Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen
Elizabeth’s POV
“It’s beautiful.” I muttered under my breath. Across the bed was a long cotton sundress covered in whimsical white and blue flowers, nearly the same exact color as my eyes. I ran my fingers along the pattern and soft fabric. A pair of strappy sandals completed the look, and I was in awe of his selections and wondered where he learned how to dress so well. I twirled my finger at him, silently demanding that he turn around so I could dress. He may have seen it before, but sex and getting dressed were two different things. I wasn’t confident enough for him to see me try to squeeze into this dress without underwear on. He chuckled, showing me his sexy dimples before rolling his eyes and obeying.
I briefly wondered how he even knew my sizes before remembering that there were probably a lot of things he knew about me. The dress fit like a glove. The top of it was supportive enough to be worn without a bra, which I was thankful for. I didn’t have the largest breasts, but they weren’t small either, so the idea of going without a bra horrified me. The bodice hugged my curves comfortably without being too tight, and the hem came down a couple inches below my knees. I would of course need to buy some more weather appropriate clothes today, but this was enough coverage to not be too cold, especially with Zen’s jacket sitting beside the ensemble.
It made me giggle imagining Zen going clothes shopping for me. I used the hairbrush and deodorant that were beside the shoes before turning to the bottle at the top of the bed. I had to lean to get to it, but once I did I immediately recognized it as some sort of body mist. The label identified it as cucumber melon, the same as my shampoo at home. How did he know? I looked up to see him watching me with his seafoam eyes. He looked nervous.
“Is it the right scent?” He asked quietly, pushing his hair from his face.
“Yes. Did they tell you?” He looked confused for a minute. “Whoever asked you to kill me.” I clarified. His eyes softened in realization, before turning amused.
“No, Princess. Your file doesn’t have shit like that. I just went off memory.” He grinned, looking awfully proud of himself.
“You have a lot of hidden talents.” I teased, sitting on the bed and pulling on the shoes he got me.
“Maybe. Though, I can’t say I’ve ever used that one before.” He stepped forward, running the pad of his thumb along my cheek again.
Why does he keep doing that?
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of wood splintering off of the front door and clamoring to the floor. I screamed in reflex, my hands flying to my mouth as Zen quickly turned, drawing his gun and stepping between me and the doorway.
“Get the fuck on the ground, Zen Warren!” Someone boomed, obscured from my view.
Wait, I knew that voice.
“I’m not moving, Tom.” Zen stated simply, an undertone of authority sending a shiver down my spine. What was Tom doing here?
“I won’t hesitate to shoot your ass if you don’t get down in the next five seconds. Five, four…” Zen squared his shoulders, stubbornly planting his feet on the filthy carpet. “Three…” NO. I needed to get up and stop him, but I was so horrified that I couldn’t move. I didn’t want Tom to shoot Zen. Zen was helping me. They were on the same side. “Two…”
“It’s going to be okay, Princess.” Zen whispered under his breath.
“One…” Zen turned quickly, backhanding me onto the floor. I stared in shock as he completed his rotation, lifting right leg with complete grace and roundhouse kicking the gun from Tom’s hand, which he had lowered as soon as he saw me hit the carpet. “Fuck!” He shouted when his gun slid across the room, hitting the wall. He tried wrapping his arms around Zen to restrain him, but Zen was too fast. He dodged left, darting under the grapple and pushing one hand against Tom’s forearm while the other pulled his hand back causing a loud pop to echo throughout the room, followed by Tom’s screams.
Zen turned on his heels, kicking off of the wooden table beside them and jumping to wrap his legs around Tom’s neck, narrowly missing the ceiling and swinging himself downward, flipping Tom onto his back while he landed with minimal effort beside him. Finally, he stomped his boot firmly on Tom’s good wrist, aiming his gun two inches from his face.
Everything got quiet, the only sounds being both men’s heavy breathing. I sat in utter shock, amazed by what I had just witnessed, yet terrified at the same time. I felt like I was watching a spy movie and I’m not going to lie, it was unbelievably hot seeing Zen moving that way. He reminded me of a cat taking down its prey, full of grace and power. His eyes were cold and determined as they tried to predict Tom’s potential next moves.
“You tracked her.” Zen stated flatly, getting right into it. My eyes widened. Wait, how? I didn’t wear any jewelry or anything. When Tom stayed silent, Zen continued. “I would’ve noticed a chip, so I’m assuming it’s a molar.” Molar? How would they put a tracker in my molar? I gasped when I remembered the dental surgery I had several years prior, right after moving in with Tom. They said I just needed a root canal and they had to put me under because the drilling would be too painful. It sounded shady at the time, but I had no reason to suspect they would lie to me. I didn’t know they were actually chipping me like some kind of dog! Rage began to build inside of me. Zen’s claims were confirmed when Tom glanced over at me, an apologetic look on his face. I stood, ignoring the pain on my face and rear end from Zen hitting me off the bed. I would deal with that later.
“You-“ I began, but Tom quickly cut me off.
“Now is not the fucking time. Liz, I need you to run. Find somewhere to hide where this bastard won’t find you.” He barked. I stepped back, surprised by his hostility. I rarely witnessed this side of Tom, and it was never directed at me.
“I’m not hiding from him.” I said confidently, warranting a look of confusion from my guard.
“What the hell are you saying, Elizabeth? If you’re scared he’ll hurt you-“
“I know he won’t hurt me. He’s protecting me.” Tom looked at me like I had grown two heads.
“Protecting you? Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” He moved his attention back to Zen, glaring at him coldly. “What the hell did you tell her?!”
“The truth.” Was Zen’s simple answer.
“Bullshit.” He spat at the gun still aimed at his face.
“It’s true!” I yelled, pulling his gaze back to me. “I know he was hired to kill me. But he isn’t an assassin anymore!” Tom stared at me incredulously.
“Liz… I found his knife in your bedroom. He kidnapped you. I just watched him fucking hit you. Whatever he told you, you shouldn’t believe it. Men like him can’t be trusted. He’s screwing with your mind!”
“NO HE’S NOT!” I screamed, louder than intended. I knew everything Tom was saying made sense. I just couldn’t believe it. I knew that Zen wasn’t who he described, not anymore. Maybe Zen used to be cold, heartless, and manipulative, but now he was the kind of guy who covered me with his hoodie, bought me a dress to match my eyes, and took the time to find the fragrance that resembled my old shampoo. Those two men could never coexist. The Zen I knew was not who Tom knew.
“Elizabeth.” Zen’s stern voice broke the silence. I hadn’t realized that I had started to cry. I wiped my face with the back of my hand, taking an unsteady step towards Zen. “Princess, he’s right.” My breath caught in my throat. What? “Men like me can’t be trusted. All of the things he claimed I did to you are true.” He paused, straightening his back ever so slightly. “Still, Elizabeth was also right, Tom. I’m not in my group anymore. My dealer caught me getting too attached and kicked me from the hit. He sent a replacement and men to keep me in my apartment. I risked my ass and threw away eight years of my life to get her out and safe. Yea, I hit her. I had to get her out of the way because you were aiming your fucking gun at me. I couldn’t move without risking you accidently shooting her instead. I would never hurt her on purpose, and I think I’ve more than proved that I’m capable of protecting her.” He nodded at Tom, before standing tall and putting his pistol back in his waistband. “Now, get your ass up and let’s figure out how to keep her safe.”