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I’d started to piece things together while Miles and I were staying at Gage’s house. There’d been a package of the exact same allergen and asthma reducing air filters that I’d found installed in my house. It was supposed to be a package of four but there were only three left.
Then I’d thought back on all the repairs that I’d assumed my landlord had done. The dripping sink, the loose handrail, they were all problems I’d complained about at work while Gage had been at his usual table. It was possible that he’d overheard and fixed them just like he had my fridge. Just like with the car and the shoes, I realized he’d fixed a lot of problems for me.
“I expect you’ll see him when he wants to be seen. And if it doesn’t happen soon, we can always sick Papa Walt on him.”
“Come on,” I grabbed her hand and pulled us both to our feet. “We better get out there or Brooks will have Bear serving drinks again and messing up our tips.”
Liz threw one arm around my shoulders and laughed, “I don’t know, I bet if he popped some of those buttons on his flannel and showed off that sexy chest hair the jar would be overflowing with cash.”
My smile stayed in place throughout my entire shift, an extra bounce to my step and a whole lot of hope filling my heart. He was back.
32
GAGE
Mia sped from table to table, only stopping to pick up orders at the bar. She was currently bouncing on the balls of her feet while she spoke to a customer.
A smile split my face as I watched from the shadows, the first one in weeks. When she’d come out of the office arm in arm with Liz, I’d immediately ran my eyes down her body. Immense satisfaction had filled me when I saw the shoes that I’d bought covering her small feet.
The same shoes I’d had in the back seat of my truck for weeks. I’d intended to give them to her in person so that I could drink in her expression when she opened them. A pang of disappointment filled me that I hadn’t been able to do that. Then I reminded myself that the entire point of the shoes was to make her more comfortable and that’s all that mattered.
There was nothing about Mia that I didn’t notice. She worked two jobs, spent most of her days on her feet and by the time she’d come home each night, it was obvious her feet ached. She’d never complain but I’d see the wince when she sat and tried to rub the pain away. On nights I’d been with her, I’d immediately take over, working my large thumbs into the arches of her feet until she moaned with relief. Inevitably my hands would drift upward and I’d have her moaning beneath me in a different way until she was a relaxed puddle in my arms.
I shifted my throbbing cock into a more comfortable position. My body remembered all too well what those moans sounded like, felt like pressed against my skin. I wanted to emerge from the dark and throw Mia over my shoulder then take her to the first private place I could find and have her moaning in my ear once again.
What my body was incapable of understanding was the fact that Mia was more likely to scream in my ear than moan, and not from pleasure. Despite Roe’s reassurances, there was no way that she’d welcome me with open arms.
I’d only been back in town for a few hours, my first priority had been delivering the shoes before Mia’s shift started and finding a place where I could watch her in secret. I shifted on my feet as guilt slithered through my veins. It wasn’t the stalking that had me feeling guilty, but the fact that Mia wasn’t aware of it. When I’d followed her before, I’d always made my presence known. I’d wanted to see her face when she watched me back, wanted her to look for me each night outside, those warm brown eyes checking for me in her section at dinner.
Stalking her without her knowledge would’ve been easy, I’d made an entire fucking career out of doing just that. But my darkness needed her to see the real me, to want me, to want my obsession as much as I wanted her love.
Which is why I’d done exactly as Roe asked and finished my mission in the seven days he’d allotted me. I’d spent the hours after his departure laying out my plan and perfecting it. I’d even run it past Gray and Kane as requested, glossing over some of my more creative ideas. The goal was to scare Avery away from Mia and Miles, but not kill him. Unfortunately.
When I was in black ops, assassinations were sometimes a part of the job. I’d hardened myself to the point where I was able to carry out my orders. You didn’t have to think when you were given an order, you simply did it and the government would protect you. Unless you got caught, lucky for me that never happened.
But I wasn’t in black ops anymore, I was back in the civilian world. And in this world, I wasn’t following orders, there was only my desire to protect the two most important people in my life. Killing Avery could bring down heat on Mia and that wasn’t something I was willing to risk. Then there was the concern of how Mia would feel if she knew I’d killed her son’s father. He was a murderer; I was certain he’d killed her friend Angie. But Mia was an angel, she may feel guilt over Avery’s death and I wasn’t going to put that on her. She’d already been through enough.
I’d felt that my best path forward was to deliver a personal warning to Avery. Something that would have him pissing his pants every time he even thought of trying to find them.
The wife was going away for a two-day spa trip, giving me the perfect window to make sure Avery and I wouldn’t be interrupted. She’d left that morning and a few hours later he was walking his receptionist-mistress through the front door, his hand shoved up the back of her skirt. He hadn’t even bothered to wait for the cover of night. Avery was either stupid enough to think that no one was watching or stupid enough to think that he was that powerful. Either way, I thought he was just stupid.
Waiting in the shadowed alley between his town home and the one next door, I tracked them through the uncovered windows as they ascended the stairs to the main bedroom. Once I was certain they wouldn’t be coming out again, I slid around the side of the building and let myself into the backyard. The gate had a control pad that was linked to the alarm system for the whole house. I’d come by earlier when the house was empty to disabled it as well as the alarm to the back door.
The door didn’t make a sound as I let myself inside, making sure to relock it behind me. No one would be entering without a key. Silently, I made my way through the house. This wasn’t my first visit to the Avery residence—I’d familiarized myself with every room, piece of furniture and creaking floorboard like it was my own. A giggle followed by a masculine moan echoed from the second floor and I repressed my urge to gag.
No doubt they were already fucking, it wouldn’t be long now. The mistress had also been a part of my plan. I wanted him relaxed, post orgasm hazy and thinking that he was the alpha of his domain. Then when his guard was down, I’d show him what a true predator looked like.
Their noises grew louder and I ran through my plan in my mind to pass the time. Avery grunted like a pig as the girl cooed false platitudes. ‘Oh, you’re so big, yes, yes, just like that.’ I rolled my eyes; she wasn’t winning any acting awards for the performance but it seemed to fool her bed partner.
The house had grown dark, thanks to night falling while they were busy upstairs. He hadn’t bothered to turn on any lights downstairs and it added an extra layer of protection.
Quiet followed a final grunt and I cracked my neck while I crouched in my hiding spot, waiting. Eventually, I heard heels clacking against the wooden stairs and I watched the mistress stuff a wad of bills into her purse before leaving the way she came. Thankfully, her role in tonight’s events was over because I didn’t want to involve her in what came next. I’d prepared myself for the contingency that he might drive her home or have her spend the night. Predictably, he didn’t, Drake Avery was not a gentleman.
My muscles tensed when heavy footsteps drummed against the stairs. He walked right past my hiding spot and shuffled into the kitchen, leaving the lights off. He was certain he was safe in his expensive home, a notion I’d be alleviating him of tonight. Avery opened the doors to the fridge and light bathed the otherwise dark kitchen. Rising to my full height, I stalked toward him.
He wasn’t aware of my presence until my arm wrapped around his neck and pushed against his windpipe. Avery struggled against me, the open carton of juice in his hand dropping to the floor and forming a puddle around our feet. I locked my other hand around my wrist, exerting more pressure. He’d slid on a pair of boxers before coming down and I was grateful I didn’t have his bare ass rubbing against my leg.
Avery flailed as spit flew from his mouth while he clawed at my arm. I held firm, not even breaking a sweat as his attempts grew less coordinated. When his arms dropped limply at his sides, his entire body weight being held suspended by my arm around his neck, I smiled like the psychopath I was. Allowing myself one last squeeze, I imagined how easy it would be to end it all now. Then, with a sigh, I released his neck and let him drop to the kitchen floor with a satisfying thud of his skull against the expensive tile.
