Page 63 of The Rebel Billionaire

When I stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped securely around me, I heard voices in the kitchen. Lucas and Detective Brennan. Brennan was fast. I slipped into my room and closed the door behind me, wishing I could crawl into the futon and go tosleep.

I wanted this whole mess to go away. It didn't look like that was going to happen, and hiding in bed wouldn't help anything. Lucas had laid out a stack of clothes on top of my pillow, a T-shirt, sweatshirt, and a pair of yogapants.

No underwear. Amusement muscled aside my nerves for a second and I rolled my eyes. Lucas didn't make mistakes. He wanted me commando. A tiny grin tugged up one side of my mouth as I pulled on the clothes he'd chosen. If I couldn't crawl into bed, at least I could becomfortable.

Lucas stood in the center of the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest, jaw set, eyes grim. Detective Brennan was holding the plastic grocery bag, examining its contents without touching them, the same way both Lucas andIhad.

Hearing my feet on the floor, Detective Brennan looked up. His eyes were as grim asLucas's.

"How are you holding up?" he askedkindly.

"I'll be okay,"Ilied.

I was not at all sure I'd be okay, and I was extremely unhappy about that goddamned note. But I didn't want to be a whiner. None of this was Detective Brennan's fault. He seemed willing to let me get away withthelie.

Lucas stepped in front of me with a clump of ointment on his finger and a fresh bandage for my temple. I stood there, acquiescent, as he doctored me. For the moment, I was all out of independence. I needed help, and if Lucas wanted to give it, I wasn't going to make it harderforhim.

His strong fingers smoothed the bandage against my skin. He wiped the extra ointment on his cargo pants and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me into his side. It felt like being wrapped in a shield. Safe.Protected.

"Can you think of anyone else, anyone you haven't already mentioned, who might be targeting you?" Brennanasked.

He let the envelope fall into the bottom of the plastic bag and loosely tied it shut. I shook my head. I'd told him everything I knew already. If I had any idea who might be doing this, I wouldn't keep it asecret.

"Hayward has an alibi," Lucas said abruptly. I glanced between Lucas and Brennan. Neither of them lookedhappy.

"For the other night?" Iasked.

Lucas shook his head. "For everything. He's got eyes on him around theclock."

"It's always possible he's hired someone," Brennan said. "The FBI is all over him, so if Bruce Hayward is behind this, he's got someone else doing hisdirtywork."

"We pulled up the last few hours on the cameras, but all they show is someone in a hooded sweatshirt and jeans stopping at your mailbox about an hour ago," Lucas said. "Whoever it was, they look to be about the same height and weight of your attacker Wednesday night, but we can'tbesure."

"So what does that mean?" Iasked.

"It means that we don't have a solid suspect," Brennan said. "There's also the problem of the pictures. Whoever was sending those pictures to your family is still out there. If they've escalated their harassment, this could be the same person. Sending your brother and your cousin photographs, but you a personal note . . . that may be an escalation, or it could just be that they're acting out differently because you're younger and female. Without knowing who the perp is, it's impossibletosay."

"Okay, then what happens now?" Iasked.

"I'm going to take this back to the lab, see if we can get anything off it," Brennan said, lifting the plastic bag with the envelope inside. "Maybe we'll get a break. In the meantime, the best thing you can do is avoid making yourself a target. I don't want you alone anywhere, if you can help it. Let's not make it easy on this guy to get toyou,okay?"

"But I have an alarm," Iprotested.

I agreed with Detective Brennan. I didn't want to make it easy for anyone to get to me. But isn't that why I had the security system put in? To keep me safe? I wasn't going to be stupid, but I didn't want to be run out of myownhome.

"You do," Brennan agreed. "And it's a good system. Better than good. I guess it helps to be on the Sinclairs’Christmaslist."

He grinned and winked at me, letting me know he wasn't making a crack at my family or my connections. I gave him a weak smile inreturn.

"Sometimes it is," I agreed. "Most of the time, I could do without the extra set of big brothers, but they come in handy. Especially when I'm being stalked by somepsycho."

A muscle clenched in Lucas's jaw and he narrowed his eyes at me. "Don't joke about this," he said. Turning his intent green eyes on Brennan, he went on, "I'm staying with her at night. We'll figure out the rest, but I'll make sure she's not on her own during the dayeither."

Brennan raised an eyebrow. "You in town for a while?" heasked.

"For the moment," Lucas answered vaguely. Brennan noddedathim.

"If that changes, let me know. I'll arrange for some drive-bys, but it's not a substitute for being careful," he saidtome.