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Xander
Soul Obsession is singing their final song when the call comes through from Ryder.
“Ryder, what do you have for me,” I greet, foregoing the usual pleasantries.
“You owe me, Xan. Your girl lives in a private residence, so it wasn’t easy to access the surveillance footage,” his deep voice rumbles, getting straight to the point. “I don’t need to tell you how many of these cases land on cops’ desks and never get picked up.”
“I do. Another reason I got out when I did. What did you find?”
“Footage of one Mark Lindon outside your girl’s door. Multiple occasions. Sometimes it’s him, sometimes a young girl. We ran a check on her, and it’s his half-sister. Chances are he was using her. She probably thought she was just delivering flowers. She wouldn’t know what the notes contained.”
“Fuck. Chastity told me about the sister. She’s one of her students. Her name’s Lacey. What kind of sick fuck uses his sister to carry out his dirty work?”
“The kind who needs to be behind bars,” Ryder says grimly. “he already has a restraining order against him.”
“Fuck,” I curse. “He’s done this before?”
“Yeah. Seems your girl isn’t the only one he’s tried this with. The guy needs help. I also pulled surveillance footage of him at various public areas on his way to Denver.
I open my mouth to reply when Bryce’s voice whips over the earpiece, reporting a disturbance in the backstage bathroom.
Shit. Chastity.
“Thanks, Ryder. Gotta go. I have a situation here.”
I end the call without waiting for his reply and sprint to the area where I left Chastity.
I rush through the corridor toward the bathroom, my heart pounding in my chest and anxiety gripping me like a vise. Dear God, let Chastity be okay. The gnawing fear in the pit of my stomach almost robs me of breath.
Why the fuck did Bryce let her out of his sight? If anything has happened to her…
I quickly clear the thought from my head. I need to focus.
Bryce is outside as I approach the bathroom door, where I told him to wait. I hear a muffled voice inside. Mark. The crazy fuck has finally made his move. The idiot must know he’ll get caught. Panic rises within me. I need to get in there, ensure Chastity's safety, and deal with Mark.
I slam my shoulder against the door, breaking the flimsy lock. The scene that greets me turns my blood to ice. Chastity is on the floor, blood oozing from a cut on her forehead, and Mark Lindon, the man who’s been haunting her, stands over her with an unsettling glint in his eyes. Jesus, he’s just a kid. I need to tread carefully.
My eyes narrow as I assess the situation. "Mark, what the hell are you doing?" I ask calmly.
Mark's gaze flickers toward me, a disturbing mix of obsession and delusion in his eyes. "I had to protect her," he mutters, his words heavy with conviction. "She needs me. She just doesn't know it yet. I can protect her. Her and Lacey. We can be a family."
I lunge as he turns adoring eyes on Chastity, knocking him away from her. We grapple on the floor, exchanging blows. Adrenaline floods my system. It’s clear Mark is mentally unstable. I don’t want to hurt him, but I need to subdue him.
I’m vaguely aware of Bryce hauling Chastity from the bathroom. Good. Now I won’t have to kill him for leaving her alone.
I manage to pin Mark to the ground, holding him there with a firm grip. "You need help, Mark," I assert, my face inches from his. "What you're doing is not love. It's an obsession, and it's hurting her."
He looks at me, his eyes flickering between confusion and anger. "You don't understand. I know what's best for her. She just needs to realize it."
Before I can say more, the venue security personnel arrive, alerted by the commotion. They quickly take control of the situation, restraining Mark.
A blur of copper hair catches my eye, and then my Firecracker is in my arms. She looks up at me, her eyes filled with sadness and confusion. "It was Mark. I can’t believe it. It was him all this time.”
I nod. “Maverick called me right before Bryce warned me on the earpiece.” I examine her forehead. “Fuck, sweetheart. Did he do this?”
She touches her forehead gently. “I don’t think it’s bad. I was leaving when he barged into the bathroom. The door hit me in the head.”
“Let’s get you looked at,” I say as security escorts Mark away.
