Page 49 of Always Watching

I’ve given you enough warningsabout him. No more, and I won’t have to punish you for it. I’ll be coming for you soon, and we can be together forever. I love you, Pooh Bear. We were made for each other. You’ll see.

Get rid of him or you’ll regret it. I’ll send you his head next time I see him touching you.

I love you so much.

Your admirer

Tears prick my eyes—not tears of fear, but tears of anger. Who the fuck does this guy think he is? He thinks he can dictate my life? He’s already made me fear being in my home alone, now he’s trying to take North away from me? I won’t fucking allow it.

Fury rolls through me as I turn to North. “I’m done. I’m fucking done. I want this guy gone from my life. He won’t take you away from me. He can’t fucking have you!” I don’t realize I’m shouting until my voice trembles from the force of it.

North looks down at me with an approving gaze. “He won’t. Nothing will keep me from you.”

“We need him gone, North.” Something nags at the back of my brain. It takes a few moments for me to realize what it is, butwhen I do, I gasp. “We can use my camming. He doesn’t like seeing us together. He’ll be more inclined to come out of hiding if we’re doing shows together.”

A proud smile stretches North’s face. “That’s smart. What do you have planned?”

“Planned? For you to fuck me senseless and show the world, to show this fucking admirer I don’t belong to anyone but you.”

Chapter 18

North

I’ve never been soenraged and so proud of someone at the same time. On one hand, I want to call in every favor, threaten every powerful person, dowhateverit takes to catch the asshole who’s after Ranen. I want to tear him apart until there’s nothing left that could possibly frighten or threaten him or call him some fucking ridiculous name likePooh Bear.

On the other hand, I’m so fuckingproudof Ranen for the fire in his eyes, for the way he’s so determined to make sure that we catch the guy. For the way he’s willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means making the asshole angry.

If he wasn’t intending to usemeto make the bastard come after him, I might have been opposed to the idea. I know I would have been if he’d wanted to do it all by himself.

But Ranen looks at me like I hold all the answers in the world, like I’m a safe place in the midst of all the chaos in his life. He looks at me like he wants me tostay, like he knows as much as I do that we’reitfor each other.

I won’t let him down.

Which means… I have to swallow my pride and do something that I should have done a while ago. I’msureI can kill Ranen’s little stalker as soon as I get my hands on him, but I can’t watch Ranen and look for the fucker at the same time. I’ve never had this problem before, because I’ve never been trying to keep someone safe and alive while hunting prey.

Things are different now.

Ranen makes everything different.

I never thought someone would be able to come into my life and change things so drastically, that someone could break past the cool wall I’d had in place my entire life and somehow nestle themselves neatly beneath my ribs, against my heart.

I never thought someone couldchangeme. But I feel changed.

I feel…

I feel too much. It’s dangerous. I don’t know if I can keep focused on hunting, on stalking, on keeping him safe and keeping my secret safe.

I don’t know if I can do this all alone, and I’m not willing to doanythingthat would risk Ranen getting hurt again.

That’s why I know I need help, even though I don’t want to ask for it.

I only let out a small curse when I dial Dad’s number and he picks up on the second ring.

“Something tells me you aren’t calling because you miss me.”

God, what is it about Dad that heknowsshit before I even speak? Maybe it’s because I’m calling him a little later in the afternoon… or maybe it’s because he hasn’t seen me as much lately.

“I’ve been busy,” I say in way of an answer to my absence. I haven’t been to work, and I usually go to his house at least once throughout the week, even if it’s just to have a beer and catch up. I haven’t been doing that… and honestly, I’m surprised he hasn’t dropped in to Ranen’s apartment again with another pot of stewas an excuse to see why. Or maybe he already knows. “Listen… I might need your help.”

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