Page 8 of Big Burly Neighbor
7
ZION
Every step of mine stomps into the ground with massive strength, like the racing of a predator, an animal out of control. The ground shakes beneath my feet, but it might just be me. My entire body quivers with rage, from my closed fists to my clenched jaw. Every muscle grows stiff with nerves. I run down the hallway, shove a neighbor out of my way, then skid to a halt in front of the elevator doors. My pulse beats so hard in my head that I hear nothing else.
I punch the button to summon the elevator. When it doesn’t appear immediately, I whirl toward the other side of the hallway and run that way. Emergency exit. The stairs. I need to get there. I need to leave the building and get to Aileen right now.
Fuck, I was so stupid. So stupid when I didn’t tell her the whole story. I should have told her about what my neighbor said. I should have warned her against him, but I decided he wouldn’t make a move, not after I threatened him, and I didn’t want to limit her... Now, she’s in danger because of me.
I slam both hands into the emergency exit door, slipping into the corridor and then taking the stairs. Two steps at a time, then jumping down the last ones, I make my way to the ground floor. Rage pumps into every cell of my being, rage at that fucking Billy, and at myself. I will never forgive it if I don’t get there in time.
He can’t touch her. He’s not allowed to touch a hair on her beautiful head.
The moment I walked into my living room and saw her flashes in my mind again. Curtains open, Aileen moved her hips in sensual circles, dancing to something I couldn’t hear. She wore a tiny black dress that hugged her curves, tight like a second skin. My cock hit its hardest state ever in one second flat, all the blood in my body rushing south.
Aileen looked gorgeous, and I knew she did that for me. I watched, squeezing my cock, making plans to take the elevator and eat pussy for breakfast. She went into her kitchen, showing off that delicious cleavage, then bending at the waist to show me her fantastic ass... And someone knocked on her door. I know it because of how fast she stood and looked that way. And as she went to pick it up, I knew who knocked. I knew I had fucked up.
I reach her apartment, and I don’t stop to knock. I don’t even try the handle. Fuck, she will have to forgive me later. I turn my body and slam my shoulder into her door once, the sound of the knob shattering giving me great relief. I step into the apartment with my heart in my throat, pumping, making it hard to breathe. With two steps, I’m in her leaving room. I comb the space for her.
The sight of Billy hovering over her on the couch, a hand clutching her wrist, the other on her thigh, drives me mad. The world slows down. My vision goes red, blood red. He’s closed the curtains. He’s touching her. Aileen’s wide eyes shine with unshed tears, but there’s fierceness on her face as she fights him. She meets my gaze and respite washes over her features.
And we move in unison.
Aileen grinds her teeth together, baring them in a volcano of rage. She pushes Billy off with everything she has, and he’s so surprised he stumbles back, his fingers slipping from her wrist. He turns to me, eyes widening when he sees my fiery wrath. Fear turns his face pale, and he raises his hands in a futile attempt to stop me.
I punch him once, his jaw cracking when it meets my fist, then punch him again. My other hand grips his shirt, stopping his escape. Billy drops to the ground and I kneel next to him, opening a grin.
“Thanks for closing the curtains, Billy,” I hiss, gripping his jaw until he winces in pain. “No one will witness it when I kill you.”
I land with my knee on his stomach. He grunts at my weight, then opens his mouth to scream. I don’t give him time, punching him until my knuckles sting.
He raises his hands. I give him a pause to catch my breath. “I didn’t know she was yours,” he murmurs from between busted lips, blood trickling down his face.
“Are you saying it would be alright if she wasn’t?” More rage spills into my guts, pure acid, burning everything in its path. My sanity, my limits. I will fucking kill this man. I will pummel him into a pulp until there’s nothing left of him, and...
Soft hands cradle my shoulders. Aileen’s body touches my back, her softness a balm. “Stop,” she whispers at the base of my ear. “Don’t. I don’t want you to get arrested because of him. He doesn’t deserve it.”
I turn to look at her. Her face is placid, calm now. “You sure? What he’s done...”
“Is a crime, yes,” she says, standing. “And I will call the cops, but I don’t want you to get in trouble because of him.”
Fuck. Fuck, I hate this. I wish I could kill him with my hands, but she’s right. She’s right, and she’s the most important thing right now. I let Billy drop and shoot to my feet. “Okay. Let’s do it.”
The next couple of hours is a blur. Aileen puts sweatpants and a sweater on. We call the police, they come to pick him up. I drive Aileen to the station, and I’m with her through it all. The cops have a hard time believing her, and I almost punch a couple of them, too. One thinks it’s Aileen’s fault for dancing in a dress. The other thinks it’s Aileen’s fault for living alone. At the end, it’s clear they only accept the whole thing as truth because I’m with her.
“This is so fucked up,” I tell her as we make our way up to her apartment again. “How do you manage?”
Aileen shrugs. “Unfortunately, it permeates every sense of my life. They doubt everything I say. I’m too emotional or a liar because I’m a woman. The world isn’t a gentle place. That’s why I enjoy beautiful things. It makes living easier,” she says.
We pause at her apartment door. I twist my lips in regret. “I’m sorry,” I tell her. “About everything. And I’m so sorry about your door.”
She chuckles. “It’s okay. The chain lock will keep it in place.” And she slips into her apartment. Aileen shoots me a doubtful look. “Aren’t you coming inside?”
“You sure?”
She smiles. “I am sure I want to spend every second with you. I knew you would come to my rescue, Zion. And I wish I hadn’t disobeyed by opening the curtains, but now it’s done, and I will not waste a perfectly good weekend.”
I smile at her because I can’t help it. Affection swells in my chest, making it hard to breathe. No, not affection. It’s more. It’s been more for a while now. I’m in love with her, and the way she smiles makes me fall a little more.
