Page 58 of Done Waiting

Large hands grip me, and I’m spun around, a hand slapping over my mouth while the other holds my waist, pinning me against his large body. It takes me a minute to realize there’s a cloth in the hand that covers my mouth.

I try to scream but realize my mistake when a sweet, chemical smell infiltrates my senses, making me weak and dizzy. My arms flail, and I struggle against him, but it’s useless. He’s too strong.

“I didn’t want to do it this way, but you leave me no choice,” his familiar voice rasps in my ear.

A tear slips down my cheek as I struggle to stay conscious, to fight for my life.

God, I was so wrong about everything.

Then, the darkness pulls me under.

23

THE STALKER

My head is in my hands as I sit in the chair beside the bed Maddie is sleeping on in my cabin. I’ve got a splitting headache, I’m exhausted, and I’m still wearing the same bloody clothes I wore last night.

Sighing, I push my back against the chair, stretching my long legs out in front of me. The gauze and bandages I slapped on my thigh are tinged red, leaking through the dressing, jeans, and hoodie.

My phone vibrates again. Jason has been calling and texting non-stop since 3:00 a.m.

My gaze moves to Maddie, peacefully sleeping from the drugs in her system, so I quietly get up and exit the room, leaving the door ajar so I can hear her if she gets up.

After a quick stop in the restroom, where I grab a bottle of ibuprofen from the medicine cabinet, I head to the kitchen. Wincing with each step, I limp to the fridge for water. The sleeve of my sweatshirt slides up when I reach for a bottle, crimson trickling down my skin.Shit.

Popping the pills into my mouth, I wash them down with half a bottle of water, then call Jason.

“It’s about time you answered, motherfucker. I was worried out of my damn mind,” he says by way of greeting.

I chuckle, trying to sound like myself despite how shitty I feel. “Sorry, man. Unexpected shit happened. Everything’s handled, though.”

I can practically see his brows raise as the silence hangs between us.

Finally, he says, “Are you fucking kidding me? You don’t sound fine. And when the hell did you become close-lipped about gathering intel?”

Staring out the window, I take a long pull from the bottle.

He’s going to be so pissed.

“Out with it, Jagger. What the fuck happened?”

Wincing, I rub a hand over the stubble on my chin from not shaving in a couple of days. Spotting the blood on my hand, I turn on the faucet and roll up my sleeve. Removing the bandage and gauze, I grit my teeth as I study the knife wound.

Grabbing a clean cloth from the drawer, I wet it and wipe the blood from my arm. “After you gave me that information, I went to the warehouse…” A painful hiss comes out of me as I apply pressure to the injury to try to halt the bleeding. “But patience isn’t my strong point.”

“Oh. My. Fucking. God. You didnotgo after him yourself?”

“I did. Only, he wasn’t by himself. I thought it was him and another dealer. Turns out, two bodyguards were there, too.”

“Fuck, Jagger.”

A smirk pulls my lips up when I recall what happened. “The good news is, I took out four guys. The bad news is I suffered knife wounds to my arm and thigh.”

Jason mutters some curses and says, “What the fuck, brother?” The irritation in his voice is palpable. “That was a huge fucking risk.” I hear his boots as he crosses the floor, then his door banging shut. “Do I need to send Abby over now?”

“No, it can wait until morning. Don’t wake her up for this.”

There’s a long pause before Jason responds.

---