AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Derek reads off the details, and I can feel a spark of hope ignite inside me. It's a lead, a real lead. But I can't let myself get too excited. Not yet. Not until we've confirmed it.
"Alright," I say, turning to the rest of the team. "We've got a potential ID on our stalker. I want a full background check, social media, known associates, the works. Let's move."
The room springs into action, everyone moving with a renewed sense of purpose. I can feel the energy in the air, the anticipation. This could be it. This could be the break we've been waiting for.
But even as I bark out orders and coordinate the team, my mind keeps drifting back to Sasha. She's the reason we're all here, the reason I'm pushing myself to the limit. I've made her a promise, a vow to keep her safe. And I won't rest until I've fulfilled it.
I can't let myself think about what might happen if we fail, if this lead turns out to be another dead end. I can't let myself consider the possibility that we might never catch this guy, that Sasha might never be truly safe.
So I push those thoughts aside, burying them deep as I focus on the task at hand. We have a lead, a potential ID. And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it's not another wild goose chase.
Because this isn't just about catching a stalker anymore. It's about protecting the woman I...
I cut off that thought, refusing to let it finish. I can't afford to get distracted. Not when we're so close.
I huddle in the back of the van, my eyes glued to the scope of my rifle. The night is still, the silence broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant hum of a car passing by. But in here, it's like a goddamn pressure cooker.
"You see anything, Creed?" Derek's voice is low, barely a whisper, but it cuts through the tension like a knife.
I shake my head, not taking my eye off the scope. "Nothing yet."
Sophia lets out a soft sigh, shifting in her seat. "This is like waiting for a pot to boil. You know it's gonna happen, but it feels like it's taking forever."
I can't help but chuckle at that. "You're not wrong."
But even as I joke around, my mind is racing. I'm torn, part of me focused on the mission, on the task at hand. But the other part...the other part is back at the safe house, with Sasha.
I can almost see her, curled up on the couch with a book, her hair spilling over her shoulders. I can hear her laughter, feel the warmth of her smile. And it's like a punch to the gut, knowing I'm not there with her.
I didn’t tell her where I was going tonight or about the lead we’d found. I couldn’t get her hopes up in case this turned out to be another dead end. But the guilt gnaws at me as I wish I could be in two places at once. What if something happens while I’m hunting down this lead? What if this is just a distraction? The rest of my team is at the house, but even so…
I clench my jaw, pushing the thought aside. I'm here for a reason. I'm here to do a job. And I can't afford to get distracted.
But keeping my mind on the mission is harder than I thought it would be. It's like there's this constant pull, a magnetic force drawing me back to Sasha. And the more I try to resist it, the stronger it seems to get.
I let out a slow breath, trying to steady myself. I need to focus, to keep my head in the game. I can't let my feelings for Sasha cloud my judgment, not when there's so much at stake.
Suddenly, Derek's voice cuts through the silence. "Creed, we've got movement. Ten o'clock."
And just like that, all my doubts, all my fears, are pushed aside.
I take a deep breath, my finger hovering over the trigger as I focus on the target. This is it. This is the moment.
I return to Sasha's house, frustration gnawing at my gut after what turned out to be a false lead after all. As I step inside, I find her sitting on the couch, her eyes wide and face pale. The sight of her like that is like a punch to the gut. All my frustration and anger just... evaporates.
"Axel," she says, her voice barely a whisper. "You're back."
I nod, moving towards her. "Yeah, I'm back."
She looks up at me, her eyes searching my face. "What happened? You were gone for so long..."
I let out a sigh, running a hand through my hair. "It was a false alarm. A damn misdirection."
Sasha flinches at the curse, and I feel a pang of guilt. I'm not mad at her; I'm mad at the situation, at the bastard who's doing this to her. But I can't help but feel like I've failed her, like I should've been able to do something more.
I sit down next to her, my eyes locked on hers. "I'm sorry," I tell her, my voice low. "I shouldn't have left you like that."
She shakes her head, her eyes filling with tears. "I understand," she says, her voice breaking. "I just... I was so scared, Axel. I didn't know what was happening, and you were gone, and..."
