Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

brADEN

My phone pinged with a notification just as I pulled into a parking space at the strip mall that Bobbi Franks, Licensed Private Investigator, worked out of. I was so relieved that she'd made time for me today after my lawyer, Glenn, had given me her phone number.

He'd suggested filing a police report since this issue was getting more serious and had even told me he would go with me so they wouldn't brush me off, but I'd told him I wanted to talk to this PI before I did anything else. I was done just sitting back and letting this happen, though, so I was going to do whatever she thought was best. An obsessed fangirl harassing me via email was one thing, but doing enough of a deep dive to figure out who Dani was and threatening her ? That scared the shit out of me. If anything happened to her or that adorable baby boy because of me?—

No. I couldn't even think about that. If either one of them got hurt because of me, I didn't know what I would do. I'd never forgive myself.

I knew what I should have done. What a better man would have done. I should have ended the arrangement with Dani. Let her keep the money and followed through on my end of the bargain, but freed her from her obligations.

But I was too damn selfish for that. The thought of never seeing her again, never talking to her again, never getting to steal another touch of simple brush of our lips…it hurt too much. Even offering her an out the way I did had cut me like a knife. I didn't understand why, but with every passing day, the desire – no, the need – to keep her in my life only grew stronger. And now it was strong enough that I would have hired an entire army to protect her and Isaac rather than let her go.

Taking a deep breath in through my nose, I picked my phone up and looked at it. Sure enough, another anonymous email was sitting in my inbox. Without even opening it, I moved it to the folder with the rest of the emails from my cyberstalker and exited the vehicle. An electronic chime went off as I walked into the small office space that was decorated with a fake palm tree, a few comfortable-looking armchairs, a framed diploma in criminal justice, and a framed private investigator's license.

"Just a sec," I heard a woman with a thick Southern accent call from a back room.

Although this office didn't look like much, the woman who worked here was one of the best investigators in the state, and she specialized in cybercrimes. She'd come highly recommended by my lawyer and a couple of my teammates who had dealt with similar issues in the past. Besides, I was sure she spent most of her time either on the computer or out in the field, so she didn't really need a tricked-out office. She just needed a base of operations.

"Sorry about that," a blonde-haired, cobalt-eyed woman chirped as she walked out. "My secretary's daughter is sick, so it's just me today. I'm Bobbi. And you're Braden, right?"

"Yes, ma'am," I said as I shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I've heard great things. Thanks so much for staying late."

"Of course. From what you told me on the phone, this couldn't wait. Come on back so we can talk."

Following her into the room she'd come out of, I had to stop myself from laughing as I took in the sight in front of me. I was instantly reminded of Penelope Garcia's office in Criminal Minds : at least a dozen computer screens that currently had screensavers on the displays, a bunch of random colorful odds and ends, and a huge coffee mug full of pens with various fluffy tops.

"You can laugh," Bobbi chuckled. "I know I'm a cliché. But with some of the bullcrap I see on these screens, I need cute, fluffy things to balance it out."

I smiled. I already liked this woman. She was like a younger version of my mom.

"I can imagine. This job probably gets scary sometimes."

"You can say that again," she half-laughed, half-groaned. "Now go ahead and make yourself comfortable and tell me what's been going on."

I took a seat in an armchair, and she rolled her padded computer chair out from behind the screens. And I proceeded to tell her everything about what had been happening for the last several months. All the emails, how it had escalated over the past few weeks, the sudden shift in tone after I'd been photographed with Dani on Friday night, and the email Dani had gotten.

"So, yeah. I'm not going to lie, I'm officially creeped out," I admitted. "This isn't just a harmless fan with too much time on her hands anymore."

"No, it's not," she agreed. "You did the right thing calling me. So, here's what we're going to do. You're going to give Glenn a call first thing in the morning and tell him to make time in his schedule, and the three of us are going to go to the police together and file a report. If you show up with the both of us in tow, they'll know we mean business, and then I'll work with them to get to the bottom of this."

I sighed and buried my face in my palms. How had my life become such a clusterfuck? What had I done to make this woman so obsessed with me? And who the hell was she?

Was it someone I'd slept with in the past who had gotten jealous when she saw me with other women? Someone I hadn't slept with who was jealous that I'd picked someone else over her? Or was it someone I'd never even met who was fantasizing a relationship with me?

"Will the police even do anything?" I asked as I raised my eyes back to her. "I don't know who this is, so it's not like I can file a restraining order."

"Honey, I've seen things like this get ugly real fast," she said softly as she put a hand on my arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "With the threats this woman has made to you and your girlfriend already, you can't take chances. We need to get in front of this, and we're already late in the game."

I should have gotten annoyed with her for calling me "honey." I did when most women called me by pet names because it implied a relationship that didn't exist. But coming from Bobbi, it just felt different. Maybe because I could tell she was a true Southerner who called everyone that. Maybe because she wasn't trying to make a pass at me.

Or maybe it was because I was too focused on the fact that she'd called Dani my girlfriend. Too focused on how right that word felt. On how much I wanted what Dani and I had to be real, even though I knew it never would be.

But that wasn't why I was here, so I just nodded and addressed the issue at hand.

"Okay. I'll call Glenn's office first thing tomorrow, but I'm meeting with a security company in the morning to get a detail started for Dani and Isaac. Does tomorrow afternoon work?"

"Tomorrow afternoon's great," she said with half a smile. "I know this is a lot to handle, but I promise I'll help you put a stop to it."

After saying my goodbyes and promising I'd tell Bobbi what time to meet me at the police station after I talked to Glenn, I headed back to my car and pulled my phone out.

Everything in me was telling me to call Dani and check on her. Make sure she really was okay. Maybe even tell her again that she didn't have to go through with this, even though that was the last thing in the world I wanted to do. But I didn't want to seem too overbearing, so I made myself settle for sending her a text.

Me

Just wanted to let you know I just left the PI's office. She and my lawyer are going to go with me to file a police report tomorrow afternoon. They might need to talk to you since you're involved now too. I'm so sorry you got dragged into this mess.

Dani

It's not your fault. And let them know they're welcome to call me if they need to. I just might end up having to call them back if they call while I'm in class.

Me

Are you really okay, sweetheart? I can only imagine what went through your head when you got that email.

Dani

I'm okay, but I'll feel a lot better once Isaac and I have security. *gritting teeth emoji*

Me

I promise that's my number one priority. Before I even set foot in that police station. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to either one of you. You know that, right?

Dani

I know.

And I also know I'm probably safer sticking it out with you and having this security detail than I would be if I backed out. So you don't need to worry. I'm still in. *thumbs-up emoji*

Fuck.

Was that really what she thought I was worried about? Whether or not she still wanted to show up to some dinners, parties, and charity events with me? Did she really think I was that shallow and self-absorbed?

I needed to find a way to show her that I couldn't have cared less about this stupid farce anymore. That she was what I cared about, even above my own safety. And that would start the next time I took her out, with making sure there wasn't a single photographer or so-called "journalist" in sight. No matter what my bitch of a publicist had to say about it.