Page 53 of The Right to Remain Mine

"For starters, it's no big deal. He just does stupid, immature stuff like breathe into the phone and tell me how he likes what I'm wearing."

"Holy, hell, DeVane!" Raith yelled. "He's stalking you?"

"He's harmless," Willow assured him with an impatient sigh.

"No, he isn't. He's already attacked you once. I'm not even going to go into all the crap he's done to his wife. How many times did he put her in the hospital? Three, four? I can't believe you agreed to take him on as a client in the first place."

"I wasn't aware of his violent behavior when I—wait a second. How did you know he put his wife in the hospital?"

"I looked up his record," Raith answered as if that should be obvious.

Willow paused. "Really? Why?"

"Why?" he asked on a frown, seemingly perplexed she didn't already know. "The guy tried to strangle you. Why wouldn't I look into his background?"

"You..." She blinked, stunned. Then she sent him a brilliant smile. "Well, well, Malloy. I'm flattered. You actually checked this guy out because you were worried about little ol' me."

His scowl grew. "Don't change the subject. Why didn't you tell me about this a long time ago?"

"God. You're like a dog with a bone, you know that?"

"Why?" he pressed.

Willow gritted her teeth. "I can't even prove it's Franklin. He calls from a blocked number and always disguises his voice."

"Then why do you think it's him?"

Willow sighed again, trying to clue him in to how much she didn't want to discuss this anymore. "Just how many enemies do you think I have? I can't think of who else it would be."

"What does he say when he calls?"

"Oh, the usual intimidation tactics. I liked what you were wearing today. That kind of crap. But he never describes my outfits, making me think he's just blowing smoke about seeing me at all. Tonight he said he likes it better when you keep the blinds open before taking me."

Raith's head jerked around. He stared at the window a full second before springing into action and reaching for his navy cargo pants.

Willow snatched his elbow to stop him. "I never leave my blinds open," she said. "He's full of shit, Malloy."

He merely pulled his arm free and yanked up his pants. "I'm looking anyway."

"Oh, pul-lease." Willow sighed as she followed him into the living room, watching him tug on his Under-Armor shirt. "Even if he was here, he's long gone by now."

Raith snagged his boots from the floor and jerked his feet into them. Next to them lay his duty belt where he'd dropped it earlier in the evening to get naked with her.

"Go lock the back door," he instructed and slid his gun from its holster.

Willow's eyes flared as she stared at the weapon. Suddenly, the situation felt all too real. When he opened the front door, she panicked.

"Aren't you going to put on your bulletproof vest at least?" she snapped, irritated with herself for worrying. But, damn, the thing was lying right there next to his belt. It'd be so simple and quick... and safe, just to slip it on.

But he merely sent her a cocky grin over his shoulder. "Thought you said he was long gone by now." With a wink, he disappeared into the night, flipping the lock as he went.

"Raith—" she started, only to growl out a frustrated sound as the door snapped shut behind him. She stood there a moment and stared down at the unused vest, feeling an insane urge to charge after him and force it on him. The stubborn jackass. He was purposely trying to scare her just so she'd worry about him.

"Idiot," she muttered and spun around to storm back to the bedroom. She purposely didn't detour through the kitchen to lock the back door, just to show him she wasn't afraid. Damn it, she hadn't been afraid until he'd pulled that stupid gun out. Grumbling to herself, Willow flopped onto her unmade bed and yelped when she landed on cold, crinkled paper. Springing up, she found the magazine he'd been reading.

With a muttered oath, she yanked it out from under her and glowered at the wrinkled pages. She was just about to toss the publication across the room when she saw what page he'd been reading.

All other thoughts fleeing her head, she paused and scanned the

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