Chapter 47
FORTY-SEVEN
ryder
The moment I open my eyes, something inside me shifts and tingles right before a primal hunger unfurls in my chest, making my blood run hot.
What the fuck?
Shaking my head, I try to clear it, but something feels off. I feel different. I feel… mean.
It reminds me of what it felt like the time Noia tried to force me back into her manuscript by making me kiss Lexi.
A feral growl rumbles from my throat. She did something to me, I know it.
Bad kitty.
All right, she wants to up the stakes by messing with my emotions? Now it’s more than just a game—it’s a hunt.
“I’m coming for you, kitten,” I call out, my voice rough with anticipation.
I move silently through the living room, avoiding spots I know will creak. The soldier in me automatically catalogs potential hiding places—behind furniture, behind curtains, inside cabinets.
But Noia mentioned secret hide-y-holes, so that changes the dynamics.
For some reason, I want her to hear me coming, so I stomp up the stairs two at a time.
The upstairs hallway has three doors—bathroom, guest room, and the master bedroom. I check the bathroom first, pulling back the shower curtain.
Empty.
The guest room yields nothing—not even under the bed or in the closet. My eyes immediately go to the bookcase. Too obvious, but worth checking. I run my fingers along the edges, looking for a latch or switch.
Nothing.
That leaves her bedroom.
I pause at the threshold and my gaze lands on her laptop, sitting slightly askew on the nightstand. Proficient writer that she is, it’s possible she had enough time to type something out.
When I think about what I am going to do to her after I find her, my cock thickens.
Adjusting my dick, I move methodically through the room, checking under the bed and in the bathroom. Nothing.
All that is left is the walk-in closet.
The door is open and I look around. Nothing seems out of place, but my instincts are screaming at me that she’s close. Very close.
I run my hands along the walls, looking for irregularities. When I get to the back wall, I notice the clothes are pushed slightly to one side, unlike the rest, which are hanging neatly.
My fingers find a small seam in the paneling. A hidden door.
“Clever girl,” I murmur.
But then, I have another I idea.