Page 72 of The Huntress and Her Hound

“Don’t kill anyone and I’ll keep it that way,” he laughs. He walks past me as he exits, and I nearly gag on the amount of cologne the guy has on. I watch as he leaves, and then I wait for Cher to pass.

But she doesn’t budge.

I take the risk, glancing over my shoulder at the woman who I’m obsessed with, angry with, and dying to fucking save—all at once. She’s slumped over, her head in her hands. My heart jumps to my throat, and I continue to watch as she puts her phone to her ear. I glance back down at my own...

But it doesn’t ring.

I don’t know why I’m surprised. I wouldn’t fucking call me either. Maybe I should’ve opened the door for her. Maybe I should’ve just asked her about the guy—and why she had to lie. But then again, maybe she’s hiding the fact she’s working with the cops? That would be a reason to hide it.

Maybe that’s why she’s out late at night.

Jeez, just tell me the truth, Cher.

I know I won’t bring up what I’ve found though. I know I won’t pick at her pain in that way. I’ll sort it all out for her, and then I’ll bring her his head on a silver fucking platter.

“Hey, do you know if he’s going with us?” Her voice draws me out of my thoughts. “Those security cameras are a big deal to me.”

I smile to myself. You little fucking liar.

Chapter 26

The Huntress

“I don’t think he’s coming.” Henry’s voice is flat and unamused. “He’s still pissed at me—and I’m still pissed at him.”

“And why, exactly?” I don’t hide my annoyance, mostly because I can’t fucking stand the fact my brother is trying to baby me—which is why I’d rather him not buy a house right now. But I’ll at least indulge him.

“We already talked about this,” he grunts. “And I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It just sucks that any guy I bring around you gawks and drools.”

“They definitely don’t do that,” I reason. “You just think they do.”

“I know Jude is into you.”

Probably not anymore.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you in a bit.” I hang up the phone, not willing to let my cranky brother grumble and complain about Jude. If anyone fucked up, it’s me. Not Jude. I set the phone down on the table and let out a sigh, running my hands over my face. Everything is all wrong.

And it’s mostly my fault.

My phone vibrates against the table, and I glance down at it, hoping but not expecting it to be Jude. And it’s not. It’s the other person creeping around the exterior of my life. Someone I now believe is more than likely not Jude.

Unknown: Sitting all alone. Can I join?

Bile rises in my throat, and my anger with the day has me feeling reckless.

Me: Leave me the fuck alone.

Unknown: You mean the way Jude did?

My fingers hover over the keyboard, and I shake my head at the screen. How close is this person? How do they know who Jude is? Before I can respond, another text comes through.

And it’s a picture.

I slap my hand over my mouth as I take in the photo of me with one of my victims—Demetri Something. We’re stepping into an elevator in the photo.

Unknown: Should I send this to Liam?

Rubbing my lips together, I try to breathe. There’s no reason to panic. I wasn’t able to get anything from Liam today. He wasn’t drinking and chose to blab more about his new girlfriend than the cases he was working.

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