Page 49 of The Hunted
It should concern him that the Reaper had been aware of where he placed the body. It was bad enough they knew where he rested his head, and once he was done here he’d have to sweep his truck and check his phone. He wasn’t too worried about the Reaper tailing him, given whatever rules he could figure out about the little game they were playing. The Reaper wanted to expose him, at least that’s what the notes left behind seemed to suggest but if they had known him the way they said, wouldn’t they have had enough to shout to the world what hides underneath his skin?
He glanced back toward the carousel. The body was covered in a white sheet, forensic already having taken what they needed from the scene he set for them. He wondered what the Reaper thought about his present and note.
Were they impressed?
Did this body mean the rules to the game were going to change?
Would it up the ante for the Reaper?
So many questions and he was left with no real answers. Maybe Santino needed to hit another mark. He’d pluck one off the list he kept in his pocket, just to lure the Reaper out. He always had downtime in between hitting his marks. The gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach had eased, but what was the harm in indulging a little more? Especially if it got him face-to-face with the Reaper.
“Don’t get cocky, mijo. Only take what you need when you need it. You take too much and you’ll start to get greedy and sloppy. You don’t want to live in a cage, do you?”
He shook his head.
“Good. The down time is what they call the cooling off period. It lets you step back into society like a normal person until the hunger pains start up again. And when they do, you’ll know and begin to plan and be strategic.”
His guardian’s words were like the blood that pumped through his body, always there to guide and remind him even if she was no longer physically here. As much as he wanted to leave breadcrumbs for the Reaper, he’d have to wait until he received another present or the gnawing in his stomach became too much.
A chill ran down his spine.Someone’s watching me.He snapped his head up, not too surprised but sorely disappointed that his eyes locked on Amra Benson. She was still in the clothes she wore from last night, except she had a PD jacket on to fight off the morning chill. A local officer was talking to her, but her attention seemed to shift to the footprints before looking back at him with a smirk on her face.
Interesting, Santino thought. Amra never came to a crime scene—usually didn’t have to. She compiled her thoughts through the findings and notes of anyone out on the field. There was no reason to be here other than she thought she caught him in something, going by the smirk on her face.
You won’t find my skeletons, Amra. But maybe I need to expose some of yours.
Steam filled his line of vision, and he turned to see Martin still sporting the same clothes from last night as well. He accepted the coffee, not bothering to hide his own smirk. “Late night?” Santino murmured. “I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing you two showed up in the same attire you wore last night.”
Santino kept his gaze on Amra while he took his first sip of coffee. Her smirk turn into a scowl when her gaze bounced between Martin and him.
Human behavior was fascinating, especially when it came to Amra. She enjoyed the attention for both her body and brain, and yet when Martin was the one to give it to her, she hated herself for it.
“Leave it alone, Alvarez.” Martin chuckled. “She already has it out for you.”
“And what, you thought you would ease the tension?” Santino asked, watching Amra stomp off.
“Yes, with my dick. See what I do for a friend?” Santino snorted as Martin continued. “It was a hardship, truly.”
They stood shoulder-to-shoulder in comparative silence. They both watched Amra talk to another local PD but for two different reasons. Santino was trying to figure out if she was still a candidate for the Reaper, and he was sure Martin was replaying their late-night activities.
“She’s intriguing for lack of a better word.” Martin broke the quiet. “She doesn’t want to indulge, but it feels almost compulsive once you know the right buttons to push. I think it has to do with her need to be perfect because she grew up in foster care. She has a need to be wanted while also being aloof.” He shrugged.
“And what does any of that have to do with me?” Santino glanced toward Martin, looking him over. “I didn’t take you for someone who enjoyed pillow talk. Don’t you usually fuck and forget about them?”
“I do.” He took a sip of his coffee. “But I have to talk to them first.” He glanced at Santino before he tracked Amra across the fairgrounds and into a waiting SUV. “You don’t fawn over her, and I think it triggers some unhealed trauma in her. I can’t tell exactly what it is because she has her secrets not even all the orgasms in the world can unlock, but even seeing you with your girl last night didn’t quell it.”
Once Amra had driven off, Martin turned his attention on Santino. “Speakin’ of, what’s going on with that? Ya fucking? Dating? She’s the one?” He waggled his eyebrows.
Santino stared at his partner. He hadn’t thought much of him, didn’t think he saw anything that wasn’t directly in front of him. But he had made the same observation Santino believed to be true about Amra. He wondered what else he had been privy to.
“We’re not dating. Or anything of the sort.” The words felt weird coming off Santino’s tongue. He wasn’t sure what exactly he and Silva were or what they were doing, and talking about it out loud felt wrong.
He didn’t do this guy thing. Thought it was actually weird that men compared notes, usually to boast over each other. It was a pissing contest he couldn’t wrap his head around.
Martin snorted. “Please, she practically had her claws in you the second she walked up to you and didn’t let up not once. Even when ya were outside the bar. She wants you, that much is clear, and it pisses Amra off.”
Santino kept his features neutral, but he felt his blood heat. He had been so into Silva he hadn’t felt anyone outside of the bar watching them when they were kissing. He thought Martin had been into the other woman that had been there too. He seemed so engrossed in her until Silva embarrassed Amra. He thought for sure Amra and Silva could have come to blows in Luther’s, and Martin would have been oblivious.
What else have you seen, Martin?
