Page 38 of The Huntress

Relief flooded her at those words, some of the tension between her shoulders easing. “Thanks, Barrows. I owe you one.” She headed for the front door.

“Callie?” Gabe arched a brow.

“Sorry, Gabe. My captain’s outside. I gotta deal with this before she summons the SWAT or even worse, the military.”

His brow furrowed, and his expression darkened as if something bothered him, but she wasn’t sure what. That she wouldn’t come back? That shit might reach him down here? She couldn’t say.

He sighed, stepping around her to open the door. “Let me take you part of the way. I don’t want you lost.”

She nodded her thanks at his offer even as she studied his face. Perhaps some other time he’d explain his reticence. For now, she’d deal with Metcalfe, and she did need his help leaving his home. She wasn’t sure where she was, having run like a bat out of hell earlier without taking note of her surroundings. Turn left at tree, right at rock, dive around the third bush? She was a city girl—forest foraging wasn’t her forte.

“How do I reach you?” She smiled at his sudden exhale. So he had been worried about her return. “I’m a woman of my word, Gabe.”

Yes, she was, but despite that, something deep within her commanded her not to walk away from him. She had seen Val, and her sister as a vampire meant Callie’s life would change. There was no way she’d abandon her sister because she drank blood for sustenance.

“This pleases me, Callie.” He flashed a smile, scattering her thoughts. A dimple appeared, making him look more charming. The seductive bastard. Yet she couldn’t deceive herself—he was still a lethal suckblood capable of who knew what.

He strode forward, and her breath hitched.Hot damn. Had she said lethal? Hell yes, he was deadly to her senses.

He scooped her into his arms—a place she was becoming fond of. She locked her hands behind his neck and held on. As if she’d never see him again, she rested her cheek against his chest and inhaled the forest scent of him,.

But a potential consequence haunted her—would she have to give up being a detective when he claimed her? She might have to make the sacrifice to keep Val’s conversion a secret so she couldn’t blame Gabe for it.

He carried her to the edge of the forest. In the dark, the police lights flashed red and blue. Quite a few vehicles were parked. Hers looked odd without the matching lights flickering—gray, devoid of emotion, unfazed. Barrows—with his great bulk—leaned against the hood.

Gabe lowered her feet to the path, and she spun in his arms to press her body against his warm one. He had no right to be so toasty since he was a suckblood. She loved that he wasn’t cold-blooded. That might’ve been off-putting. Then again, there had to be something she could hate. Otherwise, he’d be perfect, and perfect was bad, because she wasn’t, not by a long shot.

“How do I find you, Gabe? It isn’t as if you have a street address.”

He gathered her wrist in his large hand, and with a fingertip, he drew a symbol on her skin, below her smartwatch. A mark she didn’t recognize glowed pale orange. It hadn’t hurt, but his reverent touch made her shiver.

“Whisper my name, and it will pulse as you near me.” He freed her wrist to bury his fingers in the curls at the nape of her neck. “Smear your blood across it, and I’ll find you.” His voice deepened, as if he too, felt this was goodbye.

She sighed—it wasn’t goodbye. It couldn’t be. Who would’ve imagined stumbling after Val would lead to finding a suckblood this sexy? One who’d claimed her to save her from her own stupidity. Holy tamale, she was in a shit-ton of trouble, as per frigging usual. Before, she’d wanted to survive, to walk away, to have justice served, to spare people’s lives. Now, with Val a suckblood, Callie’s career would change. What could she do with her life if it wasn’t in law enforcement? A scary thought.

She needed distance. Her thoughts circled, blurred, weaved until confusion reigned and she had to rely on her instincts and emotions.

She left his arms and frowned, not wanting to deal with her captain today of all days. She was aware that Gabe hadallowedher to leave him and his embrace. He could’ve gone all alpha on her and kept her captive. She chewed her lip as she studied his gray eyes and tempting mouth. Now she’d never know if she’d have loved him being all up-in-her-face macho. Her lady bits would. They hummed with an eagerness that made this feel like Christmas Eve.

“I’ll be in touch,” she said with a smirk and left. Each step was painful, with something deep inside of her cursing herself for leaving him.

Whoa.Her instincts sure weren’t happy.

“Devereaux,” her captain bellowed, and she cringed. “You’ve got some explaining to do, Detective.”

Callie fought the snort that promised to get her fired, or at least suspended.

Metcalfe was a woman in her forties with a permanent case of PMS. She managed the precinct by yelling. She was a firm believer that if you wanted her to shut up, you’d do your job and not give her a reason to yell at you. It had worked for her four sons and, therefore, should work for everyone under her command.

It did.

“Nothing to explain, Captain. I’m guarding this spot.” With a wild sweep of her arm, Callie gestured to the surrounding fields. “Got a tipoff about a possible suck-fest and staked out this area.”

“In plain clothes?” The captain glowered at her attire.

Callie forced herself to appear casual and not to twitch under that steely glare. Metcalfe could sniff a falsehood at ten paces.

“It’s my day off, Captain. I had to incinerate my last uniform.”Oh, the perfect excuse. “I’m short for next week.”

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