Page 109 of Done Waiting

Holy shit! My mom was Jagger’s social worker.

43

THE STALKER

The look on my woman’s face devastates me. In a span of seconds, betrayal turned to shock, the pain in her honey eyes nearly bringing me to my knees.

A forceful breath leaves her lips as she angrily shakes her head. Crossing her arms over her chest, she grinds her teeth together.

“Let me get this straight.” Her posture snaps straight as her eyes blaze with fire. “The connection you claimed you felt the first time you saw me… It was a fucking lie. You played me, causing me to fall for you so you could…” Her chest heaves as she struggles for composure, blinking rapidly.

“Maddie, it’s not like that. I know how it looks—

“Do you?” She snaps, her gaze darting to mine, then quickly moving away. “The way I see it, this was an elaborate game to get revenge on my mom.”

“She hurt me, Maddie. Betrayed me.”

“I get that,” she snaps, her face turning red from her anger. She moves further away from me, taking my heart with her. “The fact that she did that to you sickens me. But I… I was innocent,Jagger. You didn’t know me, and you planned to hurt me simply because I was her daughter.”

Hanging my head, I stare at the floor.This is what Jason warned me about. I thought I could reason with her. Make her see the reason I wanted—needed—revenge.

None of that matters now. I could give a shit less about anything except making things right with her. “Maddie, let me explain.”

“Explain?” Her voice is as brittle as a broken bone. “Do you honestly think you can explain whatever plan you came up with to hurt me?” She shakes her head, resentment in her laugh. “Tell me, Jagger. What did you plan to do to me? Kidnap me? Cut me up? Kill me?”

I move toward her. “The details don’t matter, Maddie.”

She holds up a hand, tears spilling down her cheeks like a river. “They don’t? Maybe not toyou.But right now, you’re no fucking better than Ben.”

My head snaps back as though she slapped me. Anger fills me, and I clench my fists and jaw. I’m in her personal space in a flash, gripping her chin roughly. The surprise in her eyes changes to fear as I sneer at her. “I’mnothinglike Ben. You fucking know that. To compare me to him is asinine.” The vein near my temple throbs as I struggle to control my temper. “All I’ve done is fucking protect you. My actions should show youexactlywho I am.” Releasing her chin, my steps are heavy as I pace across the floor, betrayal making my voice rough and thick as I spin around, my gaze locking on hers. “When the fuck has he ever protected you?”

Her fear morphs into anger, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “How the hell do I know you didn’t protect me from him so that you could hurt me?”

I reel back as though she slapped me. Stomping over to her, my breaths rasp in and out of my chest like I’ve just run a mile.“You’re fucking kidding me, right? Have Ieverhurt you since you’ve been here? Done anything to you that you haven’t wanted me to do?”

She takes a step back, shaking her head. “No, you haven’t.” Her voice is quiet, her next words like knives through my heart. “How do I know you aren’t going to hurt me? Just because you haven’t, doesn’t mean—”

“If I wanted to hurt you, I would have already done so,” I bellow, my chest heaving from the anger that burns inside my veins. “You would have been tied up, tortured, and then killed in a day after being here. Just like the others I’ve slain.” Stepping closer, my chest bumps into hers. “I’ve killed drug dealers. Police officers. Judges. Lawyers. The fuckingmayor.” Jabbing my finger in her face, adrenaline courses through my body, making it twitch. “I didn’t waste any time before torturing and killing them. I sure as fuck didn’t bring them here to my house. Cook them food.Carefor them.”

She blinks rapidly, staring at me with her wide, doe eyes. I’m too enraged for them to affect me like they normally do.

My heart squeezes inside my chest painfully. “I told you that I’ve never had a woman in my bedroom, let alone my bed. Yet I’ve slept in my bed besideyoudespite the nightmares that plague me.” Shame fills me as I realize I misjudged her. I thought she was loyal. That she fucking loved me like she claimed she did.

I lash out at her, my jaw aching from the bitterness coursing beneath my skin. “I even fucking moved your clothes to the closet in my bedroom.”

Her eyes widen as her mouth opens slightly, shock making her speechless. She leans against the fireplace mantle as though she needs something to support her.

“That’s right. I planned to show you after we had dinner.” Tilting my head downward and glaring at her, I slowly shake my head. “You disappointed me, Madison.”

She flinches, the suspicion replaced by hurt.

“You know who I am, Maddie. I’ve never pretended to be someone I’m not. I didn’t tell you what I had originally planned for you because it was shot all to hell when I realized I was in love with you. I’d never hurt you… and the fact that you lump me in the same category as Ben is like a fucking knife through my heart.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I-I’m s-s-sorry.” Then she spins, running back to the spare bedroom where she first stayed, slamming the door.

My chest tightens as I stare at the spot she once stood. I know what I originally intended to do to her was wrong. But how I’ve cared for her should show more than my words could ever say about my intentions. I’ve treated her with love and respect.

And this is how she repays me.

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