Page 65 of Fatal Attraction

“I understand you’re upset with me, Charlotte, but—”

“Why me?” I asked, turning my head to him. “Just tell me why.”

“Eat, and then maybe I’ll consider it.”

I curled my nose as I contemplated it. I did need to eat but at the same time, I did not want to risk ingesting any of that bullshit at the prospect of it possibly being drugged.

“Answer my questions and then maybe I’ll eat.”

I flinched when his hand shot up, his eyes wild and nostrils flaring like a raging bull. Instead of striking me like I expected, he curled his fingers into a stiff fist and then shakily eased it back to his side.

“Fine. What would you like to know, my love?”

“Are you a member of The Flirty Sanctum?”

He nodded. “I am.”

“For how long?”

He lifted the toast back to my mouth, smirking. Clearly, he wouldn’t answer me until I ate, so I rolled my eyes and bit off a chunk, chewing it up.

“I’ve attended off and on for about two years,” he replied. “Twice a week but always on random nights. Felix, the owner, is a personal friend of mine.”

I absorbed that for a moment and then said, “So when did you start—”

“—stalking you?” he finished, looking away to scoop up a small mountain of scrambled eggs in a large spoon, feeding them to me. “I fell in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you. You remember that day, right? My first day at the firm?”

I did remember that day. It was a little over two years ago, back when Harley had knocked on my door and introduced us. She told me Perry was my new office neighbor, a transfer she’d hired on as a favor for…

Oh, fuck.

Peter.

“Oh my God.” My lips parted. “Does Peter know—”

“This is mostly his fault, you know. He was the one who helped me transfer outside of Narcotics. He told me about you, how you were his best friend and the absolute love of his life, and that if I had any trouble or needed help with anything, that I could always depend on you.”

My jaw tensed, and as I made to open my mouth, the bastard shoveled more eggs in, damn near making me choke to death on them.

“He talked about you all the time,” he carried on as I continued coughing my lungs up, “way before my conflict with Gibbs and Hammett ever happened. Peter would get drunk and then pour his heart out to me about you and how much he hated your husband, Karl. He’d mentioned quite a few times how certain he was Karl was cheating on you. He was justtoo much of a pussy to grow some balls and act on his instincts. That’s where Peter and I differ, you see. Once I finally saw for myself just how exquisitely beautiful you are, I knew you were the one, that I had to have you all for myself. Make youmine. So, I started following you, studying your life, your schedule, your friends, and relationships. And once I had confirmation Karl was fucking around, I told myself I’d stop at nothing until I had everything I wanted.” He paused, a wicked grin spreading across his desirably punchable face. “And now, I do.”

While his explanation did fill insomeblanks, it didn’t necessarily answer my question.

“Does Peter know you kidnapped me? Is he part of this too?”

Perry snorted. “Did you not hear anything I just said? Of course, he doesn’t know. He’s been going around posting fliers of you all around town and calls me every night asking to join the search parties he’s rounded up. The guy is a fucking lovesick idiot.”

Tears dotted over my eyes, slipping out the corners and falling helplessly down my cheeks.

Peter was looking for me…

Searching for me every night.

“And my lovers?” I bravely asked. “Are they alive?”

Quickly that smug grin of his dissipated. “For now. I imagine they’re out trying to track down a loose end I had to tie up recently.”

Loose end?

---