Page 41 of Watch Me
“You heard what?” Shawn looked up at me as I stopped next to my desk. I rolled myeyes.
“That your little slut has a serial killer after her.”
“Don’t you fucking call her that,” Igrowled.
“Whatever. I’m calling to tell you I’m changing the custody order.”
“The hell you are!” Iroared.
“Don’t think for one minute that I’m subjecting my kids to that kind of danger, Ethan.”
“They aren’t in danger!” We didn’t know what was going to happen, but I wasn’t going to tell Jessica she was right. I would have arranged for her to keep the boys until there was no threat. I just didn’t need Jess telling me what to do or how it was going to be with mykids.
“Yes, they are, Ethan. Alicia told me when I dropped the boys off at school.”
“What the fuck did she tell you?”
Shawn mouthed, “What?” I shook my head and held up afinger.
“She told me that Braeden has to work an extra shift to do a detail on your girlfriend.”
I didn’t know who the off-duty cops would be, and I didn’t like that Jessica knew before I did. I didn’t get the chance to ask Captain Rapp before she’d called. I sighed. “Look, Jess. I’m busy. Keep the boys tomorrow and this weekend if things aren’t settled.”
“I’m going to change the order,” Jess repeated. “This is the second time something has happened with people you know, and I don’t want my kids in danger.”
“You can’t keep my kids from me.”
“We’ll see what the judge says. Expect to hear from my attorney.” She hungup.
“Fuck,” I gritted out with agroan.
“Jess wants to keep your kids from you now?”
I sighed, trying to calm my anger. “Yes, because of this motherfucker and his goddamn wood plaques. I swear to god when we figure out who this asshole is, I will shoot him in the fucking face just like I did that guy that tried to hurt my sister.”
Shawn looked around and lowered his voice. “Calm down before Cap does, in fact, take you off this case. Let’s fucking figure out who this asshole is.”
CI tried to call Maddie, but she didn’t answer her cell. I knew she had a class first thing in the morning, but I still tried to call her just in case. I didn’t think she had anything to do with this shit, and I wanted to prove that to Ethan. Show him that she was in Michigan and not in Illinois. It didn’t make sense for her to be involved, but it was possible she had told someone my address either by mistake or on purpose. But she didn’t answer, and I was left with no further clarity.
Since I had nothing to do while I waited for Ethan, my mind raced. Or more accurately, continued to race. Maybe someone had followed me home after a shift at Judy’s, or perhaps someone had followed me home after class. Could someone be watching me through my computer as Ethan had said? How would they hack into my computer?
Andwhy?
I looked around the waiting room, wondering if one day I’d work there.Or what if I was murdered and never got to follow my dreams?I tried not to think about the reality that a killer was after me somehow, but I couldn’tnotthink about it, so instead, I tried to think of the positive. Could I work in the same precinct as Ethan? I’d enjoyed going to the crime scene with him the night before, but could we work cases together? What if we were to break up again? I didn’t think we would. We were older, still in love, and I was never pressing my lips to anyone other than Ethan Valoragain.
Thinkpositive.
I wasengrossed in a game on my phone, trying to forget about what was happening in my life for a minute, when Ethan finally came out. “Ready?”
I stared at him. His forehead was furrowed, and he looked even more stressed than when we first got to the station. “Everything okay?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ll talk in the truck.”
I stood. “Okay.”
Ethan held the glass door open for me. “Did you talk to Maddison?”
“No.” I sighed as we walked toward his truck. “I usually talk to her before my first class.”
