Sooooo... Yeah... It's been awhile. Apparently "summer" in Texas means that you can't go outside or do anything because you'll spontaneously burst into flames, so that leaves five kids pent up in the house for 104 days. Good times. My betas were endlessly patient with me and I would never be able to do this without them! Thank you so much ladies!

"You have to stop, or we're going to end up naked in the elevator," Rose said breathlessly as she tried to escape Emmett's arms. He ignored her and kept her pinned against the mirrored wall so he could nibble his way down her neck to her shoulder. The stubble on his cheek brushed her skin roughly as he moved, and she wanted nothing more than to feel that stubble trail further south. As if he could read her mind, he worked his way down the front of her shirt.

She was thankful that they made it to their floor with all their clothes on. She dragged him out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened, sprinting towards the room. Emmett intentionally dug in his heels, jerking her back to him, and without a word, swept her up to carry her the rest of the way. When they reached the door, he threw her over his shoulder so he could fish the key card out of his pocket. She snatched it from him, teasing him a little before slipping it in the slot. Emmett pushed open the door and set Rose down, letting her stumble in first giggling.

The thick smell of shampoo and body wash hung in the air and stung Rose's nostrils. She took a few steps into the dark room and tripped on something unseen, barely catching herself on the wall. Confusion set in. Frantically, she searched for a light switch.

"What the fucking hell?"

He took the words from her mouth. With her hand still on the wall for support, she surveyed the room: shredded clothes, Emmett's helmet shattered, even the bed was torn apart. Every piece of destruction felt like a physical violation, and by the time her eyes had completed a sweep of the mess, she collapsed, heaving and shaking. She wasn't sure if she wanted to cry, throw up, or both. Emmett held her as she shook and told her that everything was going to be okay.

"How? How is it going to be o-fucking-kay, Emmett?" Rose snapped at him, pulling away so she could see his face.

"We'll figure this out. We'll tell the security folks here, and we'll call the local cops to get them involved too. They'll get this guy." He tried to hold her, but she was having none of it.

"Bullshit, Em! You don't believe that!" She stood, kicking a piece of backpack out of her way.

"Well, what the hell do you want to do about it?" He asked, completely exasperated.

She collapsed onto the bed. There was nothing else to do at that point but let the authorities handle it. Running hadn't worked. Reporting it hadn't worked either, but she sure as hell wouldn't be charged with the damages to the room, so something had to be done there. The mattress shifted a little next to her, and she felt the familiar tug of Emmett's arm pulling her close. She leaned into his shoulder with a resigned sigh.

"I'll make the call, but I don't have to like it."

"No one said you have to like it, babe. There's nothing to like about this, but we can't just walk away and pretend it didn't happen."

"Are you sure?"

"Damn sure."

"Okay. Let's do this."

They went into the hallway and found the courtesy phone by the elevator. Emmett sat in one of the chairs while Rose dialed the security number. She explained that someone had broken into the room, quite possibly the same person who had been following her from Chicago. The man assured her that he would be sending someone up immediately and he would take care of calling the police. She thanked him and sat down on Emmett's lap. It felt safest there, wrapped up in his arms, completely enveloped and guarded from anything or anyone that would hurt her. She couldn't remember a time in her life that she actually needed that. A tear slid down her cheek, the only outward sign that any of this was affecting her. She closed her eyes so she could shut out all visual distractions and just feel. The rise and fall of Emmett's chest with each breath he took was soothing, so much so that Rose felt herself drifting off despite the ball of anxiety nestled deep in her stomach.

A stranger's voice jolted her awake.

"Excuse me, but are you the Hales?" The large man they had seen earlier in the day talking to an unruly guest was standing over them. Rose jumped up. She knew she hadn't dozed off for long, but it was enough to hit her reset button and give her the strength to deal with the situation.

"Yes, we are. Er, I am. This is Emmett McCarty, my, um..." She trailed off, looking for the right word.

"I understand. I'm Felix, head of security here at the hotel. I'll be taking care of you until this incident is taken care of. Anything you need or want, please let me know, and I'll do everything in my power to get it for you. Will you please take me to your room?"

Rose nodded and led the way down the hall. When they got to the door, she pushed it open and let Felix step in alone. Emmett held her hand and gave it a little squeeze while they waited. She smiled weakly, her eyes not leaving the floor.

Felix came out of the room, calm and all business. She appreciated his matter-of-fact way of operating. He took down names and contact numbers for the police, went over a list of questions, and put them in an empty room across the hall. She had started off shaky, but by the time the police had arrived, Rose found herself strangely at ease. She supposed having the protection of the two biggest men she had ever seen could do that to a girl.

The police asked the exact same questions Felix did, but Rose found it much easier to answer them the second time. They wanted to know how she thought her case in Chicago was related, and the questioning would have been brutal if they'd been in fifteen minutes prior, before Felix's walk-through. It finally dawned on her that he'd prepped them for the interrogation. She glanced over at Felix to give him a half-smile. He winked at her from his post at the door. She felt a tight squeeze on her hand and realized that Emmett was giving her a dirty look.

"Really? You're jealous of a hotel security guard?" she whispered while the two officers questioned Felix.

"I see the way you look at him. I'm not blind," he teased. She snorted. While Felix was certainly a handsome man, there was only one man in the room who caught her eye, and Emmett knew it. He put his arms around her, and she fell easily into his chest. It was her plan to stay focused on the officers and the investigation and keep things serious, but with her favorite person in the world encouraging her to relax and let loose, she wasn't able to concentrate on any of it. The only thing that mattered to her at that moment was how Emmett's stubble kept catching tiny strands of her hair that he would brush away while stroking her cheek. She kissed him on the cheek, smiling a little when she realized he still smelled a tad like zoo.

Felix returned without the officers.

"Well, the good news is that the hotel will replace everything you lost. The bad news is that there's nothing you can really get out of there until it's been processed. I can go in and take what they'll let me if you'd like." He still looked irritated about something, and Rose had a feeling that he wasn't done giving them the full scoop.

"Is that it?"

"No. They also don't want you to leave town for a few days, just in case they think of anything else they need from you." He looked uncomfortable, as though it was his fault they were being inconvenienced.

"It's all right, Felix. I'm sure we can find things to do here. You have a lovely city." Rose smiled at him, letting him know they'd be fine. Emmett nudged her and gave her a dirty look, and she rolled her eyes in response. Felix just stared, perplexed, before snapping back into action.

"Right. Well, then. I'll see what I can grab from across the hall, then I'll escort you to a new room." He straightened his blazer and left them.

With a dramatic sigh, Rose threw herself back on the bed. She laced her fingers behind her head and stared up at the ceiling, letting her thoughts swirl. Emmett settled down next to her, rocking the mattress as he moved. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. The mattress rocked again. She took in a deep breath and refocused herself. It rocked again, harder. She tried to nudge him with her elbow but couldn't reach him without untangling herself. He moved the mattress again, so she opened her eyes to find that he was standing on the bed over her, his head inches from the ceiling.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, her tone somewhere between amused and annoyed.

"Wanna pick up where we left off?" He grinned and began slowly taking off his shirt.

"Oh, you cannot possibly be serious. I'm nowhere near in the mood for that."

"Then let me get you in the mood." He started making bow-chicka-wow-wow noises to go along with his strip tease. She didn't know if she should laugh or knock him over, so she went with the more physical instinct. He landed on top of her, not a completely unwelcome outcome for Emmett. She gave a halfhearted attempt to squirm away from him, but quit with a huff when she couldn't get away. He kissed the tip of her nose, trying to illicit a better response, but she just turned her head. He gave up and got off her.

"What's wrong, Rose? This isn't you," he said, putting his shirt back on. Rose watched the fabric cover his beautiful chest, and she realized she'd been a fool for focusing on real life adult problems when she could be taking advantage of all that was Emmett.

"Gee, Emmett, I don't know. Maybe I'm a bit on edge because the same asshole who was stalking me in Chicago somehow found me in Memphis of all freaking places, destroyed my hotel room, and for all we know is waiting in the hall ready to kidnap me. Excuse me for being a bit of a killjoy." Her words had bite to them, but she didn't regret them.

"Hey, you said it, not me."

"Well, what would you have me do? Rip off my clothes and say 'Hell yeah, let's do this thing'? That's not going to happen, Em."

"Then tell me what's really bothering you. Because the only thing that's really changed between right now and three hours ago is the fact that we know the dude is here and not just in Chicago. He's always been in your mind. So what's there now that's bothering you?"

Before she could answer, a knock interrupted their conversation. Emmett checked the peephole before opening the door. Felix came in with one of Rose's bags and placed it on the bed next to her.

"I know it isn't everything, but it's all I could muscle out of them," he apologized. He turned to Emmett. "Nothing of yours was salvageable. Whoever did this really doesn't like you. The whole scene is quite disturbing."

"Yes, thank you, Felix, we were there. We don't need a replay," Emmett said witheringly.

"My apologies. We can go to your new room now if you'd like."

They nodded. Felix picked the bag up again and led them to the elevators. Rose thought she heard a door open behind her as they walked by, but when she turned around, there was no one there. She shook her head and kept walking. I seriously need to chill out. Jumping at every noise like this is some sort of horror movie... Get a grip, Rose.

Even though she mentally chastised herself, as the elevator doors closed, she could have sworn she saw an eerily familiar face peer out of one of the rooms. She shook it off. Now I'm seeing things. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

O0O0O0O

"What?" James stood at the foot of the bed, dumbfounded by her question. He couldn't remember saying anything during their romp, much less anything about his Rose

"Who's Rose? If you're going to call me another woman's name in bed, you can at least tell me who she is. Wife? Ex-wife? Girlfriend?" She stared at him, her pale eyes piercing through him. He had never been a self-conscious man, but he suddenly felt very exposed. He quickly assessed the situation. Playing it off wasn't an option; he knew he looked like a deer in headlights. There was something slightly sinister about Jane, a little bit of evil brewing just below her cool, apathetic facade. She could be an asset to him. He decided to feel her out. After sliding on his boxers, he joined her on the bed.

"She's a long distance friend," he said slowly. "I'm here to surprise her, in a manner of speaking."

"Ah. Does she know she's a friend?" She was catching on, but he couldn't tell if she was weirded out yet.

"I think she's starting to catch on now."

"That's a little twisted. I like it. Where is she now?"

"She's here at the hotel. Wait, you like it?" He was incredulous. What kind of girl would be okay with this? What the hell had he gotten himself into?

His thoughts were interrupted by noise in the hallway. They looked at each other questioningly before going to the door together to take a peek. Jane, still naked, chose to stay behind him as he cracked open the door. He slammed the door shut as fast as he opened it.

"What? What's going on out there?"

"It's the cops," he said, visibly shaken. "They're here already. I thought I'd have time. More time than this. Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!"

"What exactly did you do? You didn't kill anyone, did you?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"No. Not yet. Soon though, I swear to God, soon. I just shook him up a little this time. Next time, he'll get more."

"You know, you look really hot when you get a homicidal glint in your eye." Her stare once again made him a little uncomfortable. This chick was psychotic, absolutely bat shit crazy, but she was just what he needed.

"Get dressed."

O0O0O0O

Felix gave Rose a list of phone numbers when they got to the room. His personal cell was at the top of the list, and they were to call if anything changed or looked suspicious. He made one last check of the hallway then left them to decompress.

Emmett plopped into the overstuffed armchair near the sliding door leading out to the balcony. The curtains were closed, blocking the view to the outside world. He hated the cave-like feel of the dimly-lit room, but he was too tired to reach over and do anything about it. Rose was lying on her stomach in the middle of the bed with her chin in her hands. She was lost in thought, and Emmett couldn't stop staring at her. Wisps of hair had come loose from her pony tail, framing her face, and the lamp on the bedside table put off a light that made her face glow. Even here, frazzled and nearly at her breaking point, she was absolutely stunning. He let his eyes fall to her cleavage and felt an uncomfortable tightening in his shorts. Sighing, he looked away. Being turned down once in a day was enough. He still wasn't sure why she had been so pissy with him in the first place. It wasn't like he was the one who did all this to them. He was just trying to make her feel better in the same ways she liked before. She was the one with the problem. He let out a huff, louder than he intended.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, still staring off but not as disconnected as Emmett originally thought.

"Nothing. Everything. I don't know," he replied sullenly.

"That's kind of a chick answer," she said, smiling.

"Whatever. I'm going to take a shower." He stood and stretched, then quickly walked to the bathroom. The door slammed behind him. It was unintentional but fitting for his mood.

"Well, fuck you too!" Rose shouted from her place on the bed. Something that sounded like a shoe hit the door.

Regretting the door slam, but not enough to go out and apologize, he started the shower and stripped out of his clothes. By the time he was done, the mirror had already begun to fog, so he turned the temperature down and got in. As soon as the water hit him, he started to relax. He rested his forehead on the tile under the shower head and let the water run down his back, washing away the dirt, grime, and tension that had built up over the past eight hours. This entire situation was getting out of hand, and he felt powerless to stop it. Nothing made him angrier than feeling helpless, especially when it came to protecting a loved one. He had already been through that once, and he supposed that he would have to tell Rose about that eventually. Eventually. Not today.

The shower curtain moved, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Rose peeked her head around and looked up at him. Wordlessly, he pulled her into the shower, and they stood under the water, both just needing to be held by the other.

When the feeling passed and fatigue took over, they washed each other chastely. Emmett shut off the water and wrapped Rose in one of the fluffy robes that was hanging on the back of the door. He put on the other robe, then led the way back to the bed. The shoe Rose had thrown was still in the walkway, and he couldn't help but smile when he saw it. He never knew a flip-flop could make that much noise when thrown at a door; his girl really had an arm!

He turned down the sheets, and they climbed in to bed together. They met in the middle of the bed in an instant, his arms wrapped around her, her head on his chest, and their legs intertwined. No words had been spoken, no apologies given, but they didn't need to. They knew.

It's a little short, but it needed to end there. Fourteen is going to be very heavy, so stay tuned and brace yourselves! Thanks for reading!

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