Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“You’re not going anywhere but into the house,” he informed her.
“Yes, I am. I’m going to go talk to Ryan. He might have seen who did this. Although I think I know who it is, I need an eyewitness.”
“You know who did this?” he asked, turning to look back at the words written on the door: Frigid Bitch.
Who the fuck had written something like that?
And where could he find them so he could fucking kill them?
“When did this happen? Who do you think did it?” he demanded.
Turning, she gave him a searching look before quickly glancing away again.
“Maya,” he said warningly. “When did this happen?”
“Sunday night,” she admitted.
“During the night?” he asked.
“Yeah. I heard something and went out. Didn’t see anything, but I was on edge so I stayed awake the rest of the night. Found that on my garage door the next morning.”
“Is that why you went to Callahan Security?” he asked. Now it made sense. Had she been wanting a security system after this happened?
“I thought maybe they could put in a security system for me,” she said. “I know it would cost a lot of money and that I wouldn’t see that back on a house in this neighborhood. But I need to protect my babies.”
God.
She cared about those animals so much. It was admirable and sweet. He got it. But also, it had to be scary for her being in this neighborhood on her own.
“I’m scared to leave them on their own,” she whispered in a stark voice. “I’m petrified he’s going to come back here and hurt them.”
“He who?” he asked in a low voice.
She bit her lip, looking scared.
It killed him that she didn’t trust him enough to tell him.
“Maya.” He turned her toward him, squeezing her hand lightly. It was dangerous to touch her, he’d learned that inside. But he couldn’t stop himself. “I know we don’t know each other, but you can trust me. I’m going to take care of you.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about my babies. If he hurts them . . .” She took in a deep breath. “I think a security system would make him hesitate. I hope it would. He wouldn’t want to be caught on camera.”
But if this guy was smart, he could get around that.
“I just don’t want him to hurt them and I don’t know how to stop him. But if Ryan saw him doing this . . .”
“Ryan is the guy in the BMW?”
“Yeah. So let me go so I can talk to him if he drives past again.”
“Who is he? How do you know him? Why does he keep driving past?” he asked, confused about what was going on here.
She shot him a look, moving her weight from foot to foot. Then she sighed. “His name is Ryan and I know him because he’s my old boss. Turned stalker.”
“Stalker?” he repeated, staring at her incredulously. “You have a stalker?”
“Kind of.”
“Kind of?” he repeated. Was she trying to kill him? A stalker? It was bad enough that she hadn’t mentioned the spray painting on the garage door, but she also had a stalker?
How long had he even known this girl for?
“You have a stalker and you didn’t think to mention that? What if he did this?”
“Um, no. I don’t think Ryan did this. He’s a hands-off stalker. And he’s really harmless.”
“Harmless? Your stalker is harmless.” He raised his gaze heavenward. “Her stalker is harmless.”
Maya glanced up at the sky.
Who was he talking to?
It was sort of odd. Was he losing his mind?
“Who are you talking to?”
“God,” he replied dryly. “I’m talking to God. I’m hoping that he has some answers for me. Because I do not understand how you can have a harmless stalker. Have you spoken to someone about this guy?”
“Spoken to someone?” she repeated.
“Like the police,” he explained.
She snorted. “Yeah, right. As if I can go to the cops about anything. You’ve forgotten who I am.”
“I haven’t forgotten who you are for a moment,” he replied.
His words sent a strange shiver up her spine. Maya wanted to sneak a glance at him. She peeked up to find him staring down at her intently.
Oh. Crap.
It felt like he had her trapped in his gaze.
She couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.
“Maya? Are you all right?”
Nope. She still couldn’t speak.
“Come with me. It’s clearly not that safe out here for you.”
He started moving her inside. And her body just followed him into the living room. He settled her on the sofa and crouched in front of her.
What was he doing?
He placed his hands on her legs. “I want to know why the Chief of Police’s daughter doesn’t feel she can go to the police when she’s being threatened.”
“Maybe because the person threatening me is a cop.”
16
Maybe because the person threatening me is a cop.
Why had she said that?