Page 21 of My Irish Roommate

“If you hurt her, I’ll kill you,” I growl.

“No, you only think that because you’re under her spell. That’ll change after she’s gone.”

I see the desperation on Ricki’s face and know that I have to make a move soon. Up until now, I thought this guy was just a nuisance. I couldn’t understand why she was so afraid. I guess her instincts are better than she knows. He really is deranged and her life may depend on what I do next.

“I don’t believe you. Maybe you and I should go somewhere and talk. I need some proof from you before I can believe it.”

“You’ll have your proof when I slice her pretty neck,” he says waving the shiny blade in front of her face.

“No, I can’t let you do that. You need to let her go. We can fight for her. You have the advantage. You have a weapon. If you win, you can have her. You know you don’t really want to kill her. You want her to love you. If you win, she’ll go with you. Right, Ricki?”

He loosens his grip on her mouth and she whimpers, “Yes.”

“If I get rid of him, you’ll be with me?” he asks her.

Shaking and scared, she looks into my eyes and says, “Yes.”

“I don’t believe you,” he shouts and she cries out.

“Wait! Just listen. If she’s lying, you can kill her, too. Wouldn’t you rather take that risk if there’s a chance that you might have her all to yourself?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know,” he mumbles as his fragmented mind tries to make sense of his feelings. He paces back and forth and brings the knife back down to his side.

I nod at Ricki and she takes her shot. She grabs the arm that holds the knife and holds on for dear life while I pounce on him. I bend his fingers back until he lets go of her and she scrambles away from him. He raises the knife to me but I catch his arm and drive him backwards into a wall. I slam his arm against the wall until the knife falls to the ground.

He’s all mine now and knowing that he was prepared to murder my girl causes me to see red. I proceed to lay down a beating on him no man could survive. I pummel his face and body until his legs cave beneath him and he falls to the ground. Then, I kick him repeatedly, hoping that somehow I can kick him right out of existence.

Ricki picks up the knife and then grabs me by both arms. “Rowan, stop. That’s enough. I’ve already called the police. They’re on their way to get him,” she begs. “Please, Rowan. He’s not worth it. Just let the police do the rest.”

I kick him one last time and realize that he’s no longer conscious. When I turn to face Ricki, I see that she’s crying. As much as I would like to put this monster out of his misery, I realize that she doesn’t see a monster anymore. She sees someone who is sick, and she wants to show him mercy.

“Please, Rowan. He needs to be locked up. He’s sick. He needs help.”

She’s right. I’m not the kind of man who takes advantage of the weak. When I fight, I fight opponents who can match my strength and skill. This man isn’t a worthy opponent anymore. Inflicting further damage on him wouldn’t be honorable.

“Okay, you're right. You’re safe now and that’s all that matters,” I tell her.

She leaps into my arms and kisses me, “I thought he was going to kill me until I looked at you. I knew you would stop him from hurting me.”

Her words make my chest swell with pride. I was worried about her welfare, but I told myself that her getting injured wasn’t an option. I didn’t know how I was going to stop him, but I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her.

“How can anyone become that obsessed with someone they barely know?”

“It’s you we’re talking about, baby girl. It’s easy to get obsessed with you. You were just unlucky enough to capture the attention of the wrong guy.”

“What do you mean? It’s easy to get obsessed with me?”

“I’m pretty obsessed with you, too. I’m just lucky enough to have you like me back.”

The police arrive and take our statements. Once her stalker has been identified, he’s handcuffed and loaded into an ambulance. As a foreigner, he won’t be eligible for bail. Once he’s released from the hospital, he’ll be held in jail to await trial and extradition back to Boston.

“It’s over, baby,” I tell Ricki as we walk back to the gym.

She squeezes my hand and says, “Thank you.”

Several hours later, the police captain calls. As a local business owner for many years, I’ve developed a good rapport with him. He’s received a call from the New York Police Department and wants to share the news with me.

“Rowan, I don’t know how to tell you this so I’m just going to say it. Your girl is very lucky. The NYPD called to request that we extradite this guy back to them, not Boston. Apparently, your girl wasn’t the first one that he obsessed over. He’s wanted in New York for rape and attempted murder.”

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