I thought back to how Nova had her bed in the living room instead of the bedroom, because she said her neighbors had incredibly loud sex every night. “For fuck’s sake, Daria.” Then I remembered last Saturday. “Ohshit.”
The woman cackled like a damn witch. She held up her hand in front of me. “High five for the orgy the other night. That shit sounded fire. Who doesn’t like a good orgy if it’s done well? And given the fucking cacophony coming from next door, you were doing itrealwell.”
I blushed bright fucking red, which just made her laugh harder, and I flipped her the bird.
Just then, her phone pinged. She pulled it from her pocket, still chuckling. As she looked down at the screen, I saw the mirth slide from her face until her forehead was creased in concern.
“What’s wrong?”
She was already striding out the door, her old-school doctor’s bag that she used as a briefcase already in her hand. “Get your shit. Andrea Esperanza is outside Nova’s door right now.”
My whole body went cold. “What?”
“Move it, Mayson. We’ll take your car.” I sprinted out of the room after her, ignoring Tom’s startled expression. I ran to the elevator, Daria already there, holding it open.
“How do you know she’s there?”
Daria rolled her eyes. “Cameras, obviously. Don’t be a dumbass.” She pulled up the video feed of Andrea Esperanza at Nova’s door. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Andrea was waving her hands about.
Then Nova let her inside.
The place where Huey was sleeping.
I hadn’t told Nova of my suspicions about Andrea, because I couldn’t prove anything; all I had was a gut feeling. I was such a fuckingidiot. The woman that River loved, that he’d very publicly claimed, had just invited his stalker into her home.
“Fuck!I’m calling 911.”
“I’ll call Xander. We’ll see who gets there first.” I didn’t care who got there first, as long as my woman wasn’t alone with that psycho. My heart thrummed, and the minutes seemed to drag, even though I was going over the speed limit. At this point, I didn’t even care if we got pulled over by the cops. I’d just lead them right to Nova’s doorstep and pray we weren’t too late.
ChapterForty-Five
NOVA
I hadthat one client who was always a disorganized mess. Every year, she posted me a box of her receipts and twelve months of bank statements, and told me to work it out. I always did, because she didn’t kick up a fuss about my fee and she always paid promptly. Plus, she was lovely. Disorganized chaos, but lovely.
Someone knocked on the door, and I pushed back from the desk. Casting a look over at Huey, I saw he was out for the count. Milk drunk. His little lip moved, and honestly, I was head over heels in love with that kid.
The person at the door knocked again, and I hurried from the living room, shutting the door so whoever it was didn’t wake him. I cast a quick look around, happy to see that my house didn’t look too much like it had been tossed by ninjas.
Wrenching the door open, I was surprised to see Andrea Esperanza. “If you want an exclusive comment, I promise you that you won’t like what I have to say,” I hissed at her.
Andrea rolled her eyes. “Please. I’m a serious sports journalist. I don’t give a fuck who’s sticking their dick in you.”
Yeah, sure bitch.“What can I do for you then?”
“I’ve got information about who was taking those photos and releasing them to the public.” I narrowed my eyes at her, and she threw her hands in the air. “Look, I don’t give a fuck about you. But River Cooper is a damn good player, and he’s on track to be one of the best. I don’t want you to ruin his chances by being a literal ball and chain. Plus, she freaks even me out, and I don’t want him permanently maimed by some kind of bunny-boiling psychopath.” She looked to the left and right. “Can we talk about this somewhere less fucking public, or are you so self-absorbed you don’t give a shit about River and Rigby’s careers?”
Gritting my teeth, I let her into the apartment. She walked around with a single eyebrow raised. “I knew this was a shitty neighborhood, but I thought the inside of the place might be nicer, considering the net worth of the men you’re fucking.”
Damn, I really hated this chick. “Get on with it, Andrea. Who’s the woman? And how did you get your information?”
Andrea spun around, her nose screwed up. “God, it must be delightful to be this stupid and still beguile some of the most eligible bachelors in the state. Hell, in the country. You must be one hell of a good lay.”
Fear trickled down my spine, although she hadn’t said anything more toxic than what she’d been saying in the hallway. No, there was something about the way she’d said it. Softer but somehow more monotone.
“I think you should leave. Any information you have you can give to Devan’s lawyers.”
Then she pulled out a gun.