It took me all of two seconds to get oriented with Zach’s apartment and make my way to the patch of grass facing his window. My fists were ready to be soaked in blood no matter the consequences.
But as I approached the man in black, a dark van squealed to a stop in front of him and he jumped inside before I could do anything.
The van turned around, and I caught a glimpse of the asshole who had the nerve to smirk at me just before he shut the door and disappeared into the afternoon traffic.
“You fucking asshole,” I grumbled under my breath.
It was pointless chasing after them. By the time I’d get to my car they’d be long gone. Factor in the addition of the van and its unknown number of occupants, and there were too many dangerous variables that I didn’t want to explore. Not on my own, anyway.
I noted down the plate number on my phone before I forgot it and walked back to the front entrance and pressed the buzzer for Zach’s apartment.
He didn’t respond.
My gut instinct wanted me to keep pressing it until he opened but I’d already scared him once today, I didn’t need to cause him any more anxiety. Especially when Victor was out of the picture for now and posed no immediate threat to Zach. So I did the next best thing. I was patient.
A few minutes later, I buzzed again.
There was a crackle and a soft voice croaked out a quiet greeting.
“Hello?” I didn’t know if he was trying to conceal his voice or if he’d become petrified again, but it didn’t sound like him and that…it made my stomach ache.
“It’s Dare. Open up. He’s gone,” I said.
The door purred to life, and I pushed it to let myself in. As I waited for the elevator, the lady who’d let me in the first time poked her head out of her door on the ground floor and stared at me.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
No. Everything wasn’t okay. Zach was in danger, he was awash with fear, his business was gone, and his ex was stalking hishouse. Nothing was okay. Nothing. But I couldn’t tell Zach’s innocent neighbor that.
“Everything is fine. Thank you for checking,” I said.
“What was all that running about?” She raised an eyebrow.
I opened my mouth but found nothing to say so I smiled instead.
“I…I thought I left something in the car,” I said.
She opened her mouth ready to continue with the interrogation but in that moment the elevator bell rang, and I slid the steel grated door open.
“Sorry. I got to go,” I told her and made my escape.
Zach’s apartment door was closed as I approached it and when I reached it I mentally reprimanded myself for the way I’d knocked earlier. I didn’t know what had possessed me. What normal human being banged on a door of a person whose life had gone up in ruins?
I pursed my lips and when I rapped on the door I held my breath as if that would make the action softer.
“It’s me. Dare,” I said.
I looked into the eyehole, and I was sure I caught a reflection of an eye before I heard the rattling of a chain and the bolt turning.
The sounds made my heart beat faster, and my blood boil. What had that asshole done to that beautiful lively man to make him so damn terrified?
The door crept open, and I inhaled.
Be gentle, Dare. No matter what, be gentle.
Zach had been through enough already. I didn’t need to scare him further just because I was angry at the situation. A situation I knew very little about, no less.
“Hi,” he whispered, and I felt a pang in my chest. I didn’t know if it was my heart breaking at his wide red eyes, or my heart warming at his attempt at a smile but what I did know was that this man needed protecting. He was too good, too innocent to live in fear.
