locking the door behind them.
“Ice? Is she injured?” Troy asked. As he approached, his eyes appeared darker.
“Someone hit you?” he asked her.
“I’m okay now. I’m just so tired and scared.”
“We need to know what happened.”
“So much happened. I was stupid.” She felt like crying, but what good would shedding tears do now? She was safe with Leon, Mack, Troy, and Roy. She had to be. That was what Leon told her.
“Are you sure it’s safe here, Leon? He said he’d kill you all.”
All four men gathered around her. “It’s safe, baby. We’ll protect you. I promise,” Leon whispered then caressed her lower lip with his thumb.
“Why didn’t you tell us at the hotel? Why did you take off like that?” Roy asked as he took a seat on the couch, and she slowly sat up. Her head was spinning, she was so tired, and her cheek ached. By the expressions on their faces, they were angry and the bruise probably looked bad. It sure felt painful. She reached up to touch her cheek and cringed as her fingers made contact.
Troy came into the room with a bag of frozen peas. He covered it with a paper towel and walked in front of her.
She locked gazes with him, and she knew he was angry. She had to tell them everything. She had to explain.
Ellena placed the bag on her cheekbone and leaned back against the couch.
“Hey, you have blood on your side. Are you hurt there?” Leon asked as he touched the material of her dress. She figured the cut from the knife had reopened even though it wasn’t deep. She had been running on adrenaline.
“It’s a cut. It’s not bad.”
“From what?” Troy asked.
“A knife,” she said then closed her eyes as she heard their concerned words.
“Talk to us please,” Roy whispered as he caressed her knee.
Ellena explained about the earrings, the lunch encounter, and then meeting Mack that night at the restaurant.
“What happened after we left you, Ellena?” Leon asked.
She took a deep breath. How was she going to tell them about Parker and how he touched her?
“I was enjoying my message. The masseuse left me alone so I could slowly sit up and get dressed. I guess after such a relaxing treatment you’re tired and foggy and you need to drink plenty of fluids. I was just lying there thinking how wonderful the night before was with you and Mack, and I was looking forward to seeing Troy and Roy when the door opened. I thought it was Luke, the masseuse. But then I felt the hard hands on my shoulders.”
She put the bag of peas down and covered her face with her hands.
“He was there. Parker was in the room. He told me that he wanted me and that I was to stay away from you, Leon, and your brothers. I tried to tell him to leave me alone, but…” She stopped as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What did he do?” Leon asked through clenched teeth.
“Tell us,” Roy whispered.
“He touched me,” she said. They cursed as she tightened up and shook her head.
“I can’t. I can’t believe this is happening.”
Roy placed his arm over her shoulder and pulled her to his side.
“Calm down and explain what he said. You’re safe now and he can’t hurt you.”
“What did he do to you?” Leon asked.
She explained about him touching her breast and holding the knife against her throat, threatening to cut her.
“So he left you, basically threatening to kill each of us while we were working and make it look like an accident?” Mack asked.
“Yes. If I went anywhere near any of you, he promised to kill you.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Troy stated.
“I believed him. He proved his ability to hurt,” she whispered. Then she placed her hand over her side where the blood was.
Leon looked at his brothers then back at Ellena.
“He cut you?” he asked. Mack, Troy, and Roy all made a verbal response.
“Yes,” she said.
Leon stood up and paced the living room.
“Parker is a dead man walking.”
* * * *
“You need to calm down, Leon, and
“Ice? Is she injured?” Troy asked. As he approached, his eyes appeared darker.
“Someone hit you?” he asked her.
“I’m okay now. I’m just so tired and scared.”
“We need to know what happened.”
“So much happened. I was stupid.” She felt like crying, but what good would shedding tears do now? She was safe with Leon, Mack, Troy, and Roy. She had to be. That was what Leon told her.
“Are you sure it’s safe here, Leon? He said he’d kill you all.”
All four men gathered around her. “It’s safe, baby. We’ll protect you. I promise,” Leon whispered then caressed her lower lip with his thumb.
“Why didn’t you tell us at the hotel? Why did you take off like that?” Roy asked as he took a seat on the couch, and she slowly sat up. Her head was spinning, she was so tired, and her cheek ached. By the expressions on their faces, they were angry and the bruise probably looked bad. It sure felt painful. She reached up to touch her cheek and cringed as her fingers made contact.
Troy came into the room with a bag of frozen peas. He covered it with a paper towel and walked in front of her.
She locked gazes with him, and she knew he was angry. She had to tell them everything. She had to explain.
Ellena placed the bag on her cheekbone and leaned back against the couch.
“Hey, you have blood on your side. Are you hurt there?” Leon asked as he touched the material of her dress. She figured the cut from the knife had reopened even though it wasn’t deep. She had been running on adrenaline.
“It’s a cut. It’s not bad.”
“From what?” Troy asked.
“A knife,” she said then closed her eyes as she heard their concerned words.
“Talk to us please,” Roy whispered as he caressed her knee.
Ellena explained about the earrings, the lunch encounter, and then meeting Mack that night at the restaurant.
“What happened after we left you, Ellena?” Leon asked.
She took a deep breath. How was she going to tell them about Parker and how he touched her?
“I was enjoying my message. The masseuse left me alone so I could slowly sit up and get dressed. I guess after such a relaxing treatment you’re tired and foggy and you need to drink plenty of fluids. I was just lying there thinking how wonderful the night before was with you and Mack, and I was looking forward to seeing Troy and Roy when the door opened. I thought it was Luke, the masseuse. But then I felt the hard hands on my shoulders.”
She put the bag of peas down and covered her face with her hands.
“He was there. Parker was in the room. He told me that he wanted me and that I was to stay away from you, Leon, and your brothers. I tried to tell him to leave me alone, but…” She stopped as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
“What did he do?” Leon asked through clenched teeth.
“Tell us,” Roy whispered.
“He touched me,” she said. They cursed as she tightened up and shook her head.
“I can’t. I can’t believe this is happening.”
Roy placed his arm over her shoulder and pulled her to his side.
“Calm down and explain what he said. You’re safe now and he can’t hurt you.”
“What did he do to you?” Leon asked.
She explained about him touching her breast and holding the knife against her throat, threatening to cut her.
“So he left you, basically threatening to kill each of us while we were working and make it look like an accident?” Mack asked.
“Yes. If I went anywhere near any of you, he promised to kill you.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Troy stated.
“I believed him. He proved his ability to hurt,” she whispered. Then she placed her hand over her side where the blood was.
Leon looked at his brothers then back at Ellena.
“He cut you?” he asked. Mack, Troy, and Roy all made a verbal response.
“Yes,” she said.
Leon stood up and paced the living room.
“Parker is a dead man walking.”
* * * *
“You need to calm down, Leon, and
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