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As I struggled in the attacker’s hands, dim lights flashing in my mind’s eye, memories and images of the man I was so desperately in love with floated in front of me. While I’d never believed in the afterlife, heaven nothing more than a beautiful story given I’d begged for my mother to show me a sign and never received one, I could swear she was now standing under a bright sun beckoning for me to join her.
But I wasn’t ready.
Not until I killed the bastard first.
I fought him, doing everything in my power to get away, reaching for the lamp even as I felt the life ebbing away, my throat closing.
As I started to pray, slipping into a dark silence, another noise dragged me back to reality, just as the man determined to end my life was tossed aside. Was I dreaming or had the man I loved, the one I’d called a hero more than once come to my rescue?
Maddox
Her scream had cut through me like a knife, the blood pumping in my brain pushing me into action. As I’d bolted into the house, chastising myself for leaving her alone for even one second, I realized just how in love with Zoe I truly was.
Her agonizing sounds would forever haunt me, and I reacted without a second thought, wrapping my hand around the neck of the man assaulting her. Whether it was adrenaline or simply rage, I was easily able to toss the fucker away. But as expected, he came out swinging, attempting to pound my face with his fist.
I was too quick for him, dodging easily, issuing three brutal jabs in a row.
Zoe coughed and rolled, the strangled sound only adding gasoline to the fire. But she was alive. And I would keep her that way.
No one fucked with my woman.
The limited light was just enough to allow me to see the man who’d attacked us, not that I could recognize him. That didn’t matter. I took another hard swing, my fist connecting with his jaw. As he grunted, I noticed he was reaching for a weapon. I threw out my leg, catching him just under the chin.
“Maddox!” Zoe exclaimed.
“Stay down, baby.” When the fucker decided to target her again, lunging in her direction, I smashed my Glock against the side of his face, pummeling him backward. The horrific sounds of the quickly moving storm added to the distortion of light, the near tragedy of the moment.
He came at me again, gripping his weapon and preparing to fire. I threw my arm out, pitching his aside a split second before thegun went off. Fortunately, the asshole dropped it. The surprise was enough to force his eyes away and I wrapped my other hand around his throat, using the momentum and force of the fight to enable me to slam him against the bookcase next to the wall.
As books and other objects fell around us, I squeezed my hand, cutting off his air supply. Zoe had found the light, showering the beam in my direction.
“What do you want?” I asked, my gut telling me I wouldn’t get an answer even though I let off on my solid hold. “You might live if you tell me.”
“Ask yourself who you fear the most, Boogeyman.”
What the fuck?
The stream of light allowed me to see into the fucker’s eyes. When he grinned, even daring to laugh, I easily realized that he was nothing more than a hired gun, a man sent to throw me off.
And to send me a message.
What the hell was the worthless piece of garbage trying to tell me? That this charade was all about me, something that I’d done in my life, an act of revenge that no one had considered? I dug my fingers into his neck once again, enjoying his choking sounds.
When I sensed she’d moved closer, I hissed under my breath.
“Get away, Zoe. This isn’t something you need to see,” I told her as I pressed the barrel against his temple.
“Not a chance. End this. Kill him,” she said.
Very slowly, I turned my head, able to see the eagerness on her face.
While that moment was cathartic, the act I was about to perform something I should regret, I knew better than to think I would.
After all, I was nothing but a cold-blooded killer.
So I did my job.
I pulled the trigger.
