Hmm. I suppose it was.
Too bad I gave zero fucks about the law.
Legality did not mean right, and illegality did not mean wrong. One only had to look at the fucked-up justice system to realize the law was nothing more than a house of cards, created to give its citizens a false sense of security and weakened by doorways open only to a select few.
I had to keep up the appearance of a civil, law-abiding citizen, but as anyone knew, appearances can be deceiving.
And sometimes, we had to take justice into our own hands.
“Do you know how…” Stella’s knuckles turned white around her phone. “Do you know how many nightmares I’ve had of coming home to find an intruder in my house? Of being attacked while I’m in the shower or sleeping? Our homes are supposed to be our safe havens, but I…” The tiny crack of her voice caused a strange twist in my chest. “How can I feel safe knowing someone could walk in here any minute and I wouldn’t…I wouldn’t…”
Her words gave way to shallow, panting breaths. I could see the anxiety blooming in her eyes until the black of her pupils swallowed the green of her irises.
Fuck.
I’d known she might get upset, but I also figured she’d want someone looking out for her. Take the reins and handle her security so she didn’t have to worry about it. I wanted—no, needed—to watch over her.
It was a rare miscalculation on my part.
I rubbed a thumb over the face of my watch, strangely restless from both my error and Stella’s palpable distress. Figuring her out was a constant challenge.
A tight sensation unfurled in my chest until I had to push myself off the wall and walk toward her to ease its grip.
“You are safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.” I placed my hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “Stella. It won’t happen again. Now breathe for me.”
I softened the edge of my voice from a command to a request.
The air was thick with recrimination, and something sharp and foreign pierced my gut at the tiny shivers wracking her body.
What was it? Guilt? Remorse? Regret?
I couldn’t tell, so I focused on Stella instead.
“That’s it,” I murmured when her breathing finally evened out and color returned to her face. “Just like that.”
She closed her eyes and exhaled one last deep breath before she stepped back. A chill set in at the loss of warmth.
“I know you’re trying to help, and I appreciate it,” she said. “But you have to let me know what’s happening. This is my life.”
A brief pause before I answered. “I understand.”
“Thank you.”
Just like that, the tension in the air dissolved.
Stella’s ability to release a grudge as quickly as she picked it up was as baffling as it was impressive.
I never forgot a slight. Ever.
“You said you had updates for me. Did you find who sent the note?” Her hopeful voice sent a pang through my chest.
“Not yet.” My jaw flexed. The forensic analysis had turned up nothing. “But we’ll find him. Don’t worry.”
I tilted my head toward the couch and waited until Stella was seated before I got down to business. “You said last night wasn’t the first time you’ve received such a note. Tell me what happened before.”
In order to track the asshole down, I needed as much intel as possible. Information was gold, and right now, I was grasping at straws.
“Don’t leave anything out,” I added. “Even the smallest details can be important.”
Stella twisted her necklace around her finger, her expression distracted. Several beats passed before she finally spoke.
“It started two years ago,” she said in a low voice. “I came home one day and found the first letter in my mailbox. It was mostly about how beautiful they thought I was and how they’d like to take me on a date. I was freaked out that they knew where I lived, but the content wasn’t particularly alarming. It sounded like something a high schooler would write to his secret crush. But the letters kept coming, and he started including candid pictures of me along with them. That was when I really freaked out. I installed a new security system and bought a taser, but I still didn’t feel like it was enough. Every time I left or entered my house, I…”
A small bob disrupted the delicate lines of her throat. “I was living with Jules at the time, which helped a bit. But I was also worried about her getting caught in the crossfire if anything happened. I told her about the notes and she insisted we go to the police, but they were dismissive of the whole thing. They basically told me to stop posting so much about my life and whereabouts on social media if I didn’t want creeps reaching out to me.”
Her voice grew smaller with each word, as did her posture until she was curled up in a sitting fetal position.
I didn’t have to be a mind reader to read the subtext.
A part of her thought those bastards had a point.
“Did they?” My soft response belied the cold burn of anger invading my veins.
It was time I paid the Chief Superintendent a call.
“The stalker stopped soon after, so I guess it doesn’t matter.” Stella twisted her necklace tighter around her finger.
“It does matter. The police had a job, and they didn’t do it.” My muscles tightened at the uncertainty in her eyes. “What they said was bullshit. It’s not your fault. Millions of people post every fucking thing they do on social media every day. It doesn’t mean they’re inviting people to harass them. Would you blame a woman for being assaulted if she was wearing a short skirt?”
She flinched. “Of course not.”
“Exactly. People make their own choices. You have the right to live your life how you want without worrying about creeps who can’t curb their worst impulses.”
“I know. I just…” Stella faltered, then shook her head. “I know.”
She was quiet for a moment before she gave me a tentative smile that thawed some of the ice in my blood. “That was the most I’ve heard you curse since we met.”
A short laugh wound past the dimming rage in my chest and into the air.
“Sometimes, the situation calls for it.” I held out my arm. “Come here, Butterfly.”
I disliked comforting people almost as much as I disliked having them in my personal space, but considering everything she’d gone through, I could bend my rules this one time.
And all the previous times you’ve bent the rules for her, a voice inside my head taunted. What happened to staying away from her? Hmm?
I shoved the voice into a metal box in the darkest recesses of my mind and slammed the lid shut.
Smug bastard.
After a brief hesitation, Stella scooted closer until I could pull her into my lap. She didn’t resist, and warmth glided across my skin as I ran a thumb over the elegant line of her jaw.
“Do you still have the letters from two years ago?” I asked.
The more physical evidence I had, the better.
She nodded. “They’re in my bedroom. I can get them.”
“Good. I’ll get them later.” I wasn’t quite ready to let her go yet. I couldn’t remember the last time someone sat in my lap, but the sensation was oddly soothing.
“I hate this.” Stella’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I hate feeling helpless. I wish I knew what he wanted. He’s always talking about what he…what he’d like to do to me, but as far as I know, he’s never approached me. None of the guys who’ve hit on me seem like they’re capable of stalking and harassment, but I guess we never know.” A small tremble rippled down her spine. “He was gone for years, and now he’s back. Why?”