Page 128 of Hunt for You

She wouldn’t lose me. I still had the tracker on her car. She wasn’t going to get away. But it was a teeth-gritting effort not to just take off after her, run her off the road, pull her out of the car, and shake her.

Did she seriously not get it?

The Priest was still a man. He wouldn’t be able to resist her—not in the long run.

Was that what she wanted?

I swore.

It didn’t matter what man she went to, it didn’t matter what environment they were in—she was one of those elusive women with that indefinable quality that said she was unattainable—unreachable. It was bait to a predator, and crack to a normal guy. But she made out like she was clueless. Like she didn’t see theway male eyes tracked her down the street, or male heads turned whenever she passed.

But I was always following her. So I did.

I’d been convinced she was faking how oblivious she was to her effect on men, pretending she was so caught up in her own angst, she didn’t realize the power she had. Had I been wrong? Or, was this all a game?

Was I the fucking loser here?

When I finally let myself put the car in gear and tear off after her—not that she’d know I was following—Ialmostcalled her.Almostlet her know that I was coming for her. The battle for self control was hard and fast and I almost lost it.

But I knew I couldn’t. I had to see where she was going. I had to make sure she was safe—not hiding from me. Because even I knew this was the start of her escalating. She believed that I wasn’t coming back, so who knew what she’d do? Certainly not her.

But who was I to judge? I was barely sleeping, because when I wasn’t fucking her in my dreams, I was desperately trying to save her lifeby staying out of it.

I was tormented in life, and tormented in sleep as again and again she put herself in the hands of fuckwits likeSid Vicious,heedless of how those assholes would treat her—would try topossess her.

No one was supposed to do that but me.

But she’d lost her nerve, so going after her now wasn’t part of the game. If I took her after she’d said no, I’d be no better than that punk-vamp-wannabe cocksucker who thought he could take over the world.

I refused to bethat guy.But that left me here, sneaking around, desperate and aching, always in her shadow, never under her eyes and even I knew this wasn’t sustainable.

It took her almost an hour to drive home and I spent the entire time furious and fearful that at any moment she’d turn off the highway and head into the city, or god-knew-where-else… And if she did, what the fuck was I going to do? But if she put herself in the path of another asshole I was going tohaveto get out of this car…

It was a physical relief when she took the exit for her own suburb, and wound the car through the maze of streets to her home.

But I didn’t breathe easy until she’d been home for two hours with no sign of moving.

Thank God.

Thank fucking God.

But night hadn’t even fallen yet. So I wasn’t going anywhere.

I parked in that spot a few blocks away, under the tree, let my seat back down and laid there, waiting. Watching the tracker on my phone, waiting to catch her if she tried to leave.

Like a fucking spider.

At some point during my vigil it hit me…

I’d been terrified of what she could do to me if I let her in. But… what if the danger here was actually me?

~ BRIDGET ~

SAM NOTPRIEST: Bridget, I know that was a shitshow, but I want to try again.

ME: You may have noticed, I specialize in shitshows. Try what?

SAM NOTPRIEST: I am asking you out. On a date. No pinning against walls. No hunting. Just two people with amutual attraction having dinner to see if they can find common ground. And I’m going to find someone else to counsel you since I can’t do that because I’m catching feelings. I’m just going to man-up and admit it. I’m attracted to you and I can’t stop thinking about you. Will you go on a date with me, like a normal person?

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