Watch Me (Private Listing #1)

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Blake

That was definitely Madison’s voice. Fuck. I kick the door as something falls over in the apartment. It bounces under the force of my boot. I kick harder, and it gives way. When I burst in, a guy is choking Madison and a dark-haired woman hisses at me.

My pulse pounds, but my mind goes clear as I only have one objective: save Madison.

I shove the woman out of the way. She falls on the couch with a little shriek. I deck the guy holding Madison. She drops. But before she hits the floor, I grab her arm and ease her down, then go after the intruders. The guy looks like he’s jacked up on something while the girl seems strung out.

What the fuck is happening here? I pull out my Taser and arm it.

“Fuck that shit, Val.” The guy backs away with his hands up. “I ain’t getting tased again. I pissed myself last time.”

The girl—Val—glares before she flees out the door with the guy behind her. I follow for a step before Madison groans on the ground. My insides twist. Fuck. I still have to remain calm. The emergency isn’t over yet.

I call Seth as I kneel beside Madison and check her pulse. She’s breathing. Thankfully. The tightness in my chest eases slightly. I hope she just passed out, that he didn’t choke her out. The damage that could do… My hands shake as I brush her hair out of her face. Fuck.

“Yeah,” Seth says.

“I’m at Madison’s?—‍”

“We agreed?—‍”

“Fuck what we agreed.” My voice bursts out of me. “She’s hurt. People were in her apartment and this dude choked her. They took off, but she’s unconscious.”

“Take her to St. Mary’s. We’ll meet you there.” Seth sounds like he’s walking.

“Need someone to watch her place. I had to bust in the door.”

“Got it.” He hangs up.

I slide my phone back into my pocket as I pull Madison up to a sitting position.

“Hey!”

I look up at a guy standing in the doorway.

“What are you doing with Madison?” he asks, taking a step inside. He’s not a huge guy. If I have to take him out, I will. But I’m hoping this one is at least friendly.

I lift Madison into my arms and search my memory for the name of the neighbor she talked about. “You Robert?”

“Who are you?” His eyes linger on Madison with concern.

“I’m her…” Fuck. “I’m her boss. When I came to check on her, there were people holding her.”

Robert looks around the apartment. The tipped over chair is the only sign of our struggle. “Who?”

“Someone named Val. Look, I need to get her to the hospital. Can you babysit her apartment until my men get here?”

Robert’s eyes widen. “Your men?”

“I work at a security company. Some of my employees will be here to secure her apartment. I had to break in the door. The guy was choking her, and I need to make sure she’s okay. We’re going to St. Mary’s.” I walk past Robert and head down the stairs with her in my arms.

He doesn’t need to know that it’s a corporate cybersecurity company. We have security guards that Seth will have come watch her place.

This was not how I saw this going. I didn’t even intend to come upstairs, but the outside door was open, and that made me nervous. Cooper made sure she was inside before leaving, but I needed to check for myself. I took the Taser from the glovebox just in case. I can hold my own in a fight, but sometimes just flashing the Taser is enough to make someone back down.

In the shower, she felt fragile in my arms. I’d been against leaving her alone for the weekend so she’d have space. I’d prefer her to stay in my bed, curled up all soft against me.