After Michael left, his thoughts raced as he tried to make sense of all that had happened.

Who was he and what history does he have with Charlie?

He'd dealt with threats before, men far more dangerous than some lowlife stranger he had met.

The way Charlie had froze. The pure look of fear in her eyes when she'd seen Michael—it had snapped him. His instincts screamed at him to find him and finish what he'd started. But John needed to understand exactly what had happened and why before he execute.

Once inside, he followed them to the living room. Hailey led Charlie to the couch and John could sense it in the way Charlie carried herself.

She would be excited at seeing him, but instead he saw her hands folded in her lap, fingers fidgeting with the hem of her floral dress.

John frowned and he focused on the roommate.

"What's your name?" He asked in his no-nonsense tone.

"Hailey," she answered back quickly.

"I need to know about Michael," he said, though there was a hard edge to his voice that hadn't been there before.

Hailey sighed, glancing over at Charlie. A silent permission before returning to John. "He's trouble since day one."

John took in the simple detail before his eyes moved to Charlie and back to Hailey.

"Tell me more," John said, commanding that he won't ask her twice.

"Michael and Charlie have dated for a while, but it wasn't good," Hailey continued. "He cheated on her. Multiple times. Lied to her. Manipulated her. She tried to break up with him, but he wouldn't leave her alone."

His eyes darkened, every muscle in his body tensed with the need to do something—to make sure that prick never laid eyes on Charlie. The image of the young man's smirk flashed in his mind, and it took everything in John not to turn around and leave to hunt him down. He had to stay calm.

"It wasn't easy for her to get away from him. Michael kept showing up here and wouldn't take no for an answer. And, well... you saw how she froze," Hailey paused and sighed before continuing, "he did a number on her emotionally. He made her feel like she couldn't escape him. That's why she couldn't move tonight. It's like... he still has a hold on her."

John breathed in and exhaled through his nose. Pressing his lips thin, the flowers he had brought for Charlie were now crushed in his grip.

"Is that so?" John said calmly.

Hailey nodded. "Yeah."

Charlie hadn't said a word, but John could see how she kept her gaze fixed on her lap as if she didn't want to meet anyone's eyes.

The thought of her being hurt—emotionally or physically—made him want to interrogate the bastard. But what was holding him back was Charlie, and she finally spoke when she lifted her eyes to him.

"John..." Charlie said, her voice was soft, barely audible. "You don't have to do anything. He's gone now."

"No, Charlie," John said, his tone hard but controlled. "He showed up here, outside your apartment. He wasn't just passing by. He was waiting for you. That's not something I'm going to ignore."

Hailey looked between them, her eyes filled with concern as she continued. "He's been coming around more lately after he got out of jail. I'm betting someone must have bailed him out. I tried to shoo him off, told him Charlie didn't want to see him. I even lie to that prick that she wasn't in the apartment. Yet, he still shows up. I didn't want to make things worse by getting the authorities involved, but... I think it's time."

"You should've called them sooner," John said harshly.

"I was trying to protect her like a good friend." Hailey sneered but held her ground.

John sighed and shook his head.

"I get it," he said, his tone softening just a fraction. "But if he shows up, you call the authorities or you call me, alright?"

"And what would you do?" Hailey raised an eyebrow.

John met her gaze, his eyes hard and unyielding. "Whatever I have to."

The tension in the room thickened, but Hailey seemed to get his message. When she turned and glanced at Charlie, still sitting in silent, she turned back to John.

"Okay," she said and sighed. "I'll call you if I see him again."

John nodded, and he looked down at the crushed bouquet in his hands. The flowers had been meant to make Charlie smile, but now, they were a reminder of how things could get out of control quick.

"Thank you," Charlie said softly. "For being here."

John met her gaze, his eyes softening as he approached her. He knelt before her, placing the crushed bouquet on the coffee table beside them, and took her hands in his.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Yeah?"

Charlie blinked and gave him a smile—just a tiny, fragile smile.

"Yeah," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

John gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

And as they look at each other, with Hailey watching from the side. John knew he couldn't leave Charlie on her own. Not with Michael lurking around, waiting for his chance to show up uninvited. The thought of that bastard anywhere near her—he wouldn't let her stay here, vulnerable, while he returned to his own place.

No, she'd be safer with him.

"How often does he show up here?" John asked after he stood from where he knelt in front of Charlie and looked at Hailey.

She gazed up at the ceiling, thinking, before looking at him. "I'm not sure... he just shows up randomly... or used to, anyway. He would come by two or three times a week without letting anyone know beforehand. It's pretty rude if you ask me," Hailey continued. "One time, that motherfucker tried to break in here after I got back from work. I don't understand why he does it; maybe he thinks Charlie isn't answering his calls so he decides to take matters into his own hands. And to this day, when I threatened to call the police on him, he backed off, but that doesn't stop him from stalking her."

Charlie flinched as Hailey let out a curse, but she didn't stop her.

"When?" John asked.

"Seven months before Charlie called the police to restrain him," Hailey confirmed.

"Hmm," John figured it wasn't too long ago, but his mind had made up for the next step. "Alright, she's coming with me."

Hailey blinked, taken aback for a split second decision. "To your place?"

"I have someone who can look out for her," John stated. "Until I figure out what to do about him. She'll be safer under my watch."

Charlie opened her mouth to protest, but John held up a hand, cutting her off gently. "This is not a negotiation. Alright?"

She stared at him, her eyes filled with gratitude and frustration. She wasn't used to someone else taking charge like this—but deep down, she knew John was right. The fear gripped her when she saw Michael, and the thought of staying in the apartment with him lurking somewhere out there made her stomach churn.

His expression softened as he added, "Pack up on what you need."

Charlie gave a nod and rose from the couch, walking towards her bedroom. Hailey trailed behind, wanting to offer her support (or soothe her nerves).

John was left alone, letting out a sigh as he shifted his thoughts. He needed to come up with a plan that didn't rely on waiting for the authorities to handle things.

Luckily, he knew someone who could help him with that. Pulling out his phone from his pocket, scrolling through his contact list until he found Gabby. He knew she was a reliable teammate for anything he needed to get Intels with just her fingertips. She had ways of finding people and gathering information that most wouldn't even think of. If anyone could track down Michael without raising suspicion, it was her.

He shot off a quick message:

John: Need you to find someone with the name of Michael, connected to Charlie. Can you help?

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed with a reply.

Gabby: What is his last name?

John frowned. He didn't have the last name yet, but he could get the answer from Hailey.

It didn't take long—within minutes, they were back, Charlie with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder and Hailey following close behind with other bags she was carrying.

"I'm ready." Charlie said, adjusting the strap of her bag.

John nodded, taking the bag from her without a word and slinging it over his shoulder and looked at Hailey.

"What's his last name?" he asked. "Michael."

Hailey blinked, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Why?"

His gaze was steady, unwavering. "Because I want to remember it."

Something in his tone—dangerous and sharp—made her pause before asking any more questions. Hailey glanced at Charlie, then back at John.

After a beat, Hailey finally answered. "Harkin."

John nodded, the name settling in his mind like a loaded gun, ready to fire. "Thank you."

Hailey crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him. "You're not going to do something crazy, are you?"

His lips twitched, but it wasn't quite a smile. "Don't worry about it."

Hailey opened her mouth to say something, but Charlie stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm.

"Let's go," she said softly, her voice pulling him back from the edge of whatever secret plan he had circled.

John turned his gaze to her, the tension in his body easing slightly. "Yeah."

As they headed for the door, John sent another quick message to Gabby.

John: Harkin. See what you can find.

Her reply came almost immediately.

Gabby: You got it boss.

Then he pocketed his phone.

He wouldn't tell Charlie about this—she didn't need to know what he was planning. All she needed to know was that he had everything under control.

Deep down, he wouldn't want the authorities to handle it.

He was going to take care of it himself. And he'll be damned if anything happens to Charlie; John wouldn't care if a part of him would snap, and he wouldn't think twice about remorse or mercy. If it meant to put a bullet hole on Harkin.