But he needed to focus on figuring out what was going on with her. She looked even more tired this morning than she had last night and something was making her very jumpy. And he didn’t think it was being alone with him.
He followed her over to the coffee table, looking down at an envelope, a piece of paper, rubber gloves, masks and tongs with a frown. What on earth? Reagan removed the tongs and pointed at the piece of paper.
“This was sitting on the floor by my door when I got up. In that plain envelope. Someone must have pushed it under my door during the night.
His heart stopped. Then started up, beating rapidly. He stared down at the words.
Roses are red. Violets are blue.
Smile my pretty. I’m watching you.
Fuck. He fisted his hands to try to control his rage. The sound of his teeth grinding together forced him to take a deep breath. He needed to calm down. He was the professional here. But the idea that this asshole had slid this under her door while she’d been alone and sleeping, made him furious.
“You shouldn’t have touched it,” he growled. It could have contained anything. Poison.
“I was careful,” she protested. “I put on gloves and a mask. I thought it might contain anthrax. Instead it’s just really bad poetry.”
“You’re trying to joke about this?”
“Maybe.” She swallowed heavily. “I’m not very good at humor, but I thought I might lighten the mood since you have grown rather, umm, tense.”
Tense? He was enraged. But he needed to control himself, the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her.
“You’ve called the police?”
“No. You arrived just after I opened it. That’s why it took me so long to get to the door. Why do you suppose he cut out letters from a newspaper and pasted them on the paper? Why not just use a computer and print it?”
Tiny didn’t know, but that wasn’t the thing that was worrying him.
This asshole was watching her. Made sense since he always broke in when she was out of the apartment. He was starting to think Gray was right, having some sort of profiler or shrink on the team might be a good idea. Cause he could sure use some insight as to what was going on inside this asshole’s mind.
“So what now?” Reagan asked. “Are you going to put in the rest of the security cameras? Will you get them installed today?”
“I need to call my boss.” He put the paper back on the coffee table and moved into the kitchen. He quickly placed a call through to Gray.
“Tiny, how’s it going?”
“Not good.”
Gray remained silent as he explained the situation. “Roarke didn’t think she’d want a bodyguard. I’ll have to talk to him.”
Didn’t matter much to Tiny what Roarke said. He was staying. But he grunted in agreement.
“I don’t have anyone else free to send there.”
Good. Because he didn’t want anyone else here. Not that they couldn’t do the job as well as he could. But Reagan needed someone calm and patient. Someone she couldn’t intimidate. Plus, now that he’d met her he couldn’t just walk away.
“I’ll stay.”
“You’re supposed to be taking some leave.”
Like he cared. He was worried about this situation. His instincts screamed that this person was only just getting started and a few cameras and a better security system weren’t going to put them off.
“I’ll take my leave and do this job for free.”
He couldn’t work for Black-Gray
while he did this. Because he knew he couldn’t remain detached and professional around Reagan. He was attracted to her. And she wanted him. He’d felt the way she’d clasped him tight, surrendered to his gentle demand, how she’d trembled against him. There was something about the combination of prickliness and vulnerability that tugged at him.