Page 116 of Hunt Me! (I Crave The Chase)

“Explain,” I demanded.

“I’ll explain—” he promised, alarmed. “Where are you? I can come to you.” There was a clicking sound, like he’d just unlocked his car.

“Just use the phone, old man.”

“Where are you?”

“Jesus fucking fuck, fuckchard. I’m at my house.” You’re being mean. Stop it. He probably didn’t mean to upset you. Calm down. Calm down.

I wished Mutt was here to tell me “calm” like he had the other day. Because telling myself to calm down did not fucking work. It only made me angrier, and more bitter.

He doesn’t care about you.

Why would he?

You left.

You left and now he’s getting back at you.

It wasn’t my voice, it wasn’t mine but it hurt all the same. The barbs of Lydia’s claws digging in a way they hadn’t in weeks.

“I’m on my way.”

Richard hung up the phone. I called him back, but it went straight to voicemail and I got one of those annoying automated texts that said “this person is currently operating a vehicle.” So I swiped it away and continued to angrily pace my front hallway, my head burning—my heart aching.

Why would he do this?

Why would he?—

I didn’t get it.

I didn’t get it.

Where is Mutt?

I want Mutt.

I want Mutt. I want Mutt. I need?—

I need Mutt.

By the time Richard knocked on the front door I’d shoved the guitar pick so hard into my finger that I’d made it bleed. Richard’s nostrils flared, alarmed, when I pushed the door open and yanked him inside unceremoniously. It almost clicked shut, but not quite—but I was too pissed to care as the open crack sent a beam of light into the gloom.

The hallway was still dark.

Despite the sun having gone down on my way home, I hadn’t thought to flip the light switch. Something I hadn’t even noticed until I had someone else in my space and realized how weird I looked. Just standing here in the shadows, fuming and panicking.

I looked unstable.

Just like Blair had pretty much told him I was.

“You have two minutes,” I said, trying to seem more calm than I had on the phone and failing.

Richard wasted no time.

“I got a call that there had been a wreck after you left Blair’s shop. I called around and found out you were staying with the new pack we’ve been negotiating with at work. They are good men, and I’ve been working extensively with all of them—Theo especially, and he assured me that you were being taken care of and would appreciate some space.”

Okay…that made sense.

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