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ETHAN
Finlay goes limp in my arms, and I quickly sweep an arm beneath her knees, lifting her to my chest.
Fuck. I should’ve crushed the phone the second I saw the photo, but it hit so hard, I couldn’t think straight.
Seeing that sick fucking fuck pressed up against her. The white mask. His latex-covered hands on her.
Christ.
The motherfucker.
I carry Finlay to the couch and lay her down, taking a moment to brush her hair from her face and to think what I should do next.
My insides are quaking as my eyes drift over her. The way she shut down, I’ve never seen anything like that before. It’s as if she tapped out of this world.
He’s fucking destroying her right in front of me.
I press a kiss to her forehead, and hoping my voice will follow her, I say, “I’m going to find a way to end this, baby.”
I get up and glance at the shattered pieces of my phone. I need to call Dad. Crouching down, I carefully pull Finlay’s phone from her pocket and walk back to the kitchen as I unlock the screen. We have to try and find this son of a bitch and put a stop to him torturing Finlay.
I register movement from the corner of my eye right before a body plows into me from the side. We crash into the kitchen table, the wood splintering beneath from the force we slam into it with.
The shock is instant, throwing me hard into survival mode.
The fucker.
It can only be him.
I lock my right leg around both of his and use the strength in my chest to roll us over so I’m on top. I keep the punches short, so they don’t take a lot of energy to deliver effective blows, but my fist connects with a mask instead of skin. I hear the plastic crack from the blows. Then only do I take in the man beneath me. Shock shudders from me when I see the hairnet, the cracked mask, the black clothes.
With a growl, I’m pushed back, and he scrambles to his feet. I dart up, and coming face to face with him, rage fills every inch of me.
“Fuck,” he mutters, then reaching for his face, he carefully removes the mask. A piece splintered off and is embedded in his cheek.
Another wave of shock hits, making my heart hammer against my ribs.
He looks normal. Brown hair, brown eyes, a decent face. He works out.
I register all of him in a split second.
His eyes lock with mine, then he shakes his head. “She’s mine.” His voice has a tone to it that makes the tiny hairs on the back of my neck rise.
“Never.” The word is a growl pulled deep from my chest, my need for vengeance fueling the rage inside me.
Both our bodies are ready as we size each other up. He glances past me to where I left Finlay on the couch. Stepping into his line of sight, I snap, “Don’t fucking look at her.”
His eyes lock with mine again. I expect to see insanity written all over his face, a deranged man.
Not this.
God, he looks like any other guy.
It’s jarring.
His gaze darts toward the couch, his features tightening with his obsessive need to get to her.
Lunging forward, I don’t waste energy on a swing but slam my body into his, making him stumble back and hit the kitchen counter with his lower back. He takes one hell of a knock to his kidneys, letting out a painful grunt.
He pushes away from the counter, and I jump back. The fucker gets a hit in, his fist connecting with my ear. There’s ringing in my head, but I shake it off and bring up my left arm, blocking his second punch while throwing one of my own. I target his nose, wanting his sight to blur so it will give me the upper hand.
He throws his shoulder into my chest, trying to take me down, and I bring my elbow down on his spine, feeling the blow shudder through his back, I grip hold of him and slam my knee into his face.
Dad spent hours teaching Eli and me how to fight. Right now, it’s paying off.
He staggers back, and dazed, he shakes his head, but then he advances again, his fists flying at me.
“Ethan!” Finlay screams, the sound so fucking terrified it draws all my attention to her.
The fucker’s fist to my cheek snaps my head back. I get a glimpse of Finlay, her hands covering her mouth, horror on her face, then my vision blurs for a moment. Finlay’s scream rips me back to the moment as his body plows into mine, and he takes me down.
As my back hits the floor, I deliver a blow to his ear, knowing it will stun him. I slam my forehead into his face, and blood spurts over me as he rolls off me, moving to the side before struggling to his feet.
