Clearly, I didn’t know Stan or what he was truly capable of.
Murder!
Did he hate me so much that he wanted to kill me? The sound of Luke's car coming into the drive brought me back to the present. Weak with relief, I hurried downstairs and opened the front door for him.
"Ella!" he said and took my hand.
I led him to the living room.
"Tell me what happened," he said when we sat on the couch.
He kept my hand in his as I told him everything, leaving no detail out.
"Why didn’t you tell me when he started?" Luke asked in astonishment.
I searched his eyes and saw no hint of what he was thinking. A feeling of dread filled my stomach. I was about to lose my job. I hadn’t given one thought to my job all that time but now, it hit me afresh that my being here, taking care of Molly was putting her at risk.
It didn’t matter if I lost my job. As long as Molly was safe.
"I truly thought if I ignored him, he would go away," I defended. "I knew Stan could be violent, but I didn't think he would become a dangerous stalker."
"My poor baby. You've been carrying this burden alone," Luke muttered and massaged my hand.
His kindness brought fresh tears to my eyes. I didn’t want to take advantage of the kind of person he was and I didn’t want to make him say it. "I’ll understand if you don’t want me to continue working for you," I said, my voice shaky.
He frowned and looked confused. "What?"
"I don’t want to put Molly at risk," I said.
He took both my hands into his. "Listen to me Ella, I'm going to take care of you. Both of you. Bullies make you believe that no one can help you. Their tactics are to make you feel helpless and alone. You’re not alone. I’m here. He has no idea about the kind of man he has picked as his opponent. No more talk about leaving your job."
Tears flowed furiously down my cheeks. I could hardly believe he wanted to protect me. I’d never felt like I did in this moment. So completely safe and protected. Was that how people felt when they were in a loving relationship?
If so, I had missed out on so much during the time I’d been with Stan.
Luke pulled me on his lap and held me close. "Everything will be fine, but first, we need to go to the police station and report this."
My heart skipped a beat. I remembered what Stan had said about Molly. If I told anyone, something would happen to her. “He said he would hurt Molly if I told anyone about him,” I whispered with a shiver of dread. Even the thought was too frightening to contemplate.
"That's exactly the kind of reaction stalkers want you to have. The first rule is never, ever give in," Luke stated. "I’m glad you told me and now, we'll tell the police. That bastard cannot get away with such behavior." His jaw was set and a white line of fury appeared around his mouth.
I felt sure that if Stan had been nearby, he'd have gotten his face punched into a pulp.
Luke came to my room that night rather than me going to his. I was paranoid and wanted to sleep close to Molly even though I knew the house was secure. Stan had no way of entering the house. I wore a negligee and slipped into bed to wait for Luke.
At my insistence, he was out doing one more check around the house, double checking that the windows and doors were locked. He came in a few minutes later. “Safe,” he said grimly. He came and knelt on the floor close to me. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For the fear that madman has created in you,” Luke said with feeling. His face was close enough that if I moved an inch, our noses would touch. “I want you to feel safe Ella. I promise I’ll keep you safe. I’ll work from home from now on, until this mess is over.”
I threw my hands around his neck and pulled him to me. He slipped into the bed and we held each other. It meant so much to me that he would be working from home.
The police had been non-committal though earlier today, they’d said they would call him in for questioning. Luke had been as frustrated as I was and had raged at the policemen who had taken down my statement.
"Thank you," I murmured into Luke's ear.
He got into bed, propped himself on his elbow, and looked down at me. "You are so special and so beautiful. I’m not losing you just when I’ve found you."
If I’d been standing, for sure, my legs would have buckled from under me. No one had ever spoken such words to me. Luke made me feel special. He turned us around and held me as if instinctively knowing‒that what I needed right now‒was comfort.
As I lay on his chest, he stroked my hair and murmured sweet words. It worked. Every worry dissolved and soon, all that remained in my mind was how perfect it felt to lie there. The sound of his breathing seemed amplified and his manly scent was everywhere. I let out a sigh of contentment.
“Feel better?” Luke asked.
“Much better. Thank you.”
We kissed and caressed each other unhurriedly. I found out there was something so sensual about knowing that your man could take care of you. I had no doubt I was safe in Luke’s care. This knowledge added another layer of sensation as we made love.
I was his woman and Luke took care of his own. I wasn’t the vulnerable Ella I had been earlier. I felt free of all the fears I’d had. Stan had another thing coming if he thought that
