Beautiful Terror (Burn It All Down Duet #2)

4. Oops! He Did It Again

CHAPTER 4

OOPS! HE DID IT AGAIN

DEX

H e fucking hit her again.

That piece of walking human garbage dared to lay a hand on my Margaux.

My fingers curl into fists, the urge to fly over there and drive them straight through his pathetic face—to castrate him—is nearly overwhelming. The thought of Timmy’s bloodied, broken form sprawled out beneath me is almost soothing.

But I can’t intervene—not yet. Not now.

I know she won’t accept it.

I pace the length of my office, replaying what I’ve read in their messages, their emails. The way he’s wormed his way back in with those manipulative, sugary apologies. “I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll change. I promise. I love you.” Reminding her that he doesn’t deserve her—he’s right about that. Making her promises he never intends to keep. It’s all so fucking predictable, like he’s ripped a page out of How to Gaslight and Manipulate 101: A Textbook for Abusive Boyfriends . It makes me gag.

She’s so damn smart—way too smart to fall for his bullshit—but when it comes to him, all logic flies out the fucking window.

She wants to believe his lies, and so she does.

And I can’t blame her. It’s not her fault. I know what she’s been through.

I know how she’s been conditioned to believe that scraps of affection are worth clinging to.

He’s aging, he’s balding, but he sweeps his long hair over his receding hairline and always wears a cap. I can see through it, though. The way his scalp flakes all over his black T-shirts.

His medical records speak for themselves. Toe fungus, staph infections, an STD here and there. They speak to someone who doesn’t take good care of themselves, and puts themselves in avoidable situations.

She deserves so much more than him, but he’s already poisoned her self-worth so thoroughly that she can’t see it. Can’t see that she’s so much better than him. Can’t see she’s so much better without him.

Without him, she probably feels like she has nothing. And he knows it. That’s his ace, the thing that keeps her tethered to him, no matter how much he hurts her.

Pair that with her stubborn Taurus nature, with sunk cost fallacy kicking in strong—she’s already invested so much in this human dumpster fire—and she’s toast.

I sit down, but the chair feels like it’s on fire. I can’t sit still. I slam my hands on the desk, then push up, pacing again.

I know how this ends. ‘Men’ like Timmy don’t change. He’ll drain her, suck the life out of her, until she’s a shell of the vibrant, strong woman she was. And if I don’t stop him, he’ll destroy her.

But here’s the problem—she doesn’t see him as a threat. To her, he’s still her hero, the man who ‘loves’ her—he’s got her convinced they’re soulmates, meant to be, that he cares about her more than anything. He’s made her feel sure he’s just misunderstood, and only she can help to fix his tormented mind. He needs her.

In reality, he doesn’t care about anything but himself.

He’s so much like her brother. The same slimy charm, the same knack for turning a room in his favor. It’s probably why he’s still breathing despite all the people he’s screwed over. But unlike her brother, Timmy has no one watching his back. No one but his enabler of a father, and even that won’t be enough to save him when the time comes.

“Dex. Are you in there, bro?” My workmate, Jordan, taps me on the shoulder, and I almost jump out of my skin.

“Fuck, you scared me, man.”

“I was talking away to you, telling you all about my date last night. And then I just made up a bunch of bullshit. You didn’t bat an eyelash at the stripping pizza dancers. That’s when I realized you weren’t listening to me.”

“Stripping pizza dancers?” I’m so confused.

Jordan shakes his head. “Never mind, man. I’m just messing with you. You had your head in the clouds.”

“Uh, yeah. Sorry…”

“Hey, it’s not a problem. Are you still thinking about that girl? What’s her name? Mary?”

“Margaux.”

“That’s the one.”

“Yeah… she’s going through something and I’m trying to figure out what to do about it.”

“How so?”

“Dating some douchebag who’s no good to her. He’s smacking her around physically, but to be honest, I’m as worried about the mental damage.”

“Narc tendencies?” Jordan quirks a brow.

“Absolutely,” I nod and frown. “Very controlling and jealous. But also demeaning, and mixes it up with splashes of kindness. Just to fuck her all the way up.”

“Good luck, man,” he shakes his head. “It’s really hard for people to realize they’re in that situation. And then it’s even harder for them to get out. My sister dated someone a lot like that for about eight months. That was three years ago and her mind’s still all fucked up over the guy. Left her with a shattered sense of self-worth. She still cries over him at family dinners.”

“Jesus. Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about.” My brow furrows, and I press my lips into a firm line. “I know she’s going to wise up and get this guy out of her life. But I’m worried about the damage he’ll do in the meantime. It looks like he’s already pushed her friends away, and she has a tiny family. He’s become like her entire world, and it’s a dangerous world.”

“That’s how guys like him operate,” says Jordan. “My sister’s narc had her living in another town. Said they needed to move for—in his words—a fresh start. Promised her the world. But in reality, it was just his way of isolating her, and of moving her away from her support system.”

“Wow, these guys are textbook shitheads aren’t they?” I scowl. “This guy’s done the same thing to Margaux. A real predator. Sunk his claws in on day one when she moved to a new location, and then got her kicked out of her place. Then suggested they move to this really remote part of the island where she can’t even walk around because it’s surrounded by tweakers. And then he leaves her alone for hours at a time after berating her.”

Jordan lets out a low whistle. “Fuck, that’s no way to live.”

“I know, right? He’s really dimming her glow. I hate to see it.”

“So… what are you going to do about it?”

“I’m figuring it out,” I sigh. “I don’t want to risk pushing her away. Obviously, I want to go running in there to rescue her, but I have a feeling it’d just have the opposite effect. So I’m gathering all the information I can, and I’m waiting for the right time. I just hope I don’t leave it until it’s too late.”

“Damn,” he shakes his head. “Good luck man. That’s some heavy shit.”

“Lucky I’m strong.” I flex my bicep and instantly feel stupid.

Jordan rolls his eyes and laughs. “Don’t… ever do that around Margaux.”

I laugh back. “No worries there.”

If I step in now, if I go over there and rip him limb from limb like I want to, she won’t thank me—won’t see me as some kind of gallant white knight. No, she’ll see me as the bad guy, the monster who took her ‘true love’ away from her.

My jaw clenches so hard it feels like my teeth might crack. It’s a sick, twisted fucking reality. He hits her. He manipulates her. He degrades her. But somehow, I’m the one who’d look like the villain if I stopped him. I know how this type of relationship works.

I glance at the corner of my desk where her photo sits. She doesn’t even know I took it. She was laughing, her red hair tousled by the wind, her blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. That’s the Margaux I fell for. That’s the Margaux I’ll protect with everything I have, even if it means walking this tightrope for a little longer.

I’ll fix it soon enough—this isn’t about if I’ll act—it’s when. Because one thing is certain: Timmy’s days are numbered. He just doesn’t know it yet.

I pull out my phone and open the encrypted app I use to monitor their messages. Yes, I know it’s crossing a line, but fuck it. Desperate times call for desperate measures. If keeping tabs on him gives me an edge, then so be it. I’d rather cross a line than stand by while she’s being systematically destroyed.

Soon, I’ll have my moment. Soon, Timmy will get what’s coming to him. But not yet. Not until Margaux sees him for what he truly is.

Because the only thing worse than losing her to him would be losing her trust. And without that, I’ll have no way to save her—I’ll lose all access and push her further toward that talking sewage leak.

And I have to save her.

Even if it’s the last thing I do.