“Why did you think I’d do this with you?”
“What do you owe him? He had sex with you and dumped you. He doesn’t even care that you’re pregnant. Why don’t you want to punish him?”
That stung and I had a feeling he knew it. He was an expert at making me feel bad about myself and that was what he was doing now. That was how he was going to rope me into doing this with him.
He was the same old rat from before, just worse and a hundred time eviler. I was the same old fool as before but this time I was even more vulnerable. He didn’t have the kind of control over me that he used to but he was going to try. We weren’t even together but he had managed to weasel his way back into my life. Why hadn’t I managed to cut him off right at the beginning, the moment he appeared in the alley that day?
Fucking weirdo, I knew he went through my trash after I left it out that day. I wasn’t going to do this again with him. This was his fault. He was taking advantage of me. He was the one who forced his way back into my life and pulled all kinds of dirty tricks to make me vulnerable again.
“I’m not helping you with this.”
“You don’t have a choice, babe,” he said.
“Stop calling me that.”
He grinned and I saw the man I ran away from years ago.
“Make me.”
31
Toby
I looked up at Maggie’s building. Was she not home? Calvin would have told me. I hit the buzzer again.
Why did she live here? Why wasn’t there a doorman? At least then I could talk to someone and get them to let me up. I felt like I was getting nowhere. Was she even home?
I had tried her phone already and I wasn’t getting an answer. Something told me that she was home. I knew it. She had to be. She was in there and something wasn’t right. I could feel it. I tried the buzzer again. Pushing down on the button. Finally, I heard a man’s voice.
“What do you want?” he asked. Maggie lived alone. Wait, I couldn’t even say that with confidence since I didn’t actually know for sure whether she did. Regardless, this was still Maggie’s place.
“Where is Maggie? I need to see her.”
“Who are you?” he asked me.
“You tell me. I know Maggie lives here. Why are you talking to me instead of her?”
“I’m her fiancé. Whatever you want to tell her, tell me.” I didn’t even know whether that was true either. Despite everything Calvin had let me know, there were still things that I had to confirm myself with Maggie. This was Paul, I knew
it. Something wasn’t right and this guy who was claiming to be her fiancé was definitely a dog.
“You think because she’s getting married that she can’t speak for herself anymore? I want to talk to Maggie. Put her on.” He didn’t, but I heard her. A woman’s voice shouted in the background for help.
“Maggie?” I said, but the intercom cut off.
That was it. She was in there. This guy, the psycho who was claiming to be her fiancé had done something to her. If he had been smart, he wouldn’t have let me know that she was in there. Now, I was going to have to hurt him to get to her. I backed up and looked at the building. If I called the police, I would have to wait. Maggie was in there with that man and who knew what he would do if given time.
No, this couldn’t wait. The door was made of glass. Tempered most likely, but still glass. I ran up and kicked. Three times and I was through the glass. I used my legs and shoulders to clear a space big enough for me to get through.
I hurried to Maggie’s unit and stopped at the door, trying to see whether I could hear anything.
Nothing. Their silence was bad news. I tested my weight against the door, then took a few steps back and rammed into it shoulder first. The lock burst and I stumbled into the apartment.
“Paul, don’t,” Maggie said, struggling. The man had one hand on the back of her neck and the other fisting her collar. I didn’t think, I just charged.
I lunged at him and got my arm around his neck. The pressure made him let go of Maggie and try to protect his neck. He wasn’t small, we were almost the same height and he was solid too but I was willing to bet he hadn’t been combat trained.
I quickly got him to the ground and yelled for Maggie to stay back.