The Men with the Golden Cuffs (Masters and Mercenaries #2)(34)

Adam breathed a sigh of relief. At least she was reasonable. “Now, let’s take a look at this note.”

Chitwood frowned but opened the folder. “You can’t touch it. It still has to go through some more forensics, but as you can see, someone isn’t happy.”

Adam leaned forward. It was a single sheet of what looked like thick card stock paper. On it was the cover to Serena’s latest book–Their Sweetheart Slave. The cover was vibrant, showing a western setting with the three lovers featured in the center of a field. A man with long, dark hair sat on a horse reaching down to a pretty brunette who stood beside a man adjusting his cowboy hat. And apparently cowboys in Serena’s world didn’t believe in shirts.

And someone had taken extreme offense at the cover. The men’s faces were cut out and someone had written the word WHORE in bright red across the woman’s body.

“This is the one that’s coming out in a couple of weeks?” Jake asked. “Alexa, Caden, and Duke?”

Serena smiled up at him, her face glowing despite the circumstances. Jake couldn’t have cut through the tension any better. “Yes.”

Hernandez snorted. “You’ve read them?”

Jake stared down at the cover. “I’ve read one, but Alexa was in Small Town Sweetheart. She was Gabby’s daughter. Duke was the alpha hero’s long-lost brother. I kind of thought you were trying to get them together.”

Adam vowed to catch up on his damn reading. He knew he should be thrilled, but he was a little jealous of the way Serena was looking at Jake like he was a conquering hero. He’d only proven he was literate. Adam could read, too.

He just hadn’t imagined he would be reading something like Their Sweetheart Slave. “Where did they get the cover?”

“I posted it on my website the minute I got it. It’s also on the publisher’s site and several fan sites,” Serena said. She stared down at the cover, her whole body still.

Jake put a hand on her shoulder. “What kind of knife did he use to cut the faces out? Or is that scissors?”

Chitwood pointed at the offending marks. “I think it’s a knife. Note that the bottom of the marks are a little more ragged than the tops. That’s where the cut starts.”

Adam could see that now.

“I bet that’s from a utility knife,” Jake said. “Or a box cutter. Did you test the door for prints?”

Hernandez nodded. “The door and the storm door, though we’re going to find the Keystone Cop’s prints there, too.”

Chitwood sighed. “I didn’t know it was a crime scene until I opened the door and this fell out.”

Serena took a long breath and looked back at the cops. “I don’t understand any of this. Sometimes he or she or whoever it is seems like a disgruntled fan who’s pissed about the books and other times…”

Adam squeezed her hand. He wanted to hear her instincts. She was the center of this. She was the one being stalked. Her instincts could be an important clue. “Go on. Finish the sentence, sweetheart.”

She shivered a little. “Other times it feels more personal. Like this person hates me for who I really am. I’m scared of that person. I’m annoyed by the other.”

Chitwood leaned forward. “Oftentimes these types of perps can have several mental disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It’s not surprising that this person is unstable. But then, I would suspect you probably have researched those disorders. I’m right in saying that your books contain an element of suspense, correct?”

She nodded, though she didn’t light up the way she normally did when someone asked about her work. She seemed to understand that the cops were attempting to pin her down. “Of course. I had a character in Sweetheart in Chains. He was the bad guy. He had bipolar disorder. I understand the disease.”

Adam really didn’t like the look the cops exchanged. They were already filing her problems away as shit they didn’t need to deal with.

“Send us the forensics report when you get it. I’m sure Brighton won’t have a problem with it,” Jake said. He held a hand out to Serena. “Come on. We can go across the street and meet Liam and have lunch over there. I don’t think they need anything further from you. Adam, would you mind talking to Brighton? I need some air.”

Serena stood and looked to Adam who nodded Jake’s way.

“Go on. I’ll be there in a minute.” He didn’t protest, though his stomach did a bit. Jake had a barely leashed air about him. He needed to get away before he said or did something stupid. Jake could be deeply patient, but when he felt an injustice was being done, he tended to get nasty. They still needed the cops. Finesse was called for, and that was Adam’s middle name.

Serena walked away with Jake. What the hell had happened with her ex-husband to put Jake on edge like that? Whatever it was, Adam was grateful because Jake’s hand came out as he opened the doors for her. He rested his hand on the small of her back, guiding her through. Protective. A little possessive.

Adam turned back to the cops. “I understand that you firmly believe my client is doing this to herself, but I expect you to investigate each and every incident. I’m having cameras installed today. I’m actually happy this * is getting close. We’re with her twenty-four seven. If he comes close again, we’ll get him.”