Jake held up a hand. “I’ll do it. Adam’s going to take her to the meeting with her agent.”
“Liam, go with Jake as backup.” Ian sat up, his body straightening. “And someone figure out who this Master Storm is. I need a last name, and it can’t be Limp Dick.”
Liam gave Ian a sarcastic salute. “Aye, aye, boss. I look forward to it. I don’t get why everyone’s all upset about the possibility that this girl is scamming her ex. He sounds like a fucker. I look forward to screwing with him.”
Jake got up and sighed. “Great. I get the insane Irishman. My dream is complete.”
“It’s everyone’s dream, boyo.”
Despite Jake’s anger, Adam was utterly upbeat as he went in search of Serena.
Chapter Seven
“Do you think this is your ex-husband?” Eve St. James asked.
Serena was deeply aware that there was so much more going on than a couple of simple questions. She was the one being profiled. Oh, Dr. St. James might say she was asking so she could get a feel for the man stalking her, but there was something underneath each question. McKay-Taggart Security obviously wanted to make sure their client wasn’t lying.
In some ways, finally getting murdered would be a relief. She was totally putting “I Told You So” on her tombstone. “I think my ex would love to see me fail. He wants my money. I don’t think he wants much more from me than that.”
Eve’s perfectly manicured fingernails tapped against the wood of her desk. “You were married for a long time.”
Sometimes it felt like forever. Sometimes it was a blink of the eye and she could barely remember what Doyle looked like. But she could certainly remember what it felt like to have him toss her out of their home. He’d threatened it on many occasions, but actually having her things thrown on the lawn like trash had left deep wounds. Still, she wasn’t going to lie to the profiler. “I don’t think my ex would try to hurt me this way. The lawsuit is more his style. I don’t think I know this person. I think this person is crazy.”
Eve’s mouth tightened. “I don’t know about that. I’ve read through some of the little notes he’s sent you. It’s odd. There seems to be a disconnect between the first Facebook notes and the latest e-mail messages. He gets much more violent. I would say this person is very creative, with a rich fantasy life that obviously disturbs him. Can I ask you a question?”
“I think that’s what you’re getting paid to do, Doc.” Eve St. James made her a little nervous. She was perfect. Perfect clothes, nails, hair. It made Serena deeply self-conscious about her own imperfections.
Eve smiled slightly. “Have you thought about this man? As a character?”
She felt her whole body flush. If she lied and said no, it would be obvious. And if she told the truth, it would make her look all the more guilty. Catch 22. Story of her life. If she was going to be honest, she would go all the way. “If I were going to write this man as the bad guy in one of my books, I would say he came from a deeply religious family. Not because I have a problem with religion, but because it can sometimes warp a person’s sensibility. I would say there was probably some abuse in his background. He’s in pain, and he wants to share it. I offended him in some way. Either my books or something I did personally. I offend him on a deep level, something he would have a hard time even verbalizing because to admit it publically would throw suspicion on his beliefs. He hasn’t told anyone what he’s doing, wouldn’t tell anyone. This is intimate, possibly the most intimate relationship he has. He wants this to be just the two of us.”
“He won’t like the fact that you’ve brought someone else in.”
“No.” Her mind took over, the whole plot unrolling like a carpet being shaken out. “He wants this intimacy with me. He might hate me, but that’s the only real emotion he’s able to feel. He can pretend in the real world, but when the lights are out and no one is watching, hate is all he is. It’s as important to him as love is to the rest of us. I’m the focus of his hate right now. He’ll be offended that I brought someone else into our relationship. He’ll step up the attacks. He’s going to get violent.”
Eve’s perfectly manicured fingernails tapped against her desk. “I believe you’re right. I think he will escalate. Adam sent me this morning’s report. Your car was vandalized?”
Serena swallowed. She hated the fact that he’d touched her car. He’d been in her driveway while she’d been in the house. Had he looked into her windows? “Yes. We called the police but they told me to call my insurance company. They said it was probably kids. They aren’t taking this seriously at all. It doesn’t help that the lead investigator thinks I’m a kook.”
Eve sat forward. “What do you mean? Who’s the lead? Sergeant…Chitwood. I don’t know him. We have some contacts, but I’ve never met him.”
“He came out to my house about six months ago. My neighbors called the police. I’m afraid Doyle and I were having a little discussion about money. Domestic disturbance is what the officer called it. He took me seriously right up until he walked into my house.”
“What changed his mind?”
She could still feel the humiliation of realizing that the cop had made up his mind about her. “I had some posters of my book covers up. My friends, Bridget and Chris, had made posters out of my e-book covers, and I was proud of them.”
Eve’s lips turned up. “They’re a bit sexy.”
They were salacious. They were over the top, but they were hers. “Sergeant Chitwood walked in and acted like I was the star of a porn film. Apparently he’s not a big proponent of ménage in fiction.”
“I don’t think you’ll have the same problem with your bodyguards. Adam and Jake are somewhat open-minded.”
The door to Eve’s office opened and Adam filled the space. He looked ridiculously scrumptious in a dark tailored suit and tie. He was a big-city hottie of the first order. Jake was almost his opposite. Jake Dean should be working a herd somewhere. She could see him in nothing but a pair of Levi’s, lifting a bale of hale.
She really had to get her mind off those two. They were dangerous.
“Is she ready to go? She has a meeting with her agent, and we’re supposed to drop by the police station. I got a call from my contact. He wants to take another look at the case. If we hurry, we can sneak in lunch.”