“Don’t you have vacation days or something?”
She laughed—not a good laugh, either. “It doesn’t work the same in my business. Vacations are scheduled months in advance, and I can’t just take a sick day. It would screw up the filming schedule and put everyone behind.”
“That sucks.”
“I have to call Aunt Ethel and let her know I’ll be there tomorrow for Daddy’s surgery. She called me this morning to let me know his doctor said he can’t put it off anymore. Daddy didn’t even want her to tell me. I’m glad she did, though. There’s no place I’d want to be except by his side.”
“That will give you the weekend with him, though.”
She smiled sadly. “Just the weekend. Ted expects me back on set Monday morning.”
Max resisted the urge to hug her. Damn, but she looked like a woman in serious need of a hug. Instead, he turned her attention back to the case. Hopefully, that would distract her from how helpless she had to be feeling. It was an emotion he was well acquainted with.
“There’s been a break in your case. It’s why I came looking for you.”
“Really?” She looked up, and the barest hint of hope shined in her eyes.
Max took his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the email Jasper sent him with a photo of the unsub. They’d all gotten used to calling their marks that. Kade’s doing. It was what the FBI called a perpetrator—an unknown subject, or unsub for short. Kade used it so much they’d all picked up on it.
“His name is Douglas McArthur. Do you know him?” He passed her the phone, and as soon as she gasped, he went on alert.
Shay studied the photo, feeling sick to her stomach. She’d been so sure…but seeing this man, her stomach twisted. She knew him. He’d been at her wedding. He’d been in her wedding.
“Do you know him?”
“DJ.”
Max tilted his head, and she explained. “Douglas James, or DJ for short. He’s a friend of Duncan’s. A good friend.”
Max said something so low she couldn’t pick up on it, but her eyes zeroed in on the background of the photo. “Is this a mug shot?”
“Yes. McArthur has a rap sheet.”
“He’s been arrested before?” she whispered.
“Yes.”
When Max didn’t elaborate, she assumed it was because the things DJ had been arrested for would upset her, and she let it drop. She had enough to worry about right now between this stalking business and her father.
“How good of a friend is McArthur with your husband?”
“Best friends. He was a groomsman in our wedding. Duncan’s brother was his best man, but if not for that, DJ would have been. That’s how close they are.”
“Did you ever suspect McArthur might be a little more interested in you than he should be? Did he talk to you a lot? Ask about your career? Get a little too close for comfort? Do anything that ever made you nervous?”
“No none of that. He was around, sure, but he treated me like I was more of a family member. We joked around, and I never got any kind of weird vibes from him.”
“Do you think he might be doing this for Duncan?”
“What?” She glanced at his face at that. “What do you mean?”
“In my line of work, we see the depraved means people will use to keep what they think belongs to them or to make sure no one else can have them. From what you’ve told me about Duncan, I can’t help but think he might not have been so willing to let you go. People like him can’t help it.”
“He’s already moved on, though. He’s dating.”
“Doesn’t matter. You were the woman he married.”
“I don’t think so. He cares too much about his public appearance. This kind of publicity would turn his fans against him.”
“I know, but you’re only thinking about the public side of Duncan Kane. Think about the man. The man who hit you. Would he do this?”
She wasn’t sure. “I don’t know.”
Max nodded. “I’ll reach out to Kade. We’ll get in touch with LAPD and have someone interview him.”
“He won’t answer questions willingly.”
Max’s lips twitched. “Let us worry about that. If he doesn’t want to do it the easy way, we’ll make sure he answers our questions.”
“How?”
“We have our ways. Most of our guys are ex-military. We know how to make someone talk.”
The darkness in his voice forced a shiver down her spine. Maybe it came from his time in the Marines, or maybe it came from somewhere else. Either way, she wasn’t sure she liked it. It scared her.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head, not wanting to tell him.
“We’ll get this figured out. I promise McArthur won’t come near you.”
“I know.” Her smile was weak this time, and she looked back down at the phone still clutched in her hand.
She heard him move but let out a startled cry when he squatted in front of her.
“Shay, tell me what you’re thinking.”
“It’s nothing.”
“I call bullshit on that.”
“I…” She cleared her throat. “It’s just…” Could she tell him? How would he react? Part of her cringed away from the idea of telling him how she felt because she was afraid he’d be just like Duncan. Afraid he’d want to retaliate and hurt her.
“It’s okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
“I’m afraid of the darkness in you, Max. I heard it in your voice just now, and after everything with Duncan, that tone…it scares me.”
He rocked back on his feet, and she saw the shock of her words reflected in his gaze.
“I won’t deny there’s anger in me, Shay, but it will never be directed at you. I would sooner hurt myself than harm a woman. My mama raised me better than that. My anger is for you, not at you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Ask Desi if you don’t believe me. I’ve used my fists defending her honor more than once, but I’ve never used them on her.”
She knew that. Desi had regaled her with tales of how Max had always had her back, especially against men who tried to use her.
Still, it was good to look him in the eye and see that he meant what he said.
It settled the unease in her.
“I’m sorry. It’s just…”
He took her hand and squeezed. “I know, and you have nothing to be sorry for. Now, Jasper ordered Chinese. What say we go eat, and you tell us everything you can about Douglas McArthur?”
“Chinese?” Her stomach growled, and Max laughed. The sound caused every single nerve ending in her body to curl and purr with pleasure. The man shouldn’t have a voice that sexy.
“It’s mine and Jasper’s favorite, and believe you me when I tell you that man can pack food away like nobody I’ve ever met. He’ll devour it before we get a chance to eat if it gets here before we get out there.”
He stood and held out his hand to her. She glanced at it, glanced at him.
He waited her out.
She knew this was a test of trust. He hadn’t said it, but it was there, nonetheless.