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She grabs my hand and holds it tight. "I’m sorry for what I said in the kitchen. It wasn’t fair." Her eyes come up to mine. "You are a good parent, Cole. But..."
"You miss your mom," I fill in while touching her cheek. "I know I can never replace her. And I don’t want to. But you need to know, I care for you."
"Let’s go home," Alisha says as she places a hand on my shoulder, flashing us a reassuring smile.
"But what about the stalker?" Samantha points out.
My eyes drift between both women as I answer. "I’ll call the police station and explain what happened when we’re home. Because this son of a bitch needs to stop."
Samantha nods and walks to the shop owner to thank him for letting her play.
I rise and walk to Alisha, who grabs both my hands the moment I arrive.
"You played," she whispers in awe.
My lips curl into a soft smile. "Yeah. Maybe it means I’m making progress. Who knows?"
She gets up on her toes and pecks my lips. "I’m proud of you."
"And I'm glad you two are safe," I whisper against her warm mouth.
Her eyes sparkle like jade spheres bathing in the sunlight, and I realize I love this woman. Perplexed by this revelation, I focus on something else.
"The bastard sent me a message too."
Her pupils react. "What?"
I take her hands and circle my thumbs over the back of them.
"When I arrived in the parking garage, I received a text saying,‘She’s mine. Stay away’.I rushed home, and when I found an empty apartment, my mind went into overdrive."
"How did he get hold of our phone numbers?" Alisha asks. Her eyes dart sideways, and her breathing pattern becomes erratic.
"Hey, breathe. I promise you're safe. I won’t let anything happen to you or Samantha."
The wary smile and minor nod she gives me indicates the bastard has found his way into her head again. Watching how she keeps up a strong appearance, while her inner world is stormy, I remember my mission: get this maniac and remove him from her life. She deserves to be free from the bastard’s torturous, sickening mind games.
I intertwine my fingers with hers and place a kiss on her knuckles. "Let’s go home."
* * *
Two police officersstand in my kitchen. One of them is the female officer who made Alisha’s last report after receiving the box. She makes eye contact with Samantha and asks in a calm tone.
"Samantha, could Leo have something to do with this situation?"
"No. He would never do something like this."
"Are you sure? It’s strange that he has changed his telephone number and disappeared without an explanation the same day this happens... Do you know his surname?"
She bites her lip and shakes her head.
"Did Leo ever have access to your phone?"
A muscle in my jawline twitches when her eyes pop after she thinks about the question.
God, if I ever get my hands on that boy, he will be so sorry.
"I take that as a yes," she says with compassion.
