Page 37 of The Rebel Billionaire

She trailed off, either not sure how to explain or uncertain if shewantedto.

Tough luck. I wanted answers and I was going togetthem.

"What kind of stuff?" Iasked.

She shrugged one shoulder—the one she hadn't landed on—and said, "Well, for the last few months, some nut bag has been sending pictures of my aunt and uncle's deaths to different people in the family. Not tome. . .yet."

"Anyone attacked? Anything direct, like this? Or just leavingpictures?"

"Just pictures," she said. "So far, only for Jacob andVance."

"Anything else?" Iasked.

"A former client of Winters Inc. threatened me a few weeks ago," she admitted, squeezing her eyes shut as I went to work on the raw spot at hertemple.

"Sorry," I said, hating that I was hurting her. "You got dirtinhere."

"It's okay," she whispered. "Thankyou."

I ignored her thanks and said, "What kind ofthreats?"

"Nothing specific," she said. "I was responsible for reporting his company to the FBI for fraud and he was pretty pissed offaboutit."

"Is that why Aidenfiredyou?"

"He says not. But I don't know. Maybe he thought if he fired me, Hayward would think I'd beenpunished."

"Could this have been him? Hayward?" I asked, lowering thewashcloth.

"It could," she said. "It was dark and it happened so fast. I didn't really see him after I hit the ground, and then you werethere. . ."

"If this guy is after you, what the fuck are you doing living in this house by yourself with no security? You barely even have working locks, forChrist'ssake."

I tossed the washcloth on the floor and glared at her. She looked away for a second before her spine stiffened and sheglaredback.

Why did I like it so much when she went head to head with me? I should have been annoyed. Instead, I didn't know if I wanted to kiss her or keep arguingwithher.

"I do have locks on the doors," she said. "And I didn't know anyone was after me. A few weeks ago, Hayward said he was going to 'get me'. But he's been busy with the FBI and he hasn't done anything. He hasn't called. He hasn't come by. Nothing. We don't even know that thiswashim."

"Is there anyone else who might want to attack you in the dark?" Idemanded.

"No, of course not. I don't know what's going on, okay? Maybe it was Hayward, maybe not. Idon'tknow."

I was too pissed at her to respond. Some guy was threatening her and she thought the best response was to move out of her fortress of a home into this completely unsecured, barely habitablehouse?

Life is dangerous enough without throwing yourself in the path of trouble. What would've happened to her if I hadn't beenthere?

I didn't want to thinkaboutit.

Didn't want to consider what her attacker's plan had been. She was lucky the worst of it was a scraped cheek, some missing hair, and a handful ofbruises.

Charlie might not be so lucky thenexttime.

"You realize we have to call the police," I said, waiting for her to argue. She didn'tdisappoint.

"We can't call the police." Her jaw set, she crossed her arms tightly over herchest.

"Why the fuck not?" Idemanded.