Deadly Illusions(14)

James shrugged helplessly. “I was looking at you.”

“He was going after her,” Finn said, his tone obstinate. “Tell them you were going after her.”

The man, barely more than a teenager really, scowled at Finn. “You are psycho, dude. I’m so going to have your ass arrested.”

Finn shot him a scorching look. “Why were you going after Emma?”

“Who says I was going after Emma?”

“I saw you,” Finn pressed. “I know that you were going after her. I’m not an idiot.”

Emma didn’t think he was an idiot – but she was starting to wonder if he was unhinged. She smiled at the young man in a placating manner. “Did you want your photograph taken with me or something?”

Finn snorted. “Why would he want his photograph taken with you?”

“You’d be surprised,” Emma growled. “I take fifty photos a day. The good news is, I only end up seeing twenty-five of them show up on Facebook – where I find out I’m apparently dating these men. Of course, during the other twenty-five I have to pretend that wandering hands on my ass aren’t an issue.”

Finn frowned – but the smile on his brother’s face was bordering on legitimate amusement. James shook the man’s neck harshly as he focused on him. “Were you trying to get your photograph taken with the pretty girl?”

“What kind of loser posts pictures of a woman he doesn’t know on the Internet and claims her as a girlfriend?” Finn asked, although Emma thought he was mostly talking to himself.

“I don’t want my picture taken with that whore,” the man announced.

Finn narrowed his eyes, causing James to shake his head in warning. “Then why were you approaching her?”

“I wanted to give her that,” the man said, inclining his head toward the envelope still resting in Finn’s hand.

“What’s in it?” James asked suspiciously.

“It’s a letter,” the man replied. “I wanted her to have it.”

“Are you some kind of freaky stalker or something?” James pressed. “Because, if that’s the case, I’m going to let my brother take you outside and beat the crap out of you.”

“I’m not a stalker,” the man argued. “I wouldn’t touch that woman with a ten-foot pole – not after the way her father ruined my life.”

Emma sucked in a breath. Her father. It always came down to her father. She shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d thought about changing her name after her dad was incarcerated – but she’d been under the mistaken impression that people would eventually forget what he’d done.

She’d never been more wrong.

James and Finn exchanged unreadable glances. Emma had no idea what the looks meant – but she could read their body language. They felt bad for the guy and thought she deserved what he wanted to give her. She couldn’t argue the point.

She reached her hand out stiffly, motioning for Finn to hand her the letter. She accepted it wordlessly.

“You don’t have to take that,” James said. “You’re not your father.”

Emma ran her tongue over her teeth. “My father was a monster,” Emma replied. “He hurt a lot of people. If people want to blame me so they can feel better, that’s their right.”

“And what about your rights?” Finn asked.

Emma shook her head. “My rights aren’t important.” She glanced down at the man, who was still at James Hardy’s mercy. “I’m sorry for everything he did. I’ll read your letter this evening.” Emma kept her eyes averted from James and Finn. “I’m going to go and get a bottle of water. I would appreciate it if this little incident were over with when I get back.”

With those words, she gathered as much dignity as she could muster, and turned on her heel and stalked away.



FINN WAS dumbfounded. “What just happened here?”

“You attacked a guy with a letter and she handled the situation a lot better than I would have if I was in her position,” James replied.

“That’s what I thought happened,” Finn said, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. He had no idea how Emma had managed to take vitriol and respond with grace. She had, though, keeping her pride intact for the duration of the uncomfortable altercation.

James finally released their guest, fixing him with a hard stare when the man swiveled. His hands were balled into fists, and he was ready for a fight. Since James was six inches taller – and boasted about fifty more pounds of solid muscle – the man wisely opted against attacking the bigger man.