Page 78 of The Huntress and Her Hound

‘No, you fucking love it.’

Maybe. Ugh, I do.

“So this is the one?” Henry asks me, adjusting the rearview mirror to meet my gaze. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I answer him. Any house will work. The entire time throughout the tour, my phone buzzed. But I can’t fucking see what’s coming through. Between knowing the monster from my past and owner of the demons in my head is lurking around, and Jude’s mere existence, my head is a wreck.

“Good, I put in an offer, but she has someone also interested in it apparently,” Henry mutters. “I swear the real estate industry is cutthroat right now.”

Jude chuckles.

Henry shoots him daggers. “What?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know.”

I eye the two of them, hating the tension. I know how much Jude means to my brother, even if he won’t say it. I know Jude helping Luca behind his back pissed him off, but it wasn’t like Jude could say no in the situation. Not even Lydia is still mad about it.

Leave it to my brother to hold a fucking grudge.

‘And you, too,’ the voice cackles.

I take a deep breath, resting my forehead against my hand. I can’t let all this break me. I can catch the monster chasing me... I’m bigger and badder than him now. I’m not the sixteen-year-old girl he groomed and sedated. I’m not his little girl anymore.

Jude’s laughter drags my eyes upward.

And I could have his help.

Maybe. Would he still want me if he knew?

I could pay him.

I could exchange unlimited sex.

My stomach tightens at the thought of trying to explain what happened. I’ve never told anyone. I don’t even know if I can verbalize it. I’ve never tried. I grip the seatbelt and close my eyes, hoping to stave off the nausea.

“Can you just drop me off at work?” I ask suddenly, my eyes fluttering open. “And maybe take Cash out for me?”

Henry nods. “Sure. I have nothing better to do.” He eyes Jude, like he might want to hang out with his friend...

But Jude ignores it.

Their bromance is rocky as fuck right now.

Twenty minutes later, Henry pulls up along the curb where he picked me up, and Jude gets out as well. I knew he would, but for some reason, it has my heart skipping a beat. I’ve never wished more for a normal life than I do right now. I want to be the main character in a cute, brother’s-best-friend romcom, where the only thing I have to worry about is my brother finding out.

Not both of them discovering the bodies in my closet.

It sucks to be fucked up. I go through the motions of telling my brother I’ll see him later and thanking him for watching Cash. Meanwhile, Jude lights up a cigarette, and ignores the two of us. However, as soon as Henry pulls away from the curb, Jude turns to me.

“You really have the charade going for him.”

I glare at him. “So do you.”

“If he asked me if I fucked you, I’d tell him the truth. If he doesn’t ask, I don’t offer it up. I’m not out to play any games, Cher.” His voice is fucking cruel. “And you’re nothing but games.”

I bristle. “Then stop playing.”

“All I want is an apology.” He blows a cloud of smoke right in my face again. I suck it in and cough. His ombre eyes bore into mine as it clears. “But you’re mine with or without one.”

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