Page 45 of Behind the Scenes

Frowning, she explained what he’d guessed about the breakup. “She took it hard. Jackson didn’t even have the decency to tell her before he began strutting around with that girl. And I mean girl. She’s three years younger than Alexis, for God’s sake. He had a beautiful woman who loved him, and he threw her away for the flavor of the month. I’m waiting for the announcement that he’s moved on from her and hooked up with a teenager, the pig. Alexis had to pretend for the whole world that she was fine with being humiliated, and she did. She held her head high and people applauded her for taking the high road on the whole thing. But she stopped wanting to go out, and when someone would invite her to a party, often she’d come up with an excuse not to go. She started hiding from her life.”

“So what brought her out of that?”

Lauren’s face softened as she smiled at him. “I like to think I had some part in that. I never let a day go by without reminding her how strong and talented she was. I know assistants are supposed to do that, but I meant every word. I know Alexis since we were little kids, and she’s the strongest person I know. That’s why seeing her retreat into herself like this is so upsetting. This time it isn’t just a person she loves betraying her. This stalker isn’t someone she can look at and say, ‘I can do better than what you gave me.’ He’s hidden, so that means she’s all alone in it this time.”

“She’s not alone, Lauren. She has you and she has me. I’m going to find out who’s behind this and give her the life she always wanted back.”

With tears in her eyes, she looked up at him. “Please do it quickly. I feel like she’s slipping away more and more every day.”

Lauren left to go to her room she shared with Carla, so Hunter headed to his own room. Maybe Gideon had already made some progress on those names he’d given him. Even just one lead would be better than sitting around feeling helpless.

As he sat listening to his phone ring, Hunter thumbed through the reports from the LAPD and the private detective he’d gotten from Paul. Nobody seemed to ever get a good bead on this stalker. He sent letters regularly, but they never came through the post office and somehow they always got to Alexis, no matter if she was in LA or New York.

This told Hunter whoever the stalker was, he had to have someone on the inside helping him. But who?

Hopefully, Gideon would be able to help answer that. Assuming he ever answered his goddamned phone.

Finally, he heard his friend’s voice in his ear saying, “Twice in one day? You must miss us back here at the ranch.”

He didn’t have time for his jokes. “Hey man, tell me you found out something.”

“In like four hours?” Gideon asked in amazement. “Are you kidding? I need at least a couple days, dude. You gave me a list of like twenty people.”

“I know. I just hoped something popped right off the bat. You are working on it, right? Because this is way more important than that busy work Persephone has you doing.”

Gideon didn’t answer as Hunter’s thoughts wandered to Alexis down the hall and if she was okay.

“Hunter, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean? I’m doing my job. What are you talking about?”

“I’ve never heard you like this. You sound worried, man. That’s not like you.”

Hunter lay down on his bed and covered his eyes with his arm. “I’m fine. Same as always.”

“I don’t think so. What’s going on there? Do you think you know who’s stalking Alexis?”

Hating that he didn’t have even one goddamned solid clue yet, he said, “No. I’ve got nothing. Not a single damn lead.”

“They can’t expect miracles. Rome wasn’t built in a day, man,” Gideon said, trying to be supportive.

“Nobody’s saying anything. I just want to get to the bottom of who’s doing this to her as soon as I can,” Hunter lied.

It wasn’t just that he wanted to catch Alexis’s stalker. It was more than that. He wanted to see that open soul that Lauren talked about. So far, all he’d seen from Alexis made her seem so closed off. If he could get the stalker and end that torment for her, he hoped he might be able to see her open up again.

Of course, Gideon didn’t know any of that, so he naturally assumed Hunter just wanted to get this case over and done with so he could head out on vacation. “I know you want to get back so you can get some time off. I get it. Give me some time and I’ll get everything down to the last time each person had sex and if they enjoyed it. How’s that sound?”

“Is everything about sex with you, man?” Hunter asked with a laugh. “We’re talking work here, and you have to stick sex in the middle of it.”

“I’m not the one who just said stick sex in the middle, dude.”

“It sounds like you need to get some, Gideon. I’m not kidding here. This is the second conversation that you interjected some mention of sex into. I’m just saying if all you’re doing is busy work, you might want to get out and clear your head, if you know what I mean.”

“You do realize who you’re talking to, right?” he asked, sounding offended. “Trust me. There is no problem on my end here. Life is just as it always has been for me, so don’t worry. I’m a perfectly healthy American male. As for you, I’m guessing you still haven’t taken Alexis Marchand to bed, right?”

“I didn’t call you for a lecture on how to sleep with women, man,” Hunter said with a chuckle, amused by his friend’s growing obsession with his not sleeping with the client.

“No, but you have to admit I took your mind off your worries for a few seconds there. Give me a little more time and I’ll find out everything I can for you about all the names you sent me. Until then, just enjoy the fact that you’re protecting one of the most beautiful women in the world, Hunter.”

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