“From across the street.Long enough that it wasn’t an accident.”
Anja’s eyes narrowed.“Who?”
Kayne didn’t hesitate.“Fraiser Talbot.”
The name hit like a physical blow.
Chloe’s breath stalled, then rushed out all at once.“He’s not supposed to be anywhere near here.”
“He wasn’t supposed to be,” Kayne agreed.“Which is why the police took him away about fifteen minutes ago.”
Anja let out a low whistle.“Again?”
“Again,” Kayne confirmed.“Restraining order violation.GPS issues.The usual creative excuses.He denied breaking into your apartment or trying to run you over.He insisted you’re married.”
Anja winced.“That particular flavor of delusion tends to come with a side of blame.”
“That’s what worried me,” Kayne agreed.“He’s past obsession and has veered into resentment.He thinks you ruined his life.”
Chloe hugged her arms around herself, a chill skittering across her skin that had nothing to do with the weather.“So he’s angry.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She stared at the floor for a moment, concentrating on the scuffed concrete and the faint hum of the building, then gave a weak huff of laughter.“Fantastic.Add that to the list.Stalker arrested again, manager missing in action, and Mercury still very much in retrograde.”
Kayne crouched slightly so he was in her line of sight.“You okay?”
She nodded automatically, then hesitated.“Ask me again in about ten minutes.”
Anja stepped in smoothly, voice practical.“The important part is he’s off the street for now.We’ll follow up, make sure they hold him this time.”
“For now,” Chloe echoed, hating how flimsy the words felt the second they left her mouth.
Kayne straightened, his presence solid and unmovable in front of her.“You’re not dealing with any of this alone.Not him, or staffing, or anything.”
She looked up at him, really looked, and felt that familiar mix of relief and fear twist together.It scared her how much she wanted to believe him.“I was just thinking I might have to hire Oliver Pearsall after all.”
Kayne grimaced.“Let’s treat that as a last resort.”
Chloe managed a small smile.The day was unraveling faster than she liked, but the knot in her gut loosened just a fraction.At least now she wasn’t standing in the middle of it by herself.
#
Kayne didn’t like happenstance.It made his skin itch, the same way bad intel used to before missions went sideways.He sat at the small desk in the back of Chloe’s office, construction work humming beyond the walls, and pulled up Oliver Pearsall’s file again.
He’d run a background check after Oliver left the other day, more out of instinct than cause.Kayne had wanted to know more about the man in case Chloe decided to hire him.
His employment history checked out.There were commendations in his military file.His certifications seemed legit.There was no criminal record worth flagging, no obvious restraining orders, no and red alarms screamingrun.
Kayne leaned back in the chair, mouth tight.
Clean didn’t mean safe.Sometimes it meant careful, and careful men learned how to disappear in plain sight.He’d gotten a weird vibe from Oliver from the start.It didn’t announce itself loudly but lingered.His instincts had whispered to watch him, so Kayne dug deeper into his address history, financials, and social media presence.Oliver had a sparse online footprint.No strong opinions, political leanings, or personal photos.No friends tagged in anything older than a year.
That kind of blank space was either discipline or intent.
“Don’t love him,” Kayne muttered.
The door opened behind him.He didn’t turn; he already knew who it was by the cadence of the steps.
