She reaches for her phone, and I watch her work the screen. When she’s found what she’s looking for, she hands me the phone. Using my fingers, I enlarge the image so I can see it’s us, Tayler and me. In her bedroom. The night I forgot to wear a condom.
I look up at her, then at the windows, then back at the photo. “This was taken outside your bedroom window.”
Gage and Tayler nod.
I stand and quickly walk into her bedroom, heading directly to the row of windows. It’s still dark outside, but I know from the other times I’ve been here that there are no other three-story buildings nearby, only residential houses. “How?”
“He’s got a drone.”
I jerk my head to face her. “He has a drone?” I can’t believe this shit. “He took photos of us with a drone?”
“Apparently.” Gage adds, “Tayler says he received one for Christmas last year.”
“He’s been surveilling you and this is the first I’m hearing about it?”
Tayler doesn’t respond. It’s Gage who says, “We decided to deal with this on our own.”
God, I’m mad. I don’t remember ever being this angry before in my life. “You ‘decided to deal with this on your own’?” I scoff. “How’d that work out? Oh, I know. He showed up here like he owns the place, scaring the shit out of Tayler. He’s stalking her. You know how dangerous that is? Stalkers like that asshole”—I point out toward the living room, even though Dylan has already been taken into custody by a second officer. “—don’t give up. He’s unstable. He could have hurt her worse than he did.” I can feel the vein in my neck pulsing. “He could havereallyhurt her.” And the thought of that nearly undoes me.
I walk over to her and wrap her up in my arms. “I can’t stand the thought of someone hurting you, angel.”
“It’s okay.”
It’s okay? What the hell kind of response is that?Ignore it, Luke. Just ignore it. She’s been through enough tonight. Hell, today.
But I can’t ignore it.
“It’s not okay.” And I can’t stand the thought of her here alone. Not anymore. “Pack a bag, babe. A big one. You’re staying with me.”
“No. I’m—”
“That’s a good idea, Tayler,” Gage cuts in. “A good lawyer could have Dylan out by tomorrow. You’ll be safer at Luke’s place. At least until we’re sure he’s no longer a risk to you.”
She sucks in a lungful of air and releases it slowly. “Fine.”
Wow. Her excitement is tangible.
Not.
