He smirked. “Hey, not my fault we happened to want to get coffee from the same place.”
She turned to walk away but stopped once more when he spoke.
“Funny how you’re a reporter. I’m guessing you didn’t tell the people at the Scarlet Auction about that.”
She met his gaze again, and despite his cool demeanor, she saw the hate simmering in his eyes.
How did he know she was a reporter? She supposed it wouldn’t be hard to discover. All he had to do was see her name in the byline of a Tribune article, and though she had used a fake name while participating in the Scarlet Auction, her real name was revealed when she pressed charges against him.
Was he somehow connected with New Western Media? Was he behind the acquisition and shutdown? Somehow, though she knew Jake to be well off, she doubted he had the wherewithal and the assets to purchase the Tribune. But if he knew she worked for the Tribune, he would probably have loved to put her out of a job. But the generosity of the severance package didn’t sound like something Jake would do.
“What’s it to you?” she asked, to see if he would say anything that would connect him to New Western Media.
His eyes narrowed. “Was Benji boy in on your little charade?”
He had touched a raw chord, and, deciding it wasn’t worth it—whether or not Jake was involved with the shutdown of the Tribune probably wouldn’t change the outcome—she turned away.
“I bet he was. Since he’s such a pussy for black cunt.”
Turning back around, she gave Jake a hard stare. “You’re deliberately violating the restraining order.”
“Sluts like you need a real Dom. They need to be put in their place. You know there’s nothing society hates more than an obnoxious, big-lipped black woman with a mouth on her. I’d put that mouth to proper use.”
Her cheeks burned.
Don’t get into it. It’s not worth it. He’s baiting you. Maybe he’s hoping to press assault charges on you.
But she wanted nothing more than to throw her tea at him. Restraining herself, she instead reached for her phone to call the police.
Before she could swipe her phone open, however, Jake grabbed her hand, squeezing so hard she dropped her phone.
“Calling for your pussy boy?” he sneered.
“Ma’am, this guy bothering you?” a stranger asked.
Even though there were plenty of people walking about, and a woman exiting the bakery earlier had lifted her brow when Jake was talking, Kimani was relieved that someone had intervened.
Jake took in the size and obvious strength of the man, and dropped Kimani’s hand. Without a word, he stalked away. The stranger picked up Kimani’s phone.
“Thanks,” she said, receiving her phone back.
The man gave a curt nod an
d continued on his way. Though rattled by the incident, Kimani called the police to report the violation of the restraining order.
It wasn’t until she was back in her office and had time to fully settle her nerves that she realized the stranger looked and sounded familiar. He had on reflective sunglasses, so she couldn’t see his eyes, but he reminded her of the man with the coughing fit outside her place the night of the break-in.
Chapter Sixteen
Ben’s whole body tightened. “He fucking touched her?”
“He grabbed her hand,” Moe, on the other end of the call, confirmed.
Ben looked out his office window at the Bay Bridge, fixing his attention on the structure to calm himself. He could kill the bloody wanker. What the hell was that motherfucker up to?
“Did she inform the authorities that Jake was in violation of his restraining order?” Ben asked.
“She made a call after the incident, but I couldn’t get close enough to hear what it was,” Moe replied. “I didn’t want her to notice me and wonder why I was hanging around.”