Page 14 of Art of the Hunt
Sounds drifted through the phone’s speaker. Splashing water, loud music, people talking, shouting, laughing.
“I’m in Chicago. Where are you?”
“Vegas, baby!” She shouted so loudly, Artemis pulled the phone away from her ear and winced.
Hunter arched his brow, and Artemis shook her head.
“I take it you aren’t ensuring Z doesn’t realize what I’m doing?”
“Thank you, sweetie,” Nike said, and Artemis assumed she was speaking to a cabana boy handing her a drink. Or whatever hot young servers were called in Vegas.
“Well, I realized that Zeus would become suspicious if I were back at headquarters and you weren’t, so I decided a road trip was in order. And you know how much I love Vegas.”
Yes, yes she did. And Miami and New York and LA…
“Good idea,” Artemis said. “I had the same thought just recently, actually.”
“Always on the same wavelength. Speaking of, how’s Chicago?”
Artemis wasn’t sure how Nike saw that as a logical transition, but whatever. “It’s good. We saved a young girl from a sex trafficking ring, so that was exciting.”
“We?”
Artemis glanced at Hunter, who was walking along next to her, hands stuffed into his pockets, eyes shielded by dark sunglasses. He wasn’t acting like he was eavesdropping, but how could he not be?
“Yeah, um, I should go. I’ll call you later.”
“Is that code for he’s in bed next to you so you can’t talk openly?”
Artemis yelped and then slapped her hand over her mouth. Glancing at Hunter again, she hissed into the phone, “We’re not in bed.”
Nike laughed and made kissing noises. “Call me later.”
Artemis sighed and stuffed her phone back into its pocket.
“So your friend thinks—” Whatever Hunter intended to say was cut off by a shriek.
“Just a little further, Gina. We’re almost to the parking lot.”
“I can’t make it.”
“You have to. You can’t have this baby in the middle of a walking path at a national park.”
“I don’t think we have a choice. I need to push.Now.”
“Oh crap,” Artemis said and kicked up the pace, rushing toward the sound of those voices.
“What are you doing?” Hunter asked.
Artemis groaned. “I have a feeling I’m about to have to use my least-favorite gift.”
Chapter Five
They rounded a bend in the path and both came to a stuttering halt.
A man and a woman stood there, the man with his arm wrapped around the woman’s back. The woman, Gina, Hunter guessed, was gritting her teeth and clutching at her very,verylarge belly.
“Breathe, baby, breathe,” the man encouraged.
