21. Rand
RAND
Ihave to force myself to leave Karolina when all I want is to cage her in my arms and make sure no other man can ever get close to her.
But there’s a threat to be handled, and I can’t risk her seeing how I intend to torture her new stalker before I finally allow him to die.
Because I’m not the one who wrote that note.
Whoever sent it is a dead man.
As I leave her apartment building, my fingers flex with unspent aggression. Somehow, I manage to retrieve my phone from my pocket and find the dexterity to enter the number I need.
I’ve told Karolina I have a friend who can help track down her stalker. My plan had been to “scare him off” once she fully depends on me. I never needed to actually call Ghost.
I need him now.
My old friend is capable of hacking into the CCTV around Karolina’s home to identify who left the note.
He answers the call. “Who is this?”
“It’s me,” I say in my normal voice—not Bones’ growl or Rand’s cultured accent.
“It’s been a while, Ragnar.” He uses the nickname he gave me years ago.
It’s easier in conversation than what other people call me in fearful whispers: Ragnarok. The end of all things.
“I thought you forgot about me,” Ghost remarks.
“You wish.”
“What’s going on? Don’t you like your fancy new life as Rand Hirst? It was a pain in the ass to set that one up for you. I’m not in the mood to do it all over again.”
“It’s Karolina,” I say roughly.
“So, she doesn’t actually like you,” he surmises. “Figures. How many times have I told you there are plenty of other women out there?”
I’d kill another man for daring to say it, but Ghost has earned the right to give me shit occasionally.
He’s the reason I’ve had the technological capabilities to trace Karolina’s online activities and clone her phone. He led me to the chatroom of her favorite erotica website four years ago, when I posed as Bones for the first time and began our virtual relationship.
But Ghost should know better than to bait me when it comes to her. We might be friends, but he’s still scared of me.
Just less so than most people.
“Someone’s threatening her,” I say instead of engaging with his bullshit. “They left a note at her apartment. They know where she lives.”
“Who do you suspect?” He’s gone deadly serious.
I run a hand through my hair, agitated.
“I don’t know. No one was supposed to find me here. You said you could make a new life for me.”
“You think it’s one of your old enemies,” he concludes.
“You tell me,” I growl. “It was your job to cover my tracks.”
“I might be the best, but I’m not infallible,” he says coolly. “I told you it was risky.”
If someone is targeting Karolina because of me…
“Maybe it has nothing to do with you,” Ghost suggests. “She’s a beautiful woman. Maybe some lesser criminal has become fixated on her.”
I see red. It takes several deep breaths for my vision to clear.
I can’t let myself lose focus now. I’m known for being utterly unfeeling and merciless.
But when it comes to Karolina, I feel everything.
“You okay?” Ghost asks.
“No,” I bark. “Someone is threatening my Karolina. Of course I’m not fucking okay.”
“Jesus, I was just asking.”
“Are you going to help me, or not?”
“It’ll be my usual rate,” he warns.
I can easily pay anything he asks. Especially when it comes to protecting her. I’d spend every last dime of my blood money to keep her safe.
“Done,” I snap. “You know I’m good for it.”
“I just want to be clear that this isn’t a favor. It’s a job. You’re the one who decided to move across the ocean and leave me behind. You’re a client now, not a friend.”
That stings a bit, but no more than an irritating fly.
My worry for Karolina is all that matters now.
She’s all that matters.
“Agreed,” I seethe. “Now, are you going to get to work, or not?”
“Give me her address,” he replies. “I haven’t kept up with her activities since you moved on.”
That’s good for him, because if I found out he’d been keeping tabs on her without my knowledge, I’d get on the next flight and end him. No matter if he was once the closest thing I had to a friend.
“I’ll check CCTV,” he says when I tell him where she lives. “Any other leads?”
“I’ll check the feeds from the other cameras.”
“What other cameras?”
“The ones I installed in her apartment.”
He makes a disgusted sound. “You’re kind of creepy, Ragnar.”
Maybe it’s been too long since he’s seen me. He’s not usually this much of an asshole; he doesn’t dare.
“If it is one of your enemies, they’ll suspect she’s your weakness,” he remarks.
“You think I don’t know that?” The question is meant to be harsh, but it comes out anguished.
Ghost whistles. “She’s really got you fucked up, man. Fine,” he says quickly when I snarl at him. “I’m looking into it. Give me a few hours. I’ll call you back.”
I’m almost at my townhouse a few streets away from Karolina’s building. I made sure to rent the tiny flat above her student accommodation so I can be close to her, but I have this nicer place nearby. I chose it for us to live in once she accepted me in her life.
It’s ideally located for the university. We’ll settle here until we move to the manor that I bought to be our family home, where she can write her books in the peace of the countryside.
Now, I choose to go to the townhouse. If I’d left her apartment and simply walked upstairs, she might’ve noticed.
I don’t like the small distance between us, but I’m still close enough to get to her quickly if I need to.
When I get into the house, I immediately check the feeds from the cameras in her place. She’s sitting on her couch with her laptop propped on her knees. She stares straight ahead, and her fingers don’t move over the keyboard.
She’s pale and scared, even though she’s trying to convince herself she can use writing as a distraction.
My heart shreds. I never want her to be afraid. It was hard enough to endure when I was her “stalker”.
But now that the threat is real, her fear is all the more agonizing.
Because it mirrors my own.
I’m terrified of losing her.
I keep the current feed live while I find older footage from earlier in the day. I speed through it, searching for any sign of an intruder.
All I see is her mail slot flipping open as the letter is delivered.
I check the timestamp and text it to Ghost. He has to find a lead for me.
Karolina is frightened. Someone will die for this.
I haven’t made any progress when Karolina texts me two hours later.
Karolina
I need to go for a run.
Rand
Not alone.
Karolina
Why do you think I’m texting you?
I grit my teeth. I don’t want any distractions right now.
If I could, I’d lock her in her flat until I kill the fucker who sent that letter.
But she’s headstrong and independent—qualities I usually admire but are troublesome now.
She wouldn’t take it well if I tried to cage her.
Rand
I’m on my way. Don’t leave without me.
Karolina
Yes, Professor.
That’s my brave girl: flirting with me even under these stressful circumstances.
By the time we’re both dressed in our running gear and are heading to the river path, the sun is low on the horizon.
“What did your friend say?” she asks in between huffing breaths.
“He’s looking into it.” I barely keep my fake accent in place over the harsh growl.
She shoots a wary glance at me. I’m not doing a good job of appearing calm and rational.
All I can think about is eviscerating the man who wants to hurt her.
She doesn’t ask any more questions.
And I don’t have any answers to offer her.
Not yet.
I’m so distracted by my panic and fear for her that my senses are dulled. All I can do is stare at her like I’ll die if I lose sight of her.
That’s why I don’t see him coming.
Heavy footfalls slap against pavement, and suddenly, he’s on us.
I whirl to face the threat, but I’m not his target.
A black-clad form barrels into Karolina, shoving her hard to the left.
The nightmare unfolds faster than I can process what’s happening.
Her scream knifes into my chest. She hits the dark water and goes under.
I don’t have time to go after her assailant. I can’t even glance away to try to see his face.
Nothing else matters but getting to her.
I take a deep breath and dive in after her.