"Kind of," he answered vaguely, which made her want to throw the rest of her donut at him.
"It's gone now, what were you going to say?"
"The sheriff came up empty last night. Whoever was out there was long gone by the time we got a proper search formed. They were smart. Are you sure you're up for the whole story, Bree? I think it would be better for you not to know," he hedged. She had to push down her temper. She didn't want kid gloves – she wanted the truth.
"I can handle it," she said through clenched teeth.
"Fine. You have a stalker. He's been after you for months. He's the reason you were in the hospital, and apparently he hasn't given up, as last night proves. We have no leads on who it is, or how he's getting his information. He shouldn't have had any way of knowing you were here last night, but he did," Chad said, short and to the point.
"M … maybe he followed us," Bree stuttered. She was trying to act like his words weren't affecting her, but it was a lot to take in. Someone wanted to kill her. Why?
"I guess it would help if I could remember my past," she finally said.
"Not really. We didn't know anything before you were shot. You racked your brain trying to figure out who it could be. We've done background checks on ex-boyfriends, old friends, people you've come in contact with. They've all had alibis for the times when events have taken place. We've come up with nothing but dead ends," he trailed off in frustration.
"Maybe he followed us from the hospital," she said, trying to keep the fear from her voice. She'd asked him to be honest with her; she didn't want him to regret that decision.
"I was watching for that, it's not possible."
Bree sat back and thought about it. She wished she could just wake up and everything would be right with her world. Had she led some kind of double life her family knew nothing about? Was she really a double agent with top secret information? Really, she didn't know who she was. For all she knew, she could be a horrible person who deserved to be hunted like an animal.
"It's not your fault. I can see the wheels turning in your head. Whoever this creep is, it's not about you, it's about him. You've done nothing to deserve this," Chad assured her. She didn't know if she believed him.
"I shouldn't stay here. It seems he's determined to get to me, and anyone who's in his way could get hurt," she said, trying to sound reasonable.
"Do you honestly believe I'd let you deal with this on your own. Even if you weren't carrying my child, I wouldn't let you leave my side. I will keep you safe."
"I don't know why, but it feels like we've had a discussion like this before," she said with a smile in her voice.
"My motto is to serve and protect."
"So, do we just hide out like victims, or can we have some kind of a life while we wait for the other shoe to drop?"
"I've never been one to hide. We'll up security, make sure guards are on duty twenty-four-seven, and we'll live somewhat normally. I don't want you going anywhere alone, though – not even to the backyard."
"I won't be treated like a child. I can agree to security, but you're being absurd," she retorted.
"I love when you get all riled up," he said as he slowly stood up.
Bree wasn't in the mood for games, but she could see he was.
"I'm still mad at you, Chad," she said, but she slowly rose from the table and took a step back.
"Doesn't bother me. You're mad at me a lot."
"Then maybe you should change the way you act," she said as she skirted the table. He slowly followed her, making her heart speed up.
"I haven't had too many complaints about the way I act, certainly not earlier this morning," he answered as he made a quick veer to the right. She dodged him and kept him at a safe distance – or so she thought.
"Maybe I just didn't want to hurt your feelings," she said, but couldn't keep the laughter from spilling out as he almost slipped on the smooth tile.
"You also moan a lot when you're underneath me," he said. She noticed his pants expanding. Their bantering was turning him on. It sent an arrow of desire straight through her. She didn't know how she could possibly want him again after being so fully satisfied.
"That's not very gentlemanly like to say."
"I've never claimed to be a gentleman."
"Finally you say something that makes sense," she laughed. He lunged again, but she managed to avoid him. She knew he was toying with her. If he really wanted to catch her, she'd be on the ground in moments. Him allowing her to think she held some kind of power was exhilarating, though. She knew how she wanted their game to end.