Okay, what the hell did that mean? Her tone said I should be ashamed somehow, and it took all I had not to fire back at her before she turned and walked back into her house.
“What is her problem?” Isla muttered.
“I could make you a list,” I responded, dumbfounded by her attitude. If it were any of my other neighbours, they’d have come running over to express their concern, but Viola had acted like it was all my fault.
Wait, was this her doing? Was that Gary in the sunglasses and hat driving the stolen car? The probability was almost comical, but I had been expecting retaliation after what Jace had said to them. Viola and Gary were annoying, but were they dangerous? No, I didn’t think so. They wouldn’t do somethingthis crazy, but then, if it was the catfish, why were they suddenly going after me? It didn’t make sense unless …
“I need to talk to you,” I said, pulling Jace into my house and shooting Isla a grateful nod before I closed the door.
“What is it, Shan?”
I searched his gaze. “Have you told anyone about your plan to …” My words fell off as a flush claimed my cheeks. “To convince me to give you another chance?”
His expression warmed as he reached out to push some hair behind my ear. “No, but I think Angus suspects. Why?”
God, it was so embarrassing to talk about this. “Well, I know your dad ruled out everyone in your close circle, but if they’re now gunning for me, it seems like it could be someone who knows we’ve been spending a lot more time together.”
“Fuck,” he swore again, running a hand over his stubble. “It can’t be any of them. It just can’t be.”
“No, you’re right. I saw how they all reacted last night, and they just seemed hurt that they’d been suspected. No one acted guilty. Maybe it’s a stranger, and they’ve been …” I trailed off as a shudder went through me. “Watching us,” I finished at last, and Jace instinctively stepped closer, his posture protective as though he was just as perturbed as I was at the idea of having a real life stalker instead of a mere online impersonator.
“There was a bunch of rubbish outside my gate this morning. If this was intentional, it means they dumped it there so that I’d come out to clear it, and they could frighten me. This was obviously a threat to scare me into staying away from you.”
A myriad of emotion passed over Jace’s features, most notably fury, before he stepped back and pulled out his phone. “I need to talk to my dad.” A pause as he ran his gaze over me. “You and Zara should come stay at my parents’ house for a couple days. Whoever was driving that car knows where you live, and I don’t want you on your own.”
I should’ve felt grateful for the offer, but it only made me angry. Not at Jace, but at whoever was trying to terrorise us.
“I won’t let them run me out of my own house,” I said, standing firm.
His look was determined. “I’m not leaving you and Zara here alone. Who knows what they’ll try next.”
“I’ll have some security cameras installed. It’s actually been on my to do list for a while. Plus, I already have an alarm system.”
“None of those will help in this situation. Alarms and cameras deter burglars, not lunatics who want to break in and hurt you. Someone could get into this house and cause a lot of harm before anyone responds to your alarm going off, Shannon.”
His words created a hollow feeling in my gut. The thought of a stranger wanting to do me harm was terrifying, but the idea of them going after Zara was even more so. Jace was right. We needed protection, but I wouldn’t impose on Matilda and Jay. They’d already done so much for us over the years, and staying at their house was a hassle I wasn’t prepared to inflict upon them. Besides, if things progressed, and I needed to stay someplace else, there was always my parents’ apartment. They kept it for the occasions when they visited, and I had permission to use it whenever I pleased since it was always empty.
“Just until we find who it is.Please,” he begged.
“I’m not being run out of my house, Jace.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his expression frustrated and tense, before he countered, “All right, I’ll just have to stay here, then.”
My eyes bugged. “What? No, there’s nowhere for you to sleep. I don’t have a guest bedroom.”
He shrugged. “I’ll take the couch.”
“Jace, listen—”
His hands came to my shoulders, firmly clasping them as he stared me down. “We’ll step things up and find them, Shannon. They’re obviously losing the plot if they’re coming here and trying to scare you in person. This will only be temporary, and then I’ll get out of your hair. I can’t leave you and Zara alone, not after what I just saw. If anything happened to either of you, I could never forgive myself.”
The fervency of his words had me relenting. I saw his fear, and I felt it, too. If the catfish wanted to harm us, then I needed to do everything I could to protect myself and my daughter, and having Jace around was better than sleeping in the house alone.
“You won’t be very comfortable on the couch.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll make do. But first things first, you really do need security cameras. Dixon knows all the best systems. He and I will take care of that for you today.”
“Okay, thank you.” I was grateful because I had a lot of work to get through, and installing cameras wasn’t something I was capable of. I tended to get vertigo if I had to go up a ladder.
