Page 63 of Stormswept Colorado

“Ayla. Lovely to see you again.”

I bristled at his familiar tone. Which was ridiculous, because both Aiden and River were happily married. River’s wife was the Colorado lieutenant governor.

But Ayla was the most beautiful woman in existence. I mean, they had to have noticed. She was exquisite, and as far as my possessive instincts were concerned, she was mine.

At least for today.

Ayla’s fingers squeezed my hand. “It’s possible I have a stalker. Teller offered to help, and he knows how important privacy is to me. I…” She swallowed, and I rubbed my thumb over her skin. “I want to keep this quiet.”

“Quiet is my specialty.” River gestured at a leather couch set against the wall. “Grab a seat and tell us what’s been going on.”

Ayla glanced at me like she was seeking reassurance. Given how brash and gutsy she could be, that just showed how uncomfortable she felt, even though she knew these men. And, truth be told, that soothed my flare of possessiveness. No matter how ridiculous it had been in the first place.

Aiden’s network of friends had some next-level skills, and it was a long story how they’d all ended up in Hart County. Their group provided security for Last Refuge, but they were hardly your run-of-the-mill security guards. River had been a Navy SEAL and then CIA.

They handled delicate situations, and not always with entirely legal means. But that was all unconfirmed rumor, and it was better for us law-enforcement types not to know any specifics.

I knew we could count on Aiden and his friends, though. I would never have brought Ayla’s problem to them otherwise. Dane Knightly had talked up his New York investigator, but we had assets of our own here in Hart County.

We both sat on the couch, and I let go of Ayla’s hand, moving to wrap my arm around her shoulder instead. “Start at the beginning,” I said softly. “Yesterday wasn’t the first concerning message you’ve received, was it?”

Ayla leaned into me. “The first time was last September. I was in Toronto for a show. My team vets gifts and flowers that fans send. Same with letters and cards. I get my share of hate mail about how I’m corrupting the youth.” She rolled her eyes. “I had never received anything dangerous or really concerning, as far as I know, anyway, and my manager Cheryl would tell me. But then in Toronto, I received a flower arrangement witha card.”

She closed her eyes. I rubbed her shoulder.

Then she recited, “You don’t even know how beautiful you really are. I’ve always been your biggest fan.”

A thread of uneasiness worked its way down my neck like a cold drop of water.

“Givesmethe creeps,” River said. “That’s for sure.”

“Fans say those kinds of things to me all the time. My team must’ve thought it was innocent. But there was a photo tucked inside. A photo of me at fifteen or sixteen, in front of the house on the Army base where I lived then. I think my sister Lori took it.”

“A private photo?” Aiden rubbed a hand over his beard. “Something that wasn’t publicly available?”

“That’s right. It seemed…dark, like the message had something to do with my past. My childhood was not good. That’s not something I talk about publicly.Ever.”

Shit, no wonder it had been upsetting. Now I knew exactly how awful Ayla’s life had been before she got away from her father. I exchanged a look with Aiden, and his brow knitted sympathetically.

“I asked my manager to find out who sent it. But according to the florist, the person paid over the phone with a cash gift card that was untraceable.”

River perched on the edge of the desk across from us, hands clasped in his lap. Trying to make himself less intimidating. I’d used similar techniques plenty of times when interviewing crime victims. “Did your team contact law enforcement? Or a private investigator?”

“No. I’ve worked with investigators before, like after Lori died, but not this time. I didn’t want to, even though I was still pretty shaken up. Didn’t want to invite interest in my childhood for…reasons.”

River nodded along like this didn’t surprise him in the least.

“I didn’t receive anything else suspicious in the months after.I thought it was a one-off. I hoped it didn’t mean anything at all.” She took a heavy breath. “Until the email yesterday. Another message, another photo.”

Ayla took her phone from her pocket, unlocked it, and handed the device to River. He studied the screen. I hadn’t forgotten what it said, and fury rose in my throat as I recalled how frightened she’d been.

Someday you’ll smile like that for me. And only me. Until then, I’ll be watching.

Love, your Biggest Fan

River held the phone to show Aiden. “It’s more threatening,” River said. “Suggests an escalation.

Exactly my thought. “We have no idea how long this person has been trying to contact Ayla,” I added, “or how long he’s been watching her, planning his next move.”

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