Taking two stairs at a time, I made my way up to mine and Sofia's apartment. One hour was easy? Had I really thought that? Hilarious.
I definitely hadn't taken my bad luck into account. And as it would have it, the nurse watching over Angie had gone home early, which meant I could either leave Angie in the apartment all by herself or break my promise and go pick her up now.
There was no choice really, not with all that stalker shit that had happened.
I'd sent Killian a text so that he knew where I was, but by the time I'd make it back, that hour would be long up.
I exhaled, trying to ignore the nervous energy coursing through my veins. Killian would understand. I knew he would. But damn... Couldn't things work out for me just this once?
He gave me one job. One! And somehow I managed to fuck it up even though I'd finally talked to him again. Killian was cutting his exam short for me, for God's sake.
Maybe I should've picked up Angie first, but then I would've missed Killian, and—I fought against the smile threatening to spread over my face. Okay, apparently, he was not fed up with me.
Damn, I missed him already.
Using my spare key, I entered the apartment. Angie was nowhere in sight. Grinning to myself, I slipped out of my shoes and bounced down the hallway. Pushing her door open, I rushed into her room, but the cheerful greeting immediately died on my tongue.
My blood froze at the sight in front of me. A giant of a man filled the small space, taller than even Killian with short black hair cut close to his scalp, and arms bigger than my thighs. He whipped around upon my arrival, his face a mix of shock and barely controlled anger.
Angie stood just behind him, clutching the stuffed turtle I had gifted her on Christmas against her chest. Her huge dark eyes set a stark contrast against her unusually pale skin. Silent tears streamed down her face, but not a single sound escaped her open mouth.
My heart thundered inside my chest. Despite never seeing a single picture, I just knew. There was only one option. Sofia had told me about Angie's dad.
Told me that he was free.
That she was afraid of him.
My thoughts raced as my gaze darted around the small room, taking in every small detail. I was still clutching my phone, but I had just missed the only chance I'd had—the element of surprise. Or did I?
What do I do?
Angie was closer to me, and his way was blocked by the small chair in front of her desk, but could I buy her enough time?
No.
There was only one way.
I threw my phone backward, hoping that it landed somewhere close to the bathroom, but there was no time to check. With a scream, I launched at him, catching him off guard.
"Angie, bathroom, now!"
My loud bark startled her out of her trance. Thankfully, she didn't hesitate, because I had no idea what I was doing, and it became apparent quickly that I had no idea how to fight.
The man recovered instantly, catching my wrist in a tight grip. The fight was over before it even started. He jerked my arm to the side, and I lost my balance, stumbling into Angie's desk.
Still, the plan worked.
The bathroom door clicked shut. I had bought her enough time.
He grasped the back of my shirt and then I flew through the air and crashed into Angie's bed, the mattress cushioning my fall.
"You," he spat out as I scrambled away from him. "What the fuck are you doing here?"
He talked as if... My blood ran cold. What had Killian said? Someone wanted me out of the apartment.
"You stalked me! You left me those letters and all that!"
I got to my feet, keeping the bed as a barrier between us. It was a small barrier. If he wanted he could probably just reach over it and still grab me.
"I tried to keep you out of this. You weren't supposed to be here." He seemed to hesitate before he rolled his shoulders and fixed me with a hard stare. "I didn't want to hurt you, but now you leave me no choice."
My back broke out in a cold sweat. Everything slowed. I felt as if I was taking in everything—my rapid breathing, my body tensing, his rambling, the way sweat slicked down his head.
Angie's dad cursed wildly, his chest heaving as he stared at me with narrowed eyes. "Angelica," he called over his shoulder, not leaving me out of his sight. "Get out here before I do something to your neighbor you'll regret for the rest of your life."
"Don't listen to him, Angie!" I shouted. "He's lying!"
A sick expression twisted his features. "Last warning, girl. Go to that door and tell her to open it."
And let this monster get to Angie? Hell no. No. This man had hurt Sofia. He'd hurt Angie before. I clenched my fists, and then I released them. He kept rambling, but the only thing I could hear was the blood rushing through my head. Everything slowed. My eyes darted around—over her small desk, her pillows, the stuffed animals, her bookshelf... books...
"No, Angie," I said, making my eyes wide, fixated on a point above his shoulder. "Don't listen to him."
He spun around, and I made a mad dash to the shelf, grabbed the closest book, and hurled it at his face. It bounced against his skull just as he faced me again. "Wrong choice."
With one stride, he was on top of me. I tried to smack him with another book, but he swatted my arm aside easily. The next second, a sharp pain shot through my head as my skull bounced against the wall. Stars filled my vision.
I tried to move my arms out of his grasp, but he was too strong. The fight ended as quickly as it started. As soon as he had a grip on me, it was over. His large hand wrapped around my neck and squeezed.
I couldn't budge him. He had to weigh twice as much as I did. There was no air. I couldn't breathe...
I blacked out.
When I came to, the first thing I felt was confusion. Why did everything hurt? Why was I lying in Angie's bed?
I wanted to close my eyes, but there were different sounds, muffled as if I was underwater. Screaming and low pounding, as if somebody was trying to kick a door in...
"Open the door, Angelica," a male voice threatened.
Wait a second.
I rolled over and pushed myself up—or tried to. Everything went in and out of focus. My hands shook. My arms shook. Somehow, even breathing hurt.
Angie's dad hammered against the bathroom door. Then a rattling noise echoed through the apartment.
Gritting my teeth, I braced myself against the mattress and somehow managed to push up to my feet. Just as I did, I saw him step back and throw his whole weight against the bathroom door. The frame shook. A few more times and he would be through. He would take Angie and go God knew where.
He could do anything to her.
I frantically looked around for anything to use as a weapon. My eyes fell onto the small umbrella. I waited for the perfect moment to strike, holding the umbrella tightly in my hand. The next time he threw himself forward, I moved.
I swung down hard, aiming for his neck, but a sudden burst of nausea welled up, and somehow I missed. Pushing the umbrella aside, his hands grasped my arms and lifted me up. I kicked out, aiming for his groin, and finally hit my mark.
He dropped me with a yelp. In the movies, they would double over howling in pain, but by the time I reached for the umbrella again, his shovel-sized hands easily snatched me up, and then he hurled across the room.
I flew over the couch and smacked into the opposite wall. My teeth knocked together, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. Pain erupted across my back. The last strength in my limbs crumbled, and I fell to the floor.
There was no time to recover. He followed along, his fist closed around my throat, strangling me with more force than before.
I barely registered the movement behind his back. I blinked, and...
Killian was there.
Those penetrating eyes were wide, but it only took him a second to assess the situation. His shocked expression switched, skipped pissed, and landed right on livid. I'd never seen such a frightening look on his face.
"I won't fall for the same trick twice," Angie's dad said with a smirk.
In the next second, Killian hooked under his arm and flung him off of me.
Then Killian was at my side, his hands fluttering over my frame. "Tay," he said with a shaky voice, looking almost vulnerable. "You need to stay awake."
Angie's dad got to his feet, and before I could call out a warning, Killian spun and caught the fist flying at his face. The man roared in anger and pushed him back, but Killian kicked, aiming for his abdomen and they separated.
Angie's father was breathing hard, his muscles bulging. Where Killian was lean that man was built like a killing machine, packing maximum strength.
Killian dodged another swing at his face and landed two hard uppercuts in quick succession. The man stumbled back, losing his footing. He shook his head and straightened, a snarl on his lips.
Anxiety gnawed at my insides. No matter how hard Killian hit, all that muscle seemed to absorb each blow. The man drew back and shot forward, but Killian caught it, took hold of his arm, and used his momentum to fling him into the kitchen counter. Before the guy could recover, Killian landed a hard kick to his side.
Then Angie's dad was back on his feet. Frustration built within me, but the dizzy spell made it hard to form words. He barreled forward, and my breath hitched when Killian's back hit the wall. The man was on him in seconds, but Killian gripped his neck, twisted to the side, and performed a weird roll, causing them both to crash to the ground.
Darkness spread on the edges of my vision, slowly closing in. I tried to sit up, but immediately flopped back down. When I looked up, Killian's eyes were on me.
That idiot! I wanted to call out, but it was too late. A fist flew at his face, and he got too distracted to dodge in time. It caught his cheek, and I flinched as his head snapped to the side.
Something in his eyes snapped too. Although Angie's father had more mass on him, Killian was quicker. He dodged another hit and retaliated so fast, raining down blow after blow, that the fight suddenly looked one-sided.
"Don't you dare pass out!" Killian shouted from somewhere closer. I winced when a hand touched my neck. He cursed. "Tay!"
I opened my eyes. When had I shut them? Angie's father was nowhere in sight but Killian hovered in front of me, blood on his lip, and he looked scared. That was weird. Killian never looked scared. I tried to pat his hand, but it was shaking too much. Or maybe it was mine. I couldn't tell.
"Angie," I mumbled. "Bathroom."
His face pinched. "Think about yourself for one second," he said.
I stared back, not knowing if it was due to shock or relief. His close presence overwhelmed my senses, even in my dizzy state. I wanted to curl up in his arms and wait until this was over...
Angie would be terrified. But she knew Killian. He would know how to deal with her. He was good at calming.
"Angie, bathroom," I repeated, trying to sound more stern despite my spinning head.
He swore, and now he was back to looking pissed. I tapped his hand again.
"Angie—"
"Yes, I got it," he snapped.
I let out a breath, then finally passed out.