Page 99 of Stalker

As blood soaked his clothes, I wiped the blade on his nice, clean towel. The ugly stain would be a reminder that people should never fuck with me.

* * *

Cassandra

I wasn’t typically the type of woman who feared many things. I’d been threatened on numerous occasions. I’d had protective services once or twice at the insistence of the higher-ups in the office.

Phone threats were typical, emails a constant, but I’d never taken the warnings too seriously. People loved to hide behind a computer screen or by disguising their voices.

Even then, I hadn’t been worried because I was doing my job and that’s what I was brought up to do. However, neither my personal space nor my reputation had ever been in question or pushed in any way.

Until now.

David had issued the threat, and I knew the man well enough that he would follow through with his nasty statement.

For several reasons, that put the fear of God into me, including whether past cases would be questioned. It was a remote possibility, but David was a vindictive son of a bitch.

It was late. I’d remained at the office until well after hours, fearful David would be waiting for me at my condo. At least we had decent security where I worked.

I’d even gone in through the back of my brownstone, determined to skulk like I was guilty of something. I’d thought about contacting Wilder more than once, but I didn’t have his phone number. I had no way of getting in touch with him.

Yet somehow, my instinct told me he was still watching, protecting me, and if anyone dared attack, he’d cut them down. The thought was way too comforting for a woman sworn to uphold the law.

Wilder also didn’t have a single personal social media page I could find. Sure, there was a LinkedIn listing regarding his company and a website with contact directions, but I refused to try to contact him through either one.

I’d never felt so alone in my life. Plus, I couldn’t talk to anyone about my concerns, other than that David was a nut case. I’d need to offer details about my other life and that just wasn’t something I was prepared to do.

Now I sat in front of my laptop, where I’d been for almost an hour, staring at the screen. I didn’t know why I was having an issue removing all evidence of Sugar Babies. Perhaps it was because the money had been incredible or pretending to be a vixen had offered me both freedom and peace.

Or maybe just like Wilder had suggested, I had a darkness buried inside that could consume me if not exorcised. I’d believed my entire life in the notion of justice.

But I’d learned justice had a sharp edge, cutting deep when I’d lost control of it.

I’d mistakenly thought the light needed to abate the darkness I hungered for was all about convicting the bad guy. Over the last few hours, I’d hit replay on certain things Wilder had told me. I’d also come to accept that Sugar Babies had been a small taste of dark kink.

Then there’d been the hunt. While the act itself had been exciting, it was the mental exercise and images of what the hunt could have been that had risen to the point of being incredible.

And I wanted more.

Wilder offered the opportunity for endless opportunities.

At least he had until he’d shut me down.

Was I mourning the loss in some crazy way? Maybe so.

I took another gulp of wine as I chastised myself and my hesitation for the tenth time. This was ridiculous. I was a professional, an attorney who fought wrongs. Not that what I’d been doing was wrong, but there were some who wouldn’t see things my way.

I was so damn close to a promotion. So very close.

Hissing, I finally pulled up the site. As soon as the home page flashed across the screen, I found myself smiling. Really? The page was dark and alluring, just like the thought of providing a show had been for years.

Just for kicks, after navigating to my profile, I searched the files until I found the original video from almost ten years before. The moment it began to play, I sat back. After a few seconds, I pressed my hand across my lips.

That was me.

But it wasn’t me any longer.

The woman depicted on the screen was so young, perhaps too naïve to understand what she was doing.

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