Page 41 of Fergus

Having Linus tell her thatMartinwas her stalker had delivered that physical blow.

“I’m afraid so.” Linus Wynter was the one to answer her. “He arrived back in the UK today, again by train, an hour after you did. He then went to his apartment to drop off his bag before driving to your home. When you didn’t answer his knock on your door, your neighbor came out and told him you were still away on holiday. He returned to his car and went online looking for where Fergus lives when he’s in London. The electoral register is public record,” he defended when Fergus glowered at him.

“So he knows where I am now?” Thea asked softly. She felt slightly sick at the thought.

Linus nodded. “He also searched for why there’s police tape around the side of your apartment building and again across the road. Then he drove here and began to loiter outside the building. Security didn’t like him being there, so one of them approached him and asked him his reason for being here. The guy muttered some excuse about being lost before skuttling away like the cowardly rabbit that he is. He can’t be anything else when he’s been terrorizing and then hit a woman. For the past few minutes, Hayes has been sitting in the coffee shop just down the street, watched by two men from Wynter Security.”

“Not anymore,” Nikolai Volkov put in harshly. “Once I learned of that situation, I made a call and instructed some of my own men to pick Hayes up and take him to one of our safe houses for questioning.”

Linus nodded. “Security tried to call you earlier, but you weren’t picking up,” he told his brother.

Fergus scowled. “I was busy.”

Linus’s mouth quirked. “Not going to ask doing what,” he taunted.

Thea was still in shock at learning that it wasMartin, of all people, who had been—still was—stalking her.

Who had also followed her to Paris and knocked her unconscious in her hotel room.

But she still didn’t understandwhyhe had.

“I want to see him,” she stated flatly.

Fergus turned to looked at her. “See who— No!” he snapped when her meaning became clear to him.

“Yes. I want to know why he did those things.” Thea turned to Nikolai Volkov. “Can I do that?” She had no idea where or what a safe house was, but Nikolai’s expression told her it wasn’t a safe place for Martin.

Not that he deserved one if he really was responsible for stalking and then attacking her.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

“You can,”Nikolai answered her. “But I do not recommend doing so.”

“Why not?” Thea demanded.

“Because this man’s behavior brought fear into your life.” He shrugged broad shoulders. “A fear I believe it unnecessary for you to feel again because of him, however briefly.”

He was right, of course. In fact, Thea had a feeling that Nikolai Volkov was very rarely wrong.

She turned to look at Fergus. “How did you know to ask Linus to look into Martin specifically as possibly being my stalker?”

“The pillow.”

She frowned her confusion. “What?”

“The pillow,” he repeated. “You said it was the only thing that had been stolen when someone broke into your apartment. Which meant whoever took it had to know what that pillow meant to you. That led me to believe the thief had to be a close friend or an ex-lover. You had already told me you found it easier to have acquaintances rather than close friends, as a result of your connection to the Yegorovs. Martin Hayes became the most obvious candidate as your stalker.”

It made sense when Fergus explained it in those terms. The pillow was very special to her, and whoever had taken it had to have known that. She had just never thought of Martin behaving in this underhanded and violent way.

Fergus looked far from happy at his own explanation.

“Martin wasn’t my lover,” Thea told him. “We dated for a while but never really clicked in that way.” She shot Fergus a rueful glance. “Remember, I told you he said my arse was too scrawny?”

“Unappreciative fucker,” Fergus muttered.

“He saidwhat?” Nikolai Volkov prompted incredulously.

“Guy must need glasses!” Linus scoffed.

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