“You want me, Fi. You can’t deny it.” He took a step toward her.
She couldn’t, but that didn’t mean she would be putty in his hands. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not staying here and I’m not starting something you can’t finish.”
His eyes narrowed in challenge. “Oh, I can finish alright.”
Her sex clenched at the thought. “Could you do that to your best friend? Sleep with his sister?” She threw down the ultimate gauntlet. One she knew he would never pass.
Vincent’s face fell, losing that cocky look. “No.”
She expected the words, but they still stung. She kept her face neutral. “Then I suggest you keep your hands to yourself, Vincent.”
Vincent nodded in agreement. Well, that was easy.
“Good, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to leave.” She stepped to leave but his words stopped her.
“Fi, you can’t do this on your own. If someone is threatening you, you should be with friends.”
“I don’t want to endanger them,” she said without looking at him.
“How is this person threatening you?”
She debated telling him or not. If he knew, he would tellJoaquín,who would learn things about her no brother should ever know. She didn’t even want to think what her sisters and mother would do. Her mother might keel over.
“You can tell me.” His voice turned soft, cajoling, as if talking to a skittish horse. She wouldn’t cave so easily.
Fiona shook her head. “Nothing has changed. You’ll tell my brother.”
“What are you hiding that you’re afraid to tell even your family about?”
“Just let it go, please.” It was a futile attempt but she had to try and get him to drop it.
“You know I can’t.”
He was obligated because ofJoaquín. Not because of any concern about her.
“Someone’s been following me.” That was as much as she was willing to admit. She couldn’t bare the shame if he knew the full truth.
Vincent’s eyes hardened and his jaw clenched. “What else? I know there’s more, so don’t bother lying.”
“They’ve sent photos.” She looked down at her feet. She didn’t even want to mention the threats; that would make Vincent want to send her back home that much more, for her family to protect her. She didn’t want to risk anyone for her.
“What kind?”
“Pictures from my parents’ house and work, the clinic.” She licked her lips nervously, keeping her eyes downcast so she didn’t see his anger before continuing. “They even have photos from when I came back, when we got off the plane. Photos of all of you.”
Vincent cursed, running his fingers through his hair. “This is serious, Fi.”
Didn’t he think she knew that already? “Why do you think I left home?”
He looked at her like she’d just grown a second head. “What does running away solve?”
“If I’m not there to antagonize, then they have no power.”
“Or they’ll just follow you and start all over again.”Vincent started pacing around the small space like a caged tiger.
She hadn’t thought about that. She just thought if she wasn’t there, they’d find another victim.Why they were even fixated on her was unclear to her. Fiona didn’t have many friends. She definitely didn’t have enemies, at least none that she was aware of.
“We have to find out who’s doing this.”
