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23

THE STALKER

M y head is in my hands as I sit in the chair beside the bed Maddie is sleeping on in my cabin. I’ve got a splitting headache, I’m exhausted, and I’m still wearing the same bloody clothes I wore last night.

Sighing, I push my back against the chair, stretching my long legs out in front of me. The gauze and bandages I slapped on my thigh are tinged red, leaking through the dressing, jeans, and hoodie.

My phone vibrates again. Jason has been calling and texting non-stop since 3:00 a.m.

My gaze moves to Maddie, peacefully sleeping from the drugs in her system, so I quietly get up and exit the room, leaving the door ajar so I can hear her if she gets up.

After a quick stop in the restroom, where I grab a bottle of ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet, I head to the kitchen. Wincing with each step, I limp to the fridge for water. The sleeve of my sweatshirt slides up when I reach for a bottle, crimson trickling down my skin. Shit.

Popping the pills into my mouth, I wash them down with half a bottle of water, then call Jason.

“It’s about time you answered, motherfucker. I was worried out of my damn mind,” he says by way of greeting.

I chuckle, trying to sound like myself despite how shitty I feel. “Sorry, man. Unexpected shit happened. Everything’s handled, though.”

I can practically see his brows raise as the silence hangs between us.

Finally, he says, “Are you fucking kidding me? You don’t sound fine. And when the hell did you become close-lipped about gathering intel?”

Staring out the window, I take a long pull from the bottle.

He’s going to be so pissed.

“Out with it, Jagger. What the fuck happened?”

Wincing, I rub a hand over the stubble on my chin from not shaving in a couple of days. Spotting the blood on my hand, I turn on the faucet and roll up my sleeve. Removing the bandage and gauze, I grit my teeth as I study the knife wound.

Grabbing a clean cloth from the drawer, I wet it and wipe the blood from my arm. “After you gave me that information, I went to the warehouse…” A painful hiss comes out of me as I apply pressure to the injury to try to halt the bleeding. “But patience isn’t my strong point.”

“Oh. My. Fucking. God. You did not go after him yourself?”

“I did. Only, he wasn’t by himself. I thought it was him and another dealer. Turns out, two bodyguards were there, too.”

“Fuck, Jagger.”

A smirk pulls my lips up when I recall what happened. “The good news is, I took out four guys. The bad news is I suffered knife wounds to my arm and thigh.”

Jason mutters some curses and says, “What the fuck, brother?” The irritation in his voice is palpable. “That was a huge fucking risk.” I hear his boots as he crosses the floor, then his door banging shut. “Do I need to send Abby over now?”

“No, it can wait until morning. Don’t wake her up for this.”

There’s a long pause before Jason responds.

Huffing out an annoyed breath, he barks, “Why the fuck didn’t you call me to help you before launching an attack, asshole?”

“There was no time. I saw an opportunity and took it.”

“Stubborn asshole.” I hear his lighter flicking, followed by a few beats of silence before a long exhale. “Are you sure you killed the Ice Queen’s drug dealers?”

A smirk crosses my face. “I’m positive. I took out her first and second in command, then their bodyguard goons. Stacked all the bodies, then blew up the damned warehouse.” I desperately need a cigarette, but I don’t smoke inside my cabin. “It’s probably on the news.”

I know when he’s pulled it up because of all the cursing. “Fuck, Jagger, this isn’t good. It’s everywhere.” He exhales, then complains, “You seem to like being in the news lately.”

I grin as I think of the article about the missing Falls Creek mayor and the seven corrupt police officers I’ve taken out.

They won’t find their bodies anytime soon .

“What can I say?” I shrug even though he can’t see me. “I don’t mind the attention. The Ice Queen has to be nervous. I’m sure she’ll be extremely pissed when she sees tonight’s news.”

A huge smile curves my lips. “I’ve disrupted her entire drug dealing ring.” Pulling the cloth away, I look at the wound. Damn it. It’s going to need stitches.

Gritting my teeth, I apply more pressure. “Don’t worry. I covered my tracks. I was on the phone with Bryce, ensuring he was erasing all the security camera footage. It appears to be an accidental fire.” I rattle on about how Bryce helped ensure I’d evade suspicion. “If investigators suspect it’s arson, I won’t be implicated.”

Jason snorts. “The Ice Queen will be out for blood.”

I grin. “That’s what I’m hoping.” Pulling the cloth away, it appears the bleeding has slowed, so I apply gauze and re-wrap it. “That’s not all I did tonight.”

“Oh, fuck.” His boots sound against his porch, then I hear his door slam as he goes inside. “What the hell did you do?”

“I have something the Ice Queen is sure to want…” Pausing for dramatic effect, I say, “I have Maddie.”

“Jesus Christ, Jagger,” he says through gritted teeth.

“It’s perfect, Jason. She just fell into my lap… Well, my arms. Unfortunately, I had to knock her out and inject her with ketamine. She’s still sleeping.” I chuckle.

“ Fuck. So that’s why you were on campus and called me earlier.” He mutters more curses before his voice lowers. “I need all the details.”

After I fill him in, Jason blows out a frustrated breath. “Are you ready for this fight? If the Ice Queen figures out you took out her dealers, and now you have her daughter, she’s going to be fucking livid.”

My smile is smug as I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

M addie tosses and turns as I step into the bedroom, muttering in her sleep. I wonder how soon her memories will come back.

Plopping into the chair beside her bed, I stretch my legs out in front of me, pulling up the article about the fire on my phone. A grin spreads across my face as I read it, a chuckle escaping me.

I pissed in the Ice Queen’s cheerios. I wish I could see her face when she finds out about this.

“No, stop,” I hear Maddie say as she thrashes, frantically kicking the blankets until she gets them off her. Her shirt rides up, revealing the smooth flesh of her stomach. Rolling onto her back, her legs fall open.

Something stirs deep inside me.

Despite my injuries, I get out of the chair, shoving my phone into my pocket before crawling onto the bed. It dips beneath my weight as I balance over her, my mouth dipping to her skin, kissing, nipping, and licking the exposed area of her stomach. Goosebumps cover her flesh, and the softest whimper leaves her lips.

My hand moves to the waistband of her yoga pants, her vanilla and honey scent causing all reason to leave me. I tug them down her hips.

She gasps, her eyes flying open. “ Get your fucking hands off me! ” she screams.

My brows draw in as I purse my lips. Back to this shit again.

“Are you deaf, Jagger?” Her voice is laced with sarcasm and contempt as she stares at me, fury flashing from her eyes. “ Get. Off. Of. Me .”

I’m fucking pissed… And growing angrier by the second. I don’t say anything, my brows furrowing as I stare at her.

“You’re a… Killer .”

“A killer?” Cocking my head, I glower at her. A slow, smug smile curls my lips. “You think I killed that college girl, Maddie?” Anger coils inside me like a snake about to strike. “You seriously fucking believe it was me?”

She doesn’t say anything as she lies beneath me on the bed, her eyes wide.

“Answer me,” I roar.

“Y-Y-Yes,” she stammers, trembling beneath me.

I shake my head, staring at her in disbelief. But that soon fades as my shock turns to anger. “It’s ironic you don’t seem as scared of me as you should be, Madison .” The way I say her name is like the lashing of a whip. “Considering I’m a fucking killer.”

She cringes, sinking into the covers, trying to make herself smaller. Hurt flashes in her eyes when I call her Madison. She doesn’t fucking deserve to be called by her nickname right now.

Maddie’s pinned beneath me, the heat from her warm body makes my head swim. She affects me on such a deep level it’s as though she swims through my veins.

Her accusations that I killed that college girl turned my blood from hot to cold. My lips curl into a snarl, teeth bared. “Then I guess you’ll be terrified of this.” Quick as lightning, my hand shoots out, wrapping around her neck.

Her eyes are wide with panic. She grips my forearms, her breathing quick and shallow as she whimpers.

With a grin, I apply slight pressure, holding for a few seconds before I stop squeezing, my hand still around her throat, staring into her honey-brown eyes.

Maddie’s muscles are taut, her nostrils flaring as she bares her teeth at me. There’s a fire in her eyes… And it’s fucking hot.

I loosen my hold so she can speak.

“How gentlemanly of you to choke a girl when she’s down.” Her voice drips with sarcasm.

My smile is smug. “Isn’t that what a killer does? Takes advantage of every weakness.”

“I’m not weak,” she hisses, practically spitting like a scared kitten. “If you weren’t looming over me like some fucking monster, I’d smack you in the face.”

My brows raise, amused. “Wow. You’ve got a violent streak in you, Madison .” I turn my cheek, tapping it. “Hit me.”

A shuddering breath leaves her, but nothing happens. I wait for several beats before turning my face back to hers.

We stare at one another, the silence heavy in the room. There’s a distance between her and me that I despise.

Maddie’s voice trembles when she speaks. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“How am I looking at you?”

“Like part of you aches to kiss me while the other part wishes you could put me in a hole six feet beneath the ground.”

A smile pulls my lips up. “That’s exactly how I’m feeling.” Releasing my hands from her throat, I sit on my haunches, my arm and thigh aching where I was stabbed.

The next thing I know, Maddie’s hand flies out, smacking me across the face.

Fuck. It stings, but it’s her nerve that shocks me. She fucking hit me.

Anger rolls through my veins, my muscles quivering as I raise my eyebrow, questioning her sanity. That was a fucking stupid move.

“I’ve been fucking patient with you long enough,” I bark. “Don’t. Fucking. Push. Me,” I grit out, stabbing my index finger against her chest with each word. “Or I will make your life a living hell.”

Audibly swallowing, a whimper leaves her mouth as tears fill her eyes. Her body shakes beneath me so hard her teeth chatter. She purses her lips tightly together, trying to stop it.

Shaking my head, I climb off her. Wincing as I put weight on my leg, I do my best to hide my limp as I move to the windows, staring outside into the darkness.

I feel her gaze boring into my back, but I refuse to acknowledge her. I’m too fucking pissed right now.

“What happened to your leg?” Her voice is soft and laced with concern.

Fucking ironic. She accuses me of killing a woman, but now she’s pretending to be concerned for my well-being.

I ignore her. She doesn’t fucking deserve an answer.

“Jagger…” Maddie says my name as a tentative plea, causing me to turn my head slightly. She affects me on a primal level, and though I’m angry as hell, part of me wants to give her whatever she wants.

The other part of me rears up, furious that I want to give her anything.

My muscles are taut as I wait for her to speak. Sitting up, she heaves out a sigh. “I… I’m sorry.”

Not saying anything, I turn to face her, my feet planted wide, waiting her out.

“I shouldn’t have hit you.”

“Yeah, you’re fucking right. You shouldn’t have. Especially since you think I’m a serial killer that rapes women.” My accusation hangs in the air between us, crackling like the flames of a fire.

She hangs her head, staring at her legs. Her hands twist the fabric of her shirt. “I really… don’t remember who he is.” She chews on her lip.

God, she’s beautiful.

“I dreamed about him. A faceless killer. All I remember is he was wearing a dark hoodie like yours.”

“A faceless man wearing a dark hoodie that you assume is me?” Un-fucking-believable. She’s not helping her case any.

“Can you stop being a dick? I’m vulnerable here, trying to tell you something, and you stand there making snarky remarks.”

Our gazes lock and clash, full of resentment and disappointment.

Finally, she breaks the silence. “Let me go. Take me back to Ashlynn’s—”

“ No .” That single word is like a bomb, preventing her from saying anything more, leaving only silence in its wake. My tone leaves no room for an argument, letting her know my decision is final.

Fire burns in her eyes as she swings her legs over the side of the bed. “I won’t tell anyone about—”

“Don’t even finish that statement,” I bark, my words so sharp it’s like I’m lashing her with a whip. In some ways, I wish I were.

“You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about, Madison. Even if you did, do you honestly believe you could convince me to let you go so you can tell the whole world—”

“But I wouldn’t,” she interrupts, looking surprised at this brazen side of her. “I won’t tell a soul.” She hurries on, her eyes pleading. “I want to stay with Ashlynn, return to work at the bookstore, and live a quiet life. If you plan to continue your…” She closes her eyes, her face twisting from revulsion.

“ Don’t say it .” Not giving a fuck about the pain in my thigh, I stride over to the bed, standing over her, my breathing rushed from the hurt and anger swelling through me.

“You know what?” Maddie shoots to her feet so quickly she has to reach out and grab me so she doesn’t fall. Unfortunately for me, she grabs my arm where I’m sliced open. A hiss of pain comes out of me before I grit my teeth, trying to hide the agony flowing through me.

Looking down, I curse myself as my hands grip her, holding her steady. Instinctively, I wouldn’t let her fall, no matter how pissed I am.

Maddie’s eyes widen as her head lowers, looking at my arm. I know she feels the bandage beneath my sweatshirt. Removing her hand from the wound, her wide eyes meet mine. “Are you injured, Jagger? I’m sorry if—"

“Why are you worried about my injuries? You should want me to bleed out since I’m a goddamn killer .” I scream the last couple of words at her, rage pouring through me, my vision turning red.

Her body trembles. Dropping her gaze, she looks at her feet.

My hand snaps out, grabbing her chin hard, holding her in place. I squeeze, conveying to her that I’m the stronger, more powerful.

“Get this through your thick head. I’m not letting you go, Madison.” My eyes narrow into slits, boring into hers, allowing her to see the monster inside me, glowering at her like a fire-breathing dragon. “I’m never letting you go.”

Terrified, Maddie’s eyes bulge as she stares at me. She doesn’t say more as I release her.

Her arms wrap around herself tightly, her entire body tremoring from fear.

I slowly back away from her, unblinking, my jaw clenched from my barely constrained rage. When I reach the door, I shoot her one final warning look before slamming it behind me.

Pulling the keys from my pocket, I insert one into the doorknob and turn it. The lock clicks shut with a resounding click, a reminder that she’s my prisoner. Forever.

Before I walk away, I hear her loud sob swell through the door, the sound like a forlorn bird trapped inside a cage.

Spinning on my heel before she breaks my resolve, I head toward my refrigerator, desperately in need of a fucking beer. After grabbing one, I twist open the bottle.

My bare feet slap against the hardwood floor as I move to the couch, dropping onto it, my feet on the coffee table.

As I take a long pull from the bottle, my phone beeps from an incoming text. Shifting my weight, I grab it from my pocket.

“Son of a bitch. That big mouth told Abby I was stabbed.” Not only did Jason not listen to me, but she and her husband, Bryce, are on their way here.

And I’d bet money Jason is with them, too.

Fuck. They’ll want to meet Maddie. I’m sure the big mouth told them she’s here with me.

Heaving out a sigh, I take a long drink, mentally preparing myself for my worlds to collide.

Motherfucker. I’m going to need a cigarette for this shit.