Page 2 of Unmasked

Over the years, he had forced himself to stop thinking about her, at least not every moment of the day. But Everleigh was so deeply ingrained in his soul that seeing her there brought all the emotions he thought he’d hidden away to the forefront again. He was furious with himself for even thinking about it. There was nothing between them now; there could never be anything between them after what she’d done.

Steeling his heart, he settled back in his chair and watched as she pulled a large envelope from her purse, then extracted several photographs. She set them on the polished surface of the desk then slid them his way.

Everleigh remained silent as he spread them out in front of him. They had all been taken at different times and in different places, but it was obvious that Everleigh was the subject of the photographer’s obsession. The photographs zeroed in on her and her alone. Outdoor at a café. Leaving the country club. Having dinner in a restaurant somewhere.

“Have you spoken with the police yet?” He didn't look at her when he spoke, but he could sense her nodding.

“There's been no attempt to contact me outside of these photographs, no threats made. As of right now, there's nothing they can do.”

It was true, but it still infuriated him. At least she had contacted the authorities so they could make note of it in case things escalated in the future. He neatly stacked the photographs in front of him. “Going to the authorities was the right thing to do. If you continue to receive messages or additional pictures from this person, you should contact the police immediately. The more evidence they have, the easier it will be for them to build a case.”

She was silent as he slid the photographs back to her. Her hand trembled as she picked them up and stowed them in her expensive handbag. He laced his fingers together and rested them over his stomach to keep from reaching out and soothing her.

It was obvious that these photographs had rattled her. He'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't bothered by it as well. And the knowledge that someone was watching her, stalking her… The thought sent rage curling through his veins. But Everleigh wasn't his. She wasn't his responsibility anymore.

“I assume you’re looking to hire someone to find the person responsible for those,” he said, gesturing toward the handbag housing the photos.

“I just…” The soft, hesitant sound of her voice made his entire body tense. “Yes. I was hoping you could look into it.”

For the first time in several minutes, he lifted his gaze to hers. The uncertainty he found in her eyes made him waver. A huge part of him didn't even want to help her, but he also knew it wasn't in him to turn her away. He had never been able to say no to her, and now wasn't any different. Still, there wasn't a chance of him getting involved personally. He had been burned by Everleigh before, and he wasn't keen on letting her back into his life so she could do it again.

“I can put one of my guys on it.” Her teeth cut into her bottom lip, but she didn’t seem surprised by the fact that he refused to handle her case personally. “To date, you've received only those three photos?”

She nodded. “It started shortly after I moved back.”

He couldn't stop himself from asking; he had to know. “How long have you been here?”

She bit her lip and averted her gaze. “Not quite a month.”

She had been home all that time, and he hadn't even known. He hated himself a little more for the fact that he wished he had. He swallowed down the emotion in his throat and nodded. “No other threats? No letters, no phone calls?”

Everleigh shook her head. “Only the photos.”

“And how were they delivered to you?”

“I found each one tucked under the wiper blade of my car while I was in town.”

As furious as he was, he was also glad that they hadn't been delivered directly to her home. Not yet, anyway. “Have you noticed anything else strange? Anyone out of the ordinary who might be following you?”

Again she shook her head. “Not that I've seen. After the first couple of photographs popped up, I started watching my surroundings more closely. I haven't been able to pinpoint anyone in particular.”

Something he vaguely recognized as protectiveness swirled in his gut, and he fought to ignore it. He forced himself to focus on the facts as if she were any other client. “What, exactly, are you looking for? We can offer the occasional surveillance to find your photographer, or if you feel unsafe, I can assign someone for 24/7 detail.”

Her fingers twisted the strap of her purse as she mulled it over for a moment. “I think just focus on trying to find him for now. He hasn’t tried anything else, so…”

She trailed off, and he picked up her train of thought. “Our goal is just to find whoever is taking the photographs, discover the motive?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I just want it to stop.”

He could understand that, because he wanted the same. It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest she let him put someone on her 24/7, because the thought of leaving her unprotected, even for a second, turned his stomach into knots.

For the dozenth time since she’d sat down, he had to remind himself that she wasn’t his responsibility. If he turned her away, it would leave her completely vulnerable to whoever was stalking her; if he took her on, he’d have to deal with receiving daily updates on her until they’d found the person responsible.

He was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t.

He cleared his throat. “I believe Mason is free at the moment. I'll get him on this, let him know what's going on. He’ll work detail for you, follow you when you go out so we can try to narrow down who’s been sending these photographs to you.”

Everleigh rolled her lips together like she wanted to say something but remained silent.