Page 25 of The Hunted
He dropped his phone in his lap, watching Denise Miller pull into the parking lot of the grocery store he was idling in. Like clockwork she came to Fresh Market every Thursday at 8:00 p.m. She bought a bottle of wine, a bag of chips that varied week to week, and a block of cheese. It wasn’t fine dining or healthy by any stretch, but who was he to judge someone’s vices?
Her dark hair was in a braid down her back tonight. She usually wore it in a high ponytail or slicked back bun. She wore leggings and an oversized hoodie. It was always the same outfit, though the top portion varied from pullover hoodie to zip up—in the warmer months, she wore an oversized shirt. If he hadn’t seen her outside of Thursdays, he would have thought she only wore the color black and didn’t do anything with her life. But he knew that wasn’t the case.
A high-powered criminal defense attorney with a great record had the means to fill her wardrobe with high-end fashion. He was always curious why she didn’t. He could never grasp that about people. When they had the means they didn’t splurge, but when they didn’t, they were in head-to-toe designer clothes or lived beyond their means.
The second she shut her car door her nose was in her phone. She was completely oblivious to her surroundings. A man leered at her from the back of his car. A car driving by honked to get her attention before they hit her. She barely looked up before moving around it. She’d be so easy to snatch up.
Santino watched her long before he started on his list, and every so often he’d come back here to watch her again. His old desires never fully left him, especially when he missed his marks. His tastes in brunettes exceeded his tastes in blondes, and when he had killed off his list, he always started with those with darker hair.
His phone buzzed in his lap. He looked down seeing Silva’s name across his screen and his heart jumped.
Huh?
He quickly unlocked his phone, eager to see what she had to say.
Silva: You should put your money where your mouth is.
Silva: I’ve handled men twice your size without breaking a sweat.
Silva: You will be no different
Silva: and while I wouldn’t mind the negotiating, it’ll be a much sweeter victory when I beat your ass.
Silva: Are you still busy now?
Silva: What exactly do you do?
Silva: I know your ID said agent but are you really though?
Santino’s eye twitched watching the chaotic way Silva sent him back-to-back messages instead of grouping them into one. He knew she was a little energetically chaotic from their first interaction. It had intrigued him and kept him on his toes. Her mind moved faster than most, and it made him want to engage with her to see how far ahead she always was. But now, looking at the back-to-back messages, it made him not want to communicate with her like this ever again.
Silva: and about the kiss. You said sorry but kind of never had the chance to explain exactly what for…
Silva: on record?
Silva: I’m not entirely mad it happened.
He groaned both from how she texted and the fact that she hadn’t minded the kiss. Though he knew given the way she responded to his touch she was feeling the pull between them as much as he was. He still couldn’t decide if he liked it or not, but for now it would be a means to an end.
“This is going to drive me crazy.” He wasn’t one for texting and usually kept the phone conversations to a minimum with the women he entertained long enough to prove he dated around.
Silva told him she wasn’t one for phone calls, and honestly neither was he. It wasted unnecessary time when both parties usually only had one goal in mind. But he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to keep up with the conversation this way. He was still trying to figure out what to respond to first.
He decided on the idiotic idea that they spar.
Santino: Name the time and place, princess. I’ll have you on your back tapping out in five minutes, easily.
He’d only suggested the sparring to get more time with her. He figured the best way to do that was in a place where she felt comfortable. It would allow her walls to fall and he’d get to see who she really was. At the very least, he could maybe understand what this attraction to her was about.
Silva: LOL! YEAH OKAY MY GUY!
Silva: Care to place another bet?
Silva: I’ll already get whatever I want from you.
Silva: But maybe we should up the stakes somehow?
Santino chuckled, keeping an eye on the clock. He had at most thirty minutes before Denise Miller came back out of Fresh Market. It wasn’t overly packed tonight so her trip would be quick.
