Free Secrets and Sins: Raphael: A Secrets and Sins novel (Entangled Ignite) by Naima Simone

gesture wasn’t lost on him. Her folded arms covered her midsection where the baby slept. He gritted his teeth against the wave of protectiveness that surged within him. “When I left for my doctor’s appointment this morning, my car had been broken into. The side window was shattered, my tires slashed, and on the driver’s seat was another letter and a d-doll,” she stuttered. “The eyes had been removed, the lips blackened with what looked like a black marker, and the body torn open.”
    Horror and shock punched a hole in his gut. A hot, blazing anger quickly filled it up like lava gushing up a volcano and pouring over the lip. He shot to his feet and stalked away from his desk, dragging his fingers through his hair. Son of a bitch. Son. Of. A. Bitch. A mutilated doll, for chrissake. Who would do something so—so sick? This was more than an intimidating letter; this was a direct threat against not only Greer but her baby. An innocent baby.
    “Did you call the police?” he rapped out.
    “Immediately. They took our statements, pictures, filed a report, and bagged the doll for evidence. They said they’ll open an investigation and have the patrol cars in the area drive by our house as well as do a few walk-throughs. But I don’t hold out hope they’ll find anything.”
    She was right to be concerned. With the vandalism of her car, the harassment would have escalated to criminal mischief, and the police could do a little more, but not much. The officers in that sector would pay special attention to the area, circle the house a few times on foot, maybe take down the license plate numbers of the vehicles in the area. Hell, serial killer David Berkowitz was eventually caught as the result of parking tickets, so the routine wasn’t pointless or just lip service to calm her. But they would only keep it up for a week or so, and the person behind the letters and the latest, more personal act seemed patient. Four months he’d been pursuing Greer. What was a week’s time-out?
    “Does your brother’s building have a security camera?”
    “Yes, but my car was parked farther down the block from his home.”
    “Which this person knew.” He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck, swore softly. “We can install cameras in the windows of his house that face farther down the street as well as in his and your car. It’s a long shot, but if this bastard comes back, maybe we can catch an image.”
    “Whoever this is—he knows where I’ve been staying, maybe even my movements. Raphael,” she murmured. “I know I’m the very last person you expected to see or probably want to see. But…” She paused, and for the first time a tremor entered her voice, betraying her fear. “I’m scared. And I don’t know who else to turn to. The police can only do so much, and I could hire someone for protection, but I don’t…trust as easily as I have in the past. I don’t trust that whoever I hired wouldn’t leak what’s going on with the letters and threats to the press. Paranoid? Yes. But I’ve just gotten my life back…” She shook her head. “We don’t know each other that well, but you’ve stood up for me—protected me—in the past. I hoped… I’m asking a lot of you, I know.”
    No, she had no clue what she was asking of him. She couldn’t begin to fathom how her presence—who she was, the news of a pregnancy, claiming he was the father—was dragging him back into an abyss he’d barely managed to crawl out of the first time.
    “Rafe, don’t get me wrong. We had a lot of fun. But you’re not marriage material, much less father material.”
    The incredulous words replayed in his head on a vicious loop. He could recall the disdain and pity—fucking pity —in that soft, cultured voice as if he’d heard them seven minutes ago instead of seven years.
    He’d been deceived, played for a fool, then left shattered as he stood helpless, watching his joy—his fucking heart—stride out the door. And he’d