Lead the Way by K.L. Prince

and why is he calling you?”
                  “He called to tell me that Ryan Collins has been released from prison.”
                  “I take it that Ryan Collins is the guy that attacked you five years ago.”
                  “Right.  He’s been released and apparently he still has a thing for me.”
                  “A thing for you?  I don’t get it.”
                  “According to Detective Sims, when they were cleaning out Ryan’s cell, they found some stuff that would indicate that Ryan Collins isn’t exactly pleased with me.”
                  “So, he said that Ryan Sims is coming after you?”
                  “He didn’t exactly say it like that, but he did say that it is a possibility and that I should be careful.”
                  “Holy shit, Eva.  I can’t believe it.  Hasn’t that asshole done enough?”
                  “Gabriel, Ryan Collins is a psychopath.  I’m not surprised that he still wants to hurt me.  He just spent the past five years in jail because of me.”
                  “Eva, he spent the last five years in jail because of him.  You didn’t force him to attack you.  None of this is your fault.  I hope you know that.”
                  “Of course I know that.  It doesn’t change the fact that Ryan Collins could show up here at any time and finish the job.”
                  “So, that’s why you were in the closet?  You thought I was him?”
                  “I did.  I admit now it was a bit of an overreaction, but I just got the phone call and then I hear someone trying to come into the apartment.  I just put two and two together.”
                  “I’m sorry that I scared you.  I should’ve called your name, but I thought that maybe you were sleeping.  Then, when I didn’t see you or hear you, I thought you were playing some kind of weird joke on me or something.  I thought you playing hide-and-go-seek with me.  I honestly thought that you were going to jump out from somewhere and scare me.  I had no idea that I was going to find you hiding in the closet, scared to death.“
    “Gabriel, you couldn’t have possibly known what was happening.  Why did you come back anyway?”
                  “I forget my bag in the closet.  I bought a gift for Rosa and it’s in the bag.  I wanted to give it to her at dinner tonight, so I came back.” 
    “Well, everything is fine now, so…”
    “Eva, you don’t look fine.  You look like you’re scared out of your mind.  Listen, I can spend the night with you, if that will make you feel better.”
    “You don’t have to do that,” she says, looking at her hands and lying.
    “Eva, I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying.  You want me to stay and I will.”
    Eva is happy.  She knows that if Gabriel were to leave that she would be a wreck.  She can’t bare to think of being alone while Ryan Collins roams the streets. 
    “Thank you so much.  Honestly, I would feel better if I had someone here with me, at least for the night.”
    “I will stay with you as long as you need me to.  I would feel better being here anyway.  If I were to go back to Rosa’s, I would just be worrying about you.  I wouldn’t be able to sleep and I would probably end up right back here.”
    Eva wonders what the motivation is behind Gabriel’s statements.  Why is he saying these things about her?  She wonders if it is his Navy background of serve and protect coming into play or if he has feelings for her.  She hopes that it’s the latter. 
    “Well, the guest room is all yours.  You know where everything is, so make yourself at home, I guess.”
    “You want to order take out?”
    “Sure.  What do you have in mind?”
    “I’ve been craving Chinese all day.  What do you think?”
    “I think that would