Page 15 of Graveyard Dog

She scoffed and walked back into the room to get her purse. She sat to send a text, letting her boss know she wouldn’t be in, and then scrolled through the phone to call Emma’s school to report her absence. Emma had only just started there three weeks ago. She hated that she had to miss already, but it was Friday, and they were letting the kids out early for in-service, so she shouldn’t miss much.

But she’d only started her job at the diner three weeks ago. She could be fired for this. Her stomach churned at the thought. She could always order her boss to reinstate her, but she hated doing that. It was unfair, and who knew what it did to their brains? She tried to only use her ability in emergency situations. Like with the nurse. Desperate times and all.

Also, she liked the owner. He and his wife had practically saved her life. She would never be able to repay them.

“It would seem we have a little time on our hands,” the Neanderthal said, taking his seat on the other side of the bed. “Maybe we could pick up where we left off.”

“You and I both know you won’t call the cops.”

“No, but I could always call my old buddy Ross Dunsworth.”

Izzy sucked in a soft breath. The threat did exactly what the man wanted it to, and it told her all she needed to know about him. “I knew I should never have trusted you.”

He shrugged. “Live and learn. Now, spill.”

A sting behind her eyes had her fighting tears of frustration. The threat may have seemed unremarkable to the Neanderthal, but she had been running for her life—for Emma’s life—for six years. There was nothing unremarkable about Ross Dunsworth.The man was ruthless. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, and he wanted nothing more than Izzy’s head on a platter. Along with the rest of her. Because how else would she be useful to him?

And Emma. Oh, how he would use her to his advantage, just like he had with Izzy’s sister. She would die before she put Emma into such a precarious situation, and Izzy knew exactly what to do with her precious daughter should it come to that. She already had people picked out to raise her. They were an older couple, so gentle and kind, and they loved Emma like their own daughter.

But she would avoid that situation if she could, and that meant dealing with Michael. She didn’t want to run again. She had a sweet setup in Santa Fe, but she could waitress at any diner in the country. Jobs weren’t the problem. Making enough money for food and shelter was.

She welded her teeth together in resignation and swallowed hard before starting. This man could be the death of her. One phone call, and the fragile world she’d built would come tumbling down around her. Her hands shook ever-so-slightly, and she laced her fingers together to stop it before raising her chin as defiantly as she could. “Just so you know, I will never be controlled again.”

He lifted a single brow. “I would hope not.”

“I’m very smart.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“And I’m not afraid to hurt anyone who tries to take advantage of me or my daughter.”

“Good.”

She let a bitter smile steal across her face. “You’ll change your mind once you know the truth. Greed gets the better of even the strongest men.”

He leaned closer, staring at her from over the bed as he softly said, “You don’t know me very well, Killer, so I’ll let that slide.”

Surprised by his offense, she tried to figure him out. No one in her entire life, not one person, had ever been immune to her ability. But this man with his cerulean eyes and ridiculously wide shoulders was. She had never seen anything like it. And now he was about to find out the truth. A man she had no control over would know her secret.

Every bone in her body screamed for her to run. To get Emma, leave all their possessions behind, and just go. But her daughter had said she could trust him, and Emma had never been wrong. She’d even saved their lives once with that nifty trick of hers. She had the ability to assess someone’s mettle in a matter of seconds. She could see anger, grief, jealousy, and happiness from a mile away. She was extraordinary, and Izzy would never let anyone use her like she had been used. Their gifts couldn’t be more different, yet they could both be used to do horrible things. But Emma trusted this man. Seemed to adore him. And that was very rare.

Still, her bones were screaming, the muscles around them straining for her to get up. To run. To hunt down Emma and disappear like she’d done so many times before.

Maybe it was worth one more shot. What could it hurt, after all? She had to try. For Emma, she needed to try.

She leaned close to him, as well, and concentrated as hard as she could on the man before her. “You will forget me and my daughter in fifteen seconds.”

“This again?” he asked, seemingly disappointed.

“You will get up immediately and walk out of this hospital.”

“I don’t think so, Cupcake.” He blinked. He didn’t get up and walk out, he blinked.

Damn it. She couldn’t give up now. “You will forget everything that has happened today.”

“I don’t know if you know this, but being tased is rather unforgettable.”

“And you will…” She huffed out a breath of defeat. “Why are you not leaving?”

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