Page 105 of Watching Her

His moan captured my attention, which was unfortunate for him.

I sat back, rubbing my jaw with my aching hand. Flexing my fingers, I realized there was a good chance my knuckles would bruise, although I wouldn’t know until after I’d removed my glove. Obviously, I’d gotten a little carried away with using his head as a punching bag. Oh, well. I’d chalk them up to battle wounds.

“It would seem you’ve been a very bad boy, Thomas,” I told him before lifting my head and staring at the bulletin board he’d put together. As soon as my eyes landed on one of several pictures he’d pinned on the board, my anger swelled again. I’d stalked women my entire life, but the fucker was a twisted man. There were at least twenty women he was hassling, some of whom he’d photographed himself.

I’d been right about him, especially since I’d found a plane ticket. Not to Louisville, but if I had the time, I’d figure out which other woman on his radar would have been his next victim.

Others, such as with Penelope, he’d cut pictures from group photos of various events. Including one from the recent convention in my hotel.

That alone kept my anger in the red.

He managed to lift his head, trying to provide eye contact even though both eyes were swollen, one more so than the other.

“I’m curious as to why you didn’t simply ask a girl to go out on a date with you. It’s pretty simple,” I shared with him as I stood, leaving the evidence in plain sight for when the authorities arrived.

My work was almost done here.

I’d give him credit. He tried to answer me, the muffled sounds indicating he was attempting to put a few coherent words together. Intelligent was another story. I moved closer, sitting carefully on the edge of the desk only a couple of feet away from him.

He had the common sense to rear back, the glistening of terror in his eyes everything I liked to see. Yes, this was the exquisite part, watching their wheels turning as the anxiety wrapped around anticipation gnawed at them.

“Well, I’ll just assume that you were fearful you couldn’t find anyone who could accept you for what you are. Which is a sniveling cockroach. However, I can tell you with certainty that there is someone for everyone. I’ve seen it in action. Sadly, you won’t be able to test my theory. Too bad you wasted your entire adult life on fantasies and blow-up dolls.”

At least no one could say that about me.

A single tear slipped down his bloodied cheek. The man was at least smart enough to realize there was no return. Once a creeper, always a creeper.

I amused myself and would need to be careful with labeling freaks.

As soon as I stood, he reared back again, his body shaking violently. I walked closer, pulling my weapon from my jacket pocket. He didn’t deserve my time for a more creative kill. Maybe the reason was more about the fact I was championing Penelope instead of eliminating an enemy.

I should face the simple truth. I missed her and wanted to enjoy her company for something even as mundane as dinner. Even a movie as she’d suggested. How novel.

As I added the silencer onto the weapon, I allowed my mind to mull over a suggestion she made about being vice president. Perhaps I could find a way of luring her to work with Tempest. But it would need to be done on her terms. I’d need to think about how to make that possible. Not only could I use her talent, I wanted her close.

And not only because she was mine, but because of what she could bring to the table.

Perhaps I was changing after all.

Thomas was struggling more than before, his muffled but loud exclamations indicating he had something important to share. Why not hear what he had to say? When I closed the distance, I had a decent idea he’d pissed in his pants. Typical. Let’s see if the rest of his behavior was true to form.

I ripped the cloth gag down, watching as he took several gasping breaths. “Why? Why?”

“Why, with all the other vermin on this earth, did I choose to enter your humble abode and kill you specifically?”

His tongue was swollen from where he’d bitten it, but he managed to drag the tip across his bottom lip. “I’m nobody.”

My laugh was clipped as I swung my arm toward his bulletin board. “To the contrary. You’re a world class stalker turned rapist and murderer, yet you allowed your admiration and lust to get in the way of technique. If you’d asked me to mentor you, I might have agreed. I do enjoy teaching what I’ve learned over the years. But alas, you didn’t. To answer your question.” I lowered my head until my face was inches from his. “You fucked with someone I care about. In my book of cardinal sins, that’s number one.”

“I picked her out first.”

Was the prick kidding me?

Of all the stupid, inconsiderate things he could have blurted out, he chose the few words that easily set me off. The backhand was swift, without thinking and providing direct and clear punishment.

His nose was shattered, the chair tipping back and the wooden seat and his body landing on the floor. This time his moans of anguish were riddled with a hacking cough from blood seeping into his throat.

He’d soon be placed out of his misery.