Page 31 of Guilty as Sin

He stood up, too, and Tobias hauled himself to his feet and stood looking up at him. “Wait,” Jace said. “I’m being an insensitive bastard again, aren’t I?”

“No. Of course not. My fault.” Her hands were trying to scrub over her pants, but she was wearing anapron.Because she was Lily.

“You’re divorced,” he guessed. “How long?”

“A while. It’s not that. It’s—”

She didn’t do flustered. She was having trouble doing anything else.

He grabbed the coffee cups, went and put them into the sink, then came back and began repacking his backpack with neat, economical movements.

Right. Stalker.

“You need to go to the police,” she said with relief. Back on ground she knew. “Obviously you can handle yourself, but if the person does approach you? You don’t know whether they’re violent, but I’d say they’re showing the signs. If that happens, especially if it’s a woman, and you have to defend yourself, you need this on record.”

“You know a lot about it,” he said, “for a woman who owns a lingerie shop.”

“Oh. I, uh, I heard. A friend. That it happened to.”

Those eyes again, seeing too much. “A friend? Or something else? Is that what the problem is? Your ex? The cop? That would explain a lot.”

She shook her head. “No. Forget me. Really. But do go to the police.”

“I will,” he said. “What you said makes sense. I could also be gratified that you’re worried I’ll take out the stalker instead of the other way around.”

“Of course that’s what I’m worried about. You’re trained. Training almost always wins. You know what they say.”

“No. What do they say?”

“Bad guys can’t shoot for shit.”

He laughed, and she almost jumped. He shook his head, and was still grinning when he said, “Right. How about this? She—he—they want me to come to the gym this afternoon. You could come with me, do a workout. No confrontation. No communication. But a message all the same.”

“Could be provoking,” she said slowly.

“Anything could be provoking.” The laughter was gone. “I’m not hanging about, quaking in my boots, afraid to move. You told me your saying. Now I’ll tell you mine. Take the fight to the enemy. Don’t let it come to you.”

“Without warning.”

“That’s the motto.”

“All right,” she said. “I’m off at five.”

“I’ll collect you at the shop then. We’ll arrive together. Throw them off. Make them wonder.”

It was a workout. It was helping him. That was good. She’d just have to be more careful. About everything.

She stood at the door and watched him go. Broad shoulders. Self-possession. Danger. Too much temptation. And in the distance, her phone rang.

What time was it? Had to be close to nine. She wasn’t showered, she wasn’t dressed, and she hadn’t even begun the transformation into her Lily-body. She’d swear it took her longer than a female impersonator.

She took the stairs as fast as her leg could manage, but by the time she got there, the ringing had stopped.Lily.

She was right. There was a text, though, too, showing on her home screen. From a phone number she didn’t recognize.

One word.

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