He still hadn't seen me. I watched him walking down the street in a black hoodie, eyes darting around, obviously looking for his next prey.

I was still seething from having seen him stabbing his robber victim last night after she'd failed to give him anything substantial.

He hadn't even cared that she truly hadn't had much on her. He'd only cared about his needs. He was part of the reason people couldn't take a stroll at night without looking over their shoulders.

After he'd stabbed the woman in the stomach, he'd run off before I could get to him. I'd called the ambulance and they'd taken her in.

The medics had told me to call the police and I had. They'd been suspicious of me but the woman had already clarified to them that I wasn't the one who stabbed her.

She didn't survive. The wound had been too deep and she'd lost too much blood. The officer had swore to find her killer and make him pay, but I knew how things worked around here.

Camera's were nonexistent in this town and finding him would take time. Hell, they probably would've never found him, and this woman deserved instant justice.

The robber was walking in my direction where I was leaning against a wall. He looked up and saw me. His eyes brightened, and I could so clearly read his thoughts; he'd found his next prey.

I continued to watch him as he approached until he stopped in front of me, pulling out a large knife.

“You gon give m'all you have or you die ” He waved the knife in front of my face.

Crosing my arms on my chest, I stared right back at him cooly. He arched his brow in surprise. “You think me joking?” He glowered menacingly.

I dipped my gloved hand into my pocket, pretending to be getting something for him, then I hit the butt of the knife. It went flying out of his hand, and before he knew it, I had it in mine.

What better way to kill a murderer than with his own weapon?

Grabbing him by the collar of his hoodie, I dragged him into the darkened alleyway, slamming his back into the wall. He gasped, but he'd barely opened his mouth when I covered it and plunged the knife into his stomach.

He stilled, before trying to make a sound. All of it were muffled by my hand. His eyes watered, manifesting the pain he was going through.

And still I didn't stop. I kept pushing the knife until I was sure the tip had pierced his back and pressed into the wall.

“This is for every person you've stabbed. Every person you've murdered.” I growled at hun, then finally let go of his knife.

I didn't have to worry about leaving my fingerprints on the handle since I was wearing gloves. Grabbing both of his hands, I wrapped them around the knife handle so that his prints were more pronounced.

Let's see the police officer who rules this as suicide.

I left him just likeke that; gasping through his painful breaths with the life seeping out of him. This town was soon going to be free of another murderer.

****

I woke up after another restless night the third time in a roll. For some reason, I couldn't get the thought of Montserrat out of my head, hadn't been able to since the last time I saw her three days ago.

I couldn't help but wonder how she was doing, whether she was in any kind of danger.

Yes, I'd warned Mateo and his mother not to even dare think of hurting her, but there was no way in hell I could trust that they would listen.

What if they'd thought that with my kind of work, I had no time to think about a woman and hence considered my threat empty?

What if they'd paid another person to do what I'd refused to do?

The last thought made an inexplicable shudder ran through me. After an internal battle with myself, I finally got out of bed, took a quick shower and put my signature black leather jacket on a black undershirt on top of black jeans. Then I locked the doors and grabbed my motor.

There was no way I was going because I cared about Montserrat. I was only going to make sure Mateo and his mother hadn't disobeyed me.

If they had, God help them.

I rode till I got into the woods and parked my bike where I'd parked it three days ago, deciding to walk the rest of the way. I would just take a peek and then leave without letting her see me. At least, that was the plan.

Until I got to the spot behind the bushes where I'd hid the other night. She was stepping out onto the porch of her cabin, singing with the melodious voice of hers as she locked up the house.

I stood there still, listening to her sing, so entranced that when she spontaneously spun around, her eyes darting in my direction, I didn't have enough time to duck. She saw me, and I felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Goodness gracious, it's you. Thank God.” She placed a hand on her chest, sighing dramatically. “I know you're a shy person, but I've told you before that you don't have to be shy of me.”

She began to descend the stairs that led up to her porch, flashing me her megawatt smile as she approached. The smile did strange things to my stomach, and I stifled that reaction instantly.

When she rounded the bushes and came closer to me, I instinctively knew what she had in mind. Remembering the things her hug had made me feel three days ago, I stepped away immediately.

“Jeez, I'm not fire, you know? ” She raised her hands up in dramatic surrender and pouted, not sounding a bit offended. “Went for another trek, didn't you?” She wriggled her brows at me, letting me know she was teasing me.

God, where the heck did she get all that boisterous exuberance and optimism from? While I was a quiet person, I bet she couldn't stay a single minute without talking or singing.

“I have to go.” I told her, then turned to leave instantly.

For some reason, her presence was making me uncomfortable, and I never got uncomfortable. Hell, I hadn't counted on her catching me when I decided to check on her.

Before I knew it, she'd run to block my path. “Not so fast, shy one.”

“I'm not shy.” I bit out, irritated.

Sure, I wasn't boisterous or talkative like she was – I'd gone through too much to be that kind of person–but I certainly wasn't a shy person. I just liked to keep to myself.

“Yeah, sure.” She said noncommittally. “But you came to see me. You can't leave that suddenly. “You're going to escort me somewhere I'm going right now whether you like it or not!”

I could've said no, snugged her and left. Instead, I allowed myself to be dragged with her by the hand. We got to the path where I'd parked the motorbike. She paused and looked back at me.

“Is that yours?” She asked. I nodded.

Excitement blazed in her eyes as she let go of my hand and rushed to hop on the motor. “Oh my God, it's been so long since I rode one. I'm definitely riding. Come on, hop on.” She held the handles earnestly.

“Haha, nice try.” I said humourlessly. “Get down and get behind me. I'm riding.”

She didn't even look like she could ride a rollerskate. No way was I going to give her the opportunity to kill both of us by letting her ride.

“But I...” She began to protest.

I held up my hand. “No buts. Now get down.”

Pouting petulantly, Montse finally got down. I hopped onto the motor and steadied it so that she could climb behind me with ease. I turned the ignition, and she placed her hands on my shoulders as I rode off.

While on the road, she didn't shut up for a second. She kept on talking and talking about nothing and everything; the pine tree this, the butterfly that, St. Patricio this, even as she gave me directions to where I was taking her.

I was so immersed in her annoying, never-ending chatter that the familiarity of the environment went unnoticed until she said we were at the destination. As I drove through the opened gates, I froze.

We were at Mateo and his mother's mansion.