Page 7 of Hunt for You

I had a plan in place for her before she finished her workout and trotted out to her car, looking over her shoulder and in every direction.

Looking forme.

I smiled.

Good girl.

3. See You Soon

~ BRIDGET ~

I dropped into the driver’s seat in my car considering whether or not to stop for coffee on the way home when that heavenly smell washed over me and my entire body thrilled.

I gasped, tensing, beginning to turn just as a thick, man-hand whipped out from behind my seat and clapped over my mouth and pulled my head back against the headrest. I struggled for a second, kicking against the floor of the car, fingers clawing into that hand as I screamed behind it, but then that scent got stronger and warm, and a smooth cheek brushed my jaw at the same time a very deep, gravely male voice whispered.

“I told you I’d see you soon.”

I froze, eyes wide, my breath tearing audibly in and out of my nose.

“Just breathe,” he said, and I couldhearthe smile in his tone. But my pulse was so loud in my ears it made it hard to hear him.

I tried to take in every detail I could—the scent, the size of his hand over my mouth, the callouses on his palms, the unique timbre of his voice. My senses were heightened, but focus wasimpossible, my heart racing so fast I was glad I’d already taken the monitor off because the doctors would haveflipped.Lights sparkled at the edge of my vision.

“Relax, Bridget.I’m not going to hurt you—I just wanted to introduce myself.”

He knew my real name already?

I stopped trying to claw his hand off my face and after a few heaving breaths through my nose, made myself drop my hands to my lap, gripping the hem of the hoodie instead, but my heart was still going a mile a minute, and my panting was loud in the car.

I felt something brush the side of my head and realized he’d buried his nose in my hair and was inhaling deeply. I didn’t know whether to blush or fistpump.

“Are you calm enough to remember what I’m about to tell you?” he rasped a minute later.

I nodded. My breath was still coming in deep pants and my hands had started to shake, but I was gripping the hoodie and praying he wouldn’t notice that.

“Very good.” He was still whispering, still keeping his voice in a gravel barely above the volume of my pulse so that his actual voice was masked. “We’re going to have a few rules. Blink once to tell me you understand what I’m saying.”

I blinked hard, squeezing my eyes shut for a second then opening them again to stare through the windshield at the blank, cinderblock wall of the gym, feeling both idiotic andecstaticthat I’d parked back here. But as he continued to speak, I couldn’t help smiling behind his hand. The initial panic was quickly being replaced by arushthat was going to leave me shaking for hours, I was sure.

“First rule: No one knows the game we’re playing.No one.Do you understand? The moment I learn that you’ve spoken toanyoneabout me—and I will find out, trust me—I’ll disappearand you’ll never hear from me again. Blink once if you understand.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again, bolt upright in the chair, my feet planted hard on the floor.

“Second rule: Until the final hunt, either of us can stop this game at any time. I’ll send you a message before the first hunt with a safeword that I’m assigning you. That word crosses your lips in my hearing—or on any communication we might have—just once, and you’ll never see me again. Blink once if you understand.”

I blinked again.

“See how easy this is? Third rule: Tomorrow I’m going to send you a list. Within 48 hours of receiving that, you’ll visit a pharmacy or drugstore and pick up every item. Every single one—and in the quantities that I assign to each. Even if you have to visit more than one store. When you have all of it, you’ll take a picture of all of it on your kitchen counter and post it as a unique post in the forum where we met. If you have skipped anything or don’t have enough of something, you’ll never seen me again. So don’t post it until you have everything. Blink once if you understand.”

I squeezed my eyes closed, my mind whirring with curiosity. When I opened them again it was just as he moved, turning his head to look out the passenger window to see if there was anyone who could see us. I realized then that I could make out a very faint reflection of him in the windshield. I locked eyes on it and tried desperately to memorize the details, but couldn’t see much more than a strong, square jaw that was cleanshaven, full lips, and the tip of his nose because he was wearing a hoodie that shadowed most of his face.

When he turned back, he kept his chin low so I didn’t see anything more. Disappointment fluttered in my stomach.

“Final rule,” he growled. “You givenoindication to anyone in your life that you know you’re going to die. If you have legal or financial details to put in place, you do so casually—you’re just being responsible. But you don’t say goodbye. You don’t give things away. And you don’t breathe a word to anyone in your life that you wish to die, or that you plan to. Leave notes or instructions with a lawyer if you need to. If I hear even ahintthat someone suspects what we’re doing, I will disappear and you’ll never see me again. Blink once if you understand.”

I blinked again, my breath still coming in short, sharp puffs through my nose.

“Now… I told you that I knew how to make you feel alive. I wasn’t lying. I’m not a liar. Remember that. It’ll be important later. But for now, just know that I won’t warn you when a new hunt begins. Between hunts you may go days, or even weeks without seeing or hearing anything from me. But just becauseyoudon’t seemedoesn’t meanIdon’t seeyou. At times I might choose to leave you signs that I’m near, or I might not. But Iwill always be near.Whether you’re aware of it or not. So don’t get complacent and break the rules, or you won’t see me again. Blinktwiceif you understand.”

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