Chapter 43 Chapter 43
The minute the clock flipped past midnight, Tessa’s door on the 44th floor opened. Jax, bless his predictable heart, had already taken the main elevator down. Tessa, oblivious, stepped out and headed to the elevator bank. She looked tired, probably worn down by the emotional labor of dealing with Anthony’s grief.
I watched her descent to the 43rd floor, then her unit. The apartment lights remained off. Alex, the patient predator, was still inside. He was hiding perfectly, weapon back in hand.
I saw her routine on the thermal feed. The moment she was inside, she re-engaged the lock. Good. She was shutting herself in the box with the snake. I watched her drop her clothes and step into the shower. The sound of running water filled the apartment's internal microphones.
Now.
I pushed myself away from the monitors. I bypassed the main elevators and walked into my private executive lift. I selected 43. No noise, no fanfare. Just me, moving from above the command room to the designated kill zone. I moved out into the silent, dim hallway on the 43rd floor. The emergency lighting was all that was active. I moved to her door.
Tessa
Stepping out of the shower, I just wanted the day to be over. I was sorry for Anthony; he was broken. The steam was clinging to the bathroom mirror, making everything feel soft and safe. I grabbed the towel, a thick, fluffy white one, and wrapped it around myself. I left the warmth and headed for the bedroom, making my way to the walk-in closet.
My hair was soaked and dripping, and I probably left a little snail trail of water across the polished wood floor. Honestly, I didn't care. I just wanted to get dressed, change into something comfy, and melt into the sofa with a huge tub of ice cream. It had been one of those days.
I walked into the closet and grabbed a pair of shirts and sweatpants with a pair of fluffy socks and underwear. I walked back into the room, and that's when everything hit the brakes.
The light in the hallway was off, but the bedroom door was open, and in the dark frame stood a shape. A silhouette. My brain took a solid beat too long to register. Alex.
He wasn't in the room, just standing by the door, framed by the black hallway. It was like a scene out of a bad horror flick, except it was real and happening in the apartment. How long had he been there? Listening to the shower running? The thought alone made my skin crawl and my stomach twist up into a knot the size of a golf ball.
My hands flew up to my mouth, and the towel slipped a little. I didn't scream, though. I was just frozen in that pure, adrenaline-dumping moment where your body just shuts down. I was completely paralyzed by the realization. Kia? Where was he? Jax and Rob.
He didn't rush me, and that was the worst part. He just started moving. Slowly.
I started backing away, gripping the towel in a quick, jerky movement that was pure panic. My foot caught on the edge of the rug, and I lost my balance. I fell back hard, hitting the back of my head. It knocked the air out of my lungs, and pain shot through my head. I landed flat on my back, the towel popping open. For a useless, humiliating second, I scrambled to pull it back around me, suddenly feeling completely exposed and stupid, staring up at him from the floor.
He took one more slow step, the knife catching the light coming from the hallway.
“Did you actually think you could escape?” he asked in that slow menacing tone, and I began shaking. He crouched down, slowly, like we were sharing some secret joke. The sound of his shoe dragging across the floor made my teeth ache.
"Didn't think I'd actually find you? Did you, Tessa?" His voice was a flat, casual whisper that was absolutely sickening. "Thought you could just take a shower, towel off, and pretend everything was fine."
I tried to push myself up, but my arms were shaking too badly.
"Please," I finally managed, the sound thin and useless.
He chuckled. "Please what? Please hurry? Nah. I'm going to take my time, sweetheart. You've been so difficult lately; I need to enjoy your body one more time." He said, smirking at me.
He took another step, deliberate and menacing, as I kept backing away.
"You really think you could play games with me?" he said, his voice dropping into this deep, scary monotone. "That little stunt you pulled on the train. That was just sad, honestly. Because of you my brother is dead. I knew you were a whore; I just didn't expect you to actually become one. Fucking Rhyland, and he put you up here in this tower,” he said as he shook his head, looking genuinely amused.
He reached out, grabbing me by my hair, and I cried out in pain. “Shut up,” he said, hitting me in my mouth. He brought the knife up to my face, just under my eye. I flinched, biting down hard to stop myself from whimpering. The pressure was feather-light, but the sensation of that razor-sharp metal so close made my skin crawl.
"Don't worry," he murmured, his breath hot and nasty against my ear. "It won't be like that. We're just going to have a little fun; I'll fuck you like I used to, and when I've had enough... "Who am I kidding? I’ll never get enough of you; you're going to come with me," he said.
I was hyperventilating, completely trapped. I could feel the sharp edge of the blade, and I knew in that moment I was done. And then, just as I was accepting that this was how it ended.
He shifted the knife and leaned in closer. His familiar, dead eyes flickered down to my mouth. He was going to kiss me. I knew that twisted move, and I could feel the bile rise in my throat. Suddenly the air in the room went ice cold, like a storm cloud had just appeared in the room. I glanced past Alex, towards the open door. There he was, Kai, his shadow filling the doorway.
He didn't run or crash. He didn't even use the doorframe to mask himself. He was just there. He moved with terrifying, silent grace across the floor. I swear, I never heard a single footstep. He was too big to be that quiet.
Alex was still leaning in towards me; I hadn't noticed him yet.
Kai's hand shot out and grabbed Alex before Alex could even register we weren't alone. Kia yanked him back, tossing him into the back wall with an effortless movement that was unreal.
Alex wasn't light, but he was tossed like a kid’s toy, sent flying across the room. The impact was a sickening resonant thwack of bone and flesh hitting plaster. The knife clattered uselessly onto the floor.
Alex slid down the wall in a heap, groaning, but Kai was already on him.