Page 145 of Hunt for You

I almost missed the moment he peered in—it was dark in the room, and the moonlight behind the curtains only made the barest glow. I could see shapes, but no detail. And he was crouched low, barely higher than the doorknob as he crept in.

I almost said something, almost moved so he’d know I was watching him, but I was grinning, waiting to shock him, mentally preparing a defensive move for when he struck, deciding whether to try and roll him off the bed, or hurt him first—when the figure half straightened because he’d reached the carpet of the bedroom and it occurred to me that the shoulders weren’t right.

Not quite broad enough.

A little too streamlined.

As he crept along the wall towards the side of the bed where I lay, I blinked, my heart pounding as he slowly straightened… and then something in his hand caught the light. Some kind of metal.

Cain didn’t bring weapons.

Instinct launched me off the opposite side of the bed like my hair was on fire, grunting because I pushed myself so hard, then rolled to my feet with the bed between us, sucking in a breath to scream—and mentally cursingmyselffor not knowing where my phone was.

But there was no time for thought beyond that as the guy hissed,“There you are,”and my entire body tensed, my brain flashing a memory of Ronald outsideVigorí, leering.“And already waiting for me,”he added lecherously.

“NO!” I screamed, throwing myself towards the door, praying I was quick enough and it was dark enough that he wouldn’t make it to me before I reached the hallway. I had a panic room just off my office and if I could put enough space between us I could—

“RUN,BRIDGET!” Cain roared, tearing into the room, hands extended and clawed, going straight for Ronald and ignoring me completely.

“He’s got a knife!” I screamed, twisting out of his path as the two of them launched at each other.

A thick hand landed on my waist andthrewme out the door so hard I fell to my knees on the hard floor. But I didn’t even feel it, just leaped back up, whipping around to watch the dark shadows come alive, grunting, snarling, smacking—and flashing.

I gasped, hands over my mouth when I saw that blade flash and heard the slap of flesh on flesh—but that shine was halted almost immediately and there was a moment when neither of them really moved as they wrestled for control—Ronald trying to slide that blade under Cain’s ribs, and Cain gripping his wrist, snarling.

Something happened, the shadows of the two men melding, turning, then there was a thunk and a single flash as that blade tumbled to the floor, then one form flipped with a roar, crashing against the wall near my bathroom and suddenly everything was still.

One form, hunched, back and shoulders heaving, stood for a moment, hands extended, staring at the other, crumpled on the ground.

I plastered myself against the wall behind me for a second as I blinked and blinked and tried to breathe, but my vision was blurring and I couldn’t figure out which one of them it was… until he straightened all the way and turned towards me.

Hooded.

Broad shoulders.

Body like a God, filling out a hoodie like—

“Cain?” I breathed.

He took two, halting steps then slapped the wall next to my bedroom door, flipping on the light and flooding my bedroom with light that silhouetted his form from where I stood in the hallway.

“You said this was real. That it wasn’t a game,” he snarled.

I couldn’t breathe. “It’s… it’s not—”

“Is this what you do? You just taunt and tease and seduce until a guy can’t resist anymore, then you make sure he gets hurt? Does that make you feel good, Bridget?!”

“No! I wasn’t—”

“It’s fuckingSid Vicious!”

“I know—I mean, I didn’t know, but I realized when he spoke—”

Cain was prowling towards me, one finger stabbing towards me, then Ronald, as he ranted.

“You gave me onlyminuteswarning that you were back in on this! What if I’d been one minute later, Bridget!”

“I didn’t call him!”

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