Page 22 of Stained Protector

He whips his head toward me as his lips peel back to hiss dryly. His five-minute gibberish ramble dominates the creaking trees. Knocking him out sounds wonderful, and I should, as payback for whatever the hell I’m doing here.

“Sorry that I can’t run a multimillion-dollar business, stalk the love of my life, and be creepy at the same time.”

The crickets stop after his outburst, and on rare occasions, I might even be embarrassed for him. However, it’s two in the morning, so he deserves no sympathy. Not that I gave him any in the past.

“She finds me charming.”

“She ran from you.”

I meet his impish wink with a deadly glare. Sparing a disinterested glance down at the unconscious body, I quickly calm the anger swimming between my bones.

I hate that he left marks on Anya and will possibly leave fresh ones later. But she won’t learn if she doesn’t make mistakes.

She doesn't trust me fully yet, but she will come to me crying. I look forward to it.

Her smile took root inside of me. It created a safe harbor, saving my sanity from the crashing waves of desire and yearning. There is a nameless room in the asylum for me, but I’ll never step foot in there.

Why are my feelings dangerous? It is typical for someone to pursue something they are interested in by any means required.

The man stirs, moaning painfully as he staggers to his knees. The superglue causes his eyelids to wrinkle as he tries to pry them open with clumsy fingers.

He flails and promises to kill us, along with other pitiful threats. Davis cheers encouragement and kicks the man’s hunched back.

“The main road is three miles north of here,” Davis states and twirls his car keys on his middle finger. “I’ll play with you if you get saved by a car, or you could get lost and die.”

Davis laughs as he gets into his car, drives off down the dirt road, and abandons me with this moron thrashing on the ground.

He hurt Anya, and that’s unforgivable. The only suitable action is to snap his neck. There is plenty of space in the woods to bury him, and he likely won’t be found if he’s left alone.

“I’ll kill you, kill all of you! Everyone, those bitches, and that whore—oh, I’ll save her for last. She won’t escape this time.”

He’s got revenge on his mind.

Good, I want beneficial results, and he will give them to me. His life depends on it. Of course, it does. He’s not allowed to breathe another ounce of air after he finishes one last task.

I drive away from his angry cry.

*

Two days later, the plan moves forth.

“Nasty,” Davis contends as he takes a drag of his cigarette while leaning on the car.

While scrolling through Anya's resignation email, I make a note in the calendar and give the whiner half of my attention.

“What is?”

“You,” he says as his judgmental sneer pokes a hole into my profile, “and that man. Knight in shining armor looks so ugly on you.”

“Didn’t you get something out of this too?” I pocket the phone, and a hollering ambulance drowns my blithe chuckle.

“My wife is blowing up my phone,” he says, and on cue, another buzz moves in his pants. “I'd coddle her if she let me, but it's funnier when she's handcuffing us together to keep me from leaving.”

“Some thoughts can just be secrets.”

He says nothing about my jab, his head falling to rest on his forearm, and watches me turn off the engine.

“Time to grill a suspect.” Davis raps his knuckles on the door frame and walks off with a greeting wave to a doctor on her break.

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