Page 69

Pacing back and forth in front of her, I try to put my gut churning into words. “I can’t quite explain it.”
“Try, Fallon.”
“It’s impossible, right?”
“What?”
“That he knows me?”
She straightens in her chair. “Excuse me?”
I nod, frantically. “He made a remark that only a few select people should know about.”
Her eyes narrow into slits. “You’ve never had a conversation with him outside of the Lair?”
I shake my head. “I know the rules.”
She storms behind her desk and begins typing furiously. “A full investigation into this man’s calls will be kicked off, Fallon.” She taps her finger against her lips. “IT is looking into it. He’s also spoken with other operators. They’re going to screen his calls to see if he’s mentioned the body marking. It is possible it’s a complete coincidence his fantasy and your body resemble one another.”
Despite the well of disgust that causes, I hope it’s the case. Shivering, I wrap my arms around myself to offer myself some comfort. “And in the meanwhile?”
“In the meanwhile, I will personally monitor your calls. If we have to, you’ll be escorted to and from work.”
“You can’t be serious,” I scoff.
Her mouth turns grim. “And I want to make certain your place hasn’t been bugged.”
I feel the blood draining from my face. My voice can barely be heard when I whisper, “What?”
“We had a supremely successful operator here years ago—Scarlett.” Becca’s eyes close and the look of pain on her face is tangible.
“Is she okay?” I ask tentatively.
“That depends on your definition of okay. She was attacked outside the office by a stalker. When that happened, her boyfriend dumped her—claiming he couldn’t deal with her working for us.”
“What a douche canoe,” I snarl.
Her smile is faint but her eyes hold sad memories. “She’s okay. She’s done well for herself, even if she’s closed out most of her friends—including me.”
Without thought, I reach across Becca’s desk and squeeze her fingers. “If you’re half the friend to her as you’ve been to me, it’s her loss. Thank you for looking into this for me.”
“Just doing my job, Fallon.”
It might be my imagination, but as I’m leaving Becca’s office, I think I hear, “This time we know what to do in order to protect you and everyone you hold dear.”
As soon as I finish meeting with Becca, I head out to my car. After I reach my apartment, I send a text to Ethan.
Fallon:
Are you up?
Ethan:
With you, that seems to be the permanent state lately, witch.
Ethan:
Want me to do something about it?