Page 63 of Lights Out

Was it something that rapist said to her? The stupid cameras in the ER didn’t have microphones, and I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I knew from Aly’s face that it must have been ugly, especially at the end when he’d almost grabbed her.

I didn’t know what I would have done if he’d succeeded in touching her. It was bad enough knowing Aly was in the presence of such a bastard. I’d pulled up his file as she headed his way, and what I’d seen had sent me scrambling for the phone. She’d asked for space, but surely that didn’t extend to warning her of impending danger?

My jaw still hurt from how hard I’d ground my teeth together after she told the nurse on the line to tell me she was fine.

I could tell the second she caught sight of the rapist that Aly wasn’t “fine.” She’d been scared. And not the kind of scared I liked – the brief kind that was quickly replaced by lust – but a bone-deep fear that drained the color from her face. I understood why when I zoomed in on Bradley Bluhm. He had the same eyes as my father, and Aly, used to working in such a dangerous environment, was probably better than most at recognizing monsters and realized she was in the presence of one.

For a moment, it made me feel marginally better that she’d never looked at me that way, but then the gut-punch realization hit that she was within touching distance of someone like that, and I’d been on my feet with my keys in my hand before I could think better of it. I was halfway to my car when I got ahold of myself. Driving down there and barging into an ER wearing a horror movie-inspired mask wasn’t the move. I’d get arrested or probably shot. And as much as I wanted to go to her, going as myself pulled me up short. I wasn’t ready for our game to end yet.

Fuck. That wasn’t entirely true. No, what stopped me was the potential fallout when I told Aly everything about myself. There was a real chance she’d bail, and I’d just gotten my hands on her. I wasn’t ready to give her up so soon.

I returned to my room and planted my butt in front of my computer, reminding myself that Aly was a badass. I’d watched her kick the shit out of a dude almost twice her size yesterday. She was a good fighter: fast, bold, borderline reckless. And from the smile on her face, she liked fighting. I was certain she could defend herself against someone like Brad, especially because men like him were fucking cowards. At their cores, they feared women as much as they hated them. There were countlessstories about people like Bundy and the Night Stalker and even my dad running away when their intended victims fought back and started to get the upper hand.

Aly had various objects around her that could double as weapons and plenty of people who could rush in to help. She would be okay.

I thought that right until Brad opened his mouth, and Aly’s jaw jumped like she’d bitten back a retort. What had he said? I leaned forward, lasered in on Brad’s face, trying to read his lips, wanting to knock the smarmy grin off his mouth. His gaze was as glued to Aly as mine was to him, trailing over her from head to toe in a covetous way that brought out my inner caveman.

“Punch him in the face,” I told an unhearing Aly.

“Bash his head against that glass panel.”

“Oh, no, you’re right. It’d be much better to strangle him with the cord of that machine you’re reaching for.”

Unfortunately, she did none of those things. And she didn’t look directly at Brad either, not after that first glimpse. He must have truly unnerved her.

She crossed the foot of his bed, and I got a good view of her face. Nope. She wasn’t unnerved; she was fucking livid. What was that piece of shit saying to her?

“Look out!” I yelled as he reached for her. If that motherfucker hurt her, it would be one of the last things he ever did.

She easily dodged him, but instead of stepping away, she got close, wearing an expression I’d never seen before. It was almost serene, but her eyes burned like she was trying to set Brad on fire with her gaze. She looked slightly deranged, so of course, my dick chose that moment to enter the conversation. I didn’t even try to stop my body’s reaction to Scary Aly because, goddamn, watching her go full bad bitch on Brad was fucking hot. If she actually hit him, I might come.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get a chance. Proving my point about cowards, Brad screwed up his face and started screaming, probably for help, the manipulative little shit.

I opened a new window in my browser and started pulling up everything I could find on the guy, and now, five hours later, I’d come to a conclusion: Bradley Bluhm needed to die. The sooner, the better.

I’d figure out the logistics of that when I had more free time. Right now, Aly needed me.

Despite what went down between her and Brad, I didn’t think he was the one to put her in her current mood. She’d been pissed, but from what I’d seen, recovered pretty well. Even the dressing down she got in that HR woman’s office hadn’t looked too bad.

I’d turned away when they started laughing and got lost in my research. Had something else happened to Aly while I’d been distracted? I’d checked in on her here and there throughout the rest of her shift, and she’d seemed okay, if a little muted. Was her shutting down now a delayed response to the ugly interaction with Brad, or was my gut right, and I’d missed something?

Not knowing was driving me bugfuck.

I scooped my phone from the desk and texted Aly, unable to help myself.Please don’t drive home like this. I know you said you needed space, but let me come and get you. Or at least take an Uber.

On-screen, she checked her phone, staring at it woodenly. I didn’t like this.

I’m taking an Uber,she wrote back, with none of her usual vitriol about me watching her. Maybe she’d finally accepted my continuous oversight, but I didn’t think that would keep her from ribbing me under normal circumstances.

One of her co-workers, a trim black woman I’d seen Aly chat with so often that they must have been good friends, put an armaround Aly’s shoulders and spoke to her. I wished I could hear what she said. Her expression was full of understanding and empathy. Had Aly lost a patient while I’d been learning about Brad’s past crimes? I knew that hit her especially hard.

Their conversation was brief, ending in a long hug. Aly turned from her coworker afterward and headed toward the door. I used the cameras to follow her the whole way out of the hospital, and by the time her Uber started to pull away from a side door, I’d made up my mind. I was done with space. I’d given Aly the days she asked for, stopping myself every time I picked up the phone to text her.

I’d hoped our reunion would be sexual in nature, but she clearly shouldn’t be alone right now, and despite the fact that I was still hard, sex was the last thing on my mind. She needed comfort, companionship. Someone to listen to her or hold her while she cried.

I left my mask behind in favor of a balaclava. I had a feeling it would be a long morning, and I didn’t want to be stuck inside a plastic shell the entire time.

Tyler would be up soon, so I texted him about needing to get out of the apartment, grabbed my keys and backpack, and headed out.

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