MACKENZIE
The soft whirr of the air conditioning jolted me awake. I rolled onto my back, every muscle protesting. My hips throbbed, my skin tender where bruises bloomed. Max was draped over me, all limbs and heat, wrapped around me like an octopus.
We’d had sex all night, until exhaustion finally swallowed us both.
I was sticky, grimy, and downright gross. I rolled to my side, lifting his arm off my body as gently as I could. It fell back to the bed like a dead weight as soon as I moved it. Limb by limb, I detached myself, and I finally escaped and tiptoed to the bathroom.
I turned on the shower, letting the hot water hit the tile as I tried to shake off the stiffness and wake up.
A ping from Max’s cell phone carved through the dark.
I froze.
Max didn’t move. He lay in bed like something already emptied out—boneless, heavy, utterly still.
His phone pinged again.
And again.
Each chime sharpened, needling under my skin, echoing off the walls like it was coming from everywhere at once.
Ping.
Ping.
PING.
Curiosity and a flicker of unease compelled me to grab it. Flipping it over, my stomach clenched as I saw seven unread messages, all from an anonymous number. I couldn’t read their contents, but his passcode was easy—my birthday. Of course. Typical Max. He had already changed his phone screen background to a picture of me in my wedding dress.
I opened his messages app.
UNKNOWN
You fucking married her?
I wondered how crazy you actually were. But I thought you were smarter than this.
You really think this changes anything? It doesn’t.
The game started long before you decided she was yours. You just made it bloodier.
I was willing to wait before. The chase was kind of fun. But I’m done waiting.
You don’t get to keep her.
I’m coming for her.
I paused, a cold shock racing through me as my heart thudded painfully in my chest. Who was this? Two more pings made me jump.
When they come for you, they won’t be nice.
I hope you’re already terrified.
I quickly deleted the thread with trembling fingers and silenced his phone. If he saw those, he’d blow up.
I didn’t know if I was protecting him or protecting myself from his reaction.
Another ping made me look down.
