Chapter Eighteen
Bhodi?
The young nurse tending to Strode finally leaves the room. Closing the door behind her, she offers a polite smile before disappearing entirely. Sitting back in my chair, the beeps from the machines eventually just become background noise. Managing to block them out, I feel my hands begin to tremble. As my friend and mentor lie helpless in a hospital bed, revenge is the only thing on my mind.
I have no intention of letting Harry leave this city or Luca ever walk these streets again. I’ll cut them into small pieces and dispose of them, and their names will eventually become a lost memory in the city of New York. No one will miss them, and no one will look for them, they’ll become ghosts in a forgotten time.
I managed to get to the office this morning before abruptly being turned away by the captain. He advised I could do with a couple of days off after everything that’s happened. There was no missing person’s report for Alex that I could find anywhere, so it makes me think no one will look for a while and the trail will be long dead by the time they do.
Lost in thought, I feel a gentle nudge on my shoulder. Snapping my head around, my eyes soften as they land on a familiar face.
“Maggie?”
Standing abruptly, her soft eyes meet mine. She pulls me close, feeling her small frame tremble. I wrap my arms around her. Lifting her head from my chest, she gently wipes her eyes. Wearing her silver hair in a French pleat and her signature pearl necklace, her usual kind eyes look tired, and her skin dull.
“I came as soon as I could, Bhodi. How is he?” Maggie reaches for Strode’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she sits at his bedside.
Sitting beside her, I let out a sigh.
“They’ve managed to remove the bullets. Luckily, nothing vital was hit, but he lost a lot of blood. Surgery took quite a few hours, so he’s been resting. He hasn’t woken up yet.”
“What happened? The captain wouldn’t tell me over the phone.” Her eyes plead with mine.
“We don’t know who it was, but he was shot in a drive-by.” I hate lying to Maggie, but I can’t give too much away for now. She’ll ask questions and demand answers.
Her shoulders sag, turning her attention back to Strode. Her thumb gently brushing over his hand as she speaks.
“I always worried when he was at work. The job is so dangerous, especially here.” Wiping away a tear, she continues. “Probably why our marriage failed. I was always so worried. I hoped he would eventually retire.”
“Strode’s stubborn Maggie, we both know that.” A small chuckle escapes her throat as she nods at my comment.
“Oh, Al, what have you gotten yourself into?” She gently shakes her head.
After a moment passes, I decide it’s the best time to leave. Rising from my chair, Maggie turns to me. Her soft gaze holding mine.
“Dare I ask if you’ve found a nice you lady yet, Bhodi?” The words are warm and kind, something I’m still quite unfamiliar with.
I shrug, turning towards the door. Throwing her a quick smile over my shoulder, I lace my fingers around the door handle before turning back.
“Maybe, just seeing how it goes.”
As her eyes widen with joy, I exit the room. I feel her gaze follow me until she can no longer see me. But her question is playing on my mind, heading for my car. I know exactly where I want to be, but it’s the one place I need to fucking stay away from.
Sliding into my car, I breathe a sigh of relief when I see there are no messages or calls. For once in my life, I have nowhere to be or no one trying to get hold of me. The feeling makes me feel uneasy, but these last few months have been non-stop. I can feel my body beginning to cry out for sleep, but I know that’s not a good idea.
Pulling out of the parking lot, the traffic is heavy as usual. Taking a different route, I soon realize where I’m heading. Refusing to stop myself, I head for Summer’s. As her apartment nears, I begin to feel the weight of her reaction weighing me down. I wouldn’t blame her if she slammed the door in my face. I haven’t spoken to her since I left hers the other morning and I didn’t speak much whilst I was there.
Once I’d killed Alex, I needed to be close to her, feel her body pressed into mine. I wanted to hear those soft moans as she bounced all over my cock, feel how her body reacts to me, the way her nails marked my skin. I wanted to feel less of a heartless monster. I wanted to feel human again, and, in that moment, she gave that to me.
And like the heartless prick I am, I just left once I was done. Letting out a frustrated huff, I run my hand over my face. With everything happening in such a short space of time, I feel my loss of control becoming a serious fucking problem.
As the approaching lights turn red, my car eventually stops. Watching the passing traffic, I try to focus on the next couple of days ahead. I know the funeral is tomorrow, and I have every intention of escorting Summer there and not letting her out of my sight, even if going to church makes my skin want to crawl off my body. People like me no longer have any faith. I lost that a very long time ago.
Just because Alex is gone doesn’t mean Harry can’t get to someone else just as easily. He has money, and there’s little people won’t do for cash if it’s waved in their faces. I know he’ll show up tomorrow. He wants Summer to know he’s still around even if he hasn’t done anything yet. He enjoys knowing she’s always looking over her shoulder and living in fear that he can pounce at any time.
Murdering her father could have been a way for him to gain further control over her. I know it was him, via Luca, but there’s still no proof. Harry knows that that’s why he had no concerns about coming to New York. He’s not afraid of being caught, he’s paid for the best, and that’s what he got. But he stupidly forgets how New York can swallow people like him.
Once the lights turn green, I slam the car into drive and speed off, my patience wearing thin. A few cars bounce on their horns, but I ignore it. They’re clearly not on their way to see Summer, so they’ll never understand the pull she has over me.