Page 22 of Cut Me Down

“Ashia, honey, you are always here. I appreciate how much you do for me and my family, but you've got to get out before you go stir crazy, and you deserve a day off. Have fun with Serena tonight. I'll see you Wednesday morning.” He turns away and begins to set his station up.

“Great! I’ll pick you up at eight and we’ll pregame.” She playfully blows me a kiss “Love ya! Don’t text the stalker!” She reaches her hand up and waves tall. “Bye Emmett!” She says as she walks out.

“Thanks, Emmett.” I turn and say to him, sure to add a twinge of attitude.

“I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm, but I'll take it.” He smirks at me, knowing damn well it’s sarcasm.

Once I finish with Phillip, I walk him to the front desk and check him out, clean up my mess, and go to take the next guy. I can’t help but stare at the rose like it’s going to explode if I move too quickly. Serena was right, maybe putting it on my station was a bad idea. He could have texted at the right moment out of coincidence, right? And everyone masturbates, so that could’ve been a lucky guess.

I mean, I know it’s not. I trust my gut, and it’s telling me that this is more than just flowers and coincidences. I should call Tony, but so far, this guy hasn’t done anything to hurt me. Granted, he somehow figured out where I live, and got my phone number, but as far as I know, he hasn’t tried to come near me. Tony would probably tell me there’s been no real crime committed yet anyway.

“Michael? You ready? Come on back.” I call for my next client and walk with him to the chair. “What am I doing for you today?”

“A haircut.” Yeah. No. Fucking. Shit.

This stalker better not be as mind numbing as some of my clients.

Chapter nine

Damien

‘Dream’ – Priscilla Ahn

I walk with Carter towards Cut Me Down, trying not to full-on skip with enthusiasm like a psychopath after a rampage. He met me a few blocks away to talk about the Sahara meeting, which hasn’t been scheduled yet, a new pop-up Dust location, and Cooper Siezly. As he talks, all I can think about is her. How soft her skin brushed against mine. Her smooth, straight hair dragging against her skin so delicately. The even breaths making their way out of her lungs, causing her perfect chest to rise and fall. I can’t concentrate on anything but her image in my head. She haunts me, invading every hidden crevice in my mind. Calling out to me and taunting me, even when I’m awake.

“There was a flight log from Seattle-Tacoma with his name on it. The flight was connected in Chicago, and now he’s on his way to Richmond.” His words pull me from my daydream.

“Fuck. He’s probably headed back here.” I say through gritted teeth.

“Possibly. I told Zeke to hang around Seattle until later tonight and find out what he could about him. Cooper has been in Seattle for two years now, and it didn’t take him long to find the local drug lords up there. Zeke said anyone who knew of him wasn’t a very stand-up citizen. I looked them all up, and numerous of them had charges. All ranging from domestic violence to distribution and manufacturing drugs. Real low lives.” He says, all while never looking up from his phone. Obviously reading off the details he discovered.

“Zeke didn’t find anything on why he’d be heading here?” I ask, turning my attention back to the sidewalk.

“No, and he said from the sounds of it, he didn’t run because of a hit or because he was in trouble. He left on his own.” Fuck. He’s coming for her. I would. Once she’s mine, she won’t be able to escape me. The lengths I would go to keep her in arms reach sends me spiraling, and I can practically feel the shreds of my humanity crackling under the pressure of my thoughts.

Do they still create moats? I could put one around my house. Fill it with rabid alligators and snakes. Construct a draw bridge that only moves up or down to my DNA, and be sure that not only is she safe, but that she would have no means of escape. No, that’s ridiculous. That would take too long, and what if she’s scared of snakes? Then I’d have to kill the snakes, and that’s just even more of waste.

We finally walk up to the barber shop, Carter having to keep up with my fast pace, and my heart rate instantly quickens. The large muscle beats against my chest the same way a boxer would punch his opponent. Am I nervous? Is this what that feels like? Oh fuck, I cannot look like a little bitch the first time I meet my girl. I take a deep breath, and then shakily exhale. Steeling my resolve as Carter opens the door and I step up to it.

“You’re coming this time?” He questions me shockingly.

“Absolutely.” He gives me a confused look as we walk in, and the moment I lay eyes on her, my heart stops. All I can do is look at her face and picture her moans again as her golden eyes make their way to the door and catch mine. She’s silent for a moment as my stare steals her breath away. Her throat tightens, and I can see her body stiffen slightly before she exhales. I feel our attractions pull at each other, as if the atoms in our being turned into magnets. My blackened soul reaching out for hers.

Fuck, keep it together.

“Hey, you're back soon.” She says as nonchalantly as possible, and obviously directed to Carter, but her words are shaky, and she keeps her gaze on me.That’s right, baby. I know you feel this too. “You brought your friend this time.”

“Heh, yeah. He decided to tag along. You got room for one more?” He asks as he grabs the back of his neck and shrugs his shoulder, as if he’s nervous too. What the fuck is he nervous about? I’m the one officially meeting my soulmate for the first time.

“Just one?” She says, almost disappointingly, still staring at me. Fuck. Does she think I need a haircut? Does my hair look bad? Or was she just hoping to be closer to me?No. Don’t be ridiculous, you arrogant bastard. Carter turns to me for an answer and lightly tilts his head to the side.Play it cool.

“Yeah, just one. We don’t want to keep you too late.” I say to her, not able to fight back the grin that creeps into the corners of my mouth, and I watch as her eyes widen ever so slightly. She’s reacting to my voice. Fuck, she finds it sexy. I'll speak to her and say her name forever if that’s what she wants. The thought of her ember eyes closing tight to the sound of me screaming her name makes my dick hard. My cock presses up against the material of my pants painfully, dying to be inside her, but now is not the time or place. So, I hold back the urge to dart across the room and jerk her up like I’d die if I don’t touch her, and hell, I just might. “Definitely next time though.” I beckon her.

“Okay.” She says softly, blinking those doe eyes at me and trying to compose herself. “You two can have a seat, I just need to finish up with Jack.” Fuck, her voice…just as perfect as I remembered from two weeks ago. No, even better than what I can replay in my head. It’s a little deeper than some women, but somehow still breathy, dulcet, and melodious. She doesn’t sound like a Barbie doll or a whiny housewife. Her voice is as bad ass as her exterior, and I can’t wait to make it hoarse from her screaming.

She quickly finishes up with her current client, and I can’t help but salivate over the way her hips sway as she walks. She’s wearing fitted boot cut jeans, and her normal half-revealing V-neck t-shirt under her barber’s cover that she leaves unbuttoned. She’s shorter than most women, but still about five foot four. She’ll have to climb on me like a tree, and the thought of her claws ripping through my back enter my mind. The way she stands with her weight concentrated on one hip pokes her ass out like she’s a statue no one can break down. Portraying a false image of a confident and overbearing woman. I'll be sure to show her how wrong she is. I’ll break her, but only so she can build herself up stronger than ever.

“Carter? You can come back.” I instantly get hot with jealousy as she says his name. The heat increases with every passing moment. It about boils over when she wraps her cape around him and touches his head, running her slender, velvety hands through his hair. I know this is just a job for her, and that the only one she’s thinking about right now is me, but I can’t help but want to walk over there and rip Carter out of the chair. I get harder just thinking of her nails scratching my scalp, pulling on my hair as she comes on my cock.

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