The It's Kind Of Personal (Complete 6 Book Series)ies

by Anna Brooks

  I arrive home and check my phone. Hmm. Nothing. I thought he would have said something back. He probably got busy at work. The amount of hours he works is insane.

  The scent of sweet peas still lingers when I step into the apartment, even though I threw all the flowers out earlier this week.

  Kat rubs against my leg, and I lean down to pet her. “Hey, girl. You hungry?”

  I reach for her food in the cupboard when a warm hand slides around my waist and another covers my mouth.

  I jump a bit, and normally I’d freak out, but without a text back from Brandon, I figure this is my payback. He thinks he’s funny to try to scare me all the damn time. Jumping out from behind a door. Ripping the shower curtain open. I got him back by throwing ice water on him while he was in the shower, so it’s all good.

  Under his hand, I laugh and attempt to wiggle free, but he grips me tighter, painful. “Ow. You’re seriously hurting me.” My words come out muffled, but I know he’ll understand me.

  As if it were possible, the pain increases, and I start to panic, wondering why he’s acting like this. I fight to get away to no avail. This isn’t funny, I try to tell him, but the hot breath in my ear sends chills down my spine. Breath that smells of smoke, not mint. That’s when it hits me. This isn’t Brandon.

  “Where’s my money, bitch?”

  Now I fight. I kick, bite, and scratch. My voice is hoarse from attempting to scream. I can hardly breathe through my nose.

  “Shut the fuck up.” He hisses against my cheek. His scruffy beard scrapes against my face.

  Cold metal presses against my temple, and I freeze. No. No. This isn’t happening. Tears brim my eyes and my knees weaken.

  “Where’s my fuckin’ money?” Each word drips with irritation and disgust, a clear sign he’s serious as hell.

  I don’t know what you’re talking about. I shake my head and try to tell him, but he still has his disgusting hand covering my mouth and I can’t speak.

  “Don’t fuck with me. He said you have it. I need my money. I’m going to take my hand off your mouth. If you scream, I’ll shoot you.”

  Oh God. Oh God.

  “Nod if you understand.”

  As much as I can move under the intense pressure, I nod in agreement.

  He tests me and slowly takes his hand off. I suck in a gulp of fresh air and scream at the top of my lungs. Fucker can shoot me if he wants, but I’m not going out without a fight. And he wants his money, so I doubt he’d kill me until he got that. So until he realizes I don’t have anything for him, I have to fight.

  I kick back and hit something. Enough to turn and run. But I’m not fast enough. He grabs me by my ponytail and slams me to the ground. I land on my cheek and scream again. This time from the pain slicing through my face.

  He crouches down and squeezes my chin. His fingers pinch so tight, I can feel them touching my teeth. “Don’t be stupid, Kelsey. Give me the fucking money and I’ll be on my way.”

  I whip my head up to him and black stars float around in my head. “I’m not Kelsey,” I choke out between my sobs and the vomit sitting in my throat.

  He uses his other hand to slap me across the face, bruising my other cheek. I cry out again, but he grips under my arms and slams my back against the fridge.

  “Where’s. My. Money?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not Kelsey. Nobody named Kelsey lives here.”

  “Don’t lie to me, bitch. I followed you here. Now I want the fuckin’ money.” He shakes me against the fridge again.

  A knock on the door shocks me, and I take a breath to scream, but he slams his hand over my mouth. I sob into it, praying whoever is on the other side can hear me.

  “Mary? Are you okay? I thought I heard you scream.”

  Kelsey. God, no. Run. I use the distraction to my advantage and knee him in the balls. He grunts, but it only fuels his fire. He squeezes me even harder and whispers between clenched teeth, “Wrong move, cunt.”

  “Mary? It’s Kelsey. Are you in there?”

  His eyes light up and I try to scream through all the fear and the pain. Try to fight. My entire body is becoming numb, my vision blurry, but I try. Men like him don’t give up. Since I’m in the middle of this now, I’ll probably end up dead. But I refuse to stop fighting. Somebody saved me from a crazy man . . . actually, twice. Karma has paid a visit, and now it’s my turn to be the strong one, the calm one. I’ll save Kelsey. It’ll be my redemption.

  He senses my next move because he slams my head against the fridge then puts me in front of him and holds the gun to my head again.

  When he swings the door open, Kelsey gasps.

  “Move or scream and I’ll shoot her in the head.” He quickly scans the empty hallway.

  Kelsey freezes and nods.

  “Where’s my money?” he asks. I can’t see him, but I’m assuming he’s asking Kelsey.

  “How much?” she asks.

  “Three grand.”

  She swallows, eyes trained on mine. Sympathy and guilt are written all over her face. “I don’t have that much.”

  “Chad told me you did.”

  “Well, Chad is a lying, alcoholic, gambling piece of shit,” she snaps. “Let her be and go ask him for your goddamned money.”

  “No can do. He skipped town.”

  “Please let her go. She has nothing to do with this. I have about half that.”

  He grunts. “That’s a start.”

  “Let her go and I’ll give it to you.”

  “No way. Where is it?”

  “Let her go and I’ll tell you.”

  He pulls me tighter and presses the cold metal into my head even harder. I wince and my breath catches from the pain. I plead with her with my eyes to do what he says.

  She gives me a slight tilt of her lips, encouraging me. “Okay, okay. Follow me.”

  He pulls my apartment door shut and follows Kelsey inside hers, slamming her door shut as well. I pray that somebody saw what was going on. There are two apartments across from ours. Somebody has to have seen.

  “Where is it?” he asks.

  I still am in a vise grip, and my body is becoming weaker as the seconds go by. I’ve never had a concussion before, but I imagine this is what it feels like. Nauseated, dizzy, throbbing. My eyelids ache from me forcing them to stay open.

  “Let. Her. Go. If you want any of my money, you’ll let her go.”

  He pushes me so fast that I fall to my knees. The impact has me wincing in pain again.

  “You’ve got five seconds.”

  I start to crawl away, but his booted foot kicks me in my ass and I stumble. “Stay right where you are.”

  Fuck, I’m so weak that I don’t know if I can even fight anymore.

  Kelsey looks at me and then back at the man. She runs to a room, and returns with an envelope and tosses it at him, placing herself in front of me. “That’s all I have. Now get the fuck out of here.”

  He raises his gun, and I scream. But instead of shooting her, he coldcocks her with the handle. Her body falls, and somehow I’m able to catch her head before it hits the ground.

  “Bitch,” he mutters.

  I shake her, but nothing. She’s like a doll. The cut on her head is bleeding, and I look up at him. Cold, hard, almost black eyes stare back at me. I beg him to leave us be. Let me get her help. I can hardly focus on his face anymore, but the sleazy tilt of his lips makes me gag.

  He slowly takes the couple of steps until he’s in front of us then squats down. “I only got half of what I was owed. Any idea how I can get the rest. Hmm?”

  Chapter 22

  Brandon

  “HEY, MAN,” TRAVIS SAYS when I answer my phone.

  It’s been another long day, and I just want to get home. To Mary. Where I can spank her tight little ass for playing this stupid game. She purposely ignores me to get a rise out of me. Thinks she’s funny. In a way, I guess it is.

  “Hey. What’s up?”

  “Not
hing. Just got off the phone with Char. She said Mary was there and is worried about you guys.”

  I chuckle into the receiver and accelerate as the traffic light turns green. “We’re fine. Why’d she say that?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. You know how women are. She said Mary made a comment about how it’s not gonna work between you two.”

  I shake my head then realize he can’t see me. “Nah. Everything’s great, actually. She probably knew Char would tell you and it’d get back to me.” Especially considering last weekend, when she taunted me with those same words and made me chase her around the apartment. Her laughter faded as soon as I reached her and silenced her with my mouth . . . then my dick. I laugh at the memory.

  “How is that funny?”

  “She’s still mad I won’t let her pay me back for her car, so she does and says stupid shit to get a rise out of me.” Literally.

  “Okay . . .”

  “You probably don’t remember, but she used to do shit like that all the time growing up. I remember one time we were playing a video game and she distracted me by kissing me so she could win the game. Shit like that.”

  “All right. Whatever. Have fun with that.”

  “Yeah.” It sounds stupid even saying it, but as childish as it may be, it lets me know she’s back to her old self, and that makes it worth it. “How are you? How’s my niece?”

  “Perfect.” The pride in his voice is strong. He loves that little girl so damn much.

  Soon, I tell myself. Hopefully, I’ll be there, too.

  I pull into my parking spot and notice Mary’s car right away. “Hey, I’m home now. Gotta run.”

  The long day takes a toll on me, and I rest my head on the steering wheel for a minute before finally dragging my ass upstairs. I can’t wait until we get a house. The wife of one of the guys at work is a realtor, so I’ve been talking to her a bit and getting feelers out there. Mary and I haven’t discussed it, but we’re going to outgrow this place soon. I bought it for myself alone. She not only fills the space in my heart, but her crap takes up more than half the bathroom. We need a bigger house.

  I open the door to the apartment and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

  Follow your gut.

  It’s something I was taught early on. Before any professional training. Because of my dad being in law enforcement, it was drilled into me. Mom even preached it. Said she’d seen too many cases where people regretted something because they didn’t follow that instinct.

  Right now, my gut is churning. The magnets from the fridge are scattered on the floor, the cabinet door left open, and Kat’s bowl still empty. The only light on is the one in the kitchen. When Mary’s home, she leaves every single light on. Drives me nuts, but it’s important right now.

  “Mary?”

  I slowly walk around the apartment. Maybe she’s hiding in the bathroom for some reason. Trying to pay me back for jumping out at her the other day. The squeak of the hinges is like nails on a chalkboard when I push the door open with my fingertips.

  “Mary!” I yell, panic rising when I realize she’s not here.

  I call her from my phone, and the vibration from her cell on the kitchen counter has every fucking red flag waving in front of my face.

  Kat runs under my feet, and I trip on her. “Fucking chill, Kat.”

  I backtrack and force myself to think. Calm the hell down. Where would she be? It’s too late for a run; even then, she would have at least left me a note or a text. I know she made it back from Char’s okay. Kelsey.

  My feet can’t get me there fast enough, and I raise my arm to knock, but a grunt inside her apartment makes me freeze. Follow your gut. I grab my cell and dial Jay. I’ve gotta play this smart. I have no fucking clue what’s going on, but I can feel it. My nerves are on fire.

  “Didn’t you just leave here like—”

  “I need backup at Kelsey’s.” I lower my voice, but he must sense the tension because I already hear the clank of his keys.

  “What are we walking into?”

  “No clue. Just hurry the fuck up. I’m not waiting.” I hang up despite his protests and instead of knocking, I turn the knob.

  For all the times I yelled at Kelsey for not locking her door, now I’m glad she didn’t listen to me. Her apartment layout is like mine, except instead of my studio, she has a bedroom, and when you walk in, the kitchen island is to the left and not the right.

  I mentally run through the floor plan and grab my gun before I inch the door open.

  “I only got half of what I was owed. Any idea how I can get the rest. Hmm?” Instead of pushing through and beating the shit out of him, I suck in a slow breath through my nose and open the door a little farther.

  At this vantage point, I can’t see shit. Mary’s whimpers cause my veins to heat up. I grip the butt of my gun and slip inside unnoticed.

  He’s on his haunches, back to me, pointing a gun at my Mary. Her left cheek is swollen and bruised, a small streak of dried blood on her chin. Kelsey’s lifeless body rests on her lap. Jesus fuck, what did he do?

  He turns to look at Kelsey, and I take advantage of the temporary distraction and sneak behind the island. Mary’s eyes widen, but I give a quick jerk of my head, and despite every fucking nerve, every raging pulse of my erratic heart, I have a very short-lived respite that she’s able to stay calm enough to listen to me. She’s fucking terrified. Visibly trembling, tears falling down her face. But she ignores me and looks back down. Her bloody fingers run up and down Kelsey’s arm, and it’s then that I notice a pool of blood beneath Kelsey’s head.

  “Answer me, bitch!” Flesh on flesh then Mary’s cry, and I force myself to stay still. Pretend she’s any other victim. I have to distance myself from her right now; otherwise, I could make a mistake. It’s a choice I force myself to make. I will not fuck this up.

  I crawl around the island to get a better view and aim at his fucking head.

  Deep breaths. Calm down. Focus. My finger twitches on the trigger, but I need to wait.

  Kelsey moans and Mary tries to quiet her. Fuckface does the same, but his method is a foot to her stomach. I hate that she’s hurt, that she’s bleeding, but her moan tells me that she’s still alive.

  “Stop it! Please, stop!” Mary is becoming frantic now, and I pray she can keep it together. Just a couple more minutes and it’ll be over.

  He stands with his gun still in his hand, and uses the other to loosen his belt.

  Hell fucking no.

  Without making a noise, I stand and train my gun on him. “Police. Don’t move,” I growl at him.

  He jerks his head in surprise and raises his arm, but I’m faster.

  One shot to his head, blood flies, and he collapses. I watch for any other movement in the apartment with my gun still raised.

  Without looking at her, I have to ask. “Mary, I know you’re scared, but I need to know if he was alone. Is there anyone else is in here?”

  Because she’s not responding verbally, I look down at her. She shakes her head, but her eyes are trained on the dead body, and I step into her line of vision.

  “Don’t look, baby.”

  Her mouth hangs open, and she heaves a couple of times before turning her head and puking on the floor. As much as I want to comfort her right now, I have to check on Kelsey.

  I gently lift her off Mary’s red-stained jeans and lay her flat on her back. A painful moan escapes through her crusty lips. She has a pulse and a nasty gash on her head.

  Mary’s head hangs as her body trembles. My hand on her leg makes her jump. “Shh. It’s okay. You’re okay.”

  “Chicago PD!”

  I don’t even turn my head to acknowledge them. “I need rescue. And the coroner.”

  * * *

  After several hours of holding Mary’s hand while she was examined and stitched up, I stand in the corner of her room, giving her space, clenching my fists. She’s in the process of telling Jay the events of tonight . . . last night really,
since it’s almost three am.

  My jaw tightens and teeth grind together as each word leaves her mouth. I wish I had made that piece of shit suffer just a little before I shot him. Coldcocked his ass with my gun like he did to Kelsey. Slammed his head on the ground a few times.

  Mary astounds me. Her strength has been admirable. She stopped crying shortly after backup arrived and hasn’t shed a tear since. I can’t tell if she’s really okay, or if she’s just putting up a front.

  “Okay. Get some rest and I’ll be in touch.” Jay pats Mary’s hand and nods at me before walking out.

  “You all right?” I push off the wall and sit next to her on the bed.

  “Yeah. Tired.”

  I pull the blanket up to her chin. “Do you want another one or is this good?”

  “This is good. Thanks.”

  Not able to resist anymore, I lean down and press my lips to her forehead. “Love you.”

  “Love you, too,” she mumbles, and when I pull back, her eyes are already closed. “Brandon,” she whispers.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for saving me.”

  What I want to say is that I should have gotten there sooner. If I hadn’t sat in my car for those few minutes, I could have done something different. Saved them from more. But instead, I simply kiss her again and hold her hand until she falls asleep.

  Mary

  I wake with a gasp in the dimly lit hospital room. Brandon’s hand in mine flexes, but he doesn’t open his eyes. With a few deep breaths, I slowly calm my racing heart. My mind replays the events, and panic courses throughout my tired body.

  Retelling Jay what happened was not as bad as I thought. He offered to wait, but I wanted to get it over with. Brandon’s fury was palpable from the corner of the room, but I tried my best to ignore him and finish the questioning. Right there was just another reminder of how well he knows me. I didn’t want him crowding me when I was reliving it to Jay. So even though he wanted to be by my side, he respected me enough to give me space.

  The only thing still unanswered is why the guy thought I was Kelsey. He wasn’t the same one as in the club. Their thought is that since we look similar, and since Kelsey goes inside the apartment sometimes, it was just a mistake on his part.