Page 23 of Fixation
The sound of heavy footsteps came from the direction of her home. I left the window open, and I could hear another person approaching.
It took me less than a second to be out on the terrace on the second floor.
Her regular delivery guy was walking up to Harper’s door.
He had a bouquet of roses in his hand.
Harper wasn’t dating him. She hadn’t dated anyone. Never giggled or swooned over text messages. She only went out one time with her friend, Darla.
Men? No, there were no men in her life. She wasn’t in a relationship or searching for one.
Of course not. She had me.
Then this fucker came along and thought he could…what?
Leave flowers, maybe a note on her doorstep? Hope she would date him?
My body buzzed with barely repressed fury. My biceps flexed under my T-shirt. My hands gripped the iron railing until my knuckles turned white.
This thief was trying to steal Harper from me.
In two months, everyone would know she was mine.
I’d date her. Take over her life. Treat her like my filthy obsession behind closed doors, my crown jewel everywhere else.
Unless she told me no. In that case, I’d have to take a rougher approach to get the message across. Something physical, a lesson her body wouldn’t forget.
Until then, I had to keep my love for her a secret.
Still. Secret or not, that man had no right.
No. Right.
The asshole lowered the bouquet to her doorstep, effectively sealing his fate.
Killing him would be wrong. I’d make amends by bringing a few otherworthypeople back to life.
Problem solved.
So. I strode back into my house.
Down the stairs.
Shoved my feet into my boots, shrugged on my hoodie, and pulled the hood over my head and my neck gaiter over my mouth.
Then I got my gloves and was out the door.
The delusional blond man turned into an alley on his bike.
I saw where he was going and took a shortcut, waiting for him at the other end.
“Coming through,” he said with a chirpy cheerfulness that grated against my nerves. He didn’t make it any easier for me to kill him.
Yes, yes, he did. He thought he could date my girl.
I moved aside, pretending I was letting him ride past me.
I didn’t.
