The Man Who Has No Sight - Victoria Quinn Page 0,4

but devastated at the same time.

The elevator beeped and then the doors opened.

Jake put his phone away, and that was when he noticed I was there. He stilled, his eyes on me.

I didn’t move to the elevator, holding his gaze, feeling a ferocity that was stronger than anything I’d ever felt toward Valerie. Wordlessly, a conversation passed between us, a coldness that rivaled the snow outside on the street.

He was either too stupid or too arrogant to speak, maybe both. “She did fuck me that night—and she liked it.” He slid his phone into his pocket and moved toward the elevator.

I was a logical person who thought through every single action before I made it, analyzed words spoken to me before I responded, but my reaction was so animalistic and carnal there was no thought put into it at all.

I lost my goddamn mind.

I grabbed him by the back of the neck, yanked him back, and then slammed my fist so hard into his face that he fell to the floor, blood gushing everywhere and spilling onto the floor.

“You fucking asshole!” He held up his hands in front of him, seeing the red color everywhere.

I stepped closer to him and moved my shoe onto his chest, pushing hard enough that his lungs couldn’t expand more than a few inches.

He struggled to breathe, started to squirm. “You—”

My foot moved to his neck, pressing down on his trachea so he really couldn’t breathe. “I know it hurts to lose a woman like her. But get over it. She’s mine now. Say anything like that again, even her name, and I’ll kill you.” It was tempting to slam my foot down and really cause damage, but it could be permanent, and that felt cruel. I lifted my shoe, wiped the blood off on the material of his suit, and then stepped into the elevator.

When I stepped into my condo, Cleo was already there.

It was one of the few times I regretted having her there.

I was in a bad mood after the shitty day I’d had, and all I wanted was to be alone.

She came out of the kitchen, holding two plates of food. “With enough practice, maybe I’ll be as good as you.”

I carried my satchel to the dining table and set it down at the edge.

She stood there, waiting for some kind of praise, and when it didn’t happen, she uncorked the wine and poured two glasses. “Everything alright?”

I didn’t want to tell her I’d lost my temper and almost broken a man’s windpipe. Never in my life had I struck someone like that. I’d been a loner my whole life, so I’d never been involved in any kind of altercation. But once he’d said those words, I knew exactly how to make a fist, how to slam those knuckles into his nose to make him bleed as if a homicide had just taken place. I felt like an animal, returning to my wild roots.

She straightened and continued to stare at me, hoping for an explanation.

I didn’t want her to know. Not because I was ashamed. I just didn’t want to tell her what I’d done right before I stepped into the elevator. “I had a shitty day, but I don’t want to talk about it.” I never gave her responses like that, at least not anymore. Most of the time, I actually wanted to share my day, explain the things that ticked me off.

“Alright.” Her eyes lowered slightly, but she didn’t seem angry. “Are you hungry?”

“Not really.” I left my satchel on the table and turned around. “I’m going to shower.” I just needed some time to cool off, to have a moment to myself so I could decompress. My knuckles still ached from the force I’d just utilized, and they needed some cold water from the faucet.

I went into my bedroom, showered, and when I came out, there was an open bottle of beer on my nightstand—still cold. I grabbed it and took a drink, letting the booze dull my rage. The shower had helped, but only so much. I lay in bed for a while, scrolling through emails on my phone, partially expecting a phone call from Valerie.

But if he wasn’t a pussy, he wouldn’t rat me out.

When I got hungry, I returned to the living room.

Cleo wasn’t there, so she must have been in her bedroom. I went to the fridge and grabbed the plate she’d wrapped for me and threw it in the microwave before I ate