“You want coffee.”
“Mmm, yes please.”
Valerie walked over to his breakfast nook and sat down at the table. After pouring her a cup, he brought it over to her and sat down next to her. “So, tell me about this ass**le who’s harassing you?”
Her expression changed at once. This obviously was not something she’d been expecting to talk about this morning. But if she was in any kind of danger, he needed to know now.
Valerie avoided his eyes and sipped on her coffee. “He’s angry.”
“About what?”
Alex watched as she did everything to avoid looking at him straight in the face. She gripped her mug. “He blames me for getting thrown in jail.”
Alex stood very still and breathed in deeply. If she told him this guy had done anything to hurt Valerie, he didn’t want to lose it. “Why?”
Valerie glanced at him then looked back at her mug. He hated seeing her so tense. He leaned over and put his hand on her knee. “Baby, just tell me.”
Valerie finally looked him in the eye. “We went out for a few weeks, and he started getting really weird on me, then I found out he was married. I broke it off immediately but he became obsessed. He followed me around and called nonstop. I warned him I would tell his wife if he didn’t stop.” She stopped and glanced up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. “When he didn’t stop, I called his wife and told her. She was hysterical. Apparently, it got so ugly when she confronted him about it, he pulled a knife on her. She pressed charges, and they locked him up. He was supposed to do three years. Instead, he got out after only nine months. Now he blames me for everything wrong in his life. His divorce, the loss of his job, the fact that he can’t see his kids. Everything. He says I did this to him.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“I know, but he’s not all there. He thinks I need to make it up to him one way… or another.”
Alex stared at her big frightened eyes. Why hadn’t he hit the ass**le harder? He’d knocked him out, but now he wanted to kill him.
“How come no one ever told me about this?”
Did Angel know? He must have. Sarah would’ve told him. He concentrated on remaining calm.
“I begged Sarah not to tell Angel. I didn’t want you to know. It was so mortifying.”
“Valerie, the guy’s a maniac. That’s not your fault.”
Valerie shook her head. “But it is. I should’ve never gotten involved with him in the first place. I should’ve known from the moment I started to get to know him how disturbed he was.”
“No.” Inundated by a gentleness he’d never felt before he caressed her face. “This isn’t your fault, babe.”
He couldn’t help thinking if he himself hadn’t been such a stubborn ass for so long, she may have never met this guy. “So, has he been specific about what he wants, or is he just taunting you?”
She stared at the floor. “We never did anything more than kiss... he says since he lost everything for me, it should’ve at least been worth it… he wants us to…”
Never. Not in Alex’s lifetime. The animal wouldn’t get within miles of her. He’d make sure of that.
“And…” Valerie stopped.
Good God, there was more. “What?”
“He said it’s going to happen no matter what. He’s already showed up at one of the properties I was at for an inspection and tried to corner me.”
“What happened?” Alex realized he spoke through his teeth now, but it was all he could do from completely losing it and going out to look for Bruce right then.
Valerie stopped clutching the mug and put her hands together on her lap. “He’s determined to ruin me if I don’t give in to him. He’s starting with my reputation at the office, my sanity.” She looked up at Alex. “I’m pretty sure he’s following me again. I can feel it. He knew every time I was with Luke. Just the other morning…”
Alex studied her expression. Something seemed to have come to her. “Just the other morning what?”
“He called the morning after I had dinner with Luke.”
It took Alex a second but he figured out why she’d stopped. “Just the other day? I thought you said you’d broken up with him weeks ago?”
When Valerie’s eyes met his, she seemed nervous, and Alex felt a new tension in his muscles. Whatever it was, he was getting it out of her today. All of it.
“Well, we’re still friends. We have to be. We work together.”
The deep breathing wasn’t working quite as well, anymore. He didn’t like where this was going.
“We had dinner the other night after work.”
Alex remained cool. He did not intend to blow up the first morning after they’d gotten back together. He spoke calmly but firmly. “First of all, all the dinner or lunches or anything with Luke are going to stop, right?”
Valerie nodded.
He stared at her for a moment. Her agreeing so easily should’ve been more satisfying. Knowing she’d be seeing the guy everyday took from the satisfaction, still he continued. “But you’re telling me the text yesterday is not the first time he said Bruce has threatened you? There’ve been more times?”
“Just that one other time,” she said quickly. “The morning after we had dinner.”
“Which was?”
Valerie avoided his eyes again. “Friday.”