Page 94 of Fallen Princess: Shadow Stalker

“She’s putting on a brave front,” Asher remarks as I take a stool and join them at the kitchen island.

“She doesn’t want us to worry,” I add. “I think there’s a lot more she’s not telling us.”

Haze gives me an irritating eye-roll that borders on my last nerve.

“Eden’s just freaked out. Don’t overdramatize it bruv.”

“The three of you are thinking with your dicks,” I retort, knowing full well they currently suffer clouded minds. “As the outsider who isn’t currently shagging her, I’m seeing her without the rose-tinted glasses. She’s not telling us everything because she knows you’ll all wrap her up in wool. She hates the idea of having the bodyguard around her whenever she’s outside the house, but she does it because you insist. But I also think she’s afraid.”

“Afraid of what? She lived in the desert on her own for a decade.”

Jagger has a point. It takes a fearless but absolute nutter to spend ten years living where she does alone, albeit with some freakish old lady as company.

“As if your knob isn’t wrapped around Eden’s finger,” Haze retaliates with a touch of sarcasm that I don’t appreciate. “Have you heard yourself talking lately?”

“Self-control. Something you fellas haven’t got.”

“Regardless,” Jagger interjects between me and Haze. “We should get the police involved.”

“If we do, then don’t expect them to do much at this stage. The evidence is small, we have no suspects, and I doubt they’ll go to the lengths we did earlier to get info. Police here do everything by the books, which isn’t a bad thing, but if this piece of shit is giving away hundreds of shirts with symbols of Eden’s body tats to people here, they are attempting to intimidate her. Either make her go bonkers or give up music and go back to the desert.”

“Why would they want her out of Los Angeles? She said for almost a decade she was never bothered. Why does her presence here threaten the stalker?”

“Competition?”

“From who? The Vixens? Other than Brittney, they retired from stardom. And Brit’s moved away from music entirely. It’s not like Eden had any friends outside them and us.”

“Tone Wars? Maybe one of the contestants became bitter that she was selected over them.”

“So someone who had ten years to try and make a name for themselves failed and still wants her out of this city? Nah, doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe she saw something she shouldn’t have,” I suggest. “Back then, we were introduced to a lot of people. Important people. We were teenagers and didn’t even see how these people were relevant, but we do know that today, these are the echelons of a society that are untouchable. Maybe she didn’t realize she witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to.”

“Like what?”

I shrug my shoulder, “Dunno.”

“Nah. That’s too much of a conspiracy theory. I agree that it doesn’t make sense, but maybe we should consider her relocating back to the desert for her safety.”

“Send her packing?” Asher stares aghast at Haze. “Are you mad?”

“No, you knob. We all go with her.”

“That’s a five-hour drive from here,” Jagger deliberates out loud. “We need recording studio equipment. As nice as it is, her home is too small for six people.”

“Six?”

“I’m assuming if she goes back, Catalina will, too.”

“Why is that woman still around?” Haze asks. “I thought Eden hired her because she was a minor at the time.”

“She morphed into her housekeeper or something.”

“Are we really talking about moving in with Eden?” Panic begins to fill me fast.

“I’m serious about her,” Haze confirms. “I’d move it with her.”

“I never realized you were that far with her,” I admire my brother for rushing into this like a rabid bat. I don’t think he’s actually thinking with any kind of logic in his head.

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