Stalked

Chapter Seven

Andy POV:

I sighed, resting my head on my hand which was propped up on the desk by my elbow.

I had been at work for almost twenty hours, and I was exhausted. 

The paperwork from the last case I had done was taking forever.

I was tired, aggravated and needed a shower.

Things had been quiet for the most part since Stephen Roark had been arrested. 

For years, that mad man had stalked and tortured women. Rayne Berry had been Roark's biggest obsession. I had been working on finding him for five years when he was finally caught, and I had never seen or heard anyone do the things this mad man did to Rayne.

Even now, a year later, Roark still tries to make demands to see Rayne and talk to her. 

From what I heard, Roark had been getting more and more violent with the inmates and guards. 

Five months earlier:

While I sat at my desk, my office phone began to ring.

"Detective Long." I answered. "Detective, this is Warden Burrows." The man on the other end said. "What can I help you with, Warden?" I asked him. "Stephen Roark tried to kill one of the inmates this morning." 

I sat up slowly, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Why?" I asked. "Rayne Berry. The inmate apparently said something about Ms. Berry that Roark obviously didn't like." He replied. 

Of course.

"I'm on my way." I replied and hung up the phone.

When I got to the prison, I walked into one of the interrogation rooms and see Roark sitting there, handcuffed to the table he was sitting at.

"What are you doin' here?" He snarled. 

"You tried to kill one of the other inmates, huh Roark?" I asked, rhetorically. "You're damn right, I did." He said, harshly. "Why?" I asked. "The way he talked about my Rayne. He talked about all the things he would do to her if he ever saw her. It was disgustin'." He replied. "So, what you did to her family wasn't?" I replied. "She is my girl! You and her family tried to keep her away from me! I will see her again, detective. I can promise you that." Roark said and sat back, crossing his arms across his chest.

I guess we're done here.

Present time:

Roark's words still swirl in my head. 

For the last year, I had been in contact with Oz Berry once in a while to check on his sister. My paranoia just wouldn't stop getting the better of me. 

I honest to God thought that Roark was right; that he would get to Rayne again.

I could honestly just be in my head. I mean, what are the chances of him getting out? It's not exactly easy.

I sat for a while longer, just thinking about the situation before finally leaving the precinct and headed home for some much needed sleep. 

Rayne POV:

I hated going out with Oz the day before. I was so scared that I kept looking around me constantly.

Every time Oz would try to talk to me, I wouldn't hear him because I was busy being so damn paranoid.

"Fuck this shit. Let's go home." Oz had said that day before slamming the money for the food on the table and the two of us walking out.

I felt terrible for the way I acted. I was being stupid and literally acting like a spoiled brat that didn't want to sit still.

I think Oz was mostly embarrassed because everyone kept looking at us for the way I was acting.

I was skittish even with the waiter. If I didn't see him before I heard him, I would jump. Hell, I would even scare him.

I finally walked downstairs after my little pity party that morning to get breakfast.

I sat in front of Oz as he ate. He was quiet.

"I'm sorry, Oz. If you just understood-" I started before he cut me off.

"If I understood? I was shot, Rayne. I watched my wife bleed to death, and you say if I understood? I'm sick of this poor me shit. I know you're afraid of him, but I lost the love of my life. I will never get her back; ever. So don't come at me like I don't understand, because you're the one that doesn't. I worry that he is out there too, but you don't see me cooped up in the house every single day feeling sorry for my fucking self." Oz barked at me.

He was glaring at me and breathing heavily by the time he was done.

"I'm sorry." I muttered and slowly walked back upstairs.

When I closed the bedroom door, I got on my computer to find a place to live.

I was driving my brother crazy with this, so I have to grow some damn balls and find my own place to live.