No, I’m going to find the stalker, kill him first, then kill Crawford.
Crawford wants to fuck around with Mandy’s safety? Fine. I’ll take care of it myself. I didn’t need the rest of my family then, and I don’t need them now.
Hawthorne:I’ll help you find the bastard.
Faulkner:Fuck Crawford.
McCarthy:Yeah, fuck the East Coast Svenssons.
Whitman:Do you have a picture of him or anything?
Fitz:Can you get in Mandy’s phone?
Mandy hovers outside my office door, Pepper in her arms. She almost knocks but doesn’t, turns, hesitates.
Blowing out a breath, I cross the office in three strides and wrench the sliding-glass door open. “What?”
“Nothing.” There’s apprehension in her brown eyes. “You look busy.”
I force myself to school my features. “What do you need?”
“It’s just that, well, you said not to leave without you, and Pepper needs to go out.”
“So take her out.” I spread my hands.
Maybe her stalker has been texting her, threatening her. I need access to her phone.
“Did you want to come?” The question is halting.
I stay impassive as I look down on her. “No.”
“But—”
“You said you didn’t want my help, remember? Maybe this will convince you of the danger you’re in.”
She gives me a broken look.
My heart is hard.
As soon as the elevator dings, I rush to my desk and grab a scope out of the drawer.
As if I’m going to throw Mandy to the wolves—or a mangy, feral cat, more like.
From the roof, I watch Mandy exit the building with the dog. By her posture and general demeanor, it’s clear she’s terrified. It’s infuriating that she won’t just let me help her.
Pepper is maddeningly slow as she sniffs around the park on the other side of the street from the Rainier Equity building.
If I’m lucky, her stalker will accost her. I could get a photo of his face, then he would be mine, and Crawford could go fuck himself.
Unfortunately, no creepy men approach her. I don’t even see any man stopping to watch her.
I suddenly wonder if her stalker knows. If he’s watching her all the time, then he probably knows she’s under myprotection. Maybe he’s biding his time, waiting until my guard is down.
Her stalker wants to do this the hard way?
Fine.
I am not going to lose.
