Page 19 of Forced By an Obsessive Bratva Stalker

We weren’t sure what exactly had caused the commotion, and we weren’t going to stick around to find out. Iris and I squeezed through a sea of bodies as two groups clashed into each other in a violent rage.

Luckily, we made it to the other side of the curb safely, but my eyes were still searching the crowd for my mystery man.

“Aria, come on! Let’s get outta here!” Iris called out from a short distance ahead.

The sound of approaching sirens filled the air as red and blue lights flashed through the night. Campus security had arrived, ready to de-escalate the situation. But I wasn’t interested in any of that. I just wanted to spot my mystery man again.

Was it the same man from the alley?

His presence was, for sure, as commanding as the man from the alley. He exuded the same aura and energy that I thought was strangely familiar. But if the man from the alley and this man from tonight were the same person, wouldn’t that mean that he was following me?

Stalking me, maybe?

How did he always show up in the nick of time to save me from danger?

How did he see the beer bottle flying in my direction and manage to pull me out of the way if he hadn’t been lurking around earlier?

Who was this man, and what was his deal with me? How long had he been following me? And what was his reason for doing so?

Had he been stalking me before that night in the alley, or did he just start after saving me from those thugs? Was this some sort of coincidence? Did he just happen to be at the exact same location as me these two times?

Iris’s car pulled up in front of me, and the driver’s window wound down.

“Get in. Now,” she said, revving her engine.

I snapped out of my thoughts, walked over to the other side, and slid into the passenger seat. Tires screeched against the asphalt, and she floored it, zooming the vehicle away from the violence.

“You all right?” She glanced in my direction.

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“You sure? ’Cause you looked like you saw a ghost five minutes ago.”

I combed my fingers through my hair. “Maybe I did.”

“Huh?” She turned the car down another street.

I looked at her and said softly, “Iris, I saw him.”

“I’m afraid you’re gonna have to be a little bit more specific than that.”

“The mystery man,” I said. “I saw him in the crowd tonight.”

“Really?” She stole a quick glance at me.

“Yeah. He was the one who pulled me away before things spiraled out of control.”

“Wow! Twice in a row. Coincidence?”

I let out a quiet, “I don’t know, Iris. But I’m gonna find out.”

She rubbed the back of her neck with one hand and exhaled sharply. “If you ask me, whoever he is, he has a secret crush on you.”

“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes.

She chuckled lightly.

“Can you take me home? I don’t think I wanna go clubbing tonight anymore.”