I turned her way. I had all her attention. She didn’t even blink as she listened.
But still, I nervously continued, “I’ve always loved you. I’ve always wanted you. Now that I’ve tasted you, I don’t want to stop. Now that I see so many creeps around you, I can’t walk away. I need to protect you, and I definitely want to fuck you. And once won’t be enough. And moving here is only the beginning.”
She swallowed. “The beginning of what?”
“You should know, Zola. I’ve never felt this way before. Have you?”
“Not like this. I’ve had crushes, but…when you touch me, it’s like our bodies, our souls, have merged.”
“You’ve been away from me for too long.” I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her. “But it’s true. We’ve started something. We have to see where this goes.”
“Yes.”
I kissed her, and she drank me in.
This was beyond logic. No longer did I consider York or even Mrs. Ellen. In the dark corners of my heart, guilt sprouted and grew. I didn’t care. I wouldn’t stop being with Zola.
How fucked up was I? Mrs. Ellen had invited me into her home, and all I could do years later was obsess over stuffing my cock in her daughter.
I didn’t care.
Let the devil take my soul. I won’t stop.
“I can’t believe you’re moving here,” she whispered between kisses.
Me either. I guess I should let my team know that too.
I inhaled her and nipped at those soft lips. “I’ll always love you, Zola.”
Her breath caught a little as she whispered back, “I’ll always love you too, Hunter.”
She leaned into my arms.
“Are you cold in that robe?”
“No, I’ll be fine.” She closed her eyes.
I held her tighter. “Talk to me. How do you feel?”
“I don’t get this stalker.”
“No one ever does.”
“Why the fuck is he bothering me?” she asked.
“There’s never any logic to why.”
“What were some of the other types of stalkers?”
“There’s no need to talk about it, Zola, just let me—”
“I need to help. I can’t just sit around. You told me you would tell me everything.”
“I will.”
“Is there anything new?”
I sighed. “I’m not certain. This person is getting at you in restricted areas and during your events. And he’s skilled.”
“It’s all restricted, but for the people who work for me.”
“Exactly. I thought this wasn’t some stranger. I figured you might see this stalker every day. Now, with his skill, with the way he’s been able to sneak around me and show off…”
This might be about me.
“I trust you. You’ll find out who did.” She tightened her arms around me. “Thank you for coming, Hunter. I don’t know if I would’ve felt safer with anyone else.”
“You’ll never know that. Like I said before, I’ll always be here.”
She opened her eyes and raised her face. “What are the other types of stalkers?”
“There’s the Incompetent Suitor. He stalks due to lust. He’s not like the Intimacy Seeker who hopes to create a loving relationship by stalking you.”
“What the hell?”
“Yeah. An Intimacy Seeker believes that stalking you is a sign of love. The Incompetent Suitor thinks the stalking will get him laid.”
“Because I’ll be so overwhelmed by his creepy attention?”
“Yes, that’s their logic. Either way, the person is indifferent to the distress of victim. Her telling him to leave her alone is sweet poetry to his ears. He thinks she’s just teasing and taunting.”
“This is sick.”
“And very real for a lot of women.” I ran my fingers through my hair.
“The world is lucky to have someone like you. What do you think the spraying me with red paint was about? Is he saying that he’s going to kill me next?”
I didn’t want to tell her the truth, but I’d promised. “I think so.”
“So, if he’s trying to kill me, then this isn’t about intimacy or anything like that?”
“I won’t know for sure until I have him in my hands.”
And I’m crushing his fucking windpipe between my fingers. If this is about me, then I might just take his family too. He should’ve never brought her into this.
23
Leave No Rock Unturned
Hunter
When we arrived at the hotel suite, I took samples of the paint from Zola’s skin and then had her shower. Something was bothering me about the paint. I’d smelled it before. I kept the sample in my pocket, wanting to handle it first. The stalker was getting bolder and bolder with each new move. I had to outthink him and keep everything to myself from now on.
Where was it? When was it?
Baptiste and two of my men arrived later—Stark and Meridian. Seeing their faces made me think more of my world. I’d trained all three of them, taught each one how to assess and evaluate targets, how to snipe, how to hide, how to always stay within the shadows even though they were right in front of the person.