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"Charlie?" She didn't seem to hear me, muttering softly to herself as her feet dragged across the hardwood. "What are you doing, baby?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and sitting up in bed.

"Counting," she mumbled, continuing to watch her own feet move across the floor.

"Why?" I asked, staring at her through the darkness.

"It makes me feel better."

"Why don't you come back to bed, sweetheart?' I urged gently, afraid of startling her if I moved.

"Can't sleep… I keep feeling his hands on me," she replied after a long, painful silence.

"Oh, baby." I sighed. I couldn't imagine what her encounter with Adam had been like. The thought of his hands on her made me feel sick. "Alright," I groaned, pulling on my shirt and turning on the bedside lamp. "Do you want some tea, then?" I hoped that a warm drink might calm her restlessness.

"Yes, please," she murmured, finally halting.

"Come on, then. Let's get you all taken care of," I whispered, offering her my hand. Charlotte hesitated for a moment, before finally lacing her fingers between mine, allowing me to guide her into the kitchen. Rifling through the cupboards, I found her jar of teas. "We have… mint, chamomile, cinnamon, lavender…"

"Lavender," Charlotte croaked out, sinking onto the stool at the counter. I nodded, pulling out the kettle and filling it with water. Seeing her in such a state was crippling. Her anxiousness was seeping into me, and I suddenly felt the need to keep myself busy. When the water was on the stove, I grabbed her manuscripts from the coffee table in the living room and pulled the vape from her purse.

In the kitchen, I set the stack of papers in front of her and sucked in a deep breath of raspberry mint, immediately feeling more relaxed. "I had your dad pick up the jeep," I informed her. When I leaned over her shoulder to offer her a puff from the vape, Charlotte went rigid. "Hey… You're safe here, baby. It's just me," I assured her, gently placing a hand on her arm. "No one is going to hurt you; I won't let them," I vowed, kissing her temple as she relaxed against my chest.

"I'm so tired of being scared." Her voice was so sad, so vulnerable. I frowned, trailing my fingers over her skin. I didn't want her to be afraid either.

"You don't have to be scared, Charlotte. I will keep you safe, my love." And I meant it with every ounce of my being.

Chapter fifty-one

Charlotte

Iwasn't sure what time Alexander and I crawled back into bed, but I woke feeling strangely energized. The light peeking through the curtains told me it was still early. Rolling over, I checked my phone. Just after nine.

"Go back to sleep…" Alexander muttered, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow. I couldn't help but smile, grateful that I had him. Lex was my rock, my shoulder to cry on; the kind of man who held my hair while I puked my guts up in a disgusting club bathroom.

"I love you…" I pressed a kiss to the top of his head before I slipped out of bed. I pulled on a tank top and a pair of pajama pants as Alexander began to snore again. Padding into the kitchen, I put on a cup of coffee and returned to my seat at the counter, picking up where I'd left off reading only a few hours before.

A soft smile spread across my face as I looked over the page, trailing my fingers over the notes that Alexander had added while he read over my shoulder. I was nearly finished with the manuscript when my phone rang. I glanced down at the screen, a picture of me and my father lighting it up.

"Daddy, sorry I haven't called—"

"Hi, Charlotte." The blood drained from my entire body, my breath catching in my throat.

"Adam…"

"You know, Daddy is a pretty heavy sleeper. He didn't even wake when I broke the glass on the back door," Adam mused in a taunting voice. I could imagine the sinister smile he was wearing.

"What are you doing, Adam? Involving my father in this? Really?" I asked, hoping I sounded pissed rather than anxious.

"You involved him, Charlotte, my love. The moment you urged him to speak to my father," Adam replied smugly. "I have a gun, you know…" The phone nearly fell from my hand in horror.

"No, you don't…" I denied, shaking my head in disbelief.

"I do. Do you want to see, little Lottie?" he asked. There was a long moment of silence and then my phone vibrated. My stomach rolled, my hands trembling as I pulled the phone from my ear and pressed the notification. Oh, my God…

Adam had a gun, clear as day in the photo, and my father was asleep in the background, his phone in Adam's hand. I had no time to think, putting the phone to my ear with a shaking hand. "What do you want?" I croaked.

"What I've always wanted, Charlotte," he replied simply. "You."

"You understand that this is crazy?" My throat felt like it was shrinking as I tried not to panic.