Page 194 of Scrimmage

“I suppose that was the official story.”

We stare at each other for a long time, waiting to see who will break the silence first. He’s got another thing coming if he thinks it'll be me. I see this for the power move that it is.

“Did Penny tell you anything about her situation?” he finally asks, sizing me up.

“I know she’s in Witness Security.”

“Did she tell you anything else?”

“That Damien is a psycho. That she’s going to disappear because of this.”

He takes a beat, mulling over what I’ve said. “I can’t say what will happen next, but is there a message you would like me to deliver?”

I run my tongue along my teeth. “That she’s in my life plan.”

“Alright.” He writes it down and flips his notepad shut. "Here's my card. If you have any questions or remember something significant, give me a call."

Anger surges through my body, rippling through the exhaustion. “Was it Damien? Did he try to kill her?" It’s a hope that I’m gripping onto.

“Actually, no. It was Cole.”

I should be in a stupor, completely shocked or surprised, and I am, but something about it seems typical. Obsessive guys do crazy things. I would do crazy things for Ashland. I have. He must have been watching, waiting, all of this time for me to leave her again. Why would he want her dead, though? Flashes of my mother and father blind me. Murder suicide. That’s what they say. Rage can make you do things that you’d never dream.

“And he’s dead, right?”

“Yes, deceased.”

“Can I be honest with you?”

“That’s the only sort of thing I like.”

“I don’t really give a fuck about Cole at this point. What’s happening with Ashland?”

Jeremy smiles, and this time it isn’t menacing. “She’s a fighter and a survivor. You should go home and shower. Get some rest. I’m sure Penny will call you if you’re needed.”

“I’ll shower, but I’m coming back.”

“You won’t get to see her,” he reasons. “It’s a moot point.”

“I don’t give a fuck.”

He chuckles. “I appreciate your candor, Koda.”

“I don’t think I had a choice.”

“You always have a choice.” His words are ominous. “It was nice speaking with you. I’m sure we’ll do it again soon. My men can take you home.”

“What about Penny?”

“Penny is safe.” Jeremy stands and strides off out of the front doors, disappearing like he didn’t just grill me.

The SWAT team surrounds me, pulling me up, and giving me no time before shoving me out of the door into a blacked out SUV. They already know where I live, of course. Alexi is in the guest shower when I get inside. I head to my bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror.

I don’t look like the Golden Boy Ashland always accuses me of being anymore. I look fucking broken. Soulless. My mental state is in shambles. The world around me is out of control in a way that it hasn’t been in a very long time. Ashland’s insides are on my hands, and it’s not the kind that I live for. I tell myself that as long as Ashland lives I’ll be happy, but I won’t. If she really has to go, I want to see her one last time face to face. Just one moment. I’ll wait in that hospital until I get it, no matter how long it takes.

If she disappears, I will turn into an obsessive stalker and turn the world over just to get a glimpse. I won’t disrupt her life, but I want to see her, even if it’s fleeting. I’ll make sure everything goes just right to make her life easy. I don’t want her to live in fear. I don’t want her to ever struggle, and I’ll make sure she, nor Penny, ever want for anything. I’ll sell my kidney just to make sure they don’t. I’ll love her whether she knows it or not, because without her there is no me.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

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