PHILLIP WENT into work on Friday, but only stayed for half the day. Sitting in the same position for hours stressed his posture, and he ached more and more as the day went on. “Are you sure you don’t need me to do anything for you?” Leonard asked for the third time as Phillip passed his desk on the way out.
“Just reschedule my afternoon appointments, please. I’m tired and sore, and I need to lie down for a while.” Maybe he could relax with Harbinger of Doom for a little while. That would go a long way to restoring his reserves. He had checked all of his reports and talked to each of the department heads. Everything was moving along, and Phillip figured he could work from home for a few days. “If you could get the things together for my Monday afternoon meetings, I’d appreciate it. I need to go over some stuff with you, so block out some time for an early lunch, and we’ll leave the office so we can catch up.” Everyone thought that running a gaming company involved hours of fun, playing the games, testing them out, coming up with new games, and developing new systems. The company did all that, but it was Phillip’s job to steer the ship and to provide direction. Phillip did get to have some fun, but not as much as he’d have liked. Mostly, he hired intensely creative people to bring his vision to life. He could already feel his energy waning, and if he didn’t get some rest, he wasn’t going to be able to make dinner.
“Will do. And take it easy.” Leonard’s gaze lingered a little longer than normal, and then he returned to his tasks as Phillip stiffly walked to the elevator.
“Are you feeling any better?” Clark, who was staffing the front desk, asked, catching up to him as Phillip reached the lobby. “I heard that you were injured. Are you okay now?” He seemed so damned earnest. “It sucks to be hurt, and spending most of the night at the hospital is no fun either. I fell down the stairs when I was a kid and ended up with a concussion. I’m glad you weren’t hurt any worse.” He pulled open the lobby door. “Feel better.” Phillip thanked him for his concern and shuffled to the elevator, pulling out his phone and pressing the Down button.
I’m on my way out of the office, Phillip texted Barry. I’m tired and sore.
I’ll be there in ten minutes. Just stay inside and around other people.
You don’t have to come. I’m fine, Phillip texted back, but got a stop sign and a smiley face in return. Apparently Barry wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Phillip wasn’t quite sure how he felt about having a bodyguard. Still, he liked that Barry wanted to look after him. He hated to admit it, but he was unnerved.
He entered the elevator when the doors swung open and stood alone inside as it took him down to the building lobby. Phillip leaned against one of the wood-paneled pillars there, and when Barry pulled up, he left the building and got in the car.
“You should have rested,” Barry scolded lightly. “No one was going to begrudge you taking another day off. You own the company.”
“Maybe. But my people work hard—many of them come to work sick because they are dedicated and want us to succeed. I can’t ask any more of them than I’m willing to do myself.” He sighed and sat back, closing his eyes after he fastened his seat belt. “Still, this feels a lot better than my desk chair. That thing cost almost a thousand dollars, and yet it’s still not as comfortable as your car seat.”
“That’s because you can relax.” Barry pulled away, and Phillip let him drive without interruption. He was too tired to talk. Once they reached his building, Phillip went inside, with Barry following and riding up with him.
“You don’t need to stay with me all afternoon.” Phillip took off his shoes and hoped he could get comfortable. Barry brought him a painkiller and a glass of water. He took the pill, drinking the entire glass dry, and then went to his bedroom. “I’m going to go lie down.”
“Okay.” Barry took the phone that Phillip had left on the coffee table and put it beside his bed. “I’m going to lock the outside door. You need to call me if so much as a cat scratches to get in.”
“I don’t have a cat.” Phillip was already lying down, finding a comfortable position and letting the medication kick in. He heard Barry leave the room, and the next thing he knew, Phillip was startled awake when he heard someone coming in.
“It’s me,” Barry said as he peeked into the bedroom. “I thought I better come by early to make sure you were up. Do you still want to go to dinner with your friends?”
“Yes.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “The nap helped.” He smiled as Barry sat next to him.
“So, what are you going to wear?”
“I can get myself dressed. But….” Phillip paused a second, thinking of teasing Barry and deciding against it. “I’ll be out in a minute.” Barry left, and Phillip changed into comfortable but nice clothes, and Barry catcalled when he came out. He made sure he had his phone and keys, and they left for the evening.
PHILLIP GAVE Barry directions, and soon they pulled up in front of a stately three-story Victorian home. Phillip explained that Mark and Tyler had bought it almost ten years before. Barry whistled as he looked up at the imposing building. “Holy cow.” The house was a grand Victorian lady.
“Yeah. The house belonged to Tyler’s grandmother, and he was able to buy it back. They’ve restored it to all its stunning former glory. The historical society had old pictures of it, so they restored the gingerbread on the front and painted it in a period color scheme.” He stood out in front looking up at the dwelling. “This house always feels like home. The first time I came here, it felt so right to me.” He stayed still, and Barry followed his gaze. “I used to be so jealous of Mark and Tyler. They had the life I’d always wanted, or maybe the life I could have had if I had chosen another path. You know? I put my energy into building the company and creating the first games that put us on the map.”
“I understand.” Barry had made choices as well.
“But sometimes, I guess I miss the things I didn’t choose. Like starting a family instead of marrying my work. And a house like this, instead of the apartment.” He didn’t move. “I wanted that part of my life to be simple… at least, that’s what I thought at the time. I was jealous of them for choosing the things I didn’t.” Phillip chuckled. “It was stupid.” He took a single step forward. “They even have the dog I dreamed of owning.”
Phillip motioned up the walk, and when they reached the door, he rang the bell. The sound of the bell was followed by the barking alarm of a small dog. When Mark opened the door, they stepped inside and were greeted by the ferocious canine. The dachshund seemed to be an old girl, but she was still doing her best to protect the house. Barry smiled. As soon as she saw Phillip, the dog rolled over for belly rubs, the softie. “Jolie,” Phillip said gently.
“Come on in,” Mark said as Jolie flipped over, casting a forlorn look over her shoulder when Phillip didn’t bend down. “The rest of the guests are here.”
Once inside, Barry stopped in the paneled hallway to gape a little. The craftsmanship in the house was amazing, with walnut paneling, a staircase that could have been used in Gone with the Wind, a stained glass window, and gleaming hardwood floors.
“I love this room.” Phillip smiled at him, his gaze wandering over the rich woodwork. “It reminds me of the house my great-aunt used to have when I was a kid.”
“Everyone is in the living room,” Mark explained. “Barry, this is my husband, Tyler. And these two characters are Bill and Tom.” Barry shook hands with everyone, and Phillip exchanged gentle hugs.
“And this is Mary,” Phillip told Barry excitedly, already pulling her into a hug. “She’s my very good friend and the one who helped me decorate the apartment. She has the real taste, not me.” Phillip flashed an impish smile at Barry, but still held her tightly. Clearly they didn’t get to see each other as often as they would have liked. Then he continued on with the introductions. “And here’s her husband, Lowell. He’s my lawyer, though he was my friend first. Tyler is an antique dealer downtown, and Bill works in cancer research, while Tom, here, is in IT.” Space had been left for them on the sofa, and when Phillip sat, Barry dropped down next to him.
“Good God, you’re a big guy,” Bill said with a welcoming smile. “Marine? You have that look.”
“Yes. Got out a few years ago, but the training runs deep.” Barry found himself a little on edge. It happened sometimes, when he found himself among people he didn’t know. His mind and body tended to go into security mode. So he took a deep breath and forced himself to remember that these were Phillip’s friends.
“How long have you known Phillip?” Tom asked as Mark brought in a tray of drinks and set it on the coffee table.
“We’ve known each other since we were kids. And we were in college together before I enlisted. He got me through some classes I never would have passed otherwise.” The smile that Phillip flashed him set his belly to fluttering again. “He was always so generous with his knowledge and his time. I never forgot him.” Barry grew quiet.
“The two of us reconnected at a funeral last week. I suppose it’s a crazy way to meet someone, but I was still very glad to see Barry again.”
Barry didn’t think it any more unusual than running into someone at a wedding or any other gathering. Although, he guessed it was strange to be grateful to have been at a funeral, simply because it had allowed him to reconnect with Phillip.
Tyler cleared his throat. “Just so you know, Mark pretty much spilled the beans.” Everyone leaned forward at once, as though they were of one mind. “What’s going on with your boyfriends dying?”
“Good lord, Tyler, don’t you have any tact?” Mark asked as he swatted his shoulder. “And I didn’t spill the beans; you sexed it out of me.” He turned beet red.
“That gives a whole new meaning to being pumped for information.”
Phillip tried not to laugh, but Barry did. It was good that Phillip had friends he could confide in. Especially since they seemed to take his concerns seriously. Barry liked them a little more for that. “We aren’t sure if there is anything going on. But Phillip and I aren’t taking any chances. Now that I’ve found him again, I’m not going to lose him.”
Tom rubbed his hands together. “There’s a story here.”
Bill nudged his shoulder. “You’re such a romantic.”
“I am, and you know it. We had our great romance.” He smiled, and it was clear that he and Bill had a love that went very deep. It showed in the wrinkles around the eyes and in the way they both looked at each other. There was definitely a history, with love and even loss written in their eyes. “So, is this a second-time-around sort of thing?” Tom took the glass that Mark offered, thanking him softly.
“More of a third-time-around thing. Phillip and I were friends when we were kids, but I was a bit of an ass and let high school crap separate us.” He gently tapped Phillip’s shoulder, giving him a smile. “We reconnected in college, and I liked Phillip then. As I said, he was a sweet man, but I wasn’t….” Barry cleared his throat and lowered his gaze. “I don’t talk about myself very well sometimes.” He had a sip of the martini, then took a deep breath to clear his head, and set the glass back on the table. “I wasn’t in a good place. I knew my mom and dad would have a hard time with me being gay, so when I couldn’t afford school anymore, I joined the Marines so they could make a man out of me.” Phillip patted Barry’s hand and, damn, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to have someone comfort him. Barry rarely talked about himself, but yet with Phillip, he didn’t mind in the least. Barry turned, sharing a smile and drawing Phillip closer, just to share a gaze with him for a few moments. It calmed his initial embarrassment.
“And did they?” Bill asked.
Barry chuckled nervously. “Yeah. But not in the way I expected. I learned a lot about myself. And I discovered that being a man is about who you are on the inside and how you act. It has nothing to do with sex or who you love.” It had taken him a while to figure that out, but once he did, he found he was comfortable in his own skin, something he hadn’t been up until then. Which was probably why he had ended up being separated from Phillip twice before.
“Amen to that,” Tyler and Lowell said together, and they all raised their glasses. Barry took a tiny sip, as did Phillip, and then he set his glass down. When a timer sounded, Mark hurried away to the kitchen, with Jolie running behind him, probably hoping for a treat. It seemed she was a little food sneak. Really cute, though. Barry smiled to himself. He had never been allowed to have a dog growing up, and with his previous work and travel, he knew it wouldn’t have been fair to a pup—or to the cat, orphaned by one of his buddies, that he had taken in a few months ago. Barry tried not to think about his friend’s loss, though it was still raw. Mark returned with a couple of sodas, and Jolie wandered off into the other room.
“Jolie,” Phillip called.
She hurried back, and he lifted her onto his lap, where she settled so he could lavish some attention on her. Barry petted her as well, and she licked his hand, soaking up the loving.
“Phillip said you helped him with his loft. It’s really stunning,” Barry said, turning to Mary.
“Thank you. I’ve known Phillip a long time, so doing his place for him was easy. After all, I already knew the kinds of things he liked.” She smiled warmly. “All it took was a few shopping trips to pick out some comfortable furniture.”
“Mary loves to shop, especially with other people’s money,” Phillip teased, and Mary lightly smacked his leg. It was clear that they were close. “It’s always fun spending time together,” he added with a smile. He and Mary shared a look of understanding that left Barry a little jealous with how they seemed to get each other. Still, Barry was once again reminded how great it was that Phillip had such nice friends.
“Maybe in a few weeks, we can go out and get you some fresh clothes,” she offered. Phillip sighed dramatically.
“Great, more shopping.” He rolled his eyes.
Phillip’s self-effacing humor was priceless. Then he turned his gaze to Barry, and his eyes darkened, reminding Barry just how sexy Phillip could be.
“I don’t care much for shopping either,” Barry told Mary with a sly grin as Jolie squirmed to get down, then raced out of the room, barking sharply. Mark got up to get her, and Barry followed him, his mood going from light to serious in a second as a shadowy flash went by the front window next to the door. Barry went into full security mode, his heart rate increasing even as his senses heightened, taking in what was around him. Something wasn’t right. But no one was going to get to Phillip, not on his watch.
“GRAB HER,” Barry told Mark, and the others all stood and hurried out as the door opened. “Everyone stay inside,” Barry called back as he took off around the house. Phillip got up to join the others.
“What’s going on?” Mary asked.
“Something alarmed Jolie, and Barry ran after someone who had been hiding in the bushes over there.” Mark turned to him. “Is this the stalker Barry has been talking about?”
“I think so. Barry told me that he’d seen someone hanging around a few times, but I never did. The guy must be getting bolder.” Phillip shivered as his imagination took over and began connecting the dots. If this stalker was obsessed with him, and if this guy somehow got rid of the guys he was dating, then… my God… he was following Phillip everywhere. Hell, he’d been as close as ten feet from the front of the house.
“Get Phillip back in the living room,” Tom said, taking his arm, and Bill took the other. Phillip’s legs seemed both heavy and weak when they got him to the sofa. “It will be okay.”
Lowell came in as well. “If you find out who this guy is, I’ll get a restraining order pushed through quickly.”
“But what if…?” He stopped himself. There was no need to go into all of the dark possibilities. It would only freak everyone out and ruin the evening.
“Did you get him?” Mark asked Barry as he came back in the house, closing the front door with a thud behind him.
“No!” Barry sounded as if he’d been swearing up a storm. “He got away, dammit.” He stalked into the room and peered out the front windows. “As soon as the dog started barking, he took off. But I did see that he’s about five ten, slightly built, young, and he can run fast.” His hands clenched to fists. “It’s definitely a guy. He was wearing a hoody to cover up his face. If I could have gotten a better look at him….” He let the curtains fall back into place.
“I’m sorry for ruining the evening.” Phillip had been hoping to forget about the nightmare that had become his life for a few hours, not pull others into it.
Tyler grinned. “Are you kidding? This is the most excitement we’ve seen outside the bedroom in years.” He snorted, and Mark fake-scowled at him.
“At least you give me credit there,” Mark teased back.
Tyler grinned and leaned close. It was clear from the way Mark colored that Tyler had whispered dirty things to him, and when Mark’s mouth dropped open, Phillip had to turn away, only to see Barry’s blue eyes watching him with banked passion.
“You two. You’re an old married couple,” Lowell teased Mark and Tyler.
Tyler snorted. “If you can’t make Mary look like that every once in a while, I’d say you two are a much older married couple.” Apparently Lowell took that as a challenge, and soon he was whispering things into Mary’s ear. It might have worked until Mary giggled and gave away Lowell’s pretense.
“You couldn’t talk dirty if your life depended on it.” She rolled her eyes and leaned in to Lowell. In seconds, he was shivering.
“Okay, let’s go home.” Lowell was on his feet and halfway to the door before Mary stopped him and brought him back to the party. Phillip smiled at their antics and was grateful for his friends’ efforts to lighten the mood.
Barry stood behind the sofa, peering out the window every once in a while. “It’s okay,” Phillip said. “No person, squirrel, or cat is going to come near this property without Jolie letting us know. It’s what she does.”
“Our girl is small, but really protective,” Tyler explained.
“I’m just getting really frustrated by this.” Barry finally sat back down. “I’ve seen this guy in the distance a few times—at the restaurant, the hospital, and now here. That’s too much of a coincidence for it to be nothing. And I’m wondering where else he is.” He turned to Phillip. “I want to check out your office and the loft once again, just to make sure someone hasn’t managed to plant cameras or microphones in either one.” His mind was clearly running with this problem.
“Barry. We’re having a nice dinner. We can check out the loft when we get home, and I’ll take you into the office tomorrow. I….” He was having a tough time figuring out how he felt. Even here, among his friends, people he knew cared for him, Phillip wanted to hide, to go to ground and stay there.
“Yes, you’re right. This is a safe place, and we should have a good time,” Barry whispered to him.
Thankfully, the conversation went in a completely different direction, and they talked about Mary’s work and her latest client, who had a thing for stained glass. “The entire house is going to end up looking like a church. They are actually adding a curved room onto the back so they can install ten-foot-high windows that will go nearly from floor to ceiling. I’m trying to figure out a way to make it look less like a cathedral and more like a home.”
“Are they pointed?” Barry asked.
“No. The windows are rectangular and they didn’t come from a church, but that much stained glass is going to have that effect. Two of the windows are missing panels, and I need to work with the owners to commission pieces that are the same size as the others.”
“Are there flowers in any of the windows?” Barry asked.
Mary leaned forward. “You have an idea, don’t you?” She seemed to latch into him. “And yes, two of the windows have stylized flowers.”
“Then why not add local birds to the two panels you have to make. It’ll be like bringing the outside in,” Barry suggested.
Mary gasped and smacked her forehead. “It’s perfect. A garden room. It will get plenty of light and….” She snatched her purse off the floor and pulled out a notebook. She scribbled frantically for a few moments and then slid the notebook away. “You’re a genius.” She grinned. “Now I just hope the client likes the idea. They have an amazing yard, so the windows will reflect other things in their lives.” She grinned, and Phillip shared a smile with Barry.
“Looks like you have hidden talents,” Phillip whispered to him.
“You have no idea, baby. Just wait until I can show you everything I can do.” He winked, and Phillip shifted to try to cover up the pressure from inside his pants.
Tyler and Mark excused themselves, probably to check on things. These dinners were usually quite casual, but tonight seemed to be different. Maybe their hosts were trying to impress Barry, but from the living room he could see they had arrangements of flowers, and candles in antique silver candelabras on the table. And the food looked incredible.
“What’s all this?” Bill asked when they returned. “Did we die and go somewhere fancy? Because I could get used to this.”
“Phillip brought someone with him, so I wanted to do something nice,” Mark said and leaned closer. “Phillip deserves someone to make him feel special.” Mark glared at Barry, a warning in his eyes.
Barry’s expression remained serious. “Fair enough.”
“Guys, that isn’t necessary,” Phillip protested more strongly than he might have intended. He knew they cared about him, but Phillip was perfectly capable of watching out for himself. Hell, he ran a multimillion-dollar company that he’d built from scratch in a few short years. He didn’t need to be looked after.
“Hey, all it means is that they care about you. And I know you’re stronger than maybe even you realize. I can take care of myself, just like you can. And if I do something to hurt you, then they have a right to come after me. Actions have repercussions, and Mark is just letting me know what his will be.” Barry sat back in his seat and, thank God, the conversation changed to more normal things. They told stories, often ones Phillip had heard before, but there was a new audience, and Barry laughed and joked with the others quite easily.
“What was it like in the Marines?” Tom asked. “You have to have some pretty good stories.”
Barry nodded. “I do, but the thing is, I’m not sure which ones I can tell you. I don’t talk a lot about what I did because our locations and missions were often classified. So when in doubt, you keep your mouth shut.” He thought a few seconds as Phillip watched him. Barry was gorgeous, and the way he seemed to sink into himself was sweet.
“Did you lose friends?” Bill asked, and Barry nodded. “I suppose those kinds of things are tough.”
“That doesn’t begin to describe it. Every time one of the men in my unit was injured or… worse, it felt like I was losing a brother. These were the guys I ate with, slept with, watched over, guys who helped me. We shared stories of our families back home. I knew the names of their wives and kids, so when something happened to one of them, all I could think of were the people left behind. But you couldn’t really show it. There was a job to do. The body was shipped home, and you went back to work.”
“My God, when did you grieve?” Phillip asked, completely confounded.
“In private, at night. If we got leave, then we would get together and have a drink to remember our brother and friend.” Darkness fell over Barry’s eyes for only a minute, and then he seemed to sweep it away. “It’s part of what we had to do. You can’t have a bad day or think ‘I’ll call in sick.’ If you do, then one of your brothers could be next. It was a hard life, but I know what it’s like to feel death stalking outside.” He blinked and shook his head. “I think that’s enough on that subject.”
The others nodded. “There must be something amusing you can tell us,” Tom said.
Barry thought about it. “Okay. One of the guys in my unit was Italian, and his mother used to send him care packages from home. He always used to share them with us. But Theodore got a package that smelled a little ripe.” Barry paused. “I have to tell you that this was during a period when I was stationed in a regular base for a few months. The captain of the unit was a real stickler for cleanliness, and he was a jerk of epic proportions. You don’t have to like your commanders, but you should respect them, and that should flow both ways. But this guy used to like to lord things over the men sometimes, make us do things just because he could.” Barry smiled. “Anyway, Theodore gets this package, and inside is some cheese that’s seen much better days. Thankfully, Theodore threw it out, but my friend Passamani grabbed a small chunk of it and hid it in a plastic bag. Then he snuck into the captain’s office with some toothpicks and put the cheese under the captain’s bookcase, slipping the toothpicks under the edges and breaking them off.” Barry snickered, and Phillip chuckled as he saw where this was going. “Anyway, after about a week, the captain was cleaning out his office, wiping everything down to try to get rid of the smell. He was going crazy. The cleaning would work for a little while, but as soon as the odor of the disinfectant he used faded, it would come back… again and again.”
“That’s pretty good,” Bill said with a grin.
“It gets better. The major came in, took one whiff, and ordered the captain to clean out his pigsty. So, he did it again. He kept saying that it was the office.” Barry grinned, and the others were all laughing. “And then it gets even better.” Barry was chuckling full out now, and Phillip loved the lightness and the twinkle in his eyes. “The captain was going to be transferred, so a week before that, Passamani was in the captain’s office, and asked about the smell. He said he’d clean the office for him, and when he did, he took out the cheese. The captain was so grateful, he took Passamani out for drinks.” Now the others were all laughing. “Of course, none of us said a single word, and the captain went off to his new assignment none the wiser.”
Mark patted Tyler on the shoulder after standing, and the two of them excused themselves to finish dinner preparations. Phillip expected Jolie to go with them, but she stayed on his lap.
“What do you do now?” Lowell asked.
“I do freelance security—mainly designing systems for buildings and residences—but I have done personal security as well. That’s the one I find the most challenging.” He took Phillip’s hand. “A lot of clients think that if they hire someone to protect them, that they should be able to go on and live their life, expecting that we’ll be able to keep them safe. But it doesn’t work that way most of the time. Being secure means making changes, working with us so we can help keep them safe.”
“Dinner is almost ready,” Mark said, and everyone started to get up. “Come on into the dining room.” Barry stood and helped Phillip up, then took his hand, and they walked in together. He was glad his friends seemed to like Barry. And he was even happier that Barry had opened up to them. Phillip knew that had been a big step for him.
DINNER HAD been like a large family gathering: a few good-natured squabbles, teasing, and laughter tinged with excitement. This was one of the highlights of his week, and it gave Phillip an additional reason to look forward to these Friday gatherings.
“You guys drive safely,” Mark said, hugging him as they got ready to leave. “I think Barry’s a real keeper,” Mark whispered before letting him go. He then hugged Barry, and Phillip knew Mark said something to him as well. After all their goodbyes, which included a cuddle for Jolie, of course, Barry went out and then returned, walking with Phillip to the car.
“Is this a little much?” Phillip asked once he was belted in.
“I don’t know, but I’m not taking any chances.” It was very late, and Phillip could hardly keep his eyes open. “You have a stalker; that is a fact. Now, this guy can fall into one of two categories—the mildly curious… or the dangerous. And considering that your last three relationships all died in various ‘accidents,’ we need to take precautions.” Barry didn’t turn toward downtown, but headed north on Lake Drive.
“Where are we going?” Phillip asked as he watched the familiar large homes pass outside, their lights shining off porticos and paved drives.
“To my house. I don’t want to take you anywhere familiar right now, and I’m making a few extra turns to ensure we aren’t followed.” The urgency in his voice was unmistakable, and as if to punctuate his point, he made a quick turn followed by another, and then stopped the car in a residential neighborhood. “Stay here.” Barry jumped out and closed the door, locking him in. Phillip tried to see what Barry was doing, but he was out of sight. Phillip tried not to worry, and after a long while in which Phillip got more nervous by the minute, Barry returned and started forward again.
“What were you doing?”
“Finding this,” he said, and handed Phillip a small black box. “It seemed we were followed to your friends. I didn’t see anyone tailing us, which made me think we could be tracked.” Barry made another turn into the parking lot of a small grocery store. He got out and jogged over to another car, bending down, then returned and pulled the car back out onto the street.
“What about the people in that car?”
“I thought about it, but he’s not interested in them. But sending the stalker on a wild-goose chase will let you have some peace.” Barry made a few more turns, then glided into the driveway of a small, square house on a quiet street. The garage door lifted, and Barry drove inside, then pushed his remote to bring the door back down. “Tomorrow we’ll check over your loft and office. But for tonight, you’re safe. Your stalker can spend a sleepless night wondering where you are.”