Page 8 of Stalker's Valentine

“Oleg,” I warned and heard him snicker.

“Youneed something?” I could almost hear the asshole’s grin on his face. “Since when?”

“Since I met the one.” I sighed. Confessing it out loud felt fucking good.Cathartic.The line went silent, and I frowned. Pulling my phone from my ear, I glanced at the screen and rolled my eyes. “Oleg.”

“You met the one?” he repeated. I could have sworn I heard the bastard laugh.

“Oleg––“

“I thought you Harts didn’t believe in the one?” My hand clenched around the phone.

“Man––“

“You gotta give me a moment. Holy shit. How? When? Who?” he peppered, saying more words than we had exchanged since we’d met about a decade earlier.

“Jesus, I didn’t call to braid our hair and yap. I need a favor.” I was growing impatient.

“Man, you gotta give me something.” Despite all the gray shit Oleg dipped his toes in, he was still a good guy.

“I saw her at a New Year’s party,” I shared, hating having to share anything at all. Everything about Scarlett felt like I wanted to keep it a secret. Not because I was ashamed but because I wanted to protect her like a treasure.

“Saw her?” he repeated, and I groaned.

“I know how it sounds, but then today, I saw her again. That’s how I figured out her name.” I winced at myself as the words tumbled clumsily past my lips. I was making it sound so much worse than it was.

“Wait a moment, Merritt. Does she know you two met?” he asked not in a teasing way but with concern.

“It’s… complicated.” I knew this was going to come up anyhow. The line stayed silent for a moment before I heard him shift in his seat and sigh.

“Shit, Merri,” his deep voice rumbled, “Only you.”

“Ol––“

“I’m not sayin’ no.” My eyes shut. “But you know there are a shit ton of women who would fall at your feet to date you?”

“Oleg, she’s…” My eyes drifted to her window, but she was no longer there. Not that I didn’t know exactly what she looked like. I know. “She’s perfect.”

“Perfect? I don’t know if that exists, but sure, whatever you say. Pussy is pussy to me, but whatever.”

“Just wait until you meet the one,” I warned with a rough chuckle.

“Jesus! Don’t go tossing that kind of juju on me. Speaking of, don’t you and brothers believe you’re cursed when it comes to love anyhow?”

“Oleg.”

“She worth it if you get caught? Because you know any info or shit I do for you will not be traced back to me.”

“Yes,” I hissed, and my nose flared.

“You know my rate,” he added.

“I know.” And I did. Thankfully, I’d spent forty years of my life working to make more than enough money that it wasn’t a problem.

“Okay, lay it on me. What do you need?”

“Everything you can find on Scarlett Trejo.” There was no ignoring the quick taps of the keyboard he was more than likely sitting in front of.

“Easy. You will get an email in an hour. Anything else?” I licked my lips and cleared my throat. I’d already crossed lines by following her and asking for information on her, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough. Nowhere close.

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