Lachlan
Legs seemingly on autopilot, I walked toward one of the corkboards, chest squeezing as my eyes skated over each city where I knew Julia had a location of her bakery, many of them marked with a thumbtack. My stomach knotted, a boulder lodged in my throat as my hands formed into fists.
“Are you telling me this guy works for Julia? That she may know him? That he may have unrestricted access to her right now?” With every word I spoke, my heart hammered even more.
“It’s just a theory. We did bring up this possibility in Hawaii, especially once we learned the jewelry she received was not only sent to one of her bakeries using the corporate offices as a return address, but the envelopes also bore the company’s logo.”
I whirled around, facing him. “Which both you and Nikko said didn’t mean anything! That anyone could have lifted that logo off the internet to make it appear legit. That this guy’s use of the corporate address and packaging was most likely a cover or false flag.”
“And that could still be the case here. This could still be someone attempting to make it appear as if this individual works for Julia.”
“But it could also be someone who does?”
He paused, as if debating his answer. Then his shoulders fell. “Yes.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, pinching the bridge of my nose, a tension headache starting. I shouldn’t have come here today. I was due at the field in less than an hour, but my head most certainly wasn’t in any place to think about baseball right now. At least I wasn’t scheduled to pitch until tomorrow.
“Which is why I plan to look into this further,” Ethan continued in an effort to appease me. “I have all her personnel files, including records and background checks for everyone who’s ever worked for her company, from custodial staff all the way up to management. I have travel records. Flight itineraries. Receipts. If this guy does work for her, I’ll find him. Trust me. He won’t do anything to hurt her.”
I looked up. “How do you know?”
“Because of Nick, as twisted as it may sound. She’s his obsession. If this copycat…or acolyte, for lack of a better word…hopes to gain Nick’s approval through this pattern of kills, he’d never consider harming a hair on Julia’s head. She’s protected because of Nick’s infatuation with her.”
“Protected…,” I repeated, voice heavy with disbelief. Then I stormed toward one of the corkboards, yanking off the photo of Julia, beaten and bruised. I shoved it in front of his face. “She doesn’t look protected here, Ethan.”
He opened his mouth, hesitating, as if tempering the response on the tip of his tongue. “I simply said this acolyte wouldn’t consider harming Julia.” He gave me a knowing look.
“But Nick would,” I exhaled.
“You already know the answer to that.”
I pinched my eyes shut once more, a hatred I didn’t think possible filling me. “How far would he go?” I asked against my better judgment.
Ethan swallowed hard, then averted his gaze, gesturing toward the corkboards. “As you already know, this guy kills his victims.”
I slammed my fist down onto the desk, causing Ethan to jump. “I’m not talking about this copycat… Acolyte… Whatever the bloody hell he is! I’m talking about Nick. How far would he go? Based on everything you’ve learned about him, how far would he take things with Julia?”
“He’s in prison,” Ethan reminded me calmly. “Serving a life sentence. He’ll never see the light of day again.”
“Just. Tell. Me,” I demanded through clenched teeth. When he didn’t respond, I choked out, “Please. I just… I need to know.”
Silence filled the room as he stared at me, the only sound that of the ticking of a clock and the faint noise of Atlanta traffic on the streets below.
Finally, he sighed. “She’s his Hera.”
I blinked, confused. “His… His what?”
“He fancied himself Zeus. The god of gods from Greek Mythology.”
“You’re going to have to be more specific. I didn’t pay attention in my literature classes whenever we read any of that stuff.”
“Basically, Zeus was a giant narcissist. Thought he should be able to put his dick into any being, mortal or immortal. But God help anyone who so much as looked at Hera the wrong way.” He shrugged. “The same goes for Nick and Julia. Their relationship was never based on love, despite what he made her believe to win her over. Instead, it was based on obsession.”
“And this obsession… How far would he take it?”
“As far as necessary.”
“Would he…” I stopped, swallowing hard, summoning the strength to ask the question I needed the answer to.