Page 23 of Max

“Really?” She looked up, and the barest hint of hope shined in her eyes.

Max took his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the email Jasper sent him with a photo of the unsub. They’d all gotten used to calling their marks that. Kade’s doing. It was what the FBI called a perpetrator—an unknown subject, or unsub for short. Kade used it so much they’d all picked up on it.

“His name is Douglas McArthur. Do you know him?” He passed her the phone, and as soon as she gasped, he went on alert.

Shay studied the photo, feeling sick to her stomach. She’d been so sure…but seeing this man, her stomach twisted. She knew him. He’d been at her wedding. He’d beeninher wedding.

“Do you know him?”

“DJ.”

Max tilted his head, and she explained. “Douglas James, or DJ for short. He’s a friend of Duncan’s. A good friend.”

Max said something so low she couldn’t pick up on it, but her eyes zeroed in on the background of the photo. “Is this a mug shot?”

“Yes. McArthur has a rap sheet.”

“He’s been arrested before?” she whispered.

“Yes.”

When Max didn’t elaborate, she assumed it was because the things DJ had been arrested for would upset her, and she let it drop. She had enough to worry about right now between this stalking business and her father.

“How good of a friend is McArthur with your husband?”

“Best friends. He was a groomsman in our wedding. Duncan’s brother was his best man, but if not for that, DJ would have been. That’s how close they are.”

“Did you ever suspect McArthur might be a little more interested in you than he should be? Did he talk to you a lot? Ask about your career? Get a little too close for comfort? Do anything that ever made you nervous?”

“No none of that. He was around, sure, but he treated me like I was more of a family member. We joked around, and I never got any kind of weird vibes from him.”

“Do you think he might be doing this for Duncan?”

“What?” She glanced at his face at that. “What do you mean?”

“In my line of work, we see the depraved means people will use to keep what they think belongs to them or to make sure no one else can have them. From what you’ve told me about Duncan, I can’t help but think he might not have been so willing to let you go. People like him can’t help it.”

“He’s already moved on, though. He’s dating.”

“Doesn’t matter. You were the woman he married.”

“I don’t think so. He cares too much about his public appearance. This kind of publicity would turn his fans against him.”

“I know, but you’re only thinking about the public side of Duncan Kane. Think about the man. The man who hit you. Would he do this?”

She wasn’t sure. “I don’t know.”

Max nodded. “I’ll reach out to Kade. We’ll get in touch with LAPD and have someone interview him.”

“He won’t answer questions willingly.”

Max’s lips twitched. “Let us worry about that. If he doesn’t want to do it the easy way, we’ll make sure he answers our questions.”

“How?”

“We have our ways. Most of our guys are ex-military. We know how to make someone talk.”

The darkness in his voice forced a shiver down her spine. Maybe it came from his time in the Marines, or maybe it came from somewhere else. Either way, she wasn’t sure she liked it. It scared her.

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