Safeguard - excerpt

***Excerpt from Safeguard**

I pad into the kitchen. The only light on is the dim light hanging over the table. Chase is pacing back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and holding his phone to his ear with the other.

I breeze in, pretending to get a glass of water. Chase is glaring at me, and I'm like a deer caught in the headlights. There are pictures and papers scattered every- where, and he looks like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

“What’s all this?”

“Gray, I gotta go. I’ll call you in the morning.” “Chase, what’s going on?”

Nothing. You should go back to bed.”

I inch closer to the table to snoop. The letters from my creepy admirer are sprawled out.

Then I notice the pictures. Lots of them.

Me leaving yoga class with Gabby.

Me in the parking lot at the studio.

Me entering my house.

My skin crawls, my body goes rigid, and my palms begin to sweat. “What the hell

is all this?”

Chase stalks toward me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Calm down, Melanie,

I’ll explain.”

“I don’t want to calm down. I want to know what’s going on.” I pick up some of the

pictures and realize they all have a red X over my face. “Where did these come from?” “It’s some of the evidence your boss Arie gave us.”

“Some? What the fuck?” I slump into the kitchen chair, and my body begins to

tremble. “I never knew about these. Why didn’t Arie tell me this was going on? I knew there were a few letters, but this is positively disturbing.

“Grayson called a little while ago. Someone broke into the studio tonight and vandalized your dressing room.”

“What?”

The walls start closing in, and I feel like I’m going to suffocate. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Chase bends down in front of me and snakes his arms around my waist, blanketing me with his rock hard body. His strength is comforting, relaxing me instantly. My anxious feelings begin to fade away.

I feel safe.

“What does he want? Does he want to hurt me?”

Chase forces me to look up at him. “I’m going to protect you.” His expression is hard, and his calm ocean eyes are reassuring. “No one is going to hurt you,” he says with determination.

My eyes fixate on his full, pink lips, immediately taking my mind off this shit- storm. I want to kiss him so badly.

I need his comfort.

#FAA2018 #Fosteranauthor2018 #FosteranAuthorBlogger