“Talk to me.”
“Where are you?”
The background noise on his end fades. “Where do youneedme to be?”
“Annie’s place was tossed.”
I hear him running. “I’m leaving the bar. I’ll be right there.”
“No. We’re upstairs. Come here first.” I hang up, then call Fitz and tell him the same thing, adding, “I don’t care what it costs to get me the proof I need, Fitzy. Any blowback will be on me, so do whatever the fuck you have to.”
“On it.”
I’m throwing a blanket over Annie when Parker walks in and does a double take. “Jesus. You okay?” he asks, leaning over the couch.
“I’m fine.”
“What happened?”
She squints an eye open and looks from him to me, then groans as she pulls the blanket over her head. “I came home, saw everything I own destroyed, tripped, then fell and hit my head. Seriously, I’m fine.”
Parker grits his teeth. “You see anyone, Annie?”
“Nope.”
“How’d they get in?”
“Fire escape window was smashed.”
Annie sucks in a breath. I know what she’s thinking, but my gut is telling me this is a different motive than what happened at her apartment. It’s jealousy, rage. Not obsession.
I jerk my chin at my brother, and he leaves us alone. “I’m gonna go downstairs and talk to Parker, okay. I’ll be back in just a couple of minutes.”
“Whatever.”
She’s docile, and she’s never docile with me. I fucking hate it. “Be right back.” I tug the blanket down and brush my lips over hers.
Parker’s in the alley, and as soon as I charge through the door, he says, “I know what that look on your face says, and trust me, bro, I’m thinking the same thing.”
“Nah, trust me. You are not thinking the same thing as I am.” I clench my jaw, my fist, and I look around for something to punch, but I’m surrounded by brick and steel.
“Breaking your hand won’t help anything, so pull your shit together and talk to me.”
“It’s gotta be Poe. He wrote whore on her mirror. He’s pissed she left him.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Why else would he do that? He tossed her place to let me know he got to her. He’s playing fucking games.”
He sucks his teeth. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I feel like writing whore on someone’s mirror is something a jealous woman would do.”
I rub my hands down my face. “Fuck. It was Tara.” I should have thought about that. I’m not ruling Poe out yet.
“That’s my guess.”
“Annie doesn’t need this shit. She’s been through enough. That fuckin’ bitch better hope I don’t find her first.”
“You’re not gonna hurt her.”
