Page 54 of Rafe
She sank onto the stool behind the counter, her heart pounding in her chest as she took deep, steadying breaths to calm herself. Her hands trembled slightly, and she clenched them into fists to stop the shaking. He was right; his presence filled her with an unsettling mix of fear and anxiety. She wished with all her heart that he would just leave and never return, but deep down, she knew that was just a hope in vain. His eyes burned with a relentless determination, a clear sign that he was fixated on making her life a living nightmare as retribution for her role in sending him to prison.
First it was Fred, then Rafe, and now her. Frederick was toying with all of them.
Maggie turned the sign on the door over to ‘Closed’ and locked it. She then counted the money in the cash register and put it in a small envelope, then placed it in the safe. She removed her purse from the filing cabinet, shrugged into her coat, pulled down a wool beanie over her head, and zipped the coat up to her chin.
She made her way toward the delivery door in the back and stared at it. What if he was out there, waiting for her? She was terrified of what he’d do to her.
“You can’t stay in here,” she murmured.
Taking a deep breath, she opened it, stepped out, then let it close behind her and was instantly swallowed by a swirl of icy wind and drifting snowflakes. She scanned the deserted alley, her boots crunching on the thin layer of fresh powder. Even for the short walk to her apartment, she would feel the prick of cold through every layer.
She inhaled the biting air, her heart thudding as snow slapped her face and wind whistled down the corridor. Tilting her head down, she slowly made her way toward the stairs.
“Maggie.”
She froze. The words cut through the wind like an icicle. Maggie’s pulse hammered as she looked up to see Frederick emerging from the flurry, his frame draped in a long black coat dusted with snow. His eyes glinted with something like triumph.
“Get away from me,” she snapped, as she backed up, her voice trembling.
He took a step forward, a smirk curling his lips. “I’m not doing anything.”
Maggie’s fingers curled into fists at her sides. “Do I have to get a restraining order?”
Frederick shrugged. “Do what you want. But nothing’s goingto stop me from taking you with me when I’m ready to go.”
“Why can’t you leave me alone?” Her words came out harsh, brittle, like breaking ice.
“Because you belong to me.” His voice was low, authoritative.
A wave of revulsion formed in her chest. “I hate you.”
His nostrils flared. “I couldn’t care less. You’re my wife—”
She laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “I am not your wife! I divorced you.”
His shoulders stiffened; the air between them crackled. He took another step closer, and Maggie instinctively backed up, her boots slipping on ice. “Do you think that makes me want to leave you alone? You ran off, you betrayed me to McCallister, and the moment I was arrested you divorced me. Oh, and let’s not forget how you’re fucking Marshall. That alone makes me so pissed. Payback time is coming, Maggie. Both you and Marshall will pay.”
“I had to get away from you,” she hissed, voice shaking with anger and fear. She reached for the handle of the delivery door, knowing it locked automatically, but he didn’t know that.
“I always knew you were fucking him.”
“I wasn’t! Do you honestly think I would have done that while still married to you? You would have killed me, but in all honesty, that would have been better than living with you. You disgust me. Why are you staying here? There is nothing here for you.”
“I won’t be here long, but like I said, when I go, you go with me.”
“I’d rather die than go anywhere with you.”
He lifted one gloved hand as if weighing her words. “That can easily be arranged,” he murmured. “Just remember, I know people who’ll do anything, for the right price.” With that, he turned, receding into the white blur, leaving Maggie’s heart pounding as the wind whipped around her.
As soon as she was sure he was gone, she ran to the stairs, slipping on the ice and snow as she did, but she made it up to the stoop, unlocked her door, then entered the apartment. After locking the door, she leaned back against it, slid to the floor and cried.
After a few minutes, Maggie pushed herself upright, shrugging off her woolen coat and removing her knit cap. She double-checked the deadbolt before slipping into the bathroom. She needed a long, hot soak to settle her rattled nerves before Rafe arrived.
At least she hoped he’d make it. Through the frosted window, the roads lay cloaked in a thin blanket of snow, glinting with ice in the streetlamp’s glow. It was still early afternoon, but with the cloud cover, it seemed later. She didn’t want him risking getting hurt just to get to her, but she had to tell him about Frederick.
Maggie turned on the faucet, watching the rose-scented bath salts swirl into the water, then set her phone on the marble ledge. She peeled off her clothes and eased into the steamy tub. The warmth seeped into her shoulders, but it couldn’t thaw the chill clenching her chest. Leaning her head back against the cool porcelain, she closed her eyes as tears pooled at her eyelashes and trickled down her cheeks. Frederick frightened her more than anyone else.
At last, she sat up, water sloshing over the rim, and reached for her phone. Fingertips trembling, she tapped Rafe’s number and put it on speaker. His deep, familiar drawl filled the room: “Hi, darlin’.”
