“Who is this?” she asked when the call connected.

“Consider that a warning,” a distorted, mechanical voice said through the phone. “End things with your boyfriend, or next time will be worse.”

What the fuck?

I bolted upright. “Go to hell, you psychotic asshole!”

The connection cut out.

“Liam.” Nate was fuming. “That was our chance to talk to him, and you blew it.”

“He needs to know he can’t get away with it.”

Nate dragged a hand down his face. “And people call me the hothead.”

“I told you.” Kennedy’s voice was thin and reedy. “I said we should separate for a while. Not forever, but what if he really hurts you?” She was pale, dark splotches of purple beneath her eyes. “I couldn’t live with that.”

My back teeth ground together. “I’m not playing along with him. We’re a package deal now, through good and bad. You got that?”

She nodded, teeth scraping her lower lip, her eyes worried.

“This is serious,” Nate said. “They’ve sabotaged your vehicle, possibly attempted to injure or kill you, and we have a threat on record. We’ll be moving on it as soon as we can. Ideally we’d have an officer accompany Kennedy 24/7, but it’s not feasible with our current staffing situation. I’ll try to get more bodies from neighboring towns, but for now, we need other arrangements.”

“I’ll stay with her,” I said.

“You have to work,” she pointed out. “But perhaps Blair can help too.”

“I’m sure he will.” Blair would want to wring the motherfucker’s neck when he got all the gory details. “In the meantime, you can move in with me. He’s clearly watching your cottage.”

“But that’s where all the security is.” She made a good point.

“What do you think?” I asked Nate. “You’re the expert.”

He considered for a moment. “Take her to your place, but I want you two to have eyes or ears on each other at all times. Kennedy isn’t the only one who might be at risk.”

“I hope the weasel comes after me.” I’d teach him to terrify the woman I loved.

Nate reached over and switched off the recording. “That’s enough for now.”

Chapter Forty-Two

KENNEDY

Everything was spiraling out of control, and I didn’t know what to do about it. I felt like the atmosphere had become pressurized, and I might burst out of my body.

“Shaun is picking up your car and bringing it here,” Nate continued, speaking to Liam. “We’ll test it for fingerprints and other trace evidence and canvas Grace’s neighbors to see if they remember any strangers in the area during the time you were in the cottage and the car was unattended.” He turned to me. “Meanwhile, can you compile a list of any enemies you might have, or anyone who might wish you harm?”