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“And if we have lunch together, everyone in town truly will know you are mine,” he adds, unbearably satisfied with himself. “Which means they’ll look at you everywhere you go, and you’ll be safe. And whoever your stalker is, I doubt he’ll take that development quietly. It’s genius.”
When he states facts like that, part of me can’t help but agree. But it would still be so…weird? We just met. Like, I hadn’t seen anyone from Thorn Falls in my life before November, but Marius, specifically, didn’t really pay any attention to me until the stupid hike that Sunday.
Then he came all over your face, and kidnapped you two days later.
Jesus, he’s fucked up.
And so am I for sticking around.
For liking it.
“Chill. It’s just a big show. We rattle your stalker, and you stay perfectly safe.”
He can’t guarantee that, but it’s not his responsibility to see to my safety.
He’s right, this stalker problem ismyissue. And whoever it is, they could escalate from cameras to something much worse, especially since they can no longer film me, as I’m gone from the dorm. If we were to turn things around, set the rules…it might work. The stalker wouldn’t be in control. We’d be ready.
“I need to take self-defense lessons,” I grumble, mostly to myself.
“Excellent idea,” Marius immediately agrees, surprising me again.
I figured he’d thump his chest, and say something along the lines of“Me Tarzan, you Jane, me hit stuff, you look pretty.”That’s more in keeping with his Neanderthal vibe.
“There are classes in the Dome, I think, but in the meantime, I can ask Dez to show you a few things.”
He’s not minimizing the danger to me.
“But what if the stalker doesn’t take the bait?” I ask, still objecting.“It’s not like we can stay together forever.”
“It’s unlikely. From what I’ve seen—”
The bartender interrupts, asking for our order.
“Champagne, darling. Bring us a bottle of Dom. We’re celebrating tonight.”
“Yeah?” asks the bartender. “Is it someone’s birthday?”
He shoots her a wicked grin. “Nope, but this gorgeous woman is just about to agree to date me.”
I puff indignantly, but he only winks at me.
“Come on. You know I’m right.”
He’s not wrong, but it still feels like a terrible idea overall.
I refocus the conversation. “What were you saying earlier?”
“Hm?”
“I asked what would happen if the stalker doesn’t take the bait. And you were saying that from what you’ve seen…”
“Oh yeah.” He nods. “Our hacker found out a bit more about your stalker. They have a history of doing that sort of thing to pretty, vulnerable girls. It’s their first foray into attacking something like the Heritage, but they’ve done plenty of sextortion in the past. They don’t really seem to be the kind of person who just drops it.”
I frown. “What makes you say that?”
“Because, Sarah darling, my investigator hunted down several of their previous victims. Three are missing. And five are dead.”
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