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THE STALKER

I watch Maddie every chance I get, learning her habits and the things she likes and dislikes. She’s a beautifully captivating woman, different from anyone I’ve ever met. Full of light and laughter, she draws in those around her.

She’s practically perfect, except for one flaw: she has a boyfriend.

There’s something about Ben Cromwell that rubs me the wrong way, aside from the fact he’s dating and living in the same apartment as Maddie. He’s too smooth, too perfect. I’ve been watching him. Every once in a while, I see a crack in his perfect exterior. A sign that maybe he isn’t as perfect as he pretends to be.

I see it again as I observe them at Maddie’s dad’s funeral. I’ve caught Chloe looking at him and Ben looking back at her. The gazes they exchange make me wonder if something is going on between them behind Maddie’s back.

From my research, Ben arrived in town eight months ago. Within days of his arrival, he conveniently bumped into Maddie at the bookstore, conversing with her and taking her out for coffee. Shortly after, he happened to go to Rizzo’s Bistro where Chloe works, conversing with her.

Maddie and Chloe were looking for a roommate to help them pay rent. Conveniently, Ben was looking for a place to live and moved into the apartment shortly after to help pay rent.

Then he and Maddie started dating, which led to him becoming her boyfriend.

My hands clenched into fists as I mull over the events of the funeral yesterday. My focus shifts to Maddie’s mom, Maura. The Ice Queen, as I refer to her.

She and Maddie seem to have an odd mother/daughter relationship. Maddie was extremely close to her dad, who often acted like a single parent from the intel I dug up. Maura wasn’t good at the emotional stuff, so Michael Jacobs, Maddie’s dad, handled that. Maura was focused on her career.

A snort of disgust escapes me. The Ice Queen is focused, all right. Focused on corruption and ruining people’s lives.

From all I’ve observed, Maddie has no clue of even half the secrets the Ice Queen keeps from her. She’s blind to how corrupt her mother is.

My gaze moves back to Maddie, the woman I’ve been obsessively watching. She’s the key to getting the revenge I crave. I’ve been analyzing her since I killed Jimmy, looking for weaknesses so I can infiltrate her life.

Her agony is destroying her, eating her alive. As much as I relish in the feel of the vibe of it floating from her to me, I’m also jealous as hell. I want to be causing her misery. I need to be the one destroying her.

While she appears to be calm and in control, beneath it all, she’s screaming from the agonizing pain that courses through her. It nearly deafens me, although no sound comes from her lips.

How the hell the assholes surrounding her don’t notice it is beyond my comprehension. I shake my head as my lip curls in disgust at the trio closest to her.

My gaze flits back to Maddie. She’s so fucking beautiful, reminding me of a porcelain doll, delicate and pale, despite the sadness lining her face, dark circles beneath her puffy eyes.

Before her dad’s death, she sparkled with life. The light pours from her, causing her to glow, bathing those around her in it. And I’m jealous of anyone in her presence, soaking up her light… and darkness. I want to capture and torment her until she submits to me completely, then break her.

She’s an innocent trapped in the crosshairs, the key to getting my vengeance.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, my gaze roves over the people standing around her, then back to her.

Now that her father died, Maddie’s loneliness is draped over her like a heavy dark cloak. It speaks to the deepest, darkest part of me. I understand loss well.

How I wish I could step out from behind this tree and grab her, taking her away from all of them.

She doesn’t notice me as her big brown eyes lower to the casket, tears shimmering on her lashes like raindrops clinging to tree branches, ready to fall at a moment’s notice. She reminds me of a withered rose, hauntingly beautiful.

The sunlight blanketing her makes her look ethereal. Her black dress and heels a stark contrast to her fair complexion and golden hair.

She’s so fucking alluring, and fuck, how I’d love to be inside her. The thought of stripping her naked, her eyes glazed with lust while I do unholy things to her body, makes me so hard it hurts. In my fantasies, she enjoys every fucking second of it, begging me for more.

Slipping back to reality, I look at the mountains in the distance, trying to calm myself.

My gaze slides back to her, watching as she raises her hand holding the rose, a trail of blood from where a thorn has cut her skin. Her fingers clutch the red rose in her hand as though it’s her lifeline. Her golden hair blows gently from the light breeze in the air, and I inhale deeply, catching a faint whiff of her vanilla and honey scent.

Her gaze moves to the collage of pictures beside her dad’s casket, and her face contorts from fear and pain, her eyes clouding over and turning dull, the color leaving her face. She teeters on her heels. My heart pounds inside my chest, watching her reaction, aware that something is desperately wrong.

She throws her head back and screams, howling from the pain. The sound drones on and on, echoing throughout the cemetery until she collapses, and the world is quiet and still, everyone standing rooted to the ground.

Her imbecile of a boyfriend watches as she breaks, making no move to console her nor catch her when she falls. My gaze flits to Chloe, who stands there as though paralyzed, wide eyes watching Maddie as though she has no fucking clue what to do.

My hands clenched into fists, and the strangest urge washes over me to run over there, knock out Ben, bitch slap Chloe, and pull out my gun, shooting her Ice Queen mother between the eyes. Then I’d grab Madison’s unconscious body, carrying her away from all the misery.

And subject her to my own.

The mourners finally spring into action. Maura fucking Ice Queen lunges forward to her daughter, dropping to her knees, concern on her face. I wonder if her emotion is real or staged. The urge to slit her throat and cut her out of Madison’s life makes my hands shake. I shove them in the pockets of my leather jacket, willing myself to calm down.

Her worthless fucker of a boyfriend is the next one to drop beside Maddie, grabbing her hand. It pisses me off to watch him touch her. I want to pull out my knife and slice his fucking fingers off.

Chloe moves beside Ben, one hand on Maddie’s leg, the other on Ben’s shoulder, like she needs support. Her concern seems fake. I don’t feel like she’s a true friend to Maddie.

When she finally sits up, hands digging into the ground, I breathe a sigh of relief.

She blinks rapidly, a puzzled look on her face, as she asks those surrounding her what happened. I cock my head, scrutinizing Maddie. The Ice Queen is the one to answer, and as she fills in the gaps, I see the horror in Madison’s eyes.

What the hell did she envision that caused her to scream like that before fainting?

Biting my lip to prevent the growl from escaping, my gaze moves to the sky above. Patience, Jagger. It’s not time yet.

As the details of the plan I’ve been meticulously working on play out in my mind, calmness descends over me. I’ve been plotting this for years, biding my time until I can execute the plot for the perfect revenge.

Everything is falling into place, and it’s almost time for me to wreak havoc against those who betrayed me. Stole my innocence and turned me into what I’ve become.

Pulling my thoughts from my daydreams of revenge, I refocus my attention on the object of my obsession.

There’s fear on her face as she converses with her mom, but she pushes it aside. Whatever she says appeases the Ice Queen as I see her visibly relax. Maddie gets to her feet, and I curse the fucking mourners around her for being close enough that they may have caught a peek at her panties beneath that black dress she wears. Is it a lacy thong? Or those cheeky boy shorts she wore three weeks ago while dancing around in her bedroom?

She says something, and people return to their spots, the minister resuming the service. Maddie resumes her place beside the Ice Queen and Ben, her gaze sliding to the red rose beside her dad’s casket, her lip quivering. I wait for her to pick it up, and just when I think she’s about to, her eyes dart to some mourners who whisper and stare at her. She frowns, her lip trembling.

My hands clench into fists at my side. Hasn’t she been through enough without these fuckers gossiping and staring at her like she has some kind of contagious disease?

There’s a burning desire inside to sprint from my hiding place and grab Maddie, throw her over my shoulder, and then take her away from all of this. Somewhere none of them would ever find her.

The services end, and attendees pay their final respects, hugging the Ice Queen and acting ill at ease around Maddie before giving her hugs or patting her on the shoulder. She heaves out a dejected sigh, and a pang goes through my normally hardened heart.

Her face brightens when Ryan and his wife surround her, giving her huge hugs. A peaceful expression is on her face, making me envious that they are touching her and making her feel… content. At the same time, it pisses me off because she should feel like I do—tormented and out of control.

I’ve done extensive research and know Ryan Wahls has been best friends with Mike Jacobs since they were kids. Ryan treats Maddie like his daughter. Probably because Maddie was born a few years before Ryan got married and had kids.

As they pull apart, conversing, he holds out his hand, and they do some weird handshake, which brings a smile to her face and causes her to laugh. As far as I can tell, Ryan and his family are the only ones with any sense in this damned town.

Ryan’s kids are next, and she hugs and chats with them before they wave, saying they’ll see her back at her mom’s house. When the foursome heads to their car, Maddie’s longing gaze trails after them, her shoulders slumping from despair. Her loneliness infects her, permeating the air around her as she stands apart from those who are supposed to love her. My hardened heart twists as I watch her, recognizing it well. She and I are kindred spirits, although she doesn’t know it.

My posture tenses as Ben whispers something in Chloe’s ear, then saunters to Madison, slinging an arm over her shoulders. “You ready?” I hear him say.

She nods, her gaze moving to him, then back to Ryan’s family, her expression sad as their car pulls away. Ben doesn’t seem to notice, turning toward Chloe with a smile, dropping his arm from Maddie’s shoulders, and falling in step with Chloe. Maddie slowly trails behind them, dejection in her posture.

What the fuck? They’re not paying the slightest bit of attention to her, despite the fact that she’s heavily grieving and just fucking fainted.

Without thinking, I step from behind the tree, enraged at how they treat Maddie. My gaze bores into the back of her, my hands clenching and unclenching as I fight the urge to do something stupid. Something that will fuck everything up, jeopardizing my meticulous plans.

No, Jagger. Breathe.

Maddie's shoulders stiffened as if she felt my stare, her eyes darting around.

Searching for me .

Quickly moving behind a group of pine trees that afford me a view without being seen, I watch her as she slowly spins around, the black dress she’s wearing accentuating every curve as she moves, her long legs toned and looking even more amazing with those black heels on her feet. She tugs the sweater tighter, crossing her arms over her ample chest. Her gaze darts around, intently studying the other mourners leaving the cemetery.

Ahh. I can’t help smiling. She feels my stare.

Good instincts, baby girl. You’re not remotely safe from me.

You’re mine. And soon, you’ll damn well know it.

Ignoring everyone else, I focus solely on Maddie, watching as she turns around, her gaze scanning over the trees, including where I’m standing. For a moment, I wonder if she’s spotted me, but then she looks away, studying another group of people getting in their car, a frown on her beautiful pouty lips.

She’s lucky it’s not dark, and she’s surrounded by people leaving the cemetery. Otherwise, I’d grab her, toss her on the ground, and spread her legs wide. I imagine sliding her panties aside, exposing her wet pussy, making her shiver as the cold air infiltrates the most sensitive part of her. Sliding my finger inside her wetness, I’d watch her face light up with pleasure, a moan slipping out of her parted lips. As I move my finger in and out of her at a steady pace, I’d lower my mouth to her clit, sucking it into my mouth.

Fuck! I need to stop. My breathing is heavy as I lecture myself. The risk of being caught and blowing my carefully laid plans all to hell prevents me from taking what I want from her.

Turning away from me, her steps quicken, carrying her to Ben’s car. A grin spreads over my face as she looks around once more before sliding inside his car, as though she’s aware she isn’t safe. I watch as they leave, heading toward Maddie’s childhood home.

Once everyone has left the cemetery, I vacate my hiding spot, my hands in my pockets as I head to my vehicle. Starting my truck, I put it in gear, heading in the direction of her mom’s house.

Soon, you’ll belong to me, Maddie.