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When I hear his voice get farther away, I know this ishis shadow falling froives me the tiet to the hotel phone After snatching it off the cradle, I press ‘0’ and wait When I hear the operator answer, I whisperfor them to send help quickly Then I shove the phone beside the bed and the nightstand andon the desk, fuh at whateverhis own flesh and blood

I et my phone turned on and the phone app open to dial Maddox before I hear Shawn co behindthat I pressed the button to connect the call before I had to abandon it

"Little bitch is awake now, Ra fun before I bring her hoives ht intoforeign tothe fact that he’s hurt ain I’m not even sure etness on htgames It’s ti to You’re never going to be rand idea to coain, he wouldn’t want you when I’me from the floor Then he slaps ht again, ignoring the pain in , but in the end, he’s just too strong for ht him It feels like an eternity, and with his hand back onthat help isn’t too far away

Chapter 21--Maddox

Co back to the apart As foolish as it was to believe that we could just fall back into whatever we had before, but I hadn’t anticipated her telling me to leave It took one hell of a battle with s to carry er to convinceCat and cleaning out her litter box when I got in Then I set off to pick up the rest of the apart for a clue as to where she was

And then I was left sitting on the couch, staring at the clock as it ticked each painfully slow second by Mocking o by more quickly

Ijoltsthat the time is just a few hours before dawn, Iphone

When I see her name across the screen,to tellI have no idea what to do with

"E up in a s for a few beats…until a voice that I know dah the line

My heart stops Right now, the blood just stops e I’ve never known consu will never hold up if I storhts of stairs, I try to cal to be, I need to think about this as objectively as I can in order to get her out of there Treat her like a hostage who has the clock against her--which is exactly what I’s for Emmy aside and focus on how to save her, but it’s my only chance I keep the phone trained to I use the sounds to fuel e and determination If I stop for just a second and let the helplessness of the situation sink in, I know I’ll be no good to her I need that rage, the years of hate and injustice, to be my weapon

This is my chance to let every one of the demons--the monsters in my soul--free and let the wrath consue level in minutes Minutes that, in reality, felt like hours, but less than a second after the doors open, I’er My phone is still glued tothrough the streets as fast as I can push

Obliterating the el

It takes et to the hotel I jump out of the car before I even have a chance to throw it in park, not even giving a fuck that it’s rolling towards the brick pillar holding up the covered carport I ju run

"Give me the keycard for room four seventeen," I deht clerk She doesn’t ive you access, sir," she stutters

"There’s a sadistic, abusive, FUCKING RAPIST up there right noith oddah the lobby

Her eyes go wide as she fuot a call down not even tenup"

I’ her, keepingthroughpray I’ up She had enough time to make two calls and only one caer

With a shaking hand, she hands the card over I keep erous I am

"Stairs?" I bark She points and I take off "And fucking call the police!"