I felt naked without my camera, so it was nice to have it back. Tate thought I had partied just a little too hard the night before, and I was okay with telling him a little lie. I had been drunk, and I had wanted to go home. He thanked me a million times for the St. Skin picture and made sure I was still going to be at the new shop as the progress went on. He then had an idea with the people they were interviewing. I stopped him and said all ideas need to go through the guys at St. Skin before me.

I wasn’t going to get stuck in the middle of Tate and Maddox again.

I loved Maddox, and I needed Tate's business.

Although it was a small moment, it proved that I was able to stand up for myself. And Tate didn’t get mad at all. He smiled and agreed.

When I left the shop, I text Maddox.

I just wanted to check in. Tell him I missed him. Maybe flirt a little.

But Maddox wrote something back that was more intense than I was expecting.

Why don’t you just pack everything up and bring it to my place? Or better yet - find a new place - for the both of us.

Maddox wanted to live with me? Wanted me to move into his apartment? Wanted to pick out an apartment together?

That should have scared me, but it didn’t.

I wanted to be with him. Near him. Living with him. The smells of coffee and breakfast each morning. Dinner at night. Being in bed with him every night and waking up next to him every morning.

By the time I got back to my apartment, I planned on starting to pack. The change would be great and much needed. There was too much in my apartment that needed to be left there.

But there was also something waiting for me.

* * *

I grabbed the doorknob and instinctively turned.

The door was unlocked and opened for me.

I took a step into the apartment before I realized that the door was supposed to be locked.

I froze.

I looked down.

I mentally went back through the last time I left the apartment. I never left it unlocked. Ever. No matter how fast I was going or anything, the door was always locked.

So I looked at my apartment and saw that everything was normal. Nothing taken. Nothing out of place.

Shrugging my shoulders, I stepped into the apartment, still feeling a little uneasy.

I shut the door behind me and tossed my keys to the end table in the living room. I took a few creeping steps, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.

I seriously must have left the door unlocked.

I paused at my computer and took my camera bag off my shoulder. I put it on the desk. Turning toward the kitchen, I let out a long breath. I needed to pack a few bags and leave. If Maddox was serious about moving in together, then I wanted to hear him say it in person and make it happen.

Smiling, I walked down the hallway to get to my bedroom.

I turned, grabbed for the doorknob, and that’s when it opened on its own.

I let out a scream.

A second later, Mitch appeared from nowhere, something in his right hand. Before I could scream again, his left hand shot out and grabbed for my neck, forcing me back against the wall.

“There you are,” he said.

His dark eyes were as evil as ever. He showed me his right hand. A handful of my panties. All different colors. He put them to his nose and laughed.

“Who’s been touching these, huh?”

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“You still owe me, Hazel. You owe me everything.”

“You broke my camera,” I gasped. “I thought we were even!”

“Hardly.”

He threw the panties in my face. “Dressing like a whore? Is that how you get work? Huh?”

“No,” I said.

Mitch pushed me, knocking to my left, toward the main room of the apartment.

I turned, channeling everything I had gone through.

This is not going to happen. Never again.

I swung with my left hand.

An inch away from his face, his hand shot up and blocked my blow. He then tried to swing at me, but I was able to fight the fear down and protect myself. I ducked, and his hand smashed against the wall. I kicked at his leg, smashing him in the knee before turning to make a run for it.

It was a cheap move, and bought me no time at all. This wasn’t some movie where the bad guy got hit once and stayed down. This was real. Mitch was real. And his hands grabbed my shoulders and shoved me. All my momentum drove me forward too fast, and I tripped, falling to the carpet. I felt the burn of the fibers against my hands as my knees slammed down.

Mitch then stepped right on me, holding me down.

“Where’s your money at?” he asked. “That’s what I want.”

“I don’t have any,” I lied.

He pressed harder with his foot.

I cried out. My stomach contracted and was losing space. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

I tried to wiggle, but Mitch wasn’t going to let me get away.

He dropped down to his knees, almost sitting on me. His right hand went to the middle of my back and he pressed hard, stealing my air.

He came down, his nose burying itself into my hair.

“So, here’s what I’m going to do then,” he whispered. “I’m going to take whatever I want from you. You owe me everything, Hazel. I’m tired of leaving and coming back expecting something different. You don’t even care about me, do you?”

He let up enough for me to speak. Normally I’d placate. I’d say whatever it took to keep things calm.

No more.

“I fucking hate you,” I hissed. “You’re a filthy piece of shit.”

Mitch grabbed my hair. “Oh, do you’re nasty now, huh? I like nasty. We can get really nasty, Hazel. Really fucking nasty…”

Mitch pulled at my hair some more and slithered down my body.

I threw an elbow and hit him in the face. Mitch let out a growl and threw a fist to the floor. It hit hard. And it was really close to my face.

That was my warning.

But I was still going to fight him.

“Fuck you,” I said.

“Trust me, Hazel, it’s going to happen real soon.”

Mitch put his hand to my back again and pressed harder. I fought him but couldn’t breathe. Not being able to breathe made the panic set in. I kicked my legs, but I couldn’t hurt him. I couldn’t get to him.

“I like this side of you,” Mitch said. “I like a good fight. A really good fight. But first, I need to collect what’s rightfully mine. Everything in your life.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

I looked up at the door and saw my chance.

I screamed just as Mitch’s hand slid across my mouth. But I knew I got enough of a scream out to be heard. And when I had shut the door entering the apartment, I hadn’t locked it.

A second later the door flew open.

And there was Maddox with roses in his hand…to save me again…