Page 259 of Under Her Skin

She fell asleep smiling but the nightmares still returned. Ever since the messages had started to arrive, she’d had at least one a week and it was always thesame.

You look sobeautiful when he’s fuckingyou.

Jules forcing his way into her bed, into herbody.

Make the most of the time you have left,Jessica.

Knives. Cutting. Hurting.Killing.

I’m going to kill you, babygirl.

Blood. So muchblood.

I’m going to stab you until the light in your eyes goes out. You won’t survive the next time,Jessica.

I’m coming foryou.

She’d learnedhow to wake herself from these nightmares without the screaming, without scaring Theo. Stan whimpered a little as she slid quietly out of bed and padded quickly to the bathroom down thehallway.

She just about made it before she threwup.

Sunday morning,Max came over from the mainland. Since Josh’s death, he’d been more or less a homebody but seeing Theo, Jess and Amelia more than made up for it. He and Theo – already like brothers – had grown even closer and he loved Jess like a sister. There was not one part of him that blamed either Theo or Jess for what had happened – lord knows they’d been through enoughthemselves.

But he missed Josh. He missed the fun, the love, the sex. There had been no doubt in his mind that he and Josh would grow old together. None. Andnow…

Amelia prodded him. ‘Hey, you still with me? I need you to decide some of this. Whichchampagne?’

They were at a little store which sold artisanal wines and champagnes. He looked over what Amelia was holding out tohim.

‘Amelia, how do I know? I know nothing aboutchampagne.’

‘Sacrilege.’ The owner of the deep, resonant voice stepped out of the backroom. Tall, broad and with a wide gap-toothed grin, he greeted Amelia like an old friend. Amelia turned toMax.

‘Max, this is my good friend, Seth. Seth, this is Max. He’s single, and handsome and knows nothing about champagne. I have to go grab something from another store. I’ll be back inten.’

And just like that, she was gone. Max blinked at Seth. ‘Did that justhappen?’

Seth laughed, a deep rumble from the center of his big chest. ‘I find, with Amelia, the best thing to do is just go withit.’

Max looked at this huge lumberjack of a man and a slow smile spread across his face. He was silent for a long moment then said. ‘You know what? I think you’reright.’

He saw Seth’s shoulders slump with relief and realized he was just as nervous as Max – even if he had been in it with Amelia. Sethnodded.

‘Good. So… you really know nothing aboutchampagne?’

It was paranoia.Plain, simple paranoia. She was at home, safe, guarded, enclosed. And yet she felt watched, observed.Hunted.

Jess reasoned with herself. Yeah, okay, Jules was still threatening her life but all the emails had gone to her work email, Theo’s private security team and the detective had reported no sightings in Seattle. You’re wigging,girl.

But the fatigue she was experiencing wasn’t helping. She had no idea where it had come from and now, feeling too emotional, the paranoia was really starting to get to her. There was something else bugging her and it was Amelia. Well, not Amelia, but her new paramour. Clem. Amelia had tried, twice now, to arrange a double date but Clem had canceled both times, pleading work. Clem… Clement… Julien Clement Gachet… Oh wow, you really need to get out,girl.

She went to find Mike, Theo’s head of security. She liked the man, he was no nonsense and commit to his role but he also had a great sense of humor. They had long chats about his wife and kids before and Jess counted on him as afriend.

‘Hey Mikey,’ she smiled at him now. ‘Do you have some time, I could really do with going into town, getting someair?’

‘Surething.’

She drove them into the town, parked next to the bookstore and was about to get out when she saw Amelia on the far side of the street, talking to a blonde man with a cap pulled low over hiseyes.