Page 185 of Hunting Pretty

“What do you want to do with him?” I asked her, ready to obey. “We can’t leave him alive. He’ll go to the police.”

Ava turned back to me. “But we can’t kill him.”

I smirked at her. “You can’t, butIcan.”

Ava shook her head and pulled out her phone which had been recording all this time. “We’ll leave him alive with all the evidence we have for the police.”

I began to protest.

But Ava cut me off with a calm, steady voice. “But we won’t tell them where he is until we’re out of the country.”

I froze.

Did she just say what I thought she just said?

Licking my lips, I didn’t dare turn away from Ava’s fixed gaze, not even to blink, as I asked, “Did you say… whenwewere out of the country?”

She nodded.

“Leave him alive for the police…” she repeated, “…and I’ll leave with you. Right now.”

A small spark flickered inside me, warm and fragile, butenough to make me believe that maybe, just maybe, there was a place out of the shadows for me.

Ava was leaving with me. We’d run far away, so far that the darkness couldn’t reach us. We’d behappy.

I kissed her long and deep, running my hands over her, feeling the need to be inside her coursing through my veins again.

But this was not the time.

We had so much to do before I could make love to her over and over until she passed out from pleasure.

My body ached as I pulled away from her.

“Go home and pack,” I said to her. “But quickly. I’ll sort this out.”

Ava glanced up at me, her eyes darting between mine and the terrified doctor still in the chair.

“What are you going to do with him?” she asked.

I rolled my jaw as I looked at the man at my feet. Oh, how good it would be to kill him. To sate my bloodlust with his life force.

“Scáth?” Ava’s fingers brushed mine.

I blinked and met her imploring gaze.

But I made her a promise. And I would keep it.

I brushed a wayward strand of her dark hair from her face. “I’m going to stash Dr. Vale somewhere he won’t be able to escape. Then I’ll meet you at your place. One hour.”

Ava nodded as she relaxed against me.

“Alright,” Ava said. “One hour.”

I held back my exhale of relief. The tension in my shoulders burned like hot iron pokers.

I kissed her quickly once more. “Go. Stay out of sight.”

Ava slipped past me toward the door, but I caught her wrist before she could leave.

---