I let her talk for almost a half hour, interrupting her sparingly with questions. In that time period, the redhead comes down the stairs as unobtrusively as she can and slips out the front door with a wink at me before it closes. I don't acknowledge her in any way and Jocelyn keeps talking.
When she's finished, I've heard enough to know that she's got one seriously twisted, but incredibly smart, psycho after her. The fact he's been able to track her down to new homes purchased through aliases tells me he's a hacker of some sort. If he's as good as I'm afraid to believe, I wouldn't be surprised if he knows she's in Vegas.
Possibly even at my house.
Not likely, but not impossible either. Just because someone is a nut job doesn't mean they're short on smarts, and all indications tell me that this guy is intelligent. I'll know more once I can get my hands on the mail he's been sending her that the police have. Jocelyn tells me she's saved it all and it's in police custody right now.
When she quiets and I know she's told me all she's capable of recounting at this point, I push up from my chair and set my empty glass on the coffee table. Without a word, I head to the wet bar and pour her a glass of cabernet. She was a white wine drinker twelve years ago, but she's matured since then. I peg her liking red now.
She blinks at me in surprise when I'm standing in front of her, holding the glass out. We stare at each other a moment before she takes the wine and whispers, "Thank you."
I return to my chair but don't sink into a relaxing position. Instead, I perch on the edge with my elbows to my knees and wait for her to give me her undivided attention.
"He isn’t going to go away," I tell her with surety. I've dealt with a variety of stalkers over the years, and I know someone who has gone to the lengths he has is not going to rest until she's dead. There's a psychological component there that can't be overcome. He'll keep coming and coming at her until he satisfies his fantasy or gets arrested. Those are the only two outcomes.
Well, not the only two.
I could kill him.
"I know," she murmurs before taking another sip. "It's why I need your help."
"Why me?"
Her expression is shrewd and defiant. It's the first I've seen of her fiery spirit since she walked in here. "Because I trust you."
"That's an awful big gamble," I point out to her. "Especially how things ended between us."
"Kynan," she murmurs in a pained voice. "You know how sorry—"
"Don't," I cut her off with a palm raised toward her. "It's not relevant to this discussion. You're a potential client now, and I take my job seriously. It's enough to know you trust me."
"Potential client?" she asks with mild alarm in her expression.
"You haven't heard my price," I drawl.
"I'll pay whatever. You know money's not an option."
I nod. "I know that. But I have a plan, and you might not like it."
"What is it?" she asks curiously.
"We're going to bait him to come after you," I tell her and then brace for her reaction.
She stares at me a for very long moment before she tips the wine glass to her mouth. She chugs the remainder in four long swallows and then gasps, "You want him to come after me?"
"He won't get near you."
"Can you guarantee that?" she rasps.
"Yes. I promise you." I'm sure that won't be the only lie I tell Jocelyn in the days to come, but I need her calm and assured right now. She's had enough fear to last her for a while.
I can't promise her one hundred percent safety. I can't do that with anyone. But I believe the best chance of taking this guy down and preserving her life is to do it on my terms and not his. I want to see him coming, so I need to open a pathway to her. I'm confident I can keep her safe while we wait for him.
Jocelyn stands and moves to refill her glass before taking her seat again. When she does, she kicks her tennis shoes off, curls her legs underneath herself, and leans against the armrest. After contemplating the color and legs of the red liquid she swirls around in the glass, she lifts her eyes to me. "What would that look like? How would you accomplish this?"
"We're going to put on a show for him, and he won't be able to resist coming after you." At least that's my initial thought. I'll run this by my team for additional input, but I feel confident in the idea. "We'll get your publicist on it. Announce that you and I are a couple. We'll do a few photo ops. I'm going to brag about how you're absolutely protected now under my watch and this loser isn't going to get anywhere near you. His ego won't be able to handle it. His psychosis will demand he prove me wrong. Then you and I are going to take a little trip somewhere for an ‘extended vacation,' and we're going to reverse hack him. We're going to leave a trail of bread crumbs, and then we're going to watch as he picks them up. Hopefully, we can identify the bastard before he even gets near you."
Jocelyn takes another healthy slug of the wine before asking, "And you think this is the best way?"
"I do," I tell her with that cocky assurance I'm known for in my line of work. Without the ego I have, I'd be dead by now.
Her gaze drops to her glass, and her words come out so softly I can barely hear them. "And you're . . . okay with helping me?"
I tamp down the anger that has been bubbling low in my belly since she walked through my door, but I don't keep the chill from my voice. "You're a client, Jocelyn. The amount of money I'm going to charge you makes it more than okay for me to work for you. But don't think you're anything more than a good-paying job that will make my stock portfolio look a lot nicer by the end of the year. I'll protect you, keep you safe, and take this psychopath down. Then I won't think about you again after it's over."
Jocelyn cringes, and the corners of her mouth draw downward. Still, she nods in acknowledgment of the boundaries I just set.
Of the rules by which we will both abide.
I'm surprised when she looks back up to me, her face impassively blank. "And just where are we going to go on this 'extended vacation'?"
I give her an amused smile. "You're going home, Jocelyn. I'm taking you back to Cunningham Falls."
<<<>>>
The conclusion to this prequel, Wicked Force, releases in March, 2019.
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For all of Sawyer Bennett’s other books, you can visit her Book Shop at:
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About the Author
Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released multiple books, many of which have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists.
A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone.
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For all of Sawyer Bennett’s other books, you can visit her Book Shop at:
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Magical Cock and Bull
K.F. Breene
A bonus short story set in the Fire and Ice and Magical Mayhem worlds featuring Moss, Darius's right-hand-man.
* * *
This is raw, original material written just for this anthology. Due to constraints and the immediacy of the timeline, this story has not been edited.
Copyright ? 2018 by K.F. Breene All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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