Page 24 of In The Dark
“Oh, yeah. I’ve seen her backstage. She’s hot. Those curves are sexy.”
“The internet has too much information readily accessible. I don’t like that anyone could find all of this out about Maxine. She wouldn’t know if someone was following her until it was too late.”
“And by someone, do you mean you?” Leo ignores me when I flip him off. “Doesn’t say anything about a partner, but maybe you can do some more stalking—sorry, I meanresearch—when you see her Instagram page.”
“You are a genius, Leo.”
“I know I am.”
Finding Maxine through Skyler’s following list is easy. I click over to her page and smile at the public profile showing dozens of images of her.
I swipe past a photo of her volunteering at the food bank with gloved hands and a hairnet. I see another of her sitting in the middle of a classroom on a colorful rug, a wide smile and wrinkles in the corner of her eyes. A selfie at the beach with Skyler, the pair sitting under an umbrella and shielding their faces from the sun.
There’s not a single man in sight, which is great news for me.
It only takes me a few minutes to put together an idea of who Maxine is: loyal and a good friend. A hard worker and someone who goes after what they want. I didn’t think it was possible to like her even more, but here I am: grinning at my phone and happy as can be.
“Oh, no. You have a dopey look on your face.” Leo sighs. “For real, Hunt. Can you promise me you’re going to treat this girl right? I don’t want you to go all in on something to break her heart three months down the road because you’re not interested in her anymore.”
“Hey.” I frown. “I’m just fucking around. I mean, yeah, I’m bordering on obsessed over this woman, but if she tells me to fuck off and leave her alone, I will. Until then? I’m all in.”
“I know you’re not a monster. I’ve just never seen you so interested in someone before, and it’s throwing me off.”
“Because I’ve never been so interested in someone before.” I drag my fingers through my hair, careful not to accidentally follow Maxine on social media. We’ll get there, but for now I only want to observe. Carefully, and from the sidelines. “She’s made of magic, dude. My heart’s been broken since Mom passed, but I think she might be the cure.”
“Damn. Okay, Shakespeare. You tell her that and there will be a wedding by Christmas. I’m glad my romantic ways are rubbing off on you.”
“Yes, Leo. This is all because of you,” I say, and he gives me a thumbs up. “Enough flirting. What else can you tell me about her?”
He spends the next twenty minutes reading off where she graduated from college (the University of Central Florida) and her majors (early education and educational management). He shows me her Pinterest boards and action shots of her playing soccer in the NCAA championship, her gold jersey and blackshorts showing off muscular thighs and long legs. There are photos from a pole dancing class he finds on a website, her beaming face front and center with a matching biker shorts and tank top set.
The more I learn, the more I want to know. What’s her family life like? What’s her favorite food? How many pillows does she sleep with? The questions linger long after Leo shuts his laptop, grabs a beer, and turns up the television so he can root for the Tampa baseball team having their best season ever.
One day, I tell myself.
I’ve always been a determined motherfucker. Someone who goes after what he wants, and right now, the only thing I need is Maxine Walters. I need her like I need air, and I’m not going to stop until she’s mine.
NINE
HUNTER
Maxine’s neighborhoodis nice with tall trees and a sidewalk that loops around the block. The fenced yards and brightly painted doors are inviting, and I bring my motorcycle to a slow roll when I reach her house. There’s a porch with some potted plants and multiple pumpkins on the steps. Two rocking chairs and a little table between them. I don’t know much about her yet, but it seems veryher.
I put the kickstand down and hop off my motorcycle, glancing around. It’s the middle of the school day, so I know Maxine won’t be here, and a quick look at Skyler’s Instagram account from the fake profile I created tells me she’s running errands until later this afternoon.
Plenty of time to do some sleuthing.
I told myself I was only going to pass by, but now that I’m here, I might as well look inside to make sure she’s taking care of herself.
I whistle on the walk up the porch steps, stopping to straighten the welcome mat that’s off center. There aren’t any exterior cameras in place, and Leo didn’t find record of the house registered to any security systems. I don’t like that shedoesn’t have any protection in place, but that will be a project for next time.
The street is empty. There aren’t any nosy neighbors looking out their window, and I wiggle the front door handle to get an idea for the lock I’m working with. I can tell the deadbolt isn’t engaged—another thing I don’t like—and I pull two paperclips from my pocket.
Bending them into a small hook shape, I carefully put them in the keyway, grimacing when I apply enough pressure to feel the pins inside the lock moving. Patience is crucial when you’re doing something simple like breaking into a building, but when you’ve done it dozens of times like I have, it’s like riding a fucking bike. When the lock pops open, I smirk.
Piece of cake.
I slip into the foyer and shut the door, taking time to kick off my riding boots so I don’t track dirt inside.
