23.Miles
I don’t knowwhat this guy looks like. I don’t know the sound of his voice, how tall he is, or what kind of life he’s lived. But I know his eyes.
I imagine watching them roll back as my hands tighten around his throat. I imagine the panic setting in when he realizes no one’s coming to save him. I imagine squeezing until the fight leaves his body, until every last breath disappears beneath my fingers.
There’s something poetic about that image that has me smiling. I can feel the tingling sensation as it travels to my fingertips. I need to get this rage out.
A pleasant tingling crawls through my fingertips, like my body is already anticipating the moment. The rage sitting inside my chest has been building for weeks, festering every time another note appeared, every time Maddie jumped at a noise, every time I saw fear cloud those beautiful copper eyes.
I need to let it out, and when I finally get my hands on him…God help him.
I finish off the rest of my breakfast while everyone throws around ideas for our next move. We go over entrances, exits, cameras, schedules—every possible angle we can think of. Ourplan seems pretty solid and I’m confident that if anyone could catch this guy, it’s my men.
I look over at Maddie and see a bit of concern on her face.
She’s quiet, absentmindedly tracing the rim of her coffee mug with the tip of her finger. Her eyes aren’t focused on anything in particular, but I know that look by now.
I reach over and tuck a loose curl behind her ear, and she shifts her attention to me. I give her a small smile, cupping her cheek. She melts into it as she always does, shutting her eyes, a wave of peace blanketing her face. I watch as her chest rises and falls in slow, steady breaths. I love knowing that I give her a sense of comfort and that she feels safe with me. It’s what she deserves, and I don’t take it for granted.
“Everything’s going to be alright, Princess,” I murmur, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “I promise. It’s almost over.”
She lifts her hand and wraps her fingers around my wrist, holding my hand against her face for another second before opening her eyes. The worry is still there, and I fear it will be until this whole nightmare is over. But she smiles at me and it’s all I need to keep going.
I give her cheek one last stroke before I head downstairs to the basement. The familiar scent of rubber mats, steel, and old sweat greets me the second I reach the bottom step.
This place used to be my sanctuary.
Whenever Izzi and I got into another one of our screaming matches, I’d disappear down here and work until every muscle in my body screamed louder than my thoughts. It was easier to numb myself with exhaustion than deal with whatever bullshit she’d stirred up that day.
The gym is honestly incredible. My dad made damn sure of that.
Every machine you could possibly need is down here, from free weights to cardio equipment. A heavy bag hangs near the center of the room, worn from years of punishment. In the back corner sits a cedar sauna, and beside it is a small kitchenette stocked with everything you’d need to throw together a protein shake or pre-workout before lifting.
I walk over to one of the cable machines and start working my arms. My thoughts are running wild, images of killing Maddie’s stalker flooding my vision as I pull the bar down, feeling the burn in my biceps. I’ve never had a murderous thought in my life, but there’s something about the idea of another man touching what’s mine that has me seeing red. I think about all the different ways I can kill him. Strangling, bludgeoning, drowning. The possibilities are endless.
I’m down here training for maybe ten minutes when I hear someone walking down the stairs. I snap out of my rage induced thoughts and look up to see Morgan walking in, headphones placed over her ears, the music blaring so loud I can hear it from here.
She’s dressed in small shorts and a sports bra, and I internally cringe when I think about the one night I spent with her. I knew even then that it was a mistake, but it was one of those nights when Izzi and I were fighting and Morgan was simply available.
She hasn’t noticed me standing here yet, so I start walking towards her to leave. She looks up at me and stammers, “Oh—uh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in here. I can go.”
She turns and heads back towards the stairs.
“It’s fine, Morgan. I was just leaving.”
She turns back around, a blush beginning to form on her cheeks.
“If this is going to be weird, I can bring someone else in. I don’t need holes in my team. Maddie’s important to me. If anything happens to her?—”
“It won’t,” she rushes out. “I’m sorry. I won’t make it weird. It was only one night. That doesn’t mean it meant anything.”
Morgan swallows the lump in her throat, trying so hard not to break eye contact. I don’t have many regrets. I’ve always believed that regrets were pointless. Whatever I was doing, I was enjoying myself when it happened.
However, this? This I regret.
I tighten my lips and nod, walking past her and grabbing a towel on my way out. I’ll just have to find another way to let out some steam. I jog up the stairs to the main level and look around for Maddie. When I don’t see her in the kitchen or living area, I jog up the stairs to the second level where our bedroom is.
I don’t know why I thought Maddie would just be hanging out in an open space she’s not comfortable with.
