Piper
By the time we leave the police station, it’s past noon, and I’m completely emotionally exhausted. Talking with Dylan wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be, but it did dredge up a lot of painful memories, things I’d rather leave buried.
I didn’t really want Maddox to see all of my baggage.
Not this soon.
Not while we’re still getting to know each other.
There’s something really special about Maddox, though. He doesn’t seem to mind that I have a past or that I’ve been with someone before him. The only thing that seems to bother him is that Tad didn’t treat me well. That seems to grate on his nerves more than anything else.
When we leave the station, I’m beyond ready to go home and crash. My couch has “nap” written all over it, and I’m more than comfortable with the idea of sleeping the rest of the day away. Still, I promised Maddox I’d give work a try today, so when we return to my house, I change into office clothes, kiss my new boyfriend goodbye, and head to work.
Everyone is happy to see me and my boss is over the moon. Apparently, everyone thought I was trying to find a way to quit and leave them hanging. Showing my face seems to be a good way to increase morale and show everyone that, no, I’m not leaving. I was just a little sick. There’s a gift basket waiting on my desk for me, a couple of simple projects to work on, and then I get to go home. My supervisor sends me home early and gives me a hug as I’m leaving.
Once again, I’m struck by how I suddenly feel like I belong.
I suddenly feel like I’m a part of something.
I don’t know what’s going to happen with Maddox. I’ve had the biggest crush on him for the longest time, and finding out he likes me in return has been incredible. Still, there’s always the chance that he’ll realize I really do have baggage. Maybe he’ll realize he’s not interested in the work. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much. I don’t want to get my heart broken again, but I’m kind of already fantasizing about a future that includes him.
Is that crazy?
I head to my car and climb in. I feel safe at work, I realize. I feel safe outside. Maddox offered to bring me to work, but I turned him down because I really do think he’s going to take care of me. I really do think he’s going to look after me. It’s a strange feeling, this trust between us, but it’s something I think I could get used to.
Before I go home, I stop by the post office and collect my mail. I don’t bother looking through it until I’m parked in my garage with the door closed behind me. It’s only then that I notice the handwritten envelope addressed to me.
Tad.
He’s sent me another letter.
I close my eyes for a second. I should avoid opening this one, I think. I should put it in a bag and call Maddox. I should let him talk to Dylan about it. I should let the two of them handle this. I shouldn’t open it.
But I do.
My fingers move of their own accord and I tear open the envelope and pull out the slip of paper. It seems to take years to unfold the damn thing, but somehow, I manage to spread it out on my lap, and then I begin to read.
It starts out normal, like the rest of his letters, but by the time I reach the end, I realize that this letter is very, very different. It’s very specific, and it lists all of the ways he wants to hurt me.
All of the ways he wants to kill me.
He’s never been this specific in a letter before. Tad has always been very careful to keep things neutral, to make sure that each letter won’t be an admission of intent or guilt.
And when a shadow appears over the letter and I look out of my window into the garage, I realize why.
He’s found me.
Tad’s found me.
I reach to lock the doors, but it’s too late. He yanks open the car door and pulls me out by my hair and tosses me onto the ground.
“You thought you could run from me,” he growls, and I should be afraid.
I should be petrified.
I should be crying and begging, but something changes in me, and I realize something important.
I’m not the same girl he left behind.
Nope.
Not at all.
When I was dating Tad, it took all of my strength, all of my energy, all of my courage to finally leave him. I was afraid, but I somehow found the courage to leave.
I think that lately, I’ve forgotten just how great it felt to be brave.
Maddox Blake reminded me of that. Just one fucking day with Maddox has changed my entire life, and I have no interest in death. Not today, and certainly not at the hands of Tad.
He can chase me, and he can hunt me, and he can taunt me, but Tad has nothing on Maddox.
Nothing.
And I roll under the car before he can kick me.
“Get out of there, Piper,” he hisses, but I don’t. I only have a matter of seconds before he grabs me and hauls me back out, but that’s fine. Every second counts when you’re fighting for your life. Every second matters.
My phone is on my belt loop, and I grab it and punch in my password. As I’m hitting Maddox’s number, Tad grabs my leg and yanks, but I kick at him with my other leg.
The call connects, and I drop the phone as Tad manages to pull me from beneath the vehicle. He’s bigger and stronger than me, but I’ve got Maddox and the entire police force on my side.
If I can just hold him off until they get here, everything is going to be all right.
“Help!” I cry out. “Help me!”
I can’t hear Maddox say anything, and if I’m lucky, Tad doesn’t realize I made a quick phone call. One thing is for certain, though: I won’t have to wait long for Maddox to get here.
He’ll come.
He’ll always come for me.
Tad hauls me to my feet and manages to twist me around so my back is pinned to his front.
“Stop fighting, darling, and this will be so much easier on you,” he hisses.
“Fuck you!” I spit out, and continue fighting. Flailing around is going to make me harder to hold onto, but it’s also going to make him more aggressive in turn. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself, try to steel myself, and then I make my move.
He covers my mouth with one hand, and I instantly jerk my own hand back toward his face. I’m aiming for his eyes, and when I hear him cry out, I know I’ve hit pay dirt. I jerk my hand back down, nailing him between the legs, and as soon as Tad’s grip loosens on me, I kick backward into his shins. Then I turn around and punch him in the face.
He tumbles, and I quickly reach beneath the car to grab my phone.
“Maddox? Yeah, I’m going to need you to bring the cops.”