Page 23 of The Rose and the Hound (Ashes and Roses #2)

“I told you not to chase her,” Brett said angrily, slamming a pile of folders on my desk. “She’s a fucking nut job.”

“She’s cancelled the job, so no harm done. And I was the nut job for thinking something was there,” I snapped.

It broke my heart that Rose cancelled the job, but then she didn’t know there was a real stalker out there.

I had to break ties with her, but I’d keep watching her and protecting her until I could solve this.

As much as she was a bit messed up, I didn’t want to see her hurt. I couldn’t just shut off my feelings.

Talking to Dr. Conti had been a slap in the face, but it was Blake’s text that sealed the deal. Rose really was a very unwell woman, and I was stupid to think we had something special.

“I really can’t discuss a patient with you, Mr. Edison.

What I will say is that a former patient has recently returned her attention to me and it is most unwelcome.

I would appreciate it if you asked her to back off, or I’ll have no alternative but to report the incident.

I had hoped that she’d turned a corner.” I had been honest with Dr. Conti.

He was a medical professional and would not have discussed Rose outside of our conversation.

Rose had sent him a single red rose with a note that said, “For my tiger, love your Rose.” I felt like she’d betrayed me.

Why had she renewed contact with this man when she had me?

A man who actually wanted to play her games?

I resolved to talk to her about it when a text came through on “Ryan’s” phone.

Blake Evans: Stay away from Rose. Just had panties with a rose on the ass delivered to my home. No note, but obviously her. Am making a report. *image attached*

My heart dropped. The panties were the ones I sent her. Rose would end up back in psychiatric care, and there’s no way I wanted my fingerprints on this. A man with my very specific tastes and behaviors had to stay off the radar.

“She has a real stalker, Brett. Not just me. I’ll avoid her but I’ll sort this out first. Then I’ll walk away.

” Brett gave a disgusted snort and left my office.

Could Rose be stalking herself for attention?

That seemed unlikely, given she already had my attention.

Also, she’d been completely unaware that the yellow sticky note wasn’t from me.

It hurt that she gave my gift to another man.

Meeting her today was like a punch to the gut.

I kept my face professional and cold. She sat there, looking as beautiful as she always did, lying to my face with an innocent expression that hid her artifice.

Turns out that I’m not the great people-reader I thought I was when it came to a pretty face and a compelling sob story.

Oh, my Zahra, if only you weren’t so unwell. We could have had something amazing.