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21

Erik

My whole world stood still as all eyes turned to me. I took it in. Oscar and Leah on the chair. Alexandra tied to the bed, every inch of her bared with her folded in half. Some blond asshole on his knees gripping his cock, poised at her entrance.

“Who the fuck are you?” the asshole holding down Alexandra asked.

I met her eyes and I was almost brought to my knees. Hers were red and blotchy from crying and shined with fear and relief. Red slipped over my vision, my pulse thudding in my ears. Everything in me snapped and I took off with a roar, my sight solely focused on taking down the blond.

He thankfully let go of her legs right before I made impact and took him to the floor on the other side of the bed. His lips were moving, but I heard nothing, a dull roar of white noise drowning it all out as I pinned him under me and started punching him.

His fist clipped my jaw when another body collided against my back. Oscar jerked me back and I shook him off before turning to uppercut him, knocking him back on the floor. Then the other one was back, laying punches at my kidneys. I swung my arm wide, backhanding him. He stumbled and I took my chance, grabbing his neck and pinning him to the wall, lifting him until his toes barely scraped the floor.

“Do you know who I am?” I yelled, spit flying from my mouth, hitting him in his bloody cheek.

He shook his head, tears leaking from his eyes, his face red as his fingers scraped at my hands.

“I find sick fucks like you and ruin your whole world. Your whole operation.” I pulled him away from the wall an inch just to slam him back in again. “But you? I’d rather not waste my time. I’ll just fucking end you here.”

“P-ple-please,” he stuttered.

I leaned in and whispered. “Did you stop when she said please?” More tears leaked down his face. “Did you?” I thundered inches from his face.

Tires screeched outside before a car door slammed and then Jared stood at the door.

“E…” Jared saw the animal inside me and spoke softly. “You can’t kill him. Come on. Cops are coming and you know you can’t be here.”

Hearing his voice penetrated the fog of rage that had swallowed me whole once I opened the door. Someone whimpered behind me and I looked to find Leah bent over Oscar, crying. And on the bed was Alexandra, her eyes pinched shut tight, her body doing its best to curl in on itself.

“I can’t leave without her.”

“Then we’ll file a report later.”

Jared rushed to her side and cut her free, helping her right her clothes. He didn’t touch her, because we’d been in this position before. We didn’t initiate touch with someone who had been assaulted. If they needed comfort, they came to you. Alexandra jerked away from Jared as soon as she was free, still curling into herself.

I slammed the blond against the wall again. Jared stood, preparing to take me down if necessary. “Mr. E,” he barked my codename. “We need to go.”

He was right. I’d done many things not approved by the law in my ventures to rescue women. And getting this kind of publicity would limit what I could do in the future. We needed to leave.

The asshole against the wall gasped when I let his feet touch the floor and eased my grip. He fell forward but I got in one last punch before turning to kick Oscar. Then I shed my jacket and held it open to wrap Alexandra in. She didn’t shy from my touch, she stepped over Oscar, burrowing in my jacket and pushing against me.

My head swam with relief, feeling her come to me and I needed to be closer. I lifted her in my arms, sighing when she buried her head in my neck and carried her out of this shit-hole nightmare.

I was opening the door for her when two black SUVs pulled up and five men piled out dressed in black, guns ready.

“MacCabe,’ I greeted.

“Mr. E.” The tall man nodded his head before moving past us and into the room.

I breathed a sigh of relief knowing Oscar and everyone else would pay one way or another for what they’d done.

After gently putting Alexandra in the car, I went to my side and started the trip home.

“Alexandra,” I started after only a few minutes. She’d barely made a sound since we pulled out of the lot and I was worried about her stoicism.

“She called me,” she said defensively. “She called me crying. She said she was leaving Oscar and he threatened her. She said he was coming for her and asked me to get her. I believed her and I wanted to help her.” Tears filled her voice as her tone turned self-deprecating. “I know. I was stupid and naive to believe her.”