“None of us did.”
She tossed her hair. “I met someone last night. My neighbor’s brother moved back into town. He asked me for a drink, and when I told him why I couldn’t right then—how upset I was about you, Raven, he was great. He sat and talked to me about life in general. Distracted me.”
“Maybe you should take him up on the offer,” Raven said.
“Maybe I will.” She paused. “Where is Stew now?”
“Where he can’t hurt anyone,” I lied smoothly. “He won’t be back.”
“Good.”
Egan knocked and came in, stopping when he saw Deb. “You got a moment?” he asked.
I stood. “I’ll give you girls some time to talk. Raven, are you okay if I go downstairs with Egan?”
She paused, then nodded. “Yes.”
“I won’t leave her until you get back,” Deb offered.
“Okay.”
Downstairs, Egan showed me a file he thought I’d be interested in. I stared at the image on the screen. It was a younger version of Raven—or a very close facsimile. “Who is that?”
“The girl Andy stalked when he was younger. I think he created his site to look for replacements. He saw Raven’s picture, and that was that. I found several files on his computer of women he went after.”
“Were they hurt?”
“Not to the extent of what just happened. It escalated with Raven.”
“You give this to Marcus and Julian?”
“Yes. They’re going to make sure a complete investigation is done and anyone who needs it gets help. Financially or mentally. They told me to show you and then you could move on, knowing the why. He was mentally unstable and fixated on a certain type. Unfortunately, he had the wealth and talent to do something about it.”
I stood. “Had is the operative word. He’s gone. He can’t hurt her or anyone else again.”
“Nope.”
I stuck out my hand. “Thanks for everything, Egan. You’ve been amazing.”
He stood and hugged me. “You are my friend. And soon to be my cousin. Of course.”
“Sofia know about the cousin thing yet?”
“No. I like to prepare. She’s like building a bomb. One careful piece after another. Each one perfect.” He grinned. “And I am excellent at building a bomb. She will be my greatest detonation. Fireworks like never before seen.”
I laughed and headed back upstairs. I had a feeling Sofia had no idea what she was up against.
And I hoped Egan got his wish. With him beside her, I wouldn’t have to worry about her happiness, safety, or anything. I knew him well enough to know that. I hoped she could see that too.