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“It was him. I saw him. He was here.”
“What?” Paxton’s jaw slams shut and he clenches his teeth together. “You saw him? Did he say anything?”
“He was standing pretty far away, probably watching for my reaction to the note.” I hate that I passed out. He’s getting a kick out of my fear, and I handed it to him on a silver platter. “I told him to come and get me, and then he disappeared.”
He smacks his hand to his face, and Riggs’s dark eyes stare at me. “Please tell me you didn’t goad a psychopath?”
“It wasn’t one of my finer moments. It all boiled over in a rash outburst.” Let’s hope he doesn’t take me up on my offer.
“You can’t play games with a guy like that. He’s dangerous. Come stay with me for now,” he says. “At least until you can get your security detail. Because you will get it now.”
“Paxton, I don’t know if now is a good time for us—” I begin, but he cuts me off, standing up and crossing his arms with a rigid posture.
“I’m not asking.”
Well, then. Bossy Paxton is kind of sexy.
My instinct is to argue—I’m an independent woman who can take care of herself, and we’re not in the best of places at the moment. But I remember how quickly it took for the guy to drug me and throw me in his car.
And now he knows where I live.
“I’ll grab some of my stuff,” I concede, a trace of defeat in my voice.
Paxton lifts one side of his lips, satisfied, and reaches down to scratch Riggs’s head. “Riggs will sleep sounder knowing he’s protecting you.”
I know I will.
“Let me tell Martinez where I’ll be.”
“He’ll love that,” he quips, putting Riggs’s leash on. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
First, I walk over to Zoe. She’s texting someone. I’m sure her phone is blowing up as the news gets out. She glances up when she sees it’s me. “Can you stay at your parents’ house for a couple of nights? I don’t want you here alone,” I ask.
“I already called them, and they’re coming to pick me up.” She pulls me into a tight hug. “Are you going to be all right?”
That’s the million-dollar question, and I’d pay that amount if it meant finding the bastard. My head is pounding from all the adrenaline.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back here.” I sigh, uncertainty hanging over all my plans. “If you have a friend who wants to live with you rent-free for the semester, I’d be okay with that.”
She nods and gives me another quick hug. This freaking sucks. He’s forcing me into a state of isolation. I’m afraid to have friends. I’m afraid to live my life. What good was it I lived if I can’t live?
I want to scream.
As I walk over to Martinez, he’s talking to three officers, so I wait for him to finish. For a moment, I wonder if I’m making the right choice leaving with Paxton. There’s so much we need to talk about, but is this the right time? While I’m staying at his home?
When Martinez notices me, he turns. “The dogs haven’t picked up a scent. But we’re getting access to every camera around that area.”
I nod. Something tells me they won’t find him. Which makes my decision to stay with Paxton final. “Why didn’t you tell me that Paxton was no longer a suspect?”
He pulls in a harsh sigh, releasing an irritated exhale. He looks past me, over my shoulder, and back to me. “Because I feel there’s still a connection.”
“If there is,” I say in his defense, “he doesn’t know about it. I’m going to go stay with him. He’ll keep me safe.”
He puts his hand on my shoulder, and his eyes soften. It makes me wonder if he has kids. Do they cause him this much stress? “I hope you’re right. Just be careful, Kali.”
CHAPTER 31
Kali
