. “I should never had let you go up there alone-“
“Lawson!” El interrupted my rant.
My whole body was shaking.
“Do you like me the way I am?” She asked me, looking straight into my eyes. “Would you change me if you could?”
“I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.” I told her without hesitation.
“Well then you need to stop punishing yourself. I’m an independent woman Mr. Pierce. You and I both know you didn’t have the option of coming up there with me. I made the decision to go alone and I’ll continue to make my own decisions. You are just going to have to learn to accept that I’m going to screw up, and I’m going to fall sometimes. I love you Lawson, and I love that you want to protect me, but sometimes all I need, is for you to help me pick up the pieces and put them back together.”
“El.” I whispered.
She gave me a sweet smile. “Right now, I just need you to hold me. I need you to stop fucking apologising, and just be content with the fact that we’re all okay.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at her. We let go of one another and stepped back towards Mark.
“Okay I’ll try.” I replied. I pulled her back into my chest and did my best to push down my guilt.
“You could have killed him.” She scolded me softly.
“And that is my cue to leave.” Mark interrupted loudly. “Don’t go telling me anything I’ll have to get the cuffs out for Ellerslie.”
“What happens now Mark?” She asked.
“He’s headed down to the station for questioning. You’ll all need to come down too. Now if it’s possible.”
I shook my head. “El needs stitches.”
“I’m fine. Can we just go and get it over with please?” She begged with her big light blue eyes.
God I’m such a sucker for those eyes.
&nbs
p; “Sounds like we’ll be coming down now Mark.” I sighed in defeat.
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