too. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to someone that isn’t friends or family. And if I need to bury a body”—he flashed a grin—“I know people.”
She smiled.
I didn’t.
Guy wasn’t kidding.
I shook his hand again. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” He nodded seriously as if he really didn’t want us to mention it.
The town car arrived about thirty seconds later. I helped Parker into the seat, buckled her in, and then pulled her to my side once the car was back on the freeway.
Next to me, she stiffened.
“You’re angry.” I hated the helplessness I felt in my gut. I’d missed all of the signs because my focus was on the psychopath who did this and not on her.
“I told you I didn’t want to talk about it, and then you said we wouldn’t, and then that happens and . . .” She pulled away from me. “What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it to anyone’ don’t you understand?”
“I understand all of it,” I said, teeth clenched. “I understand that a crazy guy could be after you just because you made him look like an idiot. Yes, it could be coincidence, but I think both of us know it’s most likely not. It was on your side of the car, like someone was watching us. And it was my car! The fact that he’s been sending threatening letters, watching us, I don’t know . . .”
Tears spilled over her cheeks. “I can’t talk about it right now. Let’s just . . .” She squeezed her eyes shut and reached for my hand. “Let me get through tryouts and then we can discuss it.”
I kissed her fingertips. “Okay.”
She sighed against my chest.
And a part of my heart righted itself again.
Until we pulled up to my house.
And saw the same word.
Spray-painted across my front door.
WHORE.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
PARKER
“Sleep.” Matt kissed my forehead, but I was wide awake, stupefied into disbelief. Would Erik actually do something like that? Had he been following us? He seemed the most likely suspect, and the fact that anyone had been watching our home freaked me out.
Our home.
My safe place with Matt.
Someone threatened it, and I wanted to threaten them right back.
I hugged the pillow to my chest while Matt paced. He was like this shirtless, angry Greek god wearing a hole in the ground.
“I can’t sleep if you don’t sleep,” I said with a sigh. “Plus you promised me dessert.”
He looked up, concern and maybe a little bit of fear lined his face. “I’ll hire security.”
“Why would I need security when I have you?” I said in a dumbfounded voice.
“You’ll be traveling with the team. I can’t be there twenty-four seven, so yeah, I’m going to hire a giant to just stand over you so nobody can hurt you.”
“First off . . .” My heart swelled at the gesture. Oh good, he was back to pacing again. “That’s really creepy, someone should never just stand over another human. It’s weird, and how would you get your vitamin D? Second, you can’t protect me. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my past, it’s that there comes a point when you need to learn how to protect yourself.” My throat went dry. “I didn’t. I chose the easy way out by not saying anything and then got violent when it ended up not being easy.”
“You were terrified,” Matt said in a soft voice.
“I didn’t know what he was capable of then. He was just an arrogant coach with a god complex.”
Matt tilted his head. “How did he handle rejection from other girls?”
“I don’t think he did, I mean I don’t think he ever got rejected by the girls I knew about, and we don’t know anyone ever turned him down. For all I know he loved the attention and was pissed because I wasn’t like them.”
“So there could still be other girls suffering like you are,” Matt argued.
“Can we not talk about Erik in our bed?”
Matt’s lips twitched. “One night and now you’re claiming it?”
“Why not? It comes with you, doesn’t it?”
“Not exactly with me, but it’s present when coming happens.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes and burst out laughing.
“There it is.” Matt sobered as he crawled onto the bed and pulled me into his arms. “There’s my Cheetah Girl.”
I slumped against him. “What if this gets in my head, messes up my tryout and—”
“Son of a bitch, that’s it!” Matt yelled, scaring the ever-loving hell out of me.
“What? What’s it?” I pressed a hand to my chest, my heart