Page 91 of The Viper
The room murmured agreement.
Ryker shifted his weight. "Worth a shot. Her connections could crack it open."
Atlas nodded. "Agreed. Let's loop in what we can."
The focus shifted back to Lexi, who sat beside me, sipping her coffee, taking it all in with those eyes that missed nothing.
I turned to her. "What do you think?"
She set her mug down, her voice quiet. "This is way outside my expertise. I'm just an actress."
I shook my head. "Bullshit. Nutjobs hassling stars is more in your domain than ours. You've dealt with this crap before. Give us your take."
The room leaned in, nods all around. She appreciated it—I could see it in the way her shoulders relaxed, like being asked meant something.
"Okay," she said, leaning forward. "Stalkers come in all shapes and sizes. The ones I've dealt with—or heard about—they build fantasies. They watch your movies, read every interview, convince themselves they know you."
She paused, choosing her words. "One time, a guy showed up at a premiere with a ring, said we'd been 'engaged' in his dreams. Security hauled him away, but he kept writing letters from jail."
"Another actress I know left the business because her stalker always knew her schedule, her phone number, even her hotel room. Turned out he was bribing a PA."
Her voice steadied. "It's not usually violence at first—it's obsession. They test boundaries, see how close they can get. If it's the same person hitting me, Hannah, Benji ... it's escalating. And if it's targeted at the film, it's personal. Someone who hates what we represent."
Her words landed heavy, the room absorbing them. She laid it out well—logical, experienced—and I soaked up every detail. The mentality of a stalker, an obsessed fan, a lunatic getting his kicks harassing beautiful stars. It gave me a clearer picture, a profile to hunt.
When she finished, she looked around. "Was that helpful?"
"Very," I said, meaning it. "Gives us a lens."
Natalie stood, checking her watch. "I'm late for an appointment, but on the way, I'll make some calls."
Lexi smiled at her. "Thank you."
I could see it—if given the chance, those two powerful women might become friends. The respect between them was palpable, like two forces recognizing each other.
The meeting broke up, chairs scraping as everyone rose. Noah hung back, his eyes on me and Lexi. "What do you two think?"
Lexi sighed. "Feels like we're even farther from knowing who attacked Hannah than before."
I shrugged. "I don't disagree. But that's how these things go—slow until a clue drops in your lap. That's what we need."
Noah nodded. "Take the day to catch up on sleep. If anything comes up, I'll come get you, Lucas."
We headed back to our room, the hallway's polished floors echoing our footsteps. Inside, Lexi shut the door and turned to me, her expression a mix of exhaustion and something else.
"That was intense," she said.
"Yeah," I said, sinking onto the bed. "What'd you make of it all?"
She sat beside me, her hand finding mine. "Your brothers—they're impressive. And Natalie ... she's a force. But the threats ... it's scary. Feels like we're chasing shadows."
"We are," I admitted. "But we'll catch them."
She leaned her head on my shoulder. "I trust you."
Those words hit hard, a reminder of why I'd stayed. We debriefed quietly, going over the details again—the attacks, the possible connections, the timeline. It helped, talking it out, but it didn't solve anything.
Lexi yawned, her body finally crashing from the adrenaline.
