Total pages in book: 133
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 449(@300wpm)
“Probably would have been a good idea,” Ethan said.
“It’s mid-afternoon. I thought you would be up and about, doing stuff.” Walking over, he hugged her and she wrapped her arms around her twin.
“We were doing stuff,” she said, grinning up at him.
He blinked, staring down at her. Then he looked over at Ethan. “She’s smiling. And that was a joke. She made a joke.”
“I know how to joke.”
“Of course you do.” Rhodes kissed the top of her head before moving away to sit at the island.
“What’s going on? What brings you out here?” Ethan asked. “And where the hell is Seth?”
“I wanted to come tell you this in person and because I needed to get out of town. I have good news. I don’t need a bodyguard anymore.”
“They got the stalker?” Cate asked.
“Yep. It was Samantha.”
“What?” She was shocked. Samantha wasn’t a nice person, but she couldn’t imagine that she would be the stalker. “Why would she do that? How? She got messages from the stalkers!”
“Yeah, she set that all up. She confessed.”
“What the hell!”
“Detective Black said he called you yesterday?” he asked Ethan, who nodded. “Well, he interviewed the car driver and he took a plea deal. Told them it was all Samantha. She hired him to leave the notes on my car and at her apartment. She also had him try to run you guys off the road. She was jealous of Cate and wanted her out of the house. The messages were her way of forcing me to move her in with me.”
“The blog?” Ethan asked.
“Not her. She said she had nothing to do with it and she could be lying. But that makes sense considering the blogger took photos of her and me in New York.”
“She broke into the house that night I was home alone?” she asked.
“That part she hasn’t confessed to,” Rhodes said. “She could be lying. Or maybe it was just a break-in.”
“Wow. I can’t believe Samantha would do that. But I’m so relieved this is all over.”
“You and me both.”
“I can’t believe the detective didn’t call me,” Ethan grumbled. “Why did he call you?”
“She kept asking for me. He called me down to the precinct to interview me. I told him I’d let you know everything that had happened. The guy looked exhausted, but he said he’d also call you later. But I guess this calls for a celebration. No more stalker.”
Cate moved to him, hugging him tight. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Me too, honey. I’m glad we’re all safe.”
An hour later, Cate was sitting with Rhodes on the outdoor sofa as they looked over the lake. “I’m really sorry about Samantha.”
“Me too. But she wasn’t the person for me. I shouldn’t have led her on like I did. Although I thought she knew we weren’t serious.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” She managed to give him a smile. But on the inside, she was worrying.
What would happen now? Was Ethan going to leave now that the threat was taken care of?
What would happen to the two of them?
Rhodes’ phone buzzed and he drew it out, frowning. “What the fuck? There’s something lying against the gate.”
Ethan rushed out. He’d been on the phone to Ink. “There’s something at the gate.”
“I’m going to go check,” Rhodes said.
“Nope. I will,” Ethan countered.
“You’re not my bodyguard anymore.”
They glared at each other.
“Um, shouldn’t someone go look?” she asked. “I could do it.”
“No!” Both of them turned to her.
Ethan’s face softened. “Baby, go into the house and keep warm. We’ll go check and then come back. But stay in the house. Promise.”
Rhodes nodded, backing Ethan up.
“Fine. I will.”
Men.
Rhodes walked with him as they approached the object sitting against it. Only . . . the gate was open.
“How is the gate open? Did you do it?” Rhodes asked him.
“No. I didn’t.”
What was that? A rolled-up rug?
A bad feeling developed in his stomach. “Rhodes, you should stay back.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t like it. You have your phone?”
“Yeah.” Rhodes brought his phone from his pocket as Ethan kicked at the blanket, unraveling it.
Something dark filled him as he looked down into Kevin’s lifeless face. “What the fuck! Call Ink, now!”
“I wouldn’t do that if I was you.”
Turning, he stared at the person standing there . . . with a gun aimed at his girl’s head.
She looked stoic, composed. But Ethan felt his stomach drop. His baby . . . this asshole was holding a gun to his baby.
“What the fuck do you think you are doing, Oliver?” Rhodes asked. “What is going on?”
“I think that maybe Samantha wasn’t the only stalker,” Ethan said.
“Ding. Ding. Ding. Give the man a prize!”
55
Cate couldn’t believe this.
What did Oliver think he was doing? When he’d walked into the house, she’d been shocked and confused. She’d demanded to know what he was doing there.
And then he’d pulled out a gun.