Page 37 of The Twins
I shuddered as I looked at his photo staring at me from the screen. He was balding but had dark stubble, and his flat nose was way too big for his face. And his eyes, they were narrow slits that held only dark hate. “Yes…he had a…”
“A what?” Finn asked, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. “Tell us.”
“A bit of a thing for me.” I cleared my throat. “He was overtly sexual toward me, the way he leered at me, his language and innuendos. I had to tell him several times that I would quit being his lawyer if he continued. He got four years. It was better than nothing, and at least it kept him away from women. He is a man with no respect for the opposite sex. A total misogynist.”
“Which would equate with a stalker.” Cillian’s lips drew into a pencil-thin line.
“It could be him,” I acknowledged. “And I’ll tell the police that.”
“We’ll come with you,” Finn said.
“No, it’s okay, I’m sure you’ve got things to do. The gym, don’t you need to—?”
“Our mate Phil is opening up for us, and you really think we’re going to let you wander around alone while this asshole is out there?”
“I—”
“It’s not up for negotiation,” Finn said. “If this eejit thinks you’re his prey, he’s got it all wrong, because he’s just becomeourprey, and we’re fucking fierce predators.”
The determination in Finn’s voice and the conviction in both of their eyes sent a tremble up my spine. They weren’t afraid to take control of a situation I felt out of control in, and I was grateful for that. I was also a little afraid just how far they’d go, because after what I’d witnessed last night, the only thing stopping them from killing was self-control.
And anger, fury, it made men do strange things, out-of-control things. The twins were mad, furious, and if Reg Jacks was stupid enough to step in their way, he’d know all about it.
* * * *
The police station visit was quick and efficient. I spoke to a female officer who assured me they’d be looking into Reg Jacks and paying him a visit. If their investigations turned anything up they’d let me know.
“Wanna grab some lunch?” Finn asked me as we wandered out into the sunshine.
“I am hungry,” I said. “But I want to go home, put my own clothes on.” I paused. “Will you guys come to the house with me? It’d be weird being there on my own, to start with, knowing he’s been in there.”
“Of course we will.” Cillian took my hand in his and kissed the back of my knuckles. We kept on walking. “We’ll check the place out for you, make sure your security is as good as it can be.”
“Thanks.” The thought of sleeping there later shot up my heart rate. I’d be lying in bed listening to every creak and bump thinking it was him back to get me.
“Hey, hey,” Finn said with a frown. “Stop worrying, we won’t let anything happen to you.”
“It’s kind of you to say that, and reassuring,” I said, “but realistically, we all have lives to get on with. Work and stuff.”
“Not today, today we’re all yours, so give yourself a break from worrying,” Cillian said. “It’s the weekend, after all.”
I managed a smile. “Yes, you’re right. Oh, and there’s a Waitrose, let’s dive in and I’ll get something to cook up for us.”
“Cook?” Cillian said.
I laughed. “Yes, cook food, you know, I make a mean carbonara if you fancy that for lunch.”
“Hell yeah.” Finn nodded. “We don’t get home-cooked food often, unless we go back to Ireland to see Ma, that is, so yeah, I could eat carbonara.”
My heart lightened, and I went around the shop dropping fresh pasta, cream, mushrooms, and ham into my basket. Finn grabbed a big carton of milk and Cillian a bottle of wine.
I glanced over my right shoulder, then my left, eyeing up the other shoppers. Washehere? The asshole who had decided to torment me? Was he following me right now? Spying on me, waiting to make his next move? My stomach churned, and I took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and tried to steady my heart rate.
Then I spotted a couple of pretty young women fluttering their lashes at the twins. The women nudged one another and giggled, clearly liking what they saw.
Instantly, I felt lighter still. My guys were hot—guys, as in the plural. I had two men. And Cillian was right, I needed to givemyself a break from worrying and have some fun. They made me feel safe, and that was just what I needed right now; until the police got on with their job, that was.
The house was cool and quiet. While Finn and Cillian checked for any signs of an intruder, I opened the kitchen window to let in the warm breeze and the birdsong.
