Page 84 of Papa's Bébé
“I’m scared to leave them on their own,” she whispered in a stark voice. “I’m petrified he’s going to come back here and hurt them.”
“He who?” he asked in a low voice.
She bit her lip, looking scared.
It killed him that she didn’t trust him enough to tell him.
“Maya.” He turned her toward him, squeezing her hand lightly. It was dangerous to touch her, he’d learned that inside. But he couldn’t stop himself. “I know we don’t know each other, but you can trust me. I’m going to take care of you.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about my babies. If he hurts them . . .” She took in a deep breath. “I think a security system would make him hesitate. I hope it would. He wouldn’t want to be caught on camera.”
But if this guy was smart, he could get around that.
“I just don’t want him to hurt them and I don’t know how to stop him. But if Ryan saw him doing this . . .”
“Ryan is the guy in the BMW?”
“Yeah. So let me go so I can talk to him if he drives past again.”
“Who is he? How do you know him? Why does he keep driving past?” he asked, confused about what was going on here.
She shot him a look, moving her weight from foot to foot. Then she sighed. “His name is Ryan and I know him because he’s my old boss. Turned stalker.”
“Stalker?” he repeated, staring at her incredulously. “You have a stalker?”
“Kind of.”
“Kind of?” he repeated. Was she trying to kill him? A stalker? It was bad enough that she hadn’t mentioned the spray painting on the garage door, but she also had a stalker?
How long had he even known this girl for?
“You have a stalker and you didn’t think to mention that? What if he did this?”
“Um, no. I don’t think Ryan did this. He’s a hands-off stalker. And he’s really harmless.”
“Harmless? Your stalker is harmless.” He raised his gaze heavenward. “Her stalker is harmless.”
Maya glancedup at the sky.
Who was he talking to?
It was sort of odd. Was he losing his mind?
“Who are you talking to?”
“God,” he replied dryly. “I’m talking to God. I’m hoping that he has some answers for me. Because I do not understand how you can have a harmless stalker. Have you spoken to someone about this guy?”
“Spoken to someone?” she repeated.
“Like the police,” he explained.
She snorted. “Yeah, right. As if I can go to the cops about anything. You’ve forgotten who I am.”
“I haven’t forgotten who you are for a moment,” he replied.
His words sent a strange shiver up her spine. Maya wanted to sneak a glance at him. She peeked up to find him staring down at her intently.
Oh. Crap.
