Page 39 of The Taskmaster
Chapter Twenty-Six
THE TASKMASTER
“Motherfucker,” I cursed, and for the first time ever, I abandoned my player in the middle of the game, shutting off the water and leaving Tolley to wallow in the pool that was so close to drowning him, he probably wouldn’t survive. But I didn’t care. I had to get to her.
If I got to her apartment fast enough, I could catch the fucker and make him pay. I had to get there in time, before he had a chance to do anything. I tried not to think what the consequences could be, or the fall out, as I grabbed my helmet and the keys to my bike and ran to the door. The bike would be quicker, and I needed to be fucking fast.
I drove like a maniac through the streets, watching the feed from the camera I’d set up outside her door on my phone that was stuck on the front of my bike. Lucky for me, this guy was shit at picking locks. He was still outside, doing whatever the fuck he was doing.
I raced across town, and on the camera, I saw the neighbour’s door opposite open, and the nosey bitch that’d taken the key off me when I’d changed the locks came out into the hallway.
The guy turned and walked away at speed, not looking back, as the neighbour gestured to him. He wasn’t sticking around. But I prayed he was there long enough to run into me when I got there.
I could see her building in the distance, and I accelerated. I had to catch this fucker. If I was quick, I could cut him off at the door, drag him to the car park at the back, and find out who he was. Then I could dispense my own brand of retribution. How, I had no idea. But I’d think of something creative in the moment. Maybe get him back to my warehouse to join Tolley.
But when I pulled up outside, there was no one there, and the street was empty. I checked the feed on my phone again, making sure Abigail was still safe on her sofa, and then I scrolled back to watch what’d happened a few moments ago.
The hallway was empty, and as I clicked onto the main camera for her building, I saw the hooded figure get into a dark Mercedes and drive off. His clothing had no brand or pattern on it. His face was hidden. I could check the CCTV from the street cameras later, to try and get a number plate for the car, but from the way it’d been parked, I knew it’d be a long shot. I’d try. I’d always try. But I wasn’t hopeful. I had to take action to make sure this didn’t happen again.
I parked my bike around the back of the building, in a quiet corner of the car park, then I made my way to the front door of her building. Once there, I headed up the stairs and down the hallway to her apartment, making sure the nosey neighbour opposite wasn’t still lingering around. I stood at her door, took my key out and opened it, stepping quietly into her apartment before shutting the door behind me.
Her lights were still on, and I could see her lying on the sofa. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as I took slow steps forward. I knew she wouldn’t wake any time soon, but I was still cautious. I didn’t want to break the moment or ruin it by rousing her. I stood overher, noticing the way her eyelashes fanned her cheeks, and how her mouth was slightly open as she blew out low, gentle breaths. Breaths that took my own breath away.
What the fuck was that about?
I’d never had such an intense reaction to another human being before, but seeing her made me feel like her soul was a living entity that’d reached inside of me and curled its way around my heart and lungs. Looking at her made it hard to breathe, and in my chest, I felt this strange twisting sensation that I didn’t know how to switch off.
She was fucking beautiful, lying still, lost in a dream. And I was thankful it wasn’t a nightmare. I didn’t like watching her have those.
Her body looked so tiny, all curled up. It would’ve been so easy for me to scoop her up in my arms and carry her away. To take her to my home and keep her there forever. That had been my intention when I’d followed her that night in the alleyway.
But not now.
Now, I wanted to savour this. I wanted it to be different. I wanted her to be in my world, but I liked watching her in her world too. For the first time in my life, I was torn, but I’d chosen to leave the pretty flower to grow where it was in the wild, as opposed to plucking it from the ground and placing it in my vase to admire before it wilted and died.
I stood mesmerised as her chest rose and fell, and her eyelids fluttered, reacting to the stimulus of her mind and the images playing out for her in her sleep. Unlike the time I’d watched her with her nightmares, she was serene and at peace. And a fresh wave of anger surged through me. He wanted to get to her tonight. To take what was mine. If he’d broken the lock, he’d have achieved it. I couldn’t let that happen again.
I picked her phone off the floor and placed it on the coffee table. Then I bent down and put my arms under her to lift her.She was weightless, lying in my arms, her head nestled against my chest. I took a deep breath, breathing her in, and then I turned and headed for her bedroom.
Carefully, I opened the door and walked through, placing her down on her bed. She was so out of it I could’ve done anything I wanted right now, and so I did. I kicked my shoes off and climbed onto her bed.
I lay next to her, placing my arm around her waist and pulling her to me so that she was lying with her back to my front. I’d never laid in a bed with a woman like this before. I hadn’t done a lot of things that normal people had done. All of those firsts, those special moments had been robbed from me when they turned me into a shell of a human... or so I thought. Because lying here with Abigail felt special. It was a first. She might not know about it, but I did.
I heard her give a long, drawn-out sigh, and I closed my eyes and buried my face in her hair. So this was what it felt like to be normal. To be a couple. To lie with someone and feel at ease with the world. I’d need to drug her more often if this was how it made me feel.
Or maybe not.
Maybe it’d be better if she was awake too and wanted this as much as I did.
Perhaps she’d fight me with everything she had, like she did in the alley with Peter, and instead of ease, it’d be a battle, but one that was so worth it. Either way, I wasn’t letting this go. I wasn’t letting her go. All that mattered to me, in this moment, was her.
I started to stroke her hair, twisting my fingers into her silky curls and rubbing gently over her scalp. Abigail wouldn’t have to fight while I was here. I’d die to protect what we were building. And I knew that from this night on, I’d be closer. I’d be soclose that if that fucker in the Mercedes even breathed in her direction, I’d take him out.
Nobody was going to take what was mine.
Nobody.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
