Page 72 of Zimyra

“Okay. Thank you, Axel.”

“You’re welcome. Keep your phone near, okay?”

“Okay.”

CHAPTER 20

I should’ve freakin’ killed him.

If Zimyra hadn’t stopped me, I would have. He deserved it. I still can’t believe he struck her. I feel like rolling up to the hospital to finish him off.

Yeah, I should’ve killed him.

I lock up the office and head straight to the hospital. When I arrive and ask for Zimyra, I’m informed that she’s already gone. I go back to my car and sit there for a moment. My adrenaline is still pumping and I’m still angry about what happened. I feel the tension in my head. I ball a fist and punch the steering wheel. This anger I feel is not subsiding, and I don’t know how to shake myself out of it. I’ve never been in a situation like this. Never. In fact, I’ve never struck another person in my life until today. Never felt this kind of rage until today.

I call Peter and when he doesn’t answer, I call him right back. I keep doing this until he picks up. Six times I’ve called him. He finally answers, “For goodness’ sake, Ax. In the middle of a meeting here. I’ll call you—”

“Zimyra was attacked on the job while taking someone on a tour today.”

“What!”

I close my eyes, picturing this man hitting her. My legs bounce up and down. The pressure between my ears is suffocating me. I’m ready to detonate.

“Axel, you there.”

“Yeah. I need your secretary to contact her and make her aware that the company knows about the incident, and she can take off work for as long as she needs.”

“Wait, Axel, slow down. What happened?”

“She wasalone. She was showing a unit to this guy by herself. I had a problem with that from the beginning because she was alone when I toured, but I’m not a predator. This man attacked her. This is something we need to address, Peter. We have more women property managers than men and they’re running these offices, unaware of the danger. There should be two people available at all times for tours, and—”

“Ax, I know you’re upset right now, but putting two people in an office that should be run byoneperson will cut right into our bottom line.”

“Screw the bottom line! Zimyra was attacked! This man hit her! He choked her! If I wasn’t there, who knows what would’ve happened?”

My heart is drumming loudly in my chest. I say, “Get the email out. I’ll call later.”

I hang up the phone and drive to Zimyra’s apartment. I don’t get an answer, so I call her phone while I’m still standing there. Still, no answer. I text her:

Are you home? I’m outside…I need to know that you’re okay. Call me.

I head home, though I don’t want to. I shower and with no appetite, I go straight to bed, staring up at the ceiling, reliving the events of the day. It’s crazy how I started my day off with Zimyra, kissing her, feeling her in my arms and the warmth of her skin on my body to ending it with seeing her bruised and sitting in the back of an ambulance. With knowing someone hurt her. With knowing some dude put hands on my woman, and now I can’t reach her. I don’t know where she is. I’m hoping she’s with her family. Maybe she’s with Zander. He probably made her stay with him, which would be a good thing. I don’t want her to be alone. I just want to know where she is.

When I’m up in themorning, I drive to Hott Stuff Coffee Bar to talk to Nykendy. I make it to the front of the line and reintroduce myself in case she forgot me.

She says, “Oh, my God, Axel. I heard about what happened. Thank you so much for protecting my sister.”

“Always. Do you know where she is? I went by her apartment, and she wasn’t there.”

“Yeah, she’s staying with Zander and Alyssa, and trust me when I say she had no choice in the matter.”

“But she’s okay?”

“Yeah. She is. Zimyra is a strong woman in case you haven’t figured that out yet.”

“Oh, I have. She had the guy down before I even reached them.”

“That’s my girl. Anyway, I have to keep this line moving, but feel free to stick around if you want to talk.”

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