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I see red. I don’t wait, I just react. I kick him, ramming the cap of my boot into his rib cage so forcefully I’m sure I’ve broken his rib.

“What the fuck did you just call her?” I yell.

“I…” Patrick tries to speak, but I kick him again. He curls into the fetal position, and I go to strike him again, but Harry pulls me back.

“Okay, we aren’t here to kill him,” Harry says. My nostrils flare, my chest heaving. All I see is a red mist and if they weren’t here to pull me back, I think I would kill him.

I crouch down over him. “Does it make you feel like a man? Hurting women, trying to control them?”

He whimpers and spits out a mouthful of blood. “I, I will have you locked up for this.”

I lean in closer. “See, I don’t think you will, Pat, because if you do, I’ll make sure everyone knows what you did. How you manipulated her, hurt her, for your own personal gain, I don’t think Judge Monroe would be happy to hear what you have been up to.”

“He wouldn’t be happy to know his daughter is a slut, a stripper.” His words are like another red flag to a bull. I ball my fist and punch him in the face. Pain radiates up my hand as I shake it out.

“Ughhh, you…” Patrick whimpers, blood now streaming from his nose.”

“You won’t say shit, you hear me?” I spit.

“I have evidence,” Patrick argues as he wipes his nose with the back of his hand while he pushes himself up to a sitting position.

“Oh, you mean on this?” I turn to see Noah holding Patrick’s phone. He tosses it to the ground, smashing his boot on the screen until there are nothing but fragments of the device scattered across the ground.

“That’s my phone,” Patrick roars.

I stand up and lift Patrick by the collar, slamming him against the brick wall. He whimpers.

“Now, this will be the only warning you get. Got it? If I have to find you again, I’ll kill you with my bare hands and then dispose of your body so that no one will find you.

Patrick gulps, his body begins trembling and the twisted and dark side of me reels in the sight. Knowing he’s as scared as Gabriella has likely been all this time.

“You will never, ever speak to Gabriella again. You won’t look at her, you won’t contact her, you won’t touch her, and you won’t breathe a word of this to anyone, or I will kill you.”

I move closer, so close I feel his quivering breath against my face.

“Got it?” I say through gritted teeth.

He nods.

I release him, and he falls to the ground. I give one final kick and he lets out a yelp. I walk off and all I can hear is one kick after the other as Patrick makes a bone chilling cry. I don’t know who’s doing it. I don’t care. All I care is that they had my back, they have Gabriella’s back and Patrick won’t ever hurt her again.

The final thing on my to do list: find Amy and get some answers.

Chapter Fifty Seven

Gabriella

“Great job, ladies. I know that was a tough one, but you’ll be thanking me in the summer.” The class erupts into laughter. I roll up the last of the mats and stack them in the rack at the back of the room before I shut off the lights and sling my gym bag over my shoulder.

I walk past the reception desk and give Mike a wave.

“Night, Mike,” I say cheerfully.

“Do you want me to walk you to your car?” he asks.

“No, I’m good.”

I push through the glass doors, out into the parking lot. The New York evening air has a slight chill now we are in fall and the breeze whips through my ponytail. I’m thankful I am wearing yoga pants, but regret my choice of a yoga bra instead of a long sleeve.