Page 70 of Done Waiting

Damn it. Why does he say things that make me melt? And why do I feel the same way about him?

Does he really feel it too, or is this a game?

27

THE STALKER

Returning to the living room, I drop into the cushions beside her, not wanting to admit how badly I want those pain pills that Abby has. “Here’s a Ginger Ale and some water for the pills she will give you. I wasn’t sure how your stomach felt, so I figured this may help.”

Maddie’s smile is wide as she reaches for both. “Butterflies are in my stomach.” She nods to where Abby is gathering her stuff, preparing what she needs to examine her.

Opening the Ginger Ale, I hand it to her. “You’ll be fine, baby girl,” I whisper in her ear. Leaning forward, I set the water bottle on the large wooden coffee table. “Let me know if you need water.”

She smiles at me, andfuck, I’d do anything in the world if she’d only keep looking at me like that. As though she trusts me implicitly. There’s no fear in her eyes as she stares at me.

Euphoria fills my chest.God, what the fuck is wrong with me?I’ve stalked this woman for over six months, learning everything I could about her. I’ve come up with nefarious plans to torture her once I made her fall in love with me, breaking herheart and then her body before I tortured and then killed her in front of her Ice Queen mother.

And now, I want to protect her, which goes against everything I’ve worked for and planned foryears.

I flashback to leaving the warehouse after setting it ablaze and how I stumbled upon Maddie. I tried to convince myself this was the best opportunity to finally capture her and make her mine. Yet, there’s a part of me that knows I’m lying to myself.

My truck was hidden in the woods, so I limped there, using some rags I found in the warehouse that I wrapped around me to slow the blood loss. Then I limped to my truck, using the kit I keep in the back to clean up, wrapping some gauze and bandages around my wounds.

As I drove, I popped some ibuprofen and called Bryce. We were on the phone as I drove, going over everything. I came to a red light and that’s when I saw Maddie’s Mustang turning toward campus. My brows furrowed as I wondered what she was doing. As soon as the light turned green, I turned onto the road leading to campus, following her.

Maddie led me to a parking lot in a quiet area of campus, large buildings looming around. She was getting out of her car, her gaze locked on a couple ahead. I blanched when I saw her line of sight and realized it was Ben.

At first, I figured she would confront him, as he had his arm around a blonde. But there was something about the way the girl staggered and the way he was leading her around a darkened building on campus that bothered me. I parked my truck a distance away from her, watching as her gaze remained locked on them, never turning around to look in my direction.

As I slipped from my truck, limping after Maddie, foreboding washed over me. My muscles were taut, the cold wind cutting through my sweatshirt. Shoving my hands in the front pockets of my hoodie, that’s when I felt the syringe of ketamine I’d put in there when I was at the warehouse, just in case. I never got the chance to use it.

I was tempted to grab my phone from the pocket of my jeans and call Jason or Bryce to ask them to do a quick search of this area of campus but was too afraid I’d lose Maddie. My stabbed leg was hindering my usual pace as I limped behind her, my gaze locked on her.

When she rounded the corner of the building, something passed through me. My lungs constricted and I sensed she was in danger, though I didn’t know why.

Then I spotted her, sneaking through the woods, and it hit me hard. They’d found three women raped and strangled in the very forest she was heading into. I wanted to scream at her but had no idea how close she was to Ben and that girl.

The confrontation I had with him at the club ran through my head. There was something in his eyes, a dispassionate coldness. As I intervened and then got in his face, I had a sense I wasn’t dealing with an ordinary guy, but a predator much like myself.

Or possibly worse.

Now I know, he’s worse.

I finally reached the woods, drawing up short as I saw Maddie in the distance, hiding behind a tree. She peeked out slowly, her body snapping taut. I slowly moved so I could see her profile, horror etched on her face, then followed her gaze until I saw it, too.

God, that was fucking horrific. The girl was being choked, her arms pushing against him weakly, as he violated her hard, furiously, like she was a blow-up doll for him to abuse. Myheart nearly stopped as the woman released a final, strangled gasp, her body going still. The guy didn’t stop, if anything, it seemed that turned him on even more.

Maddie let out a loud sob and his head lifted, gaze meeting hers.

It seemed like everything happened in slow motion, yet there was a sense that time sped up. He finished shortly after, his gaze never leaving Maddie. As he pulled out and started pulling his jeans up, Maddie sprinted away. But in her panic, she didn’t return the way she came, which would have led her to me. She ran on a trail into the woods.

Fuck. My backpack with my knife and gun was in my truck, as was the gun under my seat and the one in the glove box.

He started chasing after her and keeping my eyes on him, then her, I headed back the way I came, sticking close to the shadows of the large building. I saw her up ahead, running out of the woods. Adrenaline flowed through me, blocking the pain, as I ran to the building, watching and waiting at the corner of it. She slipped and fell and I nearly started toward her. She was already climbing to her feet, looking over her shoulder, before she ran toward me. As she turned the corner of the building, I grabbed her, spinning her around and clamping a hand with the piece of cloth I’d had the ketamine syringe wrapped in. I pushed it against her mouth, trying to keep her quiet. I hated doing this, cutting off her oxygen and knocking her out briefly, but she nearly screamed when I grabbed her, and I needed to get her the fuck out of here.

Carrying her into the building, I located an elevator that led to the basement. Once the doors open, I headed toward the first door, balancing her against me as I tried the doorknob. Thank goodness it was unlocked.

The room was full of custodial supplies. I couldn’t turn the light on in case he followed us, so I leaned Maddie againstthe wall. She started stirring, so I grabbed the ketamine and injected her to keep her out longer.

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