"So what next?" Maya asked Mrs. Laura.
It has been two weeks since the interview and there has been no sign of her blackmailer, taking the bait.
The interview was meant on publicizing where she stayed which was in turn supposed to make her vulnerable to their attacks but so far nothing has happened even the threat mails have abruptly stopped coming.
"It is obviously not working," Xavier snapped, "Can't believe you have to go through all that trouble for nothing at all, even worst I can't believe you talked me into agreeing to such ploy."
She rolled her eyes, "Don't you think you are crying More than the bereaved. I was the one interviewed, the one who has a serial killer on her tail and probably with any slight mistake the one who might end up ___"
He slapped his hand firmly over her mouth and then with a warning glare he shook his head, "You should never talk about that ever. You won't ever end up dead not as long as I am alive." She sniffed looking away and then he gathered her in his arms, "I've got you, babe. Always."
There was silence for a while as Maya focused on the comforting rhythm of his breath, "I just might have an idea why nothing has been working."
They both stared at Mrs. Laurel expectantly while Maya raised her brow noticing how she fidgeted, the nervousness she tried to hide by keeping her head straight and poised.
Maya could tell whatever she wanted to say won't be to Xavier's liking, but the fuck did she care? It was her life, it was her that had to halt every activity in her life and watch the days pass by from the sidelines and she wasn't comfortable with letting that stretch out any longer than it has.
"It is only fair if you accept that you haven't really given the attacker a chance to corner her. She is always inside the house with security protocols that could put the white house to shame and doesn't go out alone__"
"I reduced the bodyguard to one like you suggested, so don't you dare use that excuse on me."
Maya turned to look at him, "But it is still protection, Xavier. You need to let me go totally if this has to work."
He glared at her, "I'm not going through with such absurdity and madness. Not at all!"
She flinched at his outburst, "If you'll want to be difficult about this then we would just have to do this the hard way. I accept you feel guilty and you should, because you are the reason all this is happening but please don't ruin my one chance to salvage the mess my life has become since you got in."
Mrs. Laura cringed already forseeing the dramatic stand-off that was about taking place between the couples especially as Xavier blinked in pure surprise and hurt.
"I've always tried to protect you, see to it that you are safe." His voice was small, unsure.
"Yet, look at where we are!" She shook her head, "You can't understand what it feels like to have your life halted just because of one obsessed crazy-ass individual."
"For all we know, this person might not just be a fan, maybe a man that wants you back." Xavier blurted out agitated.
Maya's mouth slacked in disbelief, "You saw the letters, the mail, the thrashed house with just one threat to leave you the fuck alone! and you dare say that this isn't from your angle."
He heaved a sigh, "I'm not saying that__" he stopped noticing the dirty look Maya gave him, "Regardless of where this might be coming from which to me shouldn't be limited to one guess, there are threats for you to leave me but have you considered if the person just wants you to leave me so you could become his."
"An ex who wants me back won't send me a letter bomb!" She sat down, her lips pursed.
"What if he is the psychopathic type. The if I can't have you nobody can type." He stopped looking at her, she shook her head at his outrageous reply.
"I don't date psychopaths and unlike you, I haven't tasted the lips of all of New York's female population. From your endless nightstand it is very much accurate to suspect one of them must have found being with you memorable enough," She flung her arms out in pure despair, "So memorable she is willing to become a serial killer."
Xavier noting how strong her argument was against his heaved and wondering why he had even gone as far as trying to prove a point that was both baseless and unimportant because Regardless of why, the truth was that Maya's life was in danger and they needed to get the one who is out for her before the killer gets to her and as painful as it sounds, as hard as it was to admit she couldn't spend all her life hiding.
"But we shouldn't resort to such extreme measures. There should be another way. You would calm down and then we would sort this out eventually with a cool head okay?"
"Sort what out later? What is the time span of later exactly? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month or a fucking year!"
"Maya, don't be like this."
"Try not being like this when you are being cooped inside a house for all eternity and when, which is under a lot of conditioning, you are allowed to go out you have to bear the presence of two men behind you who makes everyone around freak out."
"I'm only trying to protect you."
"There won't be any need for that if I didn't meet you." She looked away in frustration, "I didn't ask for any of this."
"Did I? If leaving will make you feel better you can do that, besides that's what your blackmailer wants from you anyway."
"Okay, okay, okay." Mrs. Laura jumped in not liking the line their heated argument was swerving into.
The last thing she wanted was to be the indirect reason why her boss's fiancée breaks up with him.
Not only because she cared for the disrespectful devil's spawn who she have watched grow up, but also because if that happened, the hell he puts them through now will be a haven compared to what was to come and God knew she didn't have the strength to get into the endless hiring of staffs that will be fired per second.
"Can we all take a breather?" She narrowed her eyes at the two of them who shrugged and looked away, "Let's not rush and say things we definitely do not mean to each other. I have got an idea that is far better than Black's."
Xavier rolled his eyes which was a good enough sign, Niceties. At least he wasn't throwing a fit and Maya gave her a hopeful glance.
"Let's not use the tracker. Maya won't be kidnapped in actuality like he'd planned, let's just make her look so vulnerable the person is lured to her and then the security personnel hidden around her in ambush gets this psycho."