I don’t like his answer, and I’m not the only one from the looks my brothers are giving him. He’s pretty green. I have half a mind to pull his patch right now.
“Where is he?” I push past one issue and focus on the other.
“Around the back of her building. Throat slit. No one heard it happen.”
“What?” Viv breathes.
Tommy’s been listening, but at that, he steps away a few paces and makes a call. I notice it but keep on Rooster to tell me more. There has to be more than just this.
“Guy was cold as shit, so he’s been there a while.”
“How long were the cameras down?” I seethe and cut my eyes to Link.
“Only a few minutes, promise.”
“He’s right. We already looked at the feed. Guy sitting in the car wasn’t our guy,” Rooster confirms.
“Who was it?” Mickey asks.
“We think it was the stalker. Look, this is what we know. Our guy did a perimeter sweep at 1900 hours. He was out of sight for three minutes, then reappeared and got back in the car. The feed was cut thirty minutes ago, and that was when he left, when the cameras went out. When they came back on, no one was in the car. From the angle of our cameras, though, you can’t tell, as the guy stuck a hat on the headrest in a way that it looked like someone was there. Didn’t notice it was empty till Grim checked in.”
“Three minutes, huh? You can slit a fucker’s throat in less than that,” Bane mutters, and the rest nod in agreement.
“That’s not all.” Rooster glances at Viv for a second before he looks at me.
“What?” Viv asks as she takes a step toward him. “What?” She’s as animated as I’ve ever seen. To anyone else, she would just appear to be asking the same question twice. But to me, I see the fire in her eyes. She’s mad, but also worried about what else could have happened.
“He got into your place. He cut your feed completely. No camera footage at all for hours. He took out your system so he could go inside.”
A beat. One beat, and then she’s running up the stairs. I’m hot on her heels, as are Mack and Rooster.
The door is open by the time I get there, and I see nothing out of the ordinary. I take a step in and look at Viv as she glances around.
Mack makes it to the door first, followed by Rooster. “What? What happened?” Mack looks around like he’s taking in everything at once.
I turn to Rooster, who looks uncomfortable, so I know it won’t be something I’m going to like.
“He jacked off on your bed.”
The blood drains from her face, and she’s quick to make it to her room before I can stop her. She’s standing in the doorway, and I notice her bed, rumpled as shit. There’s even dirt on it. Some of her lingerie is displayed across it, all crumpled as if wadded up in someone’s hand. It could have been nothing more than a messy room. Even semen dries mostly clear. She might never have known—if he hadn’t written MINE on her wall and left a sticky note on top of her bed.
I move forward, pushing her back to keep her safe, as if the paper might give her a cut, as I step closer to read it.
This isn’t as sticky as I’d make you, but it’s something to keep, along with my scent. Don’t forget who you belong to. XO
“Get her out of here,” I say, knowing someone is there to take care of her.
I know I have my brothers in this, and now so does she. Because whatever this fucker might think, he’s wrong. Dead wrong.
Viv isn’t his. Will never be his. Because she’s mine.
And I’ll destroy everything to keep what’s mine.
Chapter 20—Viv
“Domino says you can wait in here.” Bane opens the door to what I expect to be Domino’s room. I enter, turning around when I don’t feel his presence close. “We’ll be downstairs if you need us. Need me to get you anything right now?”
I shake my head at him, but his words seem muffled, so if he said anything else, I didn’t catch it.
