Severed Ties: A Dark Stalker Romance (Tainted Love Book 1)

I can’t make sense of the scene playing out in front of me.

Tommy has his hand wrapped around the other man’s throat, a sound so animalistic it belongs in the depths of hell, tearing from his chest. The act of violence isn’t entirely a surprise, not when he’s known as the most ruthless killer in the city. No, it’s the possession in his voice, the fever with which he claims me despite never saying the words to his brother.

“You’re scaring your little pet,” Ace chokes out, his eyes still locked with Tommy’s in a silent battle.

Tommy looks over his shoulder at me, his eyes sweeping over my body as if making sure I’m okay, before releasing his brother and taking a step back. He positions his body in front of mine, shielding me from a threat that I don’t think exists. Sure, this Ace guy seems dangerous, and not just because of the wall of computer screens before us. His eyes are haunted just the same as Tommy’s are, and my heart aches for whatever put that horror there.

Ace watches us closely for several beats, assessing every move we make in a way that makes my skin heat. I’m not used to being the center of anyone’s attention, and it makes me uncomfortable. “You need the most recent call tracked?” he finally asks and picks up my phone from the desk in front of him.

“Yes,” Tommy says stiffly. “The call was about an hour ago. I’d like to know where it was made from and anything else you can get from it. I’m sure he used a burner, but any information you can give me will help.”

“He wouldn’t have,” I whisper.

The intense blue turns on me, and I regret the words immediately. I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t give him anything. But what’s the point of hiding when it looks like Ace can find out everything there is to know about me in the blink of an eye? Even after doing everything humanly possible to protect my real identity, I have a feeling all the carefully crafted lies are about to unravel right in front of my eyes.

Ace clears his throat, dragging our attention back to him. “Are you in danger?”

I drag my bottom lip between my teeth and bite down until the taste of copper fills my mouth. I don’t want to tell them anything, even if I know they’re going to know everything within minutes. Their eyes burn into me, the heat almost unbearable. I’ve gone to a lot of effort to make myself blend into the background. I wear clothes a size too big and don’t dye my hair or wear too much makeup. I don’t have any friends outside of work and have no intention of changing that. I’ve done the right thing at every turn, and yet somehow, he still found me.

Perhaps I should have expected this. After all, I work for one of the most high-profile families in the country and even though I’ve tried my hardest to stay out of the press, I was bound to be named eventually. I just hoped my father wouldn’t be waiting for me to slip up.

“Yes,” I whisper. There’s no sense lying to them, not when Tommy spoke to my father this morning. It’s pretty fucking evident I’m in danger, and he may be the only person on the planet who can protect me.

Ace considers us for long moments, his eyes flicking from me to his brother and back again, and I can’t help but wonder what he sees when he looks at us. “Tommy, get out.”

He stiffens beside me, his attention dragging from me to glare at Ace. “Absolutely fucking not.”

“I want a minute with Clara. That’s the condition for me getting this shit for you.”

Tommy steps slightly in front of me, shielding me as if he’s going to pounce at any second, but there’s something in Ace’s demeanor that tells me I’m safe, and that’s not something I feel with ease.

I touch Tommy’s arm carefully, making sure not to startle him after the way he reacted to my touch earlier. “I’ll be okay.”

“Absolutely not.”

I sigh and close my eyes for a beat, trying desperately to get a hold of myself. “Tommy, please. I promise I’m okay. And you don’t have to go far, right?” I turn to Ace for confirmation.

He smirks but nods his head in agreement. “You can wait in my bedroom if you don’t want to go too far.”

Tommy looks between us a few more times before huffing. “Fine. But if this fucker says anything to upset you, I want you to call out for me immediately.”

“Okay.”

“And if you’re scared or worried, yell and I’ll be here.”

I give him a hesitant smile. “I’ll be fine, Tommy. I promise.”

He considers me for another few seconds before turning his attention to Ace. “One finger on her and you’ll find yourself without hands. You got me?”

“Yes, Tommy. I got you.”

He gives me one last look before pressing his lips to the top of my head as if it’s the most natural thing for him to do before disappearing back the way we came.

Ace folds his arms across his chest and watches me closely as I fidget where I stand. I’ve never liked strangers, especially not ones that look like Ace. Handsome in a dark way, his body and demeanor screaming sin and darkness as his cold eyes consider me without hesitation. “Who are you hiding from, pretty girl?”

I shake my head. “No one.”

He chuckles deeply and brushes his fingers across the stubble of his jaw. “I think it’s pretty evident that’s a lie. Wanna try again?”

I let out a breath, but words don’t come to me. Telling him about my father will only open a whole can of worms I’m not prepared to deal with right now, but what other option do I have? He’s going to track the phone call, and even if he’s made some attempt to cover his tracks, my father isn’t half as intelligent as he likes to think he is, which means he wouldn’t have done it very well.

He sighs at my silence and taps the desk impatiently. “Tommy and I grew up together in a house with so much darkness I’m surprised either of us ever saw the light of day again after escaping. We survived unthinkable things, things I’m sure he’ll tell you about down the track, but neither of us has recovered. Not in a healthy way at least. As I’m sure you’re aware, Tommy likes to kill. It soothes his soul the way hacking soothes mine, but we’re always one step away from the abyss of darkness, barely holding on to an ounce of humanity.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I whisper. It’s not as if I’m not aware of what Tommy does for Frost Industries, and I’ve seen some of the scars that cover his arms, so I’d all but figured out he had a bad childhood, so why is Ace bothering to disclose all this shit?

“Because I’ve never seen him look as alive as he did when he walked through that door with you under his arm. Which means he’ll work out who threatened you and how much danger you’re in, and then he’ll stop at nothing to keep you safe.”

Not for the first time this morning, I open my mouth to respond, but the words dry up. What is it with these men that makes my mind and my lips disassociate?

“So you can see why I want to understand why it is that the woman my brother is obsessed with refuses to tell him who’s threatening her.”

“He’s not obsessed with me,” I argue.

He chuckles, the sound a deep rumble. “I know we just met, but believe me when I say he’s about as obsessed as a man can be.”

My tongue darts out to wet my lips as my eyes flicker to the room Tommy disappeared into. Surely he’s wrong. Why would anyone be obsessed with me? “My father,” I whisper into the otherwise quiet room, the only sound the tapping of Ace’s fingers and the soft whirl of the wall of computers.

Ace nods in understanding and tugs a chair from the other side of the desk. He pats it, an invitation for me to sit beside him, and my legs shake as I take it. Admitting I’m related to that man always makes me sick to my fucking stomach, but it feels especially raw telling someone in my new life. “Is Clara Michaels your real name?”

I shake my head, closing my eyes to ward off the tears that pool at the rims. “No. I changed it when I got out. I was careful. I did everything right.”

He watches me sympathetically before his eyes flicker up to the doorway behind us and a small smirk tugs at the corners of his lips.

“What the fuck did you do?” Tommy thunders. “Why the fuck is she crying?”