Chapter 41: Chapter Forty-One

Everett

Hugo and I are on the way to pay a visit to Aubrey’s ex. Hugo found his address.

“Everett, I know you are angry and a part of you wants to kill him, but I need you to keep yourself calm the best you can, okay? The last thing Aubrey or anyone wants is for you to lose it and end up arrested.” Hugo says from the driver’s seat.

“I can promise to try.” I don’t know how I will react when I see him. Something may snap in me. I hate nothing more than a man who thinks it is okay to abuse any woman or child.

Hugo sighs and nods, knowing there is no point in talking to me. He is probably regretting bringing me with him. He pulls up outside a row of apartment buildings. How does he plan to get inside?

“Please try and keep your cool, Everett,” he repeats as we climb out.

He tries the entrance to the building, and luckily, it is open. I follow his lead up to the second floor, where the bastard’s apartment is. I clench my fists, trying to control the anger coursing through me.

We come to a stop, and he knocks loudly on one of the doors. A moment later, and the second it opens, Hugo barges in. “Remember me, Benji?” he hisses.

Benji swallows hard, taking a few steps back. “Hugo, what are you doing here?”

“Did I not make myself fucking clear the last time? I told you to stay away from here, but you didn’t listen.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” He lies.

Any calmness I had, which wasn’t much, disappears. I grab him by the scruff of his hoodie and slam his back to the wall. “Yes, you do. You will stay away from Aubrey.”

I watch fear flash in his eyes. He isn’t so tough now, is he?

“W-w-who are you? You don’t even know me or about me, Aubrey.” Benji replies, trying to seem like he isn’t scared, but he is.

“Your worst nightmare if I ever see you anywhere near her again. I know enough. I know you are nothing but a pathetic excuse of a man who thinks it is okay to hurt a woman. So here is how it is going to go, you are going to stay away from her. Away from her apartment.”

“Or what?”

Oh, he thinks he is the big man again. He has no idea who he is dealing with. My fist clenches at my sides as the urge to punch him becomes overwhelming, but I can feel Hugo watching me. Instead of punching him, I grab his face, hard, and he winces.

I make sure to look him straight in the eyes. “Or you will have me to deal with. I know people who can make you disappear, never to be found, you son-of-a-bitch. If I see you even across the street from her, I will arrange it. You come anywhere near Aubrey again, I promise you, it will be the last thing you will ever do.” I hiss, digging my fingers harder into his face.

Benji swallows hard, and I can feel him shaking. “You have been warned. If I ever see fear in Aubrey again because of you, I will pay you a little visit, and it won’t be as friendly as this one. I will knock you the fuck out and then call not-so-nice people in to finish the job, and no one will know because no one gives a damn about you. Aubrey doesn’t exist to you any longer.” I threaten, anger soaring through my veins.

A part of me wants to wrap my hand around my throat and throttle him.

“Everett, let him go,” Hugo says from behind me. He can probably sense how angry I am. He has seen me losing my shit more than once.

I am hesitant, but finally let him go. “Don’t make us again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes.” He whimpers like the scared little boy he really is.

I pat his face. “Good boy. I hope for your sake that we won’t be seeing you again.”

“You won’t. I promise.”

“Oh, I know, because there will be someone keeping an eye on you. You won’t see them, but they will be there. One wrong move on your part, then, well, you know what will happen. I don’t need to tell you.”

He nods, looking at the ground. I gather myself and walk out. I rest against the wall, taking a few deep breaths. It was a good thing Hugo was there, because if he hadn’t been, I would have hurt Benji, and I don’t think I would have stopped. He reminds me too much of my father. But if I did that, it would make me as bad as Benji, as bad as my father. Aubrey wouldn’t want me to end up in jail, especially for that scum.

“Are you okay, Everett?” Hugo asks, appearing before me.

“I don’t know. A part of me wanted to wrap my hand around his throat and throttle him. I hate that side of myself. It makes me think I am more like Dad than I want to be.”

My temper worries me sometimes.

Hugo places his hand on my shoulder. “You are nothing like him, Everett, don’t ever think that. He was a monster. He didn’t care about anyone. He didn’t protect anyone. You are not a monster, and you protected me my entire life, Everett, and now you are doing the same for Aubrey, and you barely even know her. I promise you that you are nothing like him, and I hate that you think you are.”

Sighing, I run my fingers through my hair. “My temper scares me sometimes.”

“I know it does, but you can control it before you take things too far. He never had any control. He hurt us without even thinking about it, without even caring. Please don’t compare yourself to him.”

Hugo pulls me in for a hug. I don’t hug back, not straightaway, but finally I do. We part after a minute. “I try not to.”

“Come on, we should get back. Erica and Aubrey will be worrying because they have no idea what is going on.” He says, patting my back.

“Good idea.”

Aubrey will be stressing out, not knowing what is going on. He'd better stay away from her because if he doesn’t, then the next time I pay him a visit, there will be no one around to stop me from doing what I really want to.

“Yes, we should pick up some lunch and coffee for them. I believe he will stay away, but it is still best that Aubrey doesn’t go back to her apartment straightaway.”

“I agree. I am going to find someone to keep an eye on him to make sure, and only when we know it is safe, she can return home, or maybe, we should try to find her a new place, somewhere he doesn’t know about.”

“Maybe, but that will have to be her choice.” He replies.

Either way, he won’t be getting anywhere close to her ever again, even if I need to camp outside of her place in my car to make sure.