Page 52 of The Hunter
“Someone?”
“Yes. I intervened. He’s dead. I’ve been trying to ID him for two days. There’s nothing. Not a single breadcrumb. My colleague captured some prints before disposing of the body, but even that hasn’t uncovered anything.”
“So he’s a ghost.”
“It looks that way. I just thought you might have heard something in your circles.”
“Not yet. But I’ll put some feelers out.”
“Thanks, Sal. I appreciate it.”
“Give me a few days. I’ll call when I’ve got something.”
He didn’t say goodbye. Just ended the call.
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of everything bearing down on me. I hated unknowns. Hated uncertainties. And this entire situation was becoming more and more uncertain with every day.
I returned my gaze to the monitors with the intention of rechecking Victor Kane’s financials when a movement on one of the screens caught my eye.
Ariana.
Slinking down the corridor like she wasn’t sure where she was going, but damn certain she didn’t want to be caught getting there.
I smiled despite myself.
I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before she started snooping. So I didn’t stop her. Instead, I watched as she moved toward the closet containing the gun cabinet and opened the door, staring at the contents.
Leaning in closer, I hit a few buttons on the keyboard and the camera zoomed in on her face. Her brows were furrowed, lips pinched. This was her thinking face. I’d only known her a few days, but I already recognized it. And I knew exactly what she was thinking. How she could take one of those rifles, use it on me, and escape.
She didn’t so much as reach for one, though.
Instead, she closed the door and headed toward the garage, placing her hand on the knob. But she didn’t open the door right away. She slowly lifted her eyes toward the ceiling. Toward the camera installed in the corner. Then, as if she knew I was watching her, she smirked.
I gripped the arms of my chair, imagining all the ways I could wipe that smirk off her face.
And I’d enjoy every single one.
She turned the knob and stepped into the garage. I switched the camera feed, watching as she looked between the Jeep and the truck. Just like when she found the guns, I could see the wheels turning in her head yet again. How she could use one of them to drive away from here. It would be so easy, considering the keys to each vehicle hung on the wall beside her. It wouldn’t take more than a few seconds to determine which set belonged to which car.
“Come on,” I muttered, sitting on the edge of my chair. “Go for it.”
The seconds seemed to stretch as I watched her with bated breath. Saw her float her eyes to the keys, then back to the vehicles again. I was surprised how badly I wanted her to try to escape just so I could go after her. Chase her.Hunther.
I hadn’t had a good hunt in a while now.
But she didn’t reach for any of the keys. She simply turned and walked away, leaving the vehicles untouched.
My shoulders deflated, but I continued watching her like a peeping Tom as she moved through the living room before disappearing into the study. I quickly switched to that feed, ignoring everything else I should be doing. Ignoring the reason I came down here in the first place.
None of that mattered right now. All that did was watching her.
She ran her fingers across the spines of the books like they were sacred. Like each one held secrets or memories only she could hear. When she read some titles, her lips curved into a smile. Others, her eyes would glisten with nostalgia. And others, her brows would pinch in curiosity.
For nearly ten minutes, I couldn’t look away as she scrupulously made a mental list of each and every book I owned.
But then she paused and bent down, one book having caught her attention.
What did she find?
