Page 109 of A New Days Don

It hasn’t been more than a few hours, and I missed his voice.

I’m screwed.

“What?” I squeak.

Thousands of women. If he did this once a night for the last six years, that’s 2,190 possible women.

“You have been hanging out at the rehab centre for the last fifty minutes.” He muses, his voice light and teasing.

“Oh, yeah…” I trail off.

“What’s going on?” Massimo’s voice switches into his cold, serious persona in a split second. It’s polarizing enough to pull me from my thoughts.

“Thousands of women,” I choke out, “There could be thousands of them.”

I have saved one today, but that doesn’t change how many are in danger every minute that monster is still out and walking free.

There is rustling in the background before I hear the engine of his car fire up, “Yes, there could be, but you can’t focus on the past. There could also be thousands more to come, but you are putting an end to it. You are getting closer. It’s evident in the behaviour.”

I know he’s right.

“Did your guys find any DNA?” I ask as horns honk in the background of wherever he is.

“That was actually why I was calling. Whoever killed them was careful. He made sure there would be no fingerprints, and must have been dressed head to toe, because all we found under the victims’ nails were fibres. The semen inside of Alverez’s wife was Alverez’s. Though, given it was still inside of her, I’m guessing the man who killed them forced them to fuck while he watched, then killed them both.” Massimo explains, each word bringing back the nausea from earlier, “We are finishing the examination on Mrs. Alverez, then we will move onto Dr. Alverez and finally the housemaid.”

A siren goes off, one that I can hear both through the phone and outside the car. He must be in the area.

“Thank you…” I whisper. Those two words can barely encompass my gratitude for Massimo and everything he has done for me and with me since we met. An overused, meaningless phrase.

There is a knock on my window that startles me, but when I look out, I see Massimo’s tattooed hands laced together in waiting.

“What are you doing here?” I hop out of the idling car into Massimo’s warm embrace.

“I missed you,” he shrugs, kissing the top of my head. The action is so simple and ordinary, yet it warms my chest and sends those butterflies fluttering deep within my stomach.

“I–” I cut myself off, breathing in his leather and cedar scent, allowing it to ground me.

I chickened out of saying I love you to him. The least I could do is express something so he knows he isn’t alone in his feelings.

“I missed you, too,” I whisper.

His hold tightens as he breathes me in, kissing me all over my forehead, cheeks, and neck before planting his lips on mine. Surprisingly soft lips kiss me hard and furiously as if he needs this more than his next breath.

When Massimo pulls away, we are both breathless. “Why are you here?”

“I- uhmm… I went to find Jazzy this morning,” Massimo tenses around me.

“Next time you want to go looking for her, you take me, Ren, or Adriano. It’s not safe in that area of town, and if something happens…” Massimo trails off, his voice tensing with anguish, “Just don’t go down there alone.”

I should tell him I can take care of myself, because I am more than capable of handling any situation. I have been trained with weapons and self-defence. I know how to remain calm in the face of danger, albeit I’m still practicing that one, but I know my limits.

But instead, I nod. The fear written all over Massimo’s face tells me that it is more for his sake than mine, “Okay,”

“Did you drop Jazzy off here? Was she using again?” Massimo’s brows furrow as if the idea is perplexing.

“No, I couldn’t find her. I found her friend. Daisy. She was out of sorts but also looking for Jazzy. She wanted help, so I got her a shower and a change of clothes, then brought her here.” I shrug, “Mas, I’m worried about Jazzy.”

The words spill out of me before I even realize that part of the pent-up panic inside of me is because of Jazzy.