“Last June. Why?”
“Because it’s these little details that connect the dots.” I kissed her forehead. “What else can you tell me? Think, baby.”
“Well, Cooper stayed in their place in Culver City after Corbin moved out.”
Could Corbin’s ex-boyfriend be the stalker? Fucking hell…
“Do you know why they broke up? What kind of problems were they having?” Details, I needed every single one, no matter how benign it seemed.
“I remember them fighting a lot last spring. Cooper was dissatisfied with their relationship. When he’d go to the gym, Corbin used to get jealous when he’d flirt with his female clients.”
“Were you one of the women he flirted with?” The muscles in my neck tensed.
“I guess. But I wouldn’t flirt back like the other woman. One time Corbin told me Cooper called me a bitch for ignoring him. I guess he thought very highly of his sexual prowess.” She shuddered with disgust.
“Son of a bitch.”
“What?”
My sweet girl really didn’t have a clue. “Just go on. What was the final straw?”
“Cooper wanted to bring a woman into their relationship to spice things up. He said he needed more than what Corbin gave him. Corbin wanted nothing to do with a threesome. Things were okay with them for a couple of weeks, then Corbin found women’s panties and a life-size naked photo…” The color drained from her face.
I reeled her into my arms. “It’s okay. I think we just found your stalker, baby.” I tilted her chin and kissed her. “Don’t worry. Focus on tonight. Okay?”
She nodded her head, but I could tell she was in shock. And with good reason. This wasn’t a lot of information, but the pieces were fitting together. I wasn’t sure why this Cooper would poison Simone. He was obviously a nutjob, so probably better to not try to understand his reasoning.
“Tell me what you need.” I ran my finger down the curve of her jawline. I didn’t want to leave her, but I needed to call York.
“I’ll take care of her.” Lily approached. “I’m sure there’s someone you need to call or something.”
Simone blinked, and it was like the fog lifted. “I’m okay. I just can’t believe it is all. I’ve seen him around and never thought anything of it. All this time, he’d been following me. It’s disgusting and creepy as hell.”
“It’s fucked up.”
“I’m fine. You go do what you need to do.”
I gently pinched her chin and focused on her eyes. “Are you sure? I’ll just be in the living room.”
“I’m sure.” She was rattled, but she was also hella strong.
“Okay, just holler if you need me.” I kissed her again and hugged her. “We got him, baby, we got that sick son of bitch. I’m sure it’s him.” And I’d be able to die in peace knowing some whack job wouldn’t harm my woman.
After I called York, I paced the loft, waiting for an update. He knew about the romantic evening I planned for Simone. I didn’t want to be interrupted and told him not to call after seven o’clock unless it was an emergency. Still, I was eager to know what was going on.
Lily and Tessa left a little while ago. Watching them leave amped up my nervousness. What did women consider romantic? I was out of my element and afraid to fuck everything up.
My phone chimed with a text. My heart rate increased, seeing York’s name.
York: No sign of him but we’ll get him. We got proof.
Axel: Finally. Turning my phone on silent. Text me when you have him.
York: Ok. Relax. Enjoy your evening.
I’d do my best to relax. The attachment York sent was of the same pictures emailed to Simone Monday. The room and everything matched. Fuck yeah! We got him.
Now I could romance the hell out of my woman.