by Linda Verji
“What is wrong with you?” She pressed her fist to her hip as frustration bubbled within her. “Until when will you be like this? Harassing me? Constantly calling? Those stupid messages? Calling my mom… until when?”
“Until you change your mind.”
“Well, I’m not changing it,” she snapped back.
“Then I’ll change it for you,” he countered resolutely.
She didn’t see it coming. One minute they were glaring at each other and the next Wesley was diving for her. By the time she saw him coming and took a step back, he’d already closed the space between them, grabbed her upper arms and pressed his lips to hers.
“Hmph!” Freddie’s protests were muffled under the pressure of his lips. She tried to shove him off her but he was too strong and he was gripping her arms with too much force. Left with no choice, she did what any sane woman would do in her situation; she pulled her knee back and aimed for his groin.
Fortunately for Wesley, he had good reflexes. He managed to avoid her knee. However, he wasn’t fast enough to miss the knee to his inner thigh. Groaning in pain, he let her go and staggered backwards.
Freddie immediately snatched the bracelet then skirted past him and raced for the door. She didn’t get to it. Just as she stretched her hand to grab the doorknob, Wesley grabbed the strap of her purse and yanked her back. The yank was so hard that her strap broke and her purse fell to the ground. Before she could react, his steel-like arms were around her waist, lifting her, carrying her.
“Wesley… Wesley,” she screamed and struggled in his arms, but it was no use. Despite her weight, Wesley easily carried her to his bedroom.
“Let me go… Let me g- Oof!” Her words faded into a grunt when he unceremoniously dumped her on the bed. She immediately scrambled to her knees but before she could get off the bed, Wesley raced for the door. The next moment, he was out of the room. The door slammed behind him and seconds later, a key turned in the lock.
He’d locked her in his room.
The hell! More furious than she’d ever been, Freddie started pounding on the door. “Wesley… Wesley… Open this door.”
“No,” he yelled back.
“Open this door!” She punched the door with the side of her fist then kicked it. “Let me out.”
“No. Not until you come to your senses.”
What the hell was wrong with this boy! “Wesley, let me out of here. Let me out. Wesley… Wesley…”
No matter how loudly she screamed his name, he still refused to open the door. Eventually, she tired her voice out. But she was still as angry as ever and the only thing she could think about was getting out of here. For now, he’d only locked her up in the bedroom. But who knew what could happen next. She needed to get out of here, out of his reach.
She started to search the room. It was too bad that her purse had fallen while they were scrambling outside because her phone was in there. But maybe she could find a spare key or something.
“Freddie, are you calm now?” Wesley called out from other side of the door.
Ignoring him, she opened the top drawer in his nightstand and started to search it.
“Freddie,” he called out again. “Are you ignoring me?”
Freddie couldn’t find anything in the drawer. It was just filled with condoms, a few CDs among other miscellaneous things. She moved on to the next drawer.
“I know you’re angry with me and I understand why,” Wesley said. “I’m a terrible person, aren’t I? I’m sorry, Freddie. I’m sorry.”
She wanted to yell out that if he was so sorry then he should open the door, but she knew that it would be a waste of breath. The second drawer had two books, pens and music sheets. Frustrated, she shut it and moved on to the nightstand on the other side of the bed.
“I know I’m a terrible person.” He sniffed. “I know I was wrong?”
Was he crying? Ridiculous!
His voice got even more teary as he added, “But I can’t live without you, Freddie. You’re all I have in this world. Please just come back to me.”
If the man was going for an award for most heartfelt lyrics, then he was doing magnificently. It was too bad that Freddie didn’t give a damn. She was just about to bend down to open the other nightstand drawer when she noticed that the pillow on that side of the bed was crooked. She didn’t know what it was but something compelled her to lift the pillow. The moment she saw what was under it, her eyes went wide and relief pulsed through her.
The idiot had left his phone there.
“Freddie, are you listening to me?” The aforementioned idiot was still weeping out there. “Please, please, please forgive me.”
She quickly grabbed the phone and started looking for somewhere to hide. Unfortunately, Wesley’s walk-in closet had no doors, only an open archway. She dashed into the en-suite but when she tried to lock the door found there was no key in the lock. So she just closed the door and leaned back against it.
Some people say that being book-smart is only good for getting office-jobs, but this was one of those times that Freddie was glad she had a big brain. Memorizing numbers among other data had always been her thing. Even without access to her phonebook, she was quite capable of dredging many of the numbers in it.
She immediately dialed the first number that came to her mind.
“Hello?” Lex picked up on the first ring.
“Lex? This is Freddie,” she introduced hurriedly.
“Freddie, which num-”
“Listen,” she cut him off. “I need you to come and get me.”
Hurriedly, she gave him the directions to Wesley’s place along with the apartment floor and number.
“What’s going on?” Lex asked. “Is something wrong?”
“No, not-”
“Freddie!” Wesley suddenly shouted. He was right there on the other side of the door. How had he known to look for her? The door handle rattled as he demanded, “Who are you talking to?”
“No one,” she yelled back as she pushed against the door with all her weight.
“Freddie, what’s going on?” a panicked Lex asked on the phone. “Who is that?”
“Freddie, open the door,” Wesley shouted as he started to shove at the door with his weight. “Open it.”
“Please come! Lex, please!” Freddie whispered to Lex even as the force of Wesley’s weight started to overcome hers. Her feet were already starting to slip on the porcelain tiles.
The next moment, she found herself flying forward as Wesley crushed into the door. Only quick reflexes kept her from hitting the shower-stall’s door head-first. Instead, her palms connected with the glass.
“Who were you talking to?” Wesley shouted as he rushed into the room.
“No one.” Freddie turned to him. When she saw his expression, she almost lost it.
She’d never seen him this angry. His eyes were narrowed, rigid, cold and hard. His furious glare was icy yet it felt hot, as if he was thinking of tearing her apart. The tenseness in his body and the way his fists were curled to the side of his body said that he was barely holding himself back from attacking her. And it scared her.
“Who were you talking to?” he bit out.
“No one.” She hid the phone behind her back.
It was just her luck that Lex chose to call out then. “Freddie, Freddie, are you okay?”
She heard it. Wesley heard it too.
Wesley attacked so fast that she had no time to react or move. His target was obviously the phone because he went for her right arm first and yanked it hard. Immediate pain raced down Freddie’s arm, but she was determined to keep the phone. Struggling to shake him off, she kicked out her leg, catching him in the shin. Though he grunted in pain, he didn’t let go of her arm, so she bent down and bit his ear.
“Argh!” he screamed then shoved her away from him.
It was such a powerful shove that it sent her straight into the wall beside them. Freddie crushed into it with the side of her head. With a pained whimper
, she crumpled to the floor.
CHAPTER 13
Lex’s heartbeat was racing, nearly exploding actually, and every limb of his felt tense as if stiffened by fear. He’d never known real desperation until now, had never felt it racing like hot oil through his veins until every inch of his skin seemed to burn. And it was all because of Freddie.
Her phone-call was the scariest thing he’d ever heard. While he hadn’t heard much, what he’d overheard was enough for him to know that she wasn’t okay and that Wesley was involved. Though Lex was only five minutes away from the address Freddie had given and had already called the police, it felt like he was running out of time.
With a screeching halt, he brought his car to a stop right in front of Wesley’s building. He jumped out of the car and raced to the entrance. However, before he could get in, the doorman stopped him.
“Yes?” The short, tanned man took in Lex and the beads that had already gathered on his forehead with raised eyebrows. “Can I help-”
He didn’t get to finish his words because Lex barged right past him. Unfortunately, the doorman wasn’t the only barrier to get over. There was a security desk right by the elevators. A guard was seated behind the desk while another stood right in front of the elevator.
Lex started towards the elevators but the tall, muscular guard there moved to block him. Even before Lex could speak, the guard pointed to the security desk. “You need to pass by the desk if you’re not a resident.”
Lex tried to get past him anyway. “I need to get in.”
The guard didn’t even budge. His hand settled on his gun and he gave Lex a steely-eyed glare. “It doesn’t work like that.”
“Hey!” The guard at the desk suddenly interrupted them. His eyes were on Lex. Sounding excited, he asked, “Aren’t you Lex Bishop? The guy who created Age of Assassins? I love that-”
“I need to get in,” Lex cut him off. He found it difficult to talk through his clenched teeth as he added, “There’s a woman in danger up there.”
Both guards instantly became alert. “What? Where?”
“Wesley Drake’s apartment.” Time was running out for Freddie and these fools were still wasting his. Lex’s temper, tightly repressed until this moment, exploded in a bonfire of frustration. “Let me through. Freddie’s in there. She called me. The police are on their way. I need to get in.”
He didn’t need to explain more. The two guards immediately went into action.
“I’ll call Mr. Drake’s apartment,” the guard at the desk offered. To his colleague, he said, “March, you go up and check.”
“I’ll go with you,” Lex said.
March looked like he wanted to protest but something about the look in Lex’s eyes made him change his mind. He gestured for Lex to follow him to the elevators.
An elevator ride had never seemed so long. Each second felt like an hour and each minute felt like an eternity. Lex’s heart was pounding so loudly, he was surprised the guard couldn’t hear it. When the elevator opened at the top floor, both men got out and strode to Wesley’s front door. Lex stayed to the side of the door while the guard rang the doorbell.
Wesley didn’t answer at first.
“Can’t we just break in?” Lex asked as fresh panic settled in.
“It’s not that easy,” the guard said even as he pressed the doorbell several more times.
Finally, Wesley answered, “Yes?”
“Mr. Drake,” the guard said, “could you open the door for a minute? I need to talk to you.”
“Talk to me about what?” Wesley demanded.
Open up you bastard! Lex wanted to yell but he knew that the security guard’s calm approach was the right way to deal with this situation.
“I’ve got a delivery for you,” the guard lied.
“Just put it in front of the door.”
“Sorry, it’s marked sensitive and you need to sign for it.”
Wesley paused. The pause was so long that Lex feared he wouldn’t open the door, but he did. Lex didn’t know what possessed him. The moment Wesley unlocked the door and opened it slightly, Lex shoved past the guard, yanked the door until it was fully open then kicked his foot out. Wesley didn’t see the kick coming, and it caught him right in the stomach. He stumbled back with a pained ‘oomph’ and fell to his ass.
Wesley scrambled to his feet as if preparing to fight, but Lex was ready for him. Anger and desperation driving him, Lex grabbed the man by his shirt and tossed him to the side like he was just paper, causing him to run smack into the wall beside them.
“Freddie, Freddie, Freddie,” Lex yelled as he hurtled past the groaning Wesley into the house. “Freddie, Freddie.”
“Lex. Lex.” The faint sound of his name being called echoed down the hallway. “I’m here.”
The relief that pulsed through Lex was indescribable. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest. Freddie was alive and able to talk. Though he hadn’t even dared to voice it, he’d been scared that something very, very bad had happened.
He immediately started down the hallway. “Freddie?”
“Yeah?” Her voice echoed from the second door on the right. Weakly, she called out, “I’m here.”
Lex moved towards the door. However, when he tried the doorknob, it only rattled in his hands.
“It’s locked,” Freddie called out. “He locked me in here.”
Lex didn’t ask why. He turned, intending to ask Wesley for the key. Had he turned even a second later, the bat Wesley was swinging would’ve caught him right in the back of the head. In a flashing instant, Lex moved to the right. Wesley hadn’t calculated for a miss. The bat swung down to crash into the floor with a heavy thud. Its owner followed it right down.
No longer aware of his own actions, Lex sprung at Wesley, his entire being occupied with the need to attack and kill. The other man had only a split second to look up before Lex was on him. Lex sent his fist straight into the man’s face. Never had he heard a sound more satisfying than the crack of cartilage as Wesley’s nose broke. Wesley exploded in a scream as his hand cupped his bleeding nose.
Were it not for the sudden hands that grabbed him by the forearms and lifted him off Wesley, Lex would’ve thrown another punch. This time to the man’s throat. It was the least he deserved.
The next few moments flew by in a blur of activity. Two police officers rushed in while the security guard was still struggling to hold the furious Lex away from the whimpering Wesley. Somehow through this whole commotion, the cops got the whole story. One of them demanded that Wesley give them the bedroom key. Once he had the key, the officer opened the door.
As soon as Freddie emerged from the bathroom, Lex shook off the security guard and rushed to her. She looked worn and tired but she didn’t seem hurt. Relieved, he immediately drew her into his arms. Feeling her body against his, feeling her breath whispering against her neck and having her arms around his waist, caused him to groan with tortured relief. His arms tightened around her and his mouth dragged over her hair and temple as he sought to make sure that she was really here, alive and well.
“Lex,” she gasped, flinching from the force of his hold. “You’re holding me too tight.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he said gruffly, pulling back to take a look at her face. He stroked her cheek. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She offered him a smile. “He just locked me in his room. He didn’t do anything to me.”
The reminder of the part her ex had played in this whole drama was enough to make Lex furiously turn back towards the man. He was still on the floor, pitifully moaning and holding his bleeding nose. No matter how pitiful the man looked, Lex couldn’t find it in himself to feel sorry. Frankly, Wesley was lucky that only his nose was broken.
One of the officers asked, “Ma’am, what happened here?”
“I came over to get my bracelet…” Freddie explained everything that had happened.
The more she spoke, the angrier Lex got. It took Herculean strength for hi
m not to attack Wesley again. By the time she was done, they’d moved to the living room, and everyone was staring at Wesley like he was crazy. Fortunately for him, he was too busy being tended to by the building’s on-call doctor to notice.
“Do you want to press charges?” the officer asked Freddie.
“Yes,” Lex, who was seated beside Freddie on the couch, immediately answered.
“No,” Freddie answered in the same instant.
They traded looks. Why? Lex asked wordlessly.
“I don’t want any drama.” Freddie made a face. “If I press charges, it will be on the news. I’m not interested.”
Lex could understand her fear of the media’s meddling but it wasn’t a good reason not to press charges. If she let Wesley go without consequences, there was a good chance that he’d try something again. Maybe something worse. However, before Lex could voice his reservations, Freddie winced and closed her eyes.
Worry immediately replaced frustration. He asked, “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She winced again and lifted her hand as if to touch her head. However, lifting her arm drew another wince. She rubbed her shoulder with her other hand. “Ow.”
Lex’s concern deepened. Setting his hand over hers on the shoulder, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I hurt my arm and bumped my head when Wesley and I were fighting over the phone,” she explained with another wince. But she quickly reassured, “It’s not that painful though. I’m sure I’m fine.”
She didn’t look fine.
“Doctor Saunders,” Lex immediately called out to the doctor who was tending to Wesley. “Could you check her out too?”
“I’m okay. Really,” Freddie insisted. However, despite her protests, the doctor came over to check her out.
After examining her, the doctor pronounced, “It looks like a minor concussion and her arm is just a little sore.”
Freddie smiled at Lex. “See, I told you it wasn’t serious.”
Lex only gave her a disbelieving look. What part of the word ‘concussion’ wasn’t serious?
“She should be okay with a lot of rest and enough fluids.” The doctor took out his prescription pad. “I’ll write you some painkillers and you can pick them up on your way home.”
