Page 18 of Tabitha

He studies me for a second longer, then nods. “I appreciate it.”

As he steps away and turns toward the cabin, I give him a warning. “If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”

I don’t expect him to extend the same courtesy, and I’m not sure I would trust his word, anyway.

He pauses and looks down at the ground, his hands on his hips. “Thank you.”

Then he dismisses me and disappears back inside the cabin.

“That’s it?” Gage snarls, following after Bast, clearly pissed. “We’re just going to let her take over the case?”

“It’s our case.” River bristles, charging after the others. “The men responsible should be brought to justice. The fuckers deserve to serve their time in Gitmo.”

As they argue, Pierce reluctantly holsters his weapon at the small of his back. When he spots me looking, he just raises a brow, and I can’t help but snark, “Aren’t you prepared. Don’t tell me you were one of those kiddie scouts?”

“Baby girl, I’ve never been a Boy Scout.” He laughs, and the most gorgeous smile takes over his face.

I suck in a sharp breath as two dimples make an appearance, and it does something to my legs, like a sailor stepping on land after weeks at sea.

When his smile fades, his icy blue eyes sharpen. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

It’s a vow, and I shiver at his husky tone, my nipples hardening in some kind of primitive response.

Which is fucking stupid, since I am more than capable of taking care of myself.

I’m starting to understand why women do stupid things when it comes to men. I’ve always thought I was immune to the opposite sex, but the more time I spend around Pierce, the more my awareness of him grows, and I’m not sure I like the change.

It complicates things.

Thank fuck Pierce is completely unaware of my gawking. When he strips out of his jacket, I’m helpless to do anything but stare. His shirt rides up, revealing sharp Adonis muscles and abs that could make a nun beg to worship.

It’s only when he turns away and stuffs the jacket in his saddlebag that I shake my head and become aware of my surroundings. Yells echo from the cabin, and I’m thankful for the distraction as I pull on my helmet with hands that shake slightly.

Must be low blood sugar.

I make a mental note to eat when we reach the house.

“It’s not our call.” Bast’s deep voice cuts through the argument with the soldier boys. “I’ll call our…client…and confirm how he wants to proceed.”

End of discussion.

Somehow, I doubt that I’ve seen the last of them.

Chapter Six

RIVER

Islam out of the cabin, the door banging closed behind me like a gunshot blast in my wake. I’m aware that my rage is out of proportion to the situation, but it’s like a living beast beyond my control and it’s starving.

Those kills are supposed to be mine!

I’ve been banking on it, needing my fix like a junky jonesing for their next hit. Being denied is like an itch under my skin I can’t quite reach, and nothing else will soothe the ravenous need for blood and violence.

It’s been too long since my last kill, and I’m not sure how much longer I can go before I crack. The guys are already looking at me suspiciously. If they knew how bad my cravings have gotten, they’d have me committed or, if they were smart, put a bullet in my brain.

They should’ve done that a long time ago, but the stubborn fuckers refused. It’s one of the main reasons why they started HAVOC, our private security firm. Our cases were supposed to ease my cravings for violence, but it’s not helping anymore.

I need more.

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