Chapter 20 Street stalking pervert!

"Magnus has the same tattoo as you" she spoke calmly and watched as he stiffened. He looked at her immediately with his hooded eyes which darkened in a split second like he was about to devour her

"What did he say to you?"

"Nothing I just" she bit her lips. "I saw it once"

Xavier narrowed his eyes at her. Sometimes it felt like he could see right through her even though that was impossible.

Xavier hesitated, but he eventually dropped the matter. He suspected something with the way she acted all uncomfortable, not able to lock eyes with him. If Magnus had told her anything, then he was as good as dead.

"Rachael stay away from anything concerning vatos locos if you don't want to get hurt," he said firmly and meant every single word that proceeded out of his lips.

Rachael said nothing. That was bullshit. Her curiosity was like a wild lion. It wasn't going to rest until she found something to feed it on. Xavier saying she should stay off only made her yearn to find out more about it.


*************
After a long day at work, the only thing Rachael could wish for was to dip herself in a hot tub while listening to her favorite artist; Lois lane, but that little fantasy of her was still phantasmic as she walked to her apartment through the quiet streets of Weston, jiggling her keys incessantly. The last time she checked, the time was 10:07 pm. Yes, she had stayed that late, all thanks to Xavier who didn't lay her off quickly.

Her purse fell to the floor and she let out a groan in frustration, stooping to the floor to pick it up, but she caught sight of something else. A young man dressed in black lurked around like 3 apartments away from her. He briefly peeked at her and peeled off his eyes almost immediately.

Was he following her? Rachael thought inwardly with an unsettled mind at the idea of a psycho stalking her down Weston street. The street was empty which only made things worse for her.

Grabbing her phone from the floor, she stood up straight and began walking faster than usual, not daring to look behind her. Her purse was clutched to her side too in case that was what he was after. After making one turn, she looked behind her again. He wasn't there anymore. A sensation of relief shot through her as she slowed down her pace. Her paranoid self always had a way of settling her in immense foreboding.

Rachael was alleviated to see her house. She got in, shutting the door behind her. Home sweet home, her inner self screamed out loud. Chloe and her mum had already slept, she assumed. Chloe had earlier been worried and called her as early as 8.

The moment she got to her bedroom, she flung her clothes off and dragged her weary feet off to the bathroom, tiredly. When she got to the bathroom, she faced the mirror conducting her normal ritual of checking if she was in the right shape. Whether she had reduced in size or increased. Instead of her enthralling body catching her attention, something else did. A gasp escaped from her lips as she fell to the floor.

The street stalker freak was right outside her window, watching her.

"Fuck" she let out a shaky whisper. Not only did she feel embarrassed, she felt scared. She just led a pervert right into her house. Not technically into her house, but he could get in if he wanted to.

Still, on the floor, she crawled out of the bathroom. The first impulse she got was to call 911 but thought against it instantly. They will take quite a while to get here. What if she called Xavier instead? No that wasn't his business. He was her boss from work after all. If she called Xavier and then 911 after, that would be way worse. If Xavier had some connections to crime just like his tattoo said, he might end up killing the fellow and the police will show up afterward. That would be so messed up.

Damning all consequences, she decided to call Xavier instead. For all she knew, the man outside might be sent by Magnus and Xavier was the one who asked her to write about him, endangering her life.

Her shaky hands waited for him to pick up at the same time accessing the area to see if he was now lurking around on the bedroom windows. Luckily for her, he wasn't.

"Rachael" she heard Xavier's slurry raspy voice indicating she had just woken him up from sleep.

"Xavier where are you? "

"At my house," he said confused."Are you okay?"

"No" she let out a whimper. " One of Magnus's men is right outside my house. I saw him while I was in the bathroom and.... "

Xavier didn't let her finish. He was already boiling inside at the same worried sick about her safety. "I'm coming Rachael" he hung up the call.

Rachael stayed down for a while, hoping he got here as quick as possible before the man found his way in before Xavier

The sound of a gunshot made Rachael tremble. She placed her hand above her head In case it was a case of surrender. It had been up to 10 minutes since she called Xavier and she feared he might already be on the premises.

She heard the front door being opened. At this point, she thought she was going to melt away into the cold floor. Inwardly she prayed it was Xavier because if it was the other man, she was basically defenseless.

The sound of loud, steady footsteps was heard and she dared not move an inch. It became louder and louder, drawing nearer to the room. Rachael gritted her teeth together at the same time shutting her eyes as the door of the room opened.

"Rachael?" She heard a familiar voice and relief washed through her. Happily, she was about to rush toward him and hug him, but realization hit her, she was butt naked on the floor. Maybe whilst she waited for him, grabbing a towel or a sheet would have made the situation less awkward.

"Xavier, can you help me with the towel right inside the bathroom," she asked, cheek flushed.

"Oh okay," Xavier swallowed hard as he walked to the bathroom and emerged with a towel. The moment he tossed it to her, he was tackled from behind. The person tried sending him to the floor, but no avail. Xavier held the hand of the invader and turned to see who it was. It was a girl.

"Chloe don't it's my boss," Rachael said quickly because Chloe was about to punch Xavier directly on his face.

"I know, but what the fuck is he doing here?" she spat as Xavier let go of her hand. "So late at night just after gunshots were heard outside"

"Chloe I'm fine" Rachael assured up on her feet with the towel draped around her body, but that didn't take away the scowl on Chloe's face. "Did mum wake up?"

"No she's fast asleep" Chloe looked at Xavier and then back at Rachael, suspiciously for a while. How could Rachael explain the situation of being clothed with only a towel with her boss right there in her room so late at night?

"I'm out," Chloe said after the immense silence. "Before ma wakes up" she added and left.

When Rachael was sure Chloe had gone far away from the room and wasn't lurking around the door to eavesdrop on their conversation, she spoke.

"What happened? Why was there a gunshot?"

"Nothing to worry about. He has been taking care of"

"Xavier, did you shoot him?"

"He was going to shoot me," he said and she gasped, seating herself on the bed. "I had to, for your safety"

"It's fine" she stated even though she was slightly devastated "but did you confirm if he really was Magnus's men"

"Yes he is"

That sentence struck terror into her. Magnus wasn't joking when he said he was going to teach her a lesson. God knows what would have happened if that man had access to her. He could have killed her or have her taken to his boss.

"Thank you" she sighed. He was there when she needed him and that was the most important thing.

"Tomorrow as early as possible you will be leaving this premises"

"To the apartment?"

"No Magnus knows about the house. You are going to stay at mine for a while"

"Your house? I can't stay at your house"

"Why not?"

"You are my boss"

"Would you rather stay unprotected from Magnus?"

"No, but...."

"But nothing. I got you into all of this and I'm taken responsibility for it" he said firmly with no loophole for Rachael to say otherwise.

She needed the protection, but staying with him was as difficult as it sounded. She already found it hard to keep up with him at the office, what would happen if she had to stay in the same house with him? She might end up losing her mind.

"I will not get in your way and you can leave as soon as I get this whole thing sorted out," he said as a sigh escaped from his lips."I shouldn't have told you to write the article"