text.
Still, he needed to talk live or, better yet, see her in person before he’d feel at ease. But she’d blown off his earlier phone calls, and by the time he finished a morning debrief with Danny, he knew he’d most likely find her here at the gym.
He had a few hours before he had to be back at the Blankenthorns’ for an event, so he quickly changed into shorts and a T-shirt and joined Talia where she was doing push-ups on the mat.
Jack took a jump rope off a peg and started his warm-up. “Hey.”
She was at the top of her push-up and barely looked up at his curt greeting. His irritation eased a little as he admired her form. Though slender, she was strong, the sleek muscles of her back shifting as she lowered herself to the floor and smoothly pushed herself back up. When she was finally done with the set, she rolled into a seated position and reluctantly took the hand he offered.
“How did you know I was here?”
He figured she wouldn’t take it well if he admitted that he was as familiar with her daily routine as he was with his own. “Unlike you, Rosie doesn’t ignore me when I call her. You want to tell me why you haven’t called me back?” Jack asked, and resumed his rope work.
“I’ve been busy,” she said, a little out of breath. Herhair was damp around the edges and the neckline of her tank top was dark with sweat.
“Too busy to return three calls and half a dozen texts?”
“They don’t like you to use your cell phone at the police station,” she snapped.
Jack stumbled as his feet got caught in the rope. “What. Happened.”
Talia looked around as though to make sure no one was listening.
“This is about the flowers?”
When Talia had texted him last night asking him if he’d sent her flowers, his immediate reaction was anger. Even though it was none of his business if Talia dated, the idea of another man trying to get in her pants made his blood simmer.
“They were at my house last night when I got home. No card, no name of the florist. Totally anonymous.”
Jack bit back a curse to have his suspicions confirmed. After he’d reined in his irrational anger, he’d realized that Talia probably wouldn’t have contacted him if she hadn’t been scared. It wasn’t exactly her style to call him just to shoot the shit.
“And it freaked you out.” He couldn’t blame her. Some women might like the idea of having a secret admirer, but not Talia. Not after spending too many years constantly watched by the sick fuck who controlled her.
“It wasn’t just that they were anonymously sent,” she said. “I wouldn’t have gone to the police for that. I’m paranoid, but not that paranoid. But they were gardenias.”
Jack cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t know anything about flowers. “Not following.”
“David sent me gardenias for the first time two weeksafter we met. He sent a fresh batch to my house every week until Nate tried to kill me.”
Jesus fuck. “The necklace and now the flowers. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Talia slipped on her gloves and strode across the room to work on the big bag. “Yeah, try convincing the police. When I went to talk to them this morning, they said it’s probably someone who knows me from the restaurant, trying to gear up the courage to ask me out.” Her fist made a loud
thwack
as it hit the bag. “And they said even if there’s malicious intent, there’s nothing they can do until someone actually tries to hurt me. Not every girl gets a stalker who sends her flowers and jewelry, right?”
He went to work on the bag next to Talia’s. Jack knew firsthand how bad the police could be at protecting women and children. Sure, flowers and jewelry might seem like pretty benign offerings, but there was no predicting when a harmless crush could turn violent.
“And then they asked me if there was anyone who might want to cause me harm. I was like, where do I start?”
Thwack.
“With the dozen or so government muckety-mucks who got fired
Still, he needed to talk live or, better yet, see her in person before he’d feel at ease. But she’d blown off his earlier phone calls, and by the time he finished a morning debrief with Danny, he knew he’d most likely find her here at the gym.
He had a few hours before he had to be back at the Blankenthorns’ for an event, so he quickly changed into shorts and a T-shirt and joined Talia where she was doing push-ups on the mat.
Jack took a jump rope off a peg and started his warm-up. “Hey.”
She was at the top of her push-up and barely looked up at his curt greeting. His irritation eased a little as he admired her form. Though slender, she was strong, the sleek muscles of her back shifting as she lowered herself to the floor and smoothly pushed herself back up. When she was finally done with the set, she rolled into a seated position and reluctantly took the hand he offered.
“How did you know I was here?”
He figured she wouldn’t take it well if he admitted that he was as familiar with her daily routine as he was with his own. “Unlike you, Rosie doesn’t ignore me when I call her. You want to tell me why you haven’t called me back?” Jack asked, and resumed his rope work.
“I’ve been busy,” she said, a little out of breath. Herhair was damp around the edges and the neckline of her tank top was dark with sweat.
“Too busy to return three calls and half a dozen texts?”
“They don’t like you to use your cell phone at the police station,” she snapped.
Jack stumbled as his feet got caught in the rope. “What. Happened.”
Talia looked around as though to make sure no one was listening.
“This is about the flowers?”
When Talia had texted him last night asking him if he’d sent her flowers, his immediate reaction was anger. Even though it was none of his business if Talia dated, the idea of another man trying to get in her pants made his blood simmer.
“They were at my house last night when I got home. No card, no name of the florist. Totally anonymous.”
Jack bit back a curse to have his suspicions confirmed. After he’d reined in his irrational anger, he’d realized that Talia probably wouldn’t have contacted him if she hadn’t been scared. It wasn’t exactly her style to call him just to shoot the shit.
“And it freaked you out.” He couldn’t blame her. Some women might like the idea of having a secret admirer, but not Talia. Not after spending too many years constantly watched by the sick fuck who controlled her.
“It wasn’t just that they were anonymously sent,” she said. “I wouldn’t have gone to the police for that. I’m paranoid, but not that paranoid. But they were gardenias.”
Jack cocked an eyebrow. He didn’t know anything about flowers. “Not following.”
“David sent me gardenias for the first time two weeksafter we met. He sent a fresh batch to my house every week until Nate tried to kill me.”
Jesus fuck. “The necklace and now the flowers. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Talia slipped on her gloves and strode across the room to work on the big bag. “Yeah, try convincing the police. When I went to talk to them this morning, they said it’s probably someone who knows me from the restaurant, trying to gear up the courage to ask me out.” Her fist made a loud
thwack
as it hit the bag. “And they said even if there’s malicious intent, there’s nothing they can do until someone actually tries to hurt me. Not every girl gets a stalker who sends her flowers and jewelry, right?”
He went to work on the bag next to Talia’s. Jack knew firsthand how bad the police could be at protecting women and children. Sure, flowers and jewelry might seem like pretty benign offerings, but there was no predicting when a harmless crush could turn violent.
“And then they asked me if there was anyone who might want to cause me harm. I was like, where do I start?”
Thwack.
“With the dozen or so government muckety-mucks who got fired
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