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“We notified him this morning and issued a warning regarding any release of the photographs. You may have guessed, but yours are not the only photographs.”
“How many are there?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“It’s a large clinic, and he had cameras hidden in the locker room. At this point, we have over eleven victims who have come forward. He’s been blackmailing all of them. You seem to be the first he targeted. He moved on to blackmail the others.”
“Oh my god,” I breathed.
“As we’ve already requested, please notify us immediately if he tries to contact you in any way.”
“Absolutely. So what do I do now?”
“We will keep you updated on the progress of both cases. I’m hopeful we can negotiate a plea deal that results in genuine consequences for him. If not, I believe our chances at trial are good, given our evidence. We have a strong case.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
“Thank you for reaching out to us and reporting the crimes. People like this often get away with it solely because no one reports it out of fear. We’re in contact with the team handling the investigation for the financial case. They will keep you updated. If you don’t hear from them soon, I’ll let you know any updates I have.”
His words reminded me of precisely why I’d waited. We said our goodbyes. I lowered the phone and set it down on the counter. I couldn’t believe something was actually happening. I still felt strange inside, unsettled and anxious. I didn’t trust Tyler to take this news well. I’d seen his temper in action.
Only moments later, my cell phone rang again. When I saw another unknown number but with the same area code, I answered, thinking it was someone else in the DA’s office. Mistake.
“Alice!” Tyler frantically barked in my ear, his tone menacing.
I almost jumped back at the sound, my hand clenching around the phone. Just then, I heard my bedroom door open and glanced down the hallway to see Jonah.
As if she sensed my tension, Honey leaped off the back of the couch, walking into the kitchen. Distracted, I said, “You’re not supposed to contact me.” My voice came out shaky.
Jonah walked into the kitchen just then, his alert gaze coasting over my face.
“It doesn’t fucking matter if I’m not supposed to call you. Now that you’ve contacted the DA’s office, I will make sure you regret it.”
“You can’t —”
Jonah’s eyes narrowed as he crossed over to me. He paused, mouthing a question, “Can I take that?” As soon as I nodded, he swiftly reached for the phone, lifting it and saying, “Don’t fucking call her.”
Without another word, he lowered the phone, his thumb sliding across the screen to end the call. He looked furious but also almost scared. “Why the hell did you answer that call?” he demanded.
“Jonah, are you okay?” I asked as he turned, running his hands through his hair and walking over to stare out the windows.
He spun around, his eyes meeting mine briefly. “I have to go.”
Before I could even react, he grabbed his jacket, stepped into his boots, and walked out the door.
ChapterThirty-Four
Jonah
“You okay?” Graham asked.
After a punishing workout at the station and showering and changing, I had just walked into the kitchen and was pouring myself a cup of coffee. Glancing toward Graham where he sat at the kitchen table, I shrugged. “Fine. Why do you ask?” I crossed to the table, sitting down across from him.
“Uh, because you don’t look fine,” Graham offered.
Graham was more perceptive than I preferred at this particular moment.
“What gives?” he pressed.
I took a gulp of coffee, needing the bracing bitterness. I met his gaze, deciding honesty was my best approach. “I’ve kind of been seeing Alice, but not really.”
