Deadly Discern - Book Three ✔️

Chapter Thirty Six - Treading Water -

Alex POV

I'm wound up.
Beyond frustrated at myself. I almost had Seth, I was so close, but I lost him to the traffic. Fucking traffic. It should seem like the most logical thing to have happened, though I'd been so sure I'd get my hands on Seth tonight.
I'd been so fucking close.

Since leaving Danica in the sitting room by herself, I've only managed to get angrier about the whole situation. I should know better than to let my emotions run riot and control me, but here I am.

Instead of letting the intense wave of anger consume me, I try to focus on the hot water that pelts unforgivingly at my shoulders and against my back, searing my skin. The heat a deliberate distraction technique, to hone in on the pain, the overwhelming burning sensation rather than the drama that is yet to unfold.

Unfortunately, it isn't working this time, my brain is instead trained on the task ahead, always planning for what's to come, the smartest route, the ultimate outcome.
The ability to block out the complications and zone in on creating a plan is one thing that was drilled into me during my training years ago, and now it's something that I'm really good at. Blocking, but assessing. Throughout the years, with everything I've dealt with, that particular ability has helped me get through so many different situations. Life threatening and otherwise.

And Danica is a large part of the otherwise.

I must admit that I was genuinely surprised, but overall happy, to see that Danica controlled herself when I told her what was going on, who is involved and what I now have to do. Especially seeing as she hasn't had a kill in so long, it must be grating on her, the desire within her isn't yet something she is on top of and I know that without a shadow of a doubt.

And now to be dealing with these difficult circumstances, Danica might feel as though it's her calling, her thing, but this is my family blood, therefore it's my decision.

Metalingus by Alter Bridge plays as I shower, the song matches my thoughts, and my overall treacherous feelings.

The most problematic issue being that I know that I have to do this, no one else can get to him before me. It must be me.
I'm more than a bit concerned that someone might get their hands on him before I do, which makes the whole situation much more urgent.

Though it's definitely not going to be easy.
I don't know how I'm going to manage to corner him, and in a place that we won't be noticed. There are a lot of questions and there will be consequences, for both myself and Seth. His won't be a lasting effect though. Mine will stay with me, living in my subconscious mind, likely to haunt me over time.
Like I need more shit to stew over.

I do, however, need to figure out how I'm going to do this. My hands reach up without my mental direction, my fingers grab at my skull, massaging the headache that is forming as I drag my hands through my wet hair.

He knows my car now, and he must have tracked me down before that. Work? The gym? In the streets? Some other public place?

It could have been anywhere. And now he has me where he wants me, but I've got more to back myself than he does. Seth used to always follow his emotions when it came to conflict, acting without thinking, no plans, nothing to support him if he were to fail. The fact that he is taking down people on his own is baffling, though I'm inclined to believe he is using the element of surprise as opposed to them knowing he is after them at all. Opportunistic killer.

I hate that I had to come clean with Danica about Seth, I'd hoped to keep her out of it altogether, preferring to handle him single handedly. I feel as though having her know about him will only complicate the situation. How could it better it?