Page 32 of Bold Encounter
"But why wait so long?Why resurface now, after all this time?"
Abe had been thinking about this question since their first encounter with Jason."I have a theory about that, but you're not going to like it."
"That's okay.I need to understand."
"I think Jason's been planning this for a long time.Maybe since you left his band, but certainly since you married your second husband."He watched her face carefully."The harassment you experienced when you were in his band was just the first phase."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it," Abe said."You rejected him romantically and left his band.Then you married someone else.Each of those would have been devastating blows to his ego."He leaned forward."But instead of retaliating immediately, he disappeared.Why?"
She considered this."I always thought he'd moved on and found other artists to focus on."
"Or he realized that possessing you required a different approach.Jason's smart, and he's patient."Abe could tell that Genevieve was beginning to understand."I think he spent these years building his power base so he could come back to confidently achieve his end goal."
"You're saying his career trajectory has been about getting me back?"
"I'm saying it's possible.Consider the timing for a moment.He waited until he had his own label, strategic connections, and leverage in the industry.Then he made his move, just as you're on the verge of a major breakthrough with Pickford Recording."
"That's insane."
"It's calculating, and it's brilliant in a deeply disturbing way."Abe reached for her hand."In Jason's mind, he's in a position of power.He believes he can offer you things no one else can.And…if you won't come willingly, he can make your life difficult enough that you'll have no choice."
"But I do have a choice.I'll never go back to him."
"I know that, and you know that."He squeezed her hand."But Jason doesn't see it that way.In his mind, it's just a matter of showing you how much better your life could be with him, and how much worse it will be without him."
"He's not going away, is he?"Genevieve said.
"I won't lie to you and tell you not to worry," Abe said."He fits a pattern.Certain triggers, like seeing you under protection or being offered a music contract thathewasn't responsible for, incite him to intensify his efforts."
They sat in silence for a moment.Abe perceived that Genevieve understood the situation, but it was overwhelming.He deliberately changed the subject to lighten the mood.
"Tell me about your first guitar," he said.
Genevieve looked surprised by the sudden shift."My first guitar?"
"I want to know more about you beyond all this Jason drama.What made you fall in love with music?"
Genevieve considered the question."I was ten years old, and my grandmother had this old acoustic guitar in her attic.It was probably worth about twenty dollars, but to me it looked like treasure."
"Did she teach you to play?"
"No, she couldn't play a note.But she let me take it home, and I taught myself using books and videos."Genevieve's voice warmed with the memory."I drove my parents crazy practicing in my room for hours every day."
"When did you start singing?"
"That came later.I was maybe fourteen when I realized I could do both at the same time."She laughed."Brooke used to complain that I was always humming or singing something under my breath.She said it was like living with a human jukebox."
Abe enjoyed listening to her talk and getting a glimpse into her younger self.Her eyes gleamed with genuine pleasure as she shared memories that had nothing to do with stalkers or career sabotage.
"What about you?"she asked."What made you want to be a cop?"
"Honestly?I wanted to be a Navy SEAL first.The police work came later, after I got out of the service."
"Why the SEALs?"
Abe thought for a moment."I wanted to make a difference, I guess.To protect people who couldn't protect themselves.When I left the Navy, police work felt like a natural extension of that."
