Page 29 of Bleed for Me

I’m my own person. I get to decide who I belong to. And the only person who can lay claim on me is myself.

Sending a mental middle finger toward the asshole who disrupted my life, I settle into the covers and let my mind drift off to sleep.The words reverberate through my head, a reassuring lullaby as I fade away to a place full of dreams and free from monsters.

I belong to no one.

Chapter 13

Mick

One week. Seven days. One hundred and sixty-eight hours.

That’s how long I’ve had to exist without my little bird. I’ve bid my time, watched her and waited for the perfect moment to snatch her away again. The woman has not been alone the entire time. My jaw aches from the constant pressure of my teeth grinding as I see her just outside of my reach.

I almost snapped when that man showed up at her apartment and installed a new security system.I’mthe only man she needs to protect her. My fingers twitched as I slipped into the building behind him and watched him saunter up to her door and stride inside like he owned the place. I would have killed him then and there if the apartment manager hadn’t come by to check on the progress. To avoid doing anything reckless, I had stormed away and returned to watching Paige at her friend’s condo.

She was so despondent the first few days it made my chest ache. I wanted nothing more than to get to her, offer her comfort, and reassure her that she was safe. But the need to punish her for leaving me outweighed the desire to assuage her despair. She needed to learn that there was no escape from me. Her and I belonged together and I would tear the world apart to prove it to her. These thoughts circled my head endlessly. Plans of how I would bring her to heel played a continuous background in my mind as I watched her.

Thankfully, I have set up my company so that I can disappear for days on end without it causing a hazard to production. After the stunt in my last meeting, I’ve been banned from meeting with potential clients anyway. Jesse has picked up the slack on that end so he hasn’t had time to badger me on my absence. I left a few messages with Rachel over the days, saying I had a personal concern come up and to reschedule any appointments, giving strict instructions to only contact me in the case of an emergency that could not be otherwise handled.

I’m now parked again outside of Paige’s apartment building. This time, however, my little bird has returned to her home. Alone. I can feel the devilish grin on my face as I prepare to move forward with taking her back.

I’m just about to step out of the car when someone whips into the parking lot and screeches to a halt. Intrigued, I watch as a man in his early thirties flings open his car door, slams it, and takes off in a sprint for the building. Looking around to make sure no one else sees me, I climb out of my vehicle and make my way inside. I come up behind him as the man repeatedly jabs his finger into the elevator button, mumbling under his breath. Waiting silently, I observe him.

His hair is trimmed short, dark and thick. He has a five o’clock shadow lining his jaw and bags under his eyes from several restless nights. Glancing down, I take in the disheveled appearance of his clothes. His shirt is wrinkled and bunched. The jeans hugging his legs have several creases and stains, looking like he has spent at least the last few days in the same clothes.

The man continues to jam his finger away at the abused button and I stifle my amusement, wiping my face to a neutral expression before clearing my throat. He whips around, eyes darting wildly until his gaze lands on me. The man runs a hand down his face and shakes his shoulders a little to loosen up some of the tension. When he looks back at me, I lift the corner of my lips into a smirk and gesture to the elevator. “I’m not sure that’s helping make it come any faster.”

He looks sheepishly at the elevator then back at me, blowing out a breath of laughter. “Yeah. Sorry man, I’m just in a hurry.” Looking around again, his shoulders slump before continuing. “I got some terrible news about my girl and I need to make sure she’s okay.”

I nod my understanding, after all, I’m here for the same. “I hope she is.” He gives me a small smile and whips around as the elevator doors ding open.

Reaching his hand out he holds open the door. “You coming?” I shake my head and wave him on. I can’t have a witness for what I’m planning. He gives me a slight nod and retracts his hand as he clambers inside. “Thanks man.” He mutters before the doors close.

I wait patiently for a few minutes before pressing the button for the elevator to return and can’t help but smile as I step inside the empty lift. Pressing the button for Paige’s floor, I start humming.

Ready or not, here I come.

Chapter 14

Paige

I’m awoken by a sharp pounding on my door. I jolt upright, heart thudding in my chest. Fumbling around, I grab my new phone and pull up the app for the camera with shaky hands.

It’s not him. It’s not him.I repeat to myself over and over.

The last few days have been wonderful, I’ve returned to my old routine and even been able to work a few shifts. The nights have been the scariest alone in my apartment, but nothing has happened and the added security measures have helped me to be able to at least sleep. I’m now reconsidering all of that as I wait for the video feed to load so I can see who the intruder is standing outside my apartment.

When the video finally catches up, I gasp. Pressing the button to speak, my voice comes out shaky. “Seth?” At the mention of his name, Seth whips his head around, looking erratically up and down the hall until his eyes land on the camera. He gives me a half wave and a small smile. “Seth?” I repeat. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

I’m so shocked I can’t be entirely certain I haven’t lost my mind. That would be a plausible explanation for my cheating ex-fiancé suddenly appearing at my doorstep. Shaking my head, I push off the bed with weak legs and make my way to the front door. It takes a few moments to turn off the alarm and unlock the door. By the time I have it opened, Seth is standing there wringing his hands. His eyes shoot to me and he rakes his gaze up and down several times before rushing forward and pulling me into his embrace. I’m frozen in shock. He says something but it’s muffled against my hair.

Seth squeezes tightly before loosening his grip and holding me back at arms length, looking me over again. “Paige,” He breathes. “Fuck. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so worried.” His eyes sharpen again as he peers into my eyes. “You are okay, right?” I just stare at him, dumbfounded.

How is this happening? What is happening right now?

He gives me a little shake and repeats, “Paige?”

I blink and finally snap back to reality. Pushing against him, I pull back from his embrace and wrap my arms around myself. “Seth, what are you doing here?” I glance behind him, half-expecting Brie to pop up. Crazier shit has happened. When I don’t see anyone else, I look back at him and sigh heavily. “Shit. Okay, come inside. I don’t want to stand here with the door open.” Seth stares down at me, concern etched into his face. I pull his arm inside and glance around the hall again quickly before slamming the door, twisting the lock, and resetting the alarm. I turn around and find Seth’s gaze intently on me, his jaw set in a hard line and expression unreadable. I let out another sigh and gesture for the living area. “Do you want something to drink?”

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