Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 102479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102479 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 512(@200wpm)___ 410(@250wpm)___ 342(@300wpm)
“You mean you’d do all the legwork to create the data in-house? Wouldn’t that be an enormous undertaking?”
“It would be if we didn’t buy an existing data and research platform. Tomorrow night I’m having dinner with the CEO of MSL—Market Search Link. They’re smaller than the top three, but we’ve been using their data for a few years, and I think we can just add resources and bring it in-house fairly painlessly. If we can reach a tentative agreement, we’re going to present the idea to the DOJ.”
“Oh wow. And MSL is willing to sell?”
“It’ll cost a small fortune—they realize we need them more than they need us right now—but it will give us more control in the end.”
We spent the rest of dinner talking business, and then Jagger insisted I stay seated while he cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. I did, though I moved to the stool on the other side of the counter to watch him. The man somehow managed to be sexy rinsing dishes and wiping counters.
“I spoke to Detective Wallace today,” Jagger said.
The announcement was akin to throwing a bucket of water over me. I sat up stick-straight. “Oh?”
“They were able to get traces of DNA off the envelope. But it didn’t match anyone in their systems.”
The smile that had been on my face while watching the domestic side of Jagger faded. “What about the video?”
“The envelope was delivered by a courier who regularly works this route. The card was dropped off at their office, which is a shithole uptown, and they don’t have any security cameras.”
“So they have nothing? Again they hit a brick wall?”
He nodded. “But it doesn’t mean that’s what’ll happen to me. They won’t hand over the DNA profile they created from the envelope sample, but I asked if my security team can have the envelope to do our own search. My hands aren’t tied by the law like theirs are. Of course, Wallace got pissed off and said no. But I went over his head, and I’m waiting to hear back. I think we’ll get to do our own testing.”
“I was really hoping they’d come up with something this time.” I shook my head and looked down. “I’ve lived in fear for too long, and I can’t let it rule my life anymore.”
“I agree. Leave the worrying to me and my team.”
I smiled sadly. “I appreciate that. I really do. But I can’t stay holed up in this apartment and have security follow me everywhere I go.”
“Why not?” Jagger seemed genuinely confused.
“Because I need to reclaim what I’ve lost. My fears aren’t going to vanish overnight. I’m sure I’ll still check over my shoulder for a long time, but taking the train to work instead of having your driver take me, and walking on the busy Manhattan streets, sleeping in my own place—those are all ways of reclaiming what he tried to take from me all over again.”
Jagger walked over and held my shoulders as he spoke. “I’d prefer you stay here. I like having you here.”
I turned my head and kissed his hand. “I like being with you, too. And I appreciate all that you’ve done for me. But it’s time for me to go back home. I’ll get my things after work tomorrow. You’re not going to be here anyway. And besides, your sister is going to come in a few weeks.”
“I don’t give a shit. I own the building. I’ll kick a tenant out if I have to so Catherine has a place to stay.”
“That’s sweet, but I need to go home, Jagger. Moving to New York and living on my own was a big step for me, one that was long overdue. After everything happened, I dropped out of NYU and spent the better part of a year inside my mother’s apartment. When I finally was ready to go back to college two years later, I left New York to leave my past behind me. But even then, I wasn’t standing on my own. Miles came with me, and we moved in together. Being back here and being independent is something I really needed to do, and I don’t want to go backward.” I reached for Jagger’s cheek. “Can you understand that?”
He pulled his head back. “No.”
I blinked a few times. “No, you can’t understand that?”
“No, you’re not going back to that building. He knows where you live.”
Jagger’s commands might be attractive in the bedroom, but they were extremely unattractive at the moment. It pissed me off that he thought he could tell me what to do. My hands went to my hips. “You know you aren’t the one who’s making this decision, right?”
“You’re being unreasonable. It’s safer here.”
“How? If this guy figured out that I moved back to New York, don’t you think he can figure out that I’m staying here?”