Page 8 of The Hunted
She felt her phone buzz in her back pocket, and when she glanced down at her watch she groaned at the notification. She had to leave.
“I’m guessing that’s a no?” Santino whispered, getting close to her again.
A swarm of giant moths took up residency in her stomach as he stared at her like he was trying to peel back her layers and see what lay beneath. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that she needed to go. Being around this man might prove dangerous to her wellbeing.
“I have a work deadline that just got pushed up. While this has been entertaining, and I’m sure we’ll have even more fun if I stay, I like being able to pay my bills. So, I’m going to pass.” She waved at him and turned to walk away when he called out her name, stopping her.
She looked over her shoulder, knowing if she fully turned she’d be tempted to stay—tempted to see how far this would go before he was trying to seduce her.
“Can I see you again?” His gaze traveled down her body and back up, inch by inch, and she could have sworn she heard all his dirty thoughts.
She smiled at him. “Of course, if you’re lucky.” She winked and walked out of the café to the sound of his fading laughter. She could have stayed and probably should have, but she didn’t have time to entertain anyone and didn’t want anyone to disturb her peace.
No matter how attractive she was to him.
ChapterFour
Santino cracked his necked before he checked the time on his watch. He had five minutes before it was time to move, and it was getting harder and harder for him to sit still and wait. His body was buzzing with so much unchecked energy, he was surprised his feet were still planted firmly on the ground.
He knew what this was—hunger. He missed his mark the other night, and his body was revolting at the idea of having to wait to get its fill.
“Slow your breathing down,” he mumbled under his breath, rolling his shoulders back.
He’d gone over his learned techniques for keeping the hunger that lived inside of him from clawing free and not caring about the consequences. He didn’t last this long without getting caught by letting his baser needs take over. His guardian had explained that as the world changed around him, there’d be moments when those he hunted got away and he would need to lay low and learn how to cope.
“If you’re like me, mijo, which I suspect you are.” She sliced through the man’s flesh on her worktable with ease. She was showing him where and how to cut to effectively dismember a body if that was the route he chose. She would bury the pieces in the bottom of the ocean and in a park meant to plant flowers. She showed him what rare plants to have on hand and to make sure he put an animal carcass on top of the body he was burying to throw off any scents.She had cultivated so many tricks over the years, and he soaked up her knowledge like a sponge.
“Humans are predictable, especially in their habits. Once they get comfortable it’s easy to trackthem and be prepared. But don’t take that as a means to be complacent and expect things to always work out for you. There will be days when things happen out of the norm and you may miss your prize. Here, put this in the pile to be buried.” She handed him a right forearm, and he took it to place it next to the left foot.
“When you miss your prize, you need to find another outlet to keep yourself centered. This way you don’t get crazed and get sloppy. Our minds are our best tool, but when we forget to feed it, it can turn in on itself. You don’t want that, mijo. You’ll go further than I ever could so long as you evolve with the world around you and keep yourself centered.”
He remembered how much she would hole herself up in her garden, ripping weeds out or cooking everything under the sun when she missed her mark. He quickly learned the only thing that had centered him was physical activity—running, working out, and fucking. Though the latter was always a last resort. He didn’t have much use for it, really, or for people in general. He already ran five miles and hit the gym for two hours, and it did nothing to center him.
Missing his last kill made him agitated. It wasn’t so much that he missed his mark; it was that someone had gotten to him first. Someone who knew who he was. He looked around the wooded area, half-expecting someone to be lurking, watching him try and fail not to be agitated.
He checked his watching again—three minutes. “Geez,” he groaned. The smart thing to do was go home and get Marcus Holding another night. He should wait until he felt steady enough to deal with the world around him.
“But if I don’t get him tonight….” It would only increase the hollowing in his stomach, keeping him in a constant state of hunger.
If he allowed that sensation to fester, he knew exactly what would be unleashed. All of his crafted, well-woven lies would collapse, and he’d be wearing a pair of shiny cuffs.
“Fuck,” he grumbled, opening and closing his fists.
“Sometimes a lot of this will be about waiting. You’ll need to have patience, and when you feel that energy course through you, willing you to move before it’s time, you need to find ways to keep you steady. All it takes is one fuck up and it’s all over.”
He closed his eyes, remembering years of training and advice. He started to list all things he knew about Marcus. He was a car salesman who had volunteered at the local teen center as some sports coordinator. That was before he’d been accused of sexual assault of a minor. The town had been split over the accusation. Half had believed his innocence because he was a good person, and the other half had been out for blood—sure he’d be found guilty.
But Marcus had come from money, and money had gotten him an excellent lawyer who ripped to shreds the victim’s credibility. Without any other victims coming forward, Marcus walked, but those who had believed him initially started to turn on him. It forced him to the outskirts of town where he lived alone. He spent most of his time online doing things he shouldn’t and went back into town twice a week for necessities.
Today was one of those days, and when Santino heard a car pull in, his body relaxed and he finally started to calm down. Marcus would pull into his driveway with take-out food from a steak restaurant. He’d go into his quiet home, set his table, and then jump into a shower, washing away the day.
As soon as Santino heard a door shut, he moved from his hiding spot. He kept to the shadows, moving at an even pace, knowing it would take a couple of minutes before Marcus was situated. He didn’t want to rush this. He needed to savor this kill. He hoped it was enough to feed the hollowing in the pit of his stomach, because if it wasn’t, he’d have to hunt someone new.
A pair of mismatched eyes flashed in his mind.
Silva.
His breath caught, and he felt that same buzzing energy he had only moments ago at the thought of the woman he ran into at the café. He wasn’t sure if her image flashing in his mind was a sign that he needed to feel her neck under his palms or if she would be the perfect mask for him to parade around in public with. It would get his coworkers off his ass about dating and hanging out, but could he do it?
