Page 77 of Throne of Secrets

“Lie down with me,” Ethan said. She folded into him and then immediately sat back up. “Where’s Thor?”

“At the vet.”

She turned quickly and regretted it when her shoulder complained loudly. “Why?” She adjusted a bit and continued, “Is he okay? What happened?” Ethan patted the pillow, and she sank down again. Her stomach dropped. “Is he going to be okay?”

“Yes. He’ll be okay. He was stabbed last night when he was going after one of the guys who took you.”

“Oh my God! It’s my fault?” She sat back up and grabbed her hair. “We have to go see him.”

“Star.”

She got out of bed and looked down at the T-shirt she’d borrowed from him. “I need clothes.”

Ethan yelled at her, “Star!”

“What!” she yelled back.

“It’s six in the morning, babe. No one’s going to be there to let you in.”

“Oh.” She blinked and then sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m so sorry. None of this would have happened if it weren’t for me and my darned curse.”

She felt him move over to her. He curled around her and lifted himself onto his elbow. “Did you pay the guys to take you?”

“Pfft. No. Have you met me?” She dropped her head into her hands. “I don’t need to pay. Things like this just happen. Youknowthat.”

“This wasn’t your fault. Thor is out of the woods. He’s a strong animal, and he’ll be fine.”

She glanced down at him. “Promise?”

“Absolutely. You love animals, don’t you?”

“I love Thor.” She nodded. “The rat I had a close-up encounter with yesterday, not so much.” She shivered. If she never saw a rat again, it would be too soon. Another shiver ran down her spine. She could still feel it scurrying across her.

“Rat?”

“Yeah. In the shed.” She rubbed her arms trying to forget that sensation.As if. She changed the topic. “How did you find me?”

“Computer expert, remember?” He smiled up at her.

She turned toward him, and he grabbed her, pulling her down to him again. She snuggled against him as their legs entwined. “Seriously, how did you find me?”

“We hacked into the city’s camera systems and tracked the vehicle that took you. Max found it. You’d already been moved from one vehicle to another. That’s where we saw Officer Lutz. Only we didn’t know for sure it was him at that time or what he had to do with the serial killings.”

“Serial killings?”

“Yes, you stumbled into it or actually fell into it on the sidewalk.” Ethan was probably going for light-hearted, but… holy shit! She jolted upright and smacked his jaw shut with her head. Ethan grabbed his chin. “Sorry, sorry! You mean the guy in the trash can was part of a serial killing?”

Ethan moved his jaw this way and that before he spoke. “It’s okay. Nothing broken, and yes, and Lutz was the killer.”

“Why would he do that? I mean, I barely talked to the man.” She shook her head. “I even pukedoutsidehis car.”

Ethan’s chest rumbled under her ear, and she poked him in the ribs with her finger. “None of it is funny, mister.”

“I know, just sometimes the things that come out of your mouth are amusing.” He stroked her hair as he spoke, and she melted under his touch. The fact that they were together again was something she’d hoped for yesterday. It was what had kept her going—Ethan was her reason.

“Lutz was the person who killed the man you found.”

Star sprung up to her elbow, knocking Ethan’s hand into his face with a forceful whap. “Sorry, sorry. He was the serial killer?”

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