With that distraction out of the way, I jumped into my car and put on some NWA to clear my mind on the drive home. Between that knockout sex with Tate, which I still wasn’t ready to even think about, let alone talk about, and the stress of this stalker, gangsta rap was the only thing that could help me. And I didn’t give a damn who watched me rap along, complete with hand gestures, because that was just how bad I needed to lose myself in the music.
My love of rap music was the only thing that had followed me from fos
ter care to fashion and all the way out to Vegas. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I felt about ten percent more relaxed than when I left the office, and considering the past few weeks, that was a win.
Until I got to my door and saw a sight that finally had me worried. The last two gifts had taken on a different tone than the first six or so. The photo was a clear threat, but what faced me now, as I dialed 911, was as overt as a threat could get. A giant blue dildo with a knife through the center hung on my door, both of them on top of a photo, I assumed of me. “Die Bitch” was written in red paint on my door but it looked like the blood it was meant to resemble.
I did as the 911 operator instructed and went to sit in my car while I waited for the police. A tap on the window startled me and I realized I should’ve been paying better attention. Just because this weirdo hadn’t shown his face yet, didn’t mean he wouldn’t.
I smiled. “Mrs. Welliver, how are you?”
She wore a frown, but I could see her concern and I stepped out of the car to talk to my neighbor.
“Honey, I’m worried. What’s going on?”
“I wish I knew. Someone, it seems, doesn’t like me all that much.” Not that it was a surprise, I didn’t do much to endear myself to anyone but my clients, but this was something else. “You should probably get back inside before the police come.”
She was at least seventy years old, but as active as a woman half her age. Still, I didn’t want her caught up in this.
“I’m packing, sweetheart, don’t you worry about me,” she lifted her denim jacket to show the handle of a gun.
“I want to be like you when I grow up, Mrs. Welliver.”
She winked. “I’ll go have a seat in my rocking chair but send one of them over when they arrive. Make it a cute one too.”
I was amazed that Mrs. Welliver could get me to smile after what I’d just seen, but the old woman was a character. And apparently a meddler because I turned around just as Jana slammed on her brakes and jumped from her car. She practically ran to me with Max following at a more reasonable pace behind her.
“Oh my god, Teddy! What’s going on?” Jana flung her arms around me and squeezed tight and I looked at myself in the passenger window of my car, wondering if there was a sign on me that said I needed hugs. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine Jana.” I did my best to keep my voice even and calm. Didn’t want to upset the pregnant lady. “I just got home from work and found it,” I told her and pointed to the door. “911 said to stay here.”
Max grabbed Jana’s arm to stop her forward momentum and she glared at him. “They need to see if the asshole left any evidence, babe,” he explained. “So they can catch him.”
I had to give Max credit for daring to talk to Jana in such a reasonable tone when she was so wound up.
“Fine,” she snapped, not sounding fine at all. “What is it?”
I sucked in a deep breath, closed my eyes and explained what I saw. “The knife through the dildo was jarring, but the ‘die bitch’ really got to me.”
“This ain’t funny,” Max said in a low, lethal growl. “You’ll come stay with us until this mess is settled.”
I turned and glared at Max. It was my best glare, the one that could freeze a set of balls in less than three seconds, but Max was a bona fide badass and he didn’t scare easily. “And put my pregnant best friend in harm’s way? Yeah, I don’t think so buddy.”
I walked off before he could say more, heading off to greet the first uniformed officer who had just arrived. He asked questions and I answered them with more attitude than was necessary, but they hadn’t taken me seriously at all over the past month. “I’m sorry ma’am, but we are taking it seriously now.”
“Better late than before this psycho kills me,” I muttered, forever a smartass. But when the forensic team finally arrived, dusting for fingerprints and bagging everything, I felt my knees buckle. It wasn’t just a dildo-knife through a photo of me. It was a recent photo from a write up in Las Vegas Magazine, and my eyes were slashed out, my throat sliced from ear to ear and several holes in the Armani blazer I had on. To me, they looked like bullet holes, but the officer claimed they couldn’t be sure yet.
Right.
“Can you think of anyone who would do this?”
Shaking my head, I shrugged. “No. I haven’t been in the spotlight for years and I keep a pretty low profile. I’m not dating anyone and I work for myself. Honestly, officer, I am at a loss.”
He nodded and walked away, and hours later when the sun finally set I was free to go. Where I would go would be a nice hotel suite with a big tub and kickass security.
Max and Jana still waited by my car. “I told you fools to go home hours ago. I appreciate you staying but one of you needs to rest.”
“And what about you, Teddy?” Max’s voice was angry and irritated. “Where will you go?”