Page 79 of Possession

Her confusion is palpable, and I understand it. She’s expecting Hunter—someone tough, intimidating, the guy who steps in when things get messy.

Not me.

But unfortunately, tonight, I’m all she’s got.

“Well, I’m the one handling things tonight,” I say firmly, leaving no room for doubt. Then I try remembering the script I was given to use if one of these calls ever occurred. Hunter made me practice it a million times, although I don’t think he ever believed I’d need it.

“Who gave you this number?” I ask her.

“He told me to say a friend from the bottom.”

That’s the correct answer, so I move on.

“Tell me what happened.”

She’s quiet for a second, and I can hear her breathing shakily on the other end, clearly debating whether to hang up. But then she lets out a long, unsteady breath.

“There’s a body,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “He’s dead, and I... I didn’t mean for this to happen. I just...”

Fuck me.

A dead body?

Seriously?

Chapter 25

Did You Tell Hunter?

MEGAN

“Where are you?” I ask, cutting through the panic in the woman’s voice. She’s falling apart, and if I’m going to pull this off, I know I need to keep her calm.

“The Shaded Lamp,” she says, almost in a daze. “In the back room. I don’t know what to do. They told me this number would?—”

“I’ll handle it,” I say, my voice firm but calm. I quickly remember the next question I’m supposed to ask.

“Is there anyone else with you?”

“No.”

“Has anyone seen you or…the body?”

“No.”

“Good, just stay where you are. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Don’t touch anything.”

She starts to say something, but I hang up before she can continue. I don’t need to hear any more right now—I’ve got enough to go on.

I grab my coat, the weight of the baby making every movement slower than I’d like. As I stand, I wince as another sharp kick lands against my ribs. “Easy, baby Middleton,” I mutter, rubbing my belly. “We’ve got work to do.”

Gage notices me standing and frowns. “Something up?”

“A call came in,” I say, pulling on my coat. “Just need to handle it.”

“Did you tell Hunter?”

“And why would I do that? You know he’s recovering.”

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