Chapter 8
S tepping out of Shadow Tech after meeting with my brother, I hear him lock the door behind me. He’s closing up for the night, since he was only staying open later so I could drop in for a few items I need for one of my jobs in Topeka.
Even wearing the gray sweatpants and oversized shirt, I can see she’s beautiful. Her heart-shaped face is so captivating and that smile of hers is bewitching. The only thing wrong is that her incredible smile is directed toward the guy she’s walking with.
What’s even more interesting is how quickly I’m attracted to her. Not that I don’t think other women are beautiful or sexy, because I do. But this intense pull to her feels different. It’s something completely different.
Watching them closely, I see when they walk into the little convenience store across the street from my brother’s shop, and I do what I do best…I follow them.
My brow furrows at how close they seem to be. I wonder what he is to her. Is he her brother? Just a friend? Or is he someone I will need to remove from standing in my way?
I have gone from zero interest in anything but my work to one hundred. The need to know who she is, is all I have on my brain right now. Everything else falls to the waste side.
I am a professional stalker. Okay…the correct term would be private investigator or bounty hunter, and even sometimes assassin because I’ve been known to eliminate people as well.
But I don’t like labels or titles that try to narrow down my extensive job skills and capabilities.
Regardless of what I am, or what I do for my clients, I’m paid very well to do it all.
When I watch them step down the aisle with snacks, I move quietly down the one next to it so I can still hear what they are saying but not be in a position to let them know I’m eavesdropping.
“Just wait until you see me hotwire a car,” I hear her tell the little boy toy, making him laugh.
Her voice has a musical lilt to it, not high-pitched and annoying like some females, but very soothing and calming.
I could probably sit and listen to her speak for hours on end, and not get tired of it.
Makes me wonder what she will sound like when she moans my name.
“Damn girl…a vicious killer, a talented thief, and drop dead gorgeous. I could easily fall in love with you…if only you had the right equipment.”
Now that is interesting. A killer? A thief? I wonder who she’s killed and how many? Now I’m thinking we could be the perfect match. So much information in one small statement.
I have to have her.
I need to know more.
How should I approach her?
Standing at the end of the aisle, still trying to listen in, they walk right in front of me, heading to the drink coolers.
Their attention is solely on each other, their conversation, and their task of shopping.
They seem to be pretty close, but from what he just said I think he’s gay.
Nothing wrong with that. Maybe I don’t need to get rid of him at the moment.
Walking up behind them, I let my eyes roam over the back of her. She’s smaller than me, but not short by any means. She’s hiding herself under all those baggy clothes, but I can already tell she has an hourglass shape and firm tight ass.
When I first saw her hair, I thought it was just dark brown, but it’s a mahogany color with little red highlights that I can see under these bright fluorescent lights.
“My equipment is perfectly fine just the way it is, thank you very much. Just because it’s not right for you…”
And I’m instantly hard from hearing her talk about her ‘equipment’. Fucking hell, I want to test all of her equipment and see all of her assets. My mind is racing on all the things I want to do to her, when she turns around quickly, running right into my chest.
She takes her time scanning the front of my body, but my eyes don’t leave her face.
Her skin is a golden tone and absolutely flawless.
She’s beautiful and not even wearing a stitch of makeup.
But what captivates me the most is her almond shaped jade green eyes.
They are so luminescent and vibrant. I’m a little concerned about the cut above her eye and the bruise surrounding it.
I need to know who did this to her… so I can make sure they never hurt her again.
Her mouth is slightly open in shock from my proximity, but I feel like she’s not close enough. Our eyes are locked, and I feel such a connection to her right now. The way she’s staring at me, it seems like she feels it too.
I want to grab her and pull her to me.
I want to bury myself deep inside of her.
I have this overpowering need to take her and make her mine.
To claim her.
To protect her.
To have her all to myself.
Mine…Mine…Mine!
All mine!
“Excuse you, asshole. Have you ever heard of personal space?” The obstruction’s voice breaks our connection as he wraps his arm around her.
Touching her like that.
When it should be me touching her.
She may not know it yet, but she belongs to me.
Soon.
As they walk around me, my eyes stay locked on her. Little does she know, now that she has my attention…I won’t be far behind.
“What the fuck was his problem?” That fucking guy is really starting to annoy me by getting in my way. The only thing he currently has going for him, is that I know what he’s doing is trying to protect her. But as soon as I make myself truly known, he will need to back the fuck off.
Or I will make him.
I hear her whisper something to him at the register, but I can’t make out the words. That’s okay, sweetness. We will have our time…soon.
I don’t want to scare her off, so when they leave the store, I stay far enough back so they don’t know I’m following. I’m good about staying in the shadows and keeping quiet. When they turn into an alley off the main strip, I try to keep them in my sights.
Peeking around the corner, I see them sit down on the curb, opening some of the items of food they got from the little store.
I figure they will be sitting there for a bit, so I quickly jog back to my car to grab a small tracker, just in case they do get into a car, I’m able to track her down easily.
Crossing the street, I stand just inside the alleyway across from them as they enjoy their little, quaint meal. I can’t take my eyes off my little beauty.
An hour or so later, I’m following them down the street, where they step inside a car sales lot. Everything is deserted at this hour, but then her statement about hotwiring a car comes fresh to my mind.
How did they get to such a remote town such as Belleview without a car already? My brain is trying to make sense of finding her here. And while I just happen to be at Shadow Tech of all places.
I’m never in this area.
It has to be fate.
The sound of breaking glass echoes around the desolate area. There’s no one around to hear but me. I see the older model Ford Mustang they slide into, so I take the opportunity to squat down and weave through the rows of cars, creeping up behind the red car they just got into.
Slipping the magnetic tracker out of my pocket and sliding it just under the back wheel weld, I quickly dart away. When I hear the roar of the engine, I know she is as good as she told him she was.
The car is thrown into reverse, sliding just slightly on the gravel ground.
I can hear her peal of laughter from inside the Mustang, making me smile.
When the vehicle is put into drive, I take the opportunity to slowly stand from behind the blue Toyota that was directly beside the one she just stole.
Just as she drives past me, our eyes connect again. The electric energy between us is palpable. I feel this tether between us, and I know she feels it too, but she keeps driving as she says something to her passenger, making him turn his entire body in my direction.
I watch as she drives off, keeping my eyes on the vehicle the entire time, when I see him glare at me through the back window as they pass under an overhead lamp.
For the first time since seeing her, an insidious smile lifts the side of my lips knowing…her time with him is coming to an end.