Chapter 26
“You wanted to see me?” Tennant barges into my office. I glance up from the paperwork I’m going over with a sigh. I need to start locking that fucking door. “Well, I don’t have all day.”
I bite back my caustic reply because he seems…stressed. Never a good thing for a psychopath. Reaching over, I grab a folder and hand it to him. He glares at me suspiciously before opening it. There’s a flicker of emotion on his face, one that I desperately want to dig into, but I resist. Barely.
“You are no longer under any obligations to the court. No therapy, no oversight, nothing. You are free to continue on as you are.” I sit back, folding my hands on the desk. Anger still surges through me at what he’s dealt with. Thank fuck I had Ely.
“How?” One word. Barely audible. But it covers everything.
“Unfortunately, it was not as much fun as I’d hoped. Between my reputation and Sinclair’s skill, and a couple of…strongly suggested discussions with a judge, you were released.”
He stares at me, the intensity so strong that I fight shivers against it. Holy hell. The man is fucking dynamic. No wonder his lovers are so willing to give everything for him. Although…I still much prefer Doc.
“Thank you,” he says softly. It isn’t effusive, but it still makes me uncomfortable. I wave it off.
“Nothing to thank me over. I was righting a wrong. I abhor bullies. However…I will say that although you are no longer obligated to have therapy, it can be beneficial. Or, at least, find something for stress management.” I stand up, stretching as I grab my keys out of one of the few unlocked drawers I have. “Which is exactly where I’m headed.”
Tennant crosses his arms, glaring at me. “The therapists aren’t the only ones that have been assigned a bodyguard. We can’t afford for you to be taken out.”
Snorting, I wave him off. “I’m perfectly alright taking care of myself. I highly doubt your bodyguards would accept my plans for stress management.”
His jaw clenches, but he knows he can’t say shit at that. For some reason, people get all weird about serial killing. It’s somewhat ridiculous, in my opinion, especially given this is a criminal organization. However, it’s best that they’re not in my way. Hunting takes talent.
Cursing, he paces my room, and I quirk an eyebrow in his direction.
This seems to be a slight overreaction to me partaking in my hobby.
When he suddenly stops, I’m surprised at the tension in his body, the way his forearms bulge with his fists clenched…
Hot. So hot. Also, distracting. I need to get out of here because the lines keep shifting between me and these fuckers.
“Fine. I’ll go with you,” he grits out, and my eyes widen in shock.
Clearing my throat, I clarify, “You realize I’m going out to hunt, right? That’s generally a solo activity.”
“Someone needs to have your back. Right now, you’re the one thing holding together the sanity of several of my lovers.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “Whatever. If you wanted to bond, you didn’t need to come up with an excuse. Let’s go though, because if I timed it correctly, I should be able to get my new prey without having to deal with the screaming in public part.”
I open my phone to send a text to Ely, letting her know that I’m upholding our agreement.
Gesturing for Tennant to follow, I head out, impatient to start.
The need to kill is strong, it’s burning in my veins.
It’s been too long, and if I’m going to be under this level of stress, I’ll have to step up my hunting, or find something else to add to my rotation.
Fuckers have no idea just how much I do for them…
When we get into my car, I make sure to turn it to my favorite classical station, letting the music soothe that itch. I just need to get by until I have my prey, and then I can relax. From the looks Tennant keeps shooting me, it’s obvious he’s caught on that I’m on edge. At least, he’s quiet.
As we draw closer, I hum under my breath, excitement flooding my system.
I’ve had this one marked for a while. He falls perfectly within my parameters.
I wouldn’t say I have ethics per se… I’m not a vigilante, but Ely and I had a discussion when we noticed my need.
For her, I keep my hunting primarily within certain constraints.
No kids (we both agreed to that). And it’s someone who needs to die (a specific Ely addition).
The particulars of that have evolved over the years, but I owe her enough that I do listen.
Usually. I’m allowed one freebie a year.
This one…is not a freebie. In fact, it’s a special request from Ely.
I barely hold back a shiver at the idea of spilling this man’s blood.
It does worry me to have Tennant around though.
When I engage in my need, the bonds of society snap.
I’m not held back by expectations and societal niceties anymore.
With him throwing off fucking pheromones like nothing else, well, this could get a little more interesting.
I pull into a park and grab the space at the end of the row, despite all the openings.
However, there’s no cameras that pan this far over, and it’s perfectly camouflaged by the trees.
Slipping out, I ignore Tennant, focused solely on finding my prey.
I grab the baseball hat I keep in the backseat and shove it on my head.
From Tennant’s snort, it doesn’t do much to hide my features, but he’d be surprised.
Eyewitnesses tend not to see shit. And when they do, a simple ball cap trips them up.
I walk the trail a bit, with Tennant following behind me.
Then I duck into the trees, leaning against one and waiting.
Glancing at my watch, I’m satisfied I got here in time, although I’m cutting it a little close.
This man is like clockwork. It’s fairly boring, in fact, but I have permission to play, so it’ll make up for this part.
I edge deeper into the trees as the clock ticks closer to go time, my senses on full alert.
And then…I hear him. The huff of his breath, worn out from jogging.
It’ll make this far easier. When he comes into my line of sight, I lean forward, disgust rolling off me when I realize he’s so involved in whatever music is pumping through his headphones that he isn’t paying attention to his surroundings. It makes it way too easy.
Slipping out of my spot just as he passes, I strike hard and fast. I slap my hand over his mouth, letting him struggle for a moment, so he can feel the way my muscles bulge and fight his weak body.
Only when I’m satisfied stage one is complete, and the fear is running through him, do I take out a needle and jab it into him, stealing his ability to fight—not that he had a chance, but this will keep him quiet.
I shuffle him toward the car, watching the surroundings carefully. Tennant points at the trunk, but I shake my head. “Back seat.”
His lips purse in judgment, but he opens the door and I shove my prey in there.
He can’t scream. Hell, he can’t move a fucking muscle by now.
The medication isn’t quite a sedative—it’s more for paralysis.
I want him awake. I want him thinking about what’s going to happen.
I need that moment to savor all of his emotions.
Hopping into the front seat, I buckle in before turning toward Tennant, who with a sigh also uses his seatbelt. I don’t give a shit about the guy in the back, he’s not sitting up anyway. His body is too rigid for that.
Whistling, I pull out of the park, merging into traffic like there’s nothing to see. Tennant clears his throat, and I’m pulled away from my dreams of torture. Glancing over, I ask, “Is there something you need?”
“More that I was going to offer you a spot to take him, if you don’t have one of your own.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet.” I smile at him, feeling warmth and acceptance spread through me. It’s rare. Only Ely has ever truly cared for my comfort. I’m almost tempted to take him up on it, but I shake my head. “I have specific instructions on this one. It’s important that I send a message.”
He doesn’t ask any questions, which I appreciate. There will be time to talk, but not right now. I prefer to let the silence build for my choice. It sweetens the pleasure.
I open the center console as we draw closer to the correct location. Thankfully, the house is set far enough back, with no neighbors around. It makes sense with an asshole like him. Having a place he can take his mask off. And now, I’m going to reap the benefits of it.
Grabbing the garage door opener, I hit the button to open it, pulling in without hesitation.
It’s easy enough to copy garage door openers, and my cousin has an excellent tech person on hand who, since this was a request, did the work for me.
Shutting off the car, I climb out of the front seat.
Going around to the trunk, I open it and withdraw gloves and a case.
I wave an extra set of gloves toward Tennant, and he accepts them easily.
Then I grab my present from the backseat, fighting to take him out.
Fucker is heavy. He really should have increased his exercise routine.
Since the guy is an idiot, I don’t need to unlock the door leading in from the garage. He obviously felt safe with only a fucking garage door standing guard. I’d lecture him for being an idiot, but this works to my advantage—so I may as well save my breath.