Think about it: How much do you value your life?
Player 2511
I stood motionless in front of my laptop, staring frozen at the contents of the email.
My eyes were wide, my heart throbbing in every part of my body. Still in shock, I reread the email three more times. A wave of nausea made my lips purse and my head spin.
I was in genuine danger of having a heart attack.
For a second, I thought it had to be a joke, but when I saw the signature, I knew it was no joke at all. I heard Neil’s footfalls behind me while I still stared in shock at my laptop.
“Selene?” he called.
I didn’t answer, and Neil moved closer to me, troubled by my silence. Finally, he looked at the still-open email on the screen. He bent slightly to read, and it was only a few more seconds before he grabbed my laptop with both hands and brought it close to his face.
“What the…” He narrowed his eyes, rereading the message again while I stared at him. He seemed shocked at first, and then such fury welled up in his eyes that it made my blood run cold. His right hand began to tremble, and with a growl of rage, he hurled the laptop against the wall, making me flinch.
My laptop lay ruined on the ground, completely destroyed.
I leaped to my feet and moved away from him.
His ragged pants grated in the silence, and his features were twisted in blind fury, his golden eyes storm-tossed. Slowly, his gaze shifted to me, standing terrified by the bed, and I felt like I couldn’t even recognize him.
He seemed completely out of his mind.
All at once, he marched rapidly toward me. Afraid, I tightened my shoulders and squeezed my eyes shut. He had never really injured or physically hurt me, but he wasn’t in his right mind in that moment, and he could be capable of anything. I opened my eyes when I heard a strange rustling sound only to find Neil hunting around in the room. I held myself stiffly, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing, and then I realized he’d picked up my iPhone, which I had previously left on the bed.
He shoved it wrathfully into his pocket, and I looked at him in bewilderment.
“Delete your socials. Change your phone number. I am taking your phone with me. The son of a bitch has control of everything.” He soundedlike a robot as he scrubbed a hand over his face. He was in shock and disoriented. His eyes roved around, looking lost before, finally, his eyes landed on me once again. “Don’t go out by yourself. Ever. I’ll buy you a new laptop. Right now, though, I have to figure out how to fucking fix this mess,” he went on, sounding like he’d been programmed to say those exact words. His voice was firm and alarmed but unshaken. I nodded dazedly, and he moved closer to me, taking my face in his hands. I sucked in a breath at his warm palms against my skin. “Do you understand me?” He gave me the slightest shake to make sure that I was hearing him, and I nodded again, trying to hold back tears.
“Don’t make me worry about you,” he went on gravely. His expression was tender, displaying a humanity that he usually tried to hide. “I’m so fucking angry, Selene. So angry,” he repeated, holding my face tightly in his hands. I grunted at his intense grip and clutched at his wrists to let him know that he was hurting me. He breathed in sharply and regained his self-control, stroking my cheeks delicately with his thumbs. “But I can’t be distracted now. I need to act right away,” he said in a menacing whisper. “He’s been spying on you. I…” he muttered through his clenched jaw. “I might actually lose it for good if I think about something happening to you.” He bit down on his lower lip, and my gaze got stuck there. He did it so violently that a few crimson drops beaded up along the small cut he already had. His face didn’t change. He remained cold and furious, like he didn’t feel pain. Instinctively, I touched his lips to stop him, and Neil growled like a wild animal in full frenzy.
I needed to kiss him, but when I leaned in, he shook his head.
No…that wasn’t what he wanted.
“I have to go. I’ll be in touch,” he said quickly and pulled away. I immediately felt the absence of his warmth. I stared after him, wondering how he planned to deal with this situation and a little surprised at how unintimidated he was by Player. Instead, he seemed to have known that it was going to come to this sooner or later. “I’ll also get you a new phone,” he added.
I didn’t give a shit about the things he’d broken, but I didn’t have time to tell him that. Neil headed for the door immediately. Hurried footsteps echoed around the room until I saw his big, magnetic body pausing in thedoorframe. He turned back to give me one last miserable look and then he left, taking my soul along with him.
I was left alone, frightened and disturbed, with a depthless emptiness inside me.
12
“They knew from the frosty expression on my face that something serious was going on…”
Neil
I’d been back in New York for one day, and I hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep.
Before I left Detroit, I’d destroyed Babygirl’s laptop in a fit of uncontrollable rage, and then I’d taken her phone, positive that son of a bitch had gotten access to every device she had.
I was losing my mind.
I was truly going nuts at the thought of Player daring to invade Selene’s privacy by spying on her through her webcam.
Fuckingspyingon her.
