Page 118 of Joker in the Pack

“Stay back, babe. Don’t make yourself into a target.”

I cowered in his arms as shouts came from outside, praying nobody would get hurt. Well, apart from my stalker, obviously. If he fell and broke his neck, it could only be a good thing.

It seemed like forever before Nye’s phone rang again, and when he listened to whatever the person on the other end had to say, his mouth hardened into a thin line.

“Search him, cuff him, and bring him inside.”

They’d got him?

“Who is it?” I asked the instant Nye hung up. “Who did they catch?”

“Your friend Warren.”

Warren? No. He’d always been so nice to me. Even when Nye found out about those awful accusations against him, I’d taken his side. But why on earth was he skulking around my home in the dark?

The front door slammed. Looked as if I’d soon find out.

“It’s better if you wait in here, babe.”

“Are you kidding? I want to be there when you question him.” I could already hear cross words coming from the hallway.

Nye pushed a few stray hairs out of my eyes. “It might not be pretty. I’m so fucking angry right now.”

I uncurled his fist and squeezed his hand. “I know. But please don’t hurt him. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

He laughed. “I won’t. Don’t worry about that.”

Warren narrowed his eyes as Nye walked into the hallway, but when he realised I was there too, his expression softened.

“Olivia, I was trying to help. Honestly, I was only trying to help.”

Nye shielded me with his body as he faced up to Warren.

“Go on—I’m dying to hear it. Why were you outside at eleven in the evening?”

“I heard someone had been bothering Olivia, and I wanted to check everything was okay.”

“You didn’t think a phone call would suffice?”

“I figured if I came in person, I might catch whoever it was in the act.”

“And let me guess, that’s why you parked your car up on the main road and came in on foot.”

“Kind of. I also didn’t want to wake Olivia if she was asleep.”

“We found a Swiss army knife in his pocket,” one of the Blackwood men said.

“That means nothing,” Warren protested. “I carry it because it’s got tweezers and a toothpick.”

Even I did an eye-roll at that one.

“And I suppose you’re also fond of the nail file and the compass?”

“I use them sometimes.”

“Bullshit.”

Warren gave a sullen shrug, difficult with his hands cuffed behind him. “I’m telling the truth.”

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