26. Chapter 26
Chapter 26
The Huntress
“I don’t think he’s coming.” Henry’s voice is flat and unamused. “He’s still pissed at me—and I’m still pissed at him.”
“And why, exactly?” I don’t hide my annoyance, mostly because I can’t fucking stand the fact my brother is trying to baby me—which is why I’d rather him not buy a house right now. But I’ll at least indulge him.
“We already talked about this,” he grunts. “And I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It just sucks that any guy I bring around you gawks and drools.”
“They definitely don’t do that,” I reason. “You just think they do.”
“I know Jude is into you.”
Probably not anymore.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you in a bit.” I hang up the phone, not willing to let my cranky brother grumble and complain about Jude. If anyone fucked up, it’s me. Not Jude. I set the phone down on the table and let out a sigh, running my hands over my face. Everything is all wrong.
And it’s mostly my fault.
My phone vibrates against the table, and I glance down at it, hoping but not expecting it to be Jude. And it’s not. It’s the other person creeping around the exterior of my life. Someone I now believe is more than likely not Jude.
Unknown: Sitting all alone. Can I join?
Bile rises in my throat, and my anger with the day has me feeling reckless.
Me: Leave me the fuck alone.
Unknown: You mean the way Jude did?
My fingers hover over the keyboard, and I shake my head at the screen. How close is this person? How do they know who Jude is? Before I can respond, another text comes through.
And it’s a picture.
I slap my hand over my mouth as I take in the photo of me with one of my victims—Demetri Something. We’re stepping into an elevator in the photo.
Unknown: Should I send this to Liam?
Rubbing my lips together, I try to breathe. There’s no reason to panic. I wasn’t able to get anything from Liam today. He wasn’t drinking and chose to blab more about his new girlfriend than the cases he was working.
Me: You can’t prove anything. Leave me alone.
I drum my fingers on the table, and then smooth out my Rolling Stones T-shirt. Being too disheveled after Jude, I didn’t have the fucking nerve to dress edgy—and so shorts and T-shirt it was and is. My phone pings, and I stare at the screen. Another picture of Sarah and me in the alleyway...
Months ago.
Unknown: GHB and Fentanyl.
Okay, now I’m just getting angry.
Me: What the fuck do you want from me?
Unknown: My little girl back.
I drop my phone, the screen shattering as it hits the tile floor. I slap my hand over my mouth to stifle a sob and shove out of the booth. I sweep up the broken device, the screen glowing an eerie white as I shove it into my purse. My eyes are burning as I head straight for the bathroom and bust through the doors. I rush to a stall and vomit up my coffee. I thought going to prison was my worst nightmare.
No, this is.
Why would he be in Vegas? How would he have found me? Everything is under aliases. There’s no way. My stomach continues to churn as I heave once more. My eyes water and my throat burns from the acid.
‘He’s coming for you, little girl.’
‘You’ll always belong to him.’
I drop the lid of the toilet and sit on it, the seams cracking as tears roll down my cheeks. I thought I was finally getting my shot at being normal, my chance to feel pleasure and maybe something more with Jude. But clearly, nothing is going how I hoped.
Turning to my watch, I set a timer for five minutes—and I allow myself to lose it for the duration of that, bawling my eyes out and gasping for oxygen like I’m suffocating. However, when the timer chimes, I clear my throat, wipe my eyes, and pull myself together.
I’m the fucking Black Widow.
I can take him. I just have to find him.
After I fix the smeared mascara on my face and dab away the remaining evidence of my breakdown, I pull out my busted phone. I try to reset it and bring it back to life. Nothing works. Fuck. I’ll have to get a new one. I check my watch, realizing I don’t have time. I have to meet with Henry and go house shopping first.
And maybe I should let him buy the stupid fucking house.
It would be the perfect place to lure someone and not ever let them leave. The desert is a harsh place, and decomposition can happen quickly, right? I’ll look that up. Nodding to myself, I slip out of the bathroom, scanning the coffee shop. I don’t even know what Dr. Nile would look like these days.
Old and fucking decrepit.
That gives me minimal relief, and as I walk through the coffee shop, I keep my eyes peeled for a familiar face—but there isn’t one. I push through the front doors and head to the meeting spot with Henry. My legs feel weak, but I ignore it. That’s what I’ve done my entire fucking adult life. Ignore it.
‘But you don’t ignore me.’
I wince at the sound of the voices. Someday I’ll mourn the twenty-four hours Jude made them all disappear. But for now, I have to be a big girl. My demons are here to stay, I guess. I keep my chin up as I walk, as if only to signal to the creep following me that he doesn’t get to break me. However, as I reach the meeting place with Henry and my eyes land on a tall, strawberry blonde god of a man, my confidence wavers.
“He decided to show up,” Henry greets me through a terse smile.
I can’t meet Jude’s eyes. I can’t even look at him.
“Security systems are important.” Jude’s tone is difficult to read. I feel his eyes on me, but I still can’t look at him. I know it’s probably over between us—and I can’t risk the heartbreak of seeing the face that made all the hurt dissipate.
“Let’s go,” Henry gestures to a black rental SUV parked at the curb. He heads for the driver’s seat, ripping the door open with a fucking vengeance. Jude snorts from beside me, but I only stare at his beat-up converse. My heart aches at his nearness.
“You can ride in the front.” Jude’s voice is like a knife to my chest. It’s not kind, but it’s not cruel either. It’s... indifferent.
“That’s okay,” I mutter, heading for the backseat. I don’t want my brother’s scrutinizing gaze right now. As I reach for the back passenger door, Jude beats me, opening it. Keeping my head down, I slide in, shifting until I’m sitting behind Henry.
Jude then climbs into the passenger seat, and I steal a quick glance at him, hating how fucking handsome he is. His hat’s on backwards, and his black T-shirt clings to his body in a way that causes my heart to flutter. Even with the devil in town, closing in on me like a fucking nightmare, I still feel better when Jude is in my vicinity.
Henry pulls away from the curb, and the tension in the car is enough to choke anyone within ten feet. He finally clears his throat. “How was lunch with Sarah?”
Jude laughs.
Henry shoots him a dirty look.
I wipe the sweat from my forehead. “Fine.”
“The first house we’re looking at was your top choice. I was hoping Lydia would be here to go with us, but it didn’t work out.”
“Maybe you could just go home,” I say flatly. “It seems you might be happier there.”
“I think that’s a great fucking idea,” Jude says, his tone still monotone and unwavering. “I’m tired of the heat myself.” My stomach curls at his words, and I can’t help but steal a look at him. This time, he’s looking back—and the warmth of his gaze, so opposite of his voice, nearly serves to undo me.
“You can go back to California whenever you want,” I tell him.
“I’m aware,” Jude replies, his eyes dropping momentarily to my lips. “But I’ve yet to explore the desert.”
“Why would you want to?” Henry chuckles.
Jude pulls his gaze from mine and leans his head against the seat. “The desert is full of wildlife, and you want to know one of the most elusive of them all?”
“Sure, I’m just dying to fucking know,” Henry says wryly.
“The Mojave Rattler,” Jude says, his eyes focused on the window. “Deadliest pit viper in the desert, too. I’d like to find one. No, actually, I think I won’t stop until I do find it.”
“Interesting mission,” Henry rolls his eyes. “You’re such a nerd.”
“You know what’s crazy though?” Jude continues, his off-topic infomercial as weird as it is intriguing.
“What’s that?” Henry takes the bait.
“If you put a Black Widow up against the Mojave Rattlesnake, the spider would win when it comes to venom toxicity ounce for ounce. However, her fangs are too tiny to pack the punch that the rattlesnake does. So, when up against humans, the rattler would win—but when up against each other...The Black Widow would beat the snake. Just imagine if they were on the same team.”
Henry makes a face. “Wow, who needs National Geographic when you’re around.”
Though I feel a stirring, I have no idea what Jude’s speech is actually referring to, and before I have a chance to think it through, the car pulls into the long driveway of the two-story desert paradise, perched on the side of a low-spanning mountain.
“This is a nice place,” Henry comments as he pulls through the circle drive, parking next to a Jeep with a realtor sign on the back.
“Yeah.” I take in the two-story stucco with a wall of windows. I’d have to buy curtains. “It’s a long drive to work though.”
“So stop working,” Jude scoffs, kicking his door open with his foot. “We all know big brother will foot the bill.”
“Why the fuck did you even come?” Henry fires off at him.
“Entertainment value, really,” Jude snaps back.
I roll my eyes at the two of them and climb out, my phone buzzing in my purse. I can’t read it, the screen still broken.
“How’d that happen?” Jude’s voice is right behind me, and I quickly shove it back into my purse. I spin around to see him popping a cigarette into his mouth.
“I dropped it,” I answer him as he lights the end of it and takes a draw. I’m taken aback by him smoking, but I don’t comment. It’s stupid to point out something I didn’t know about him, when he truly doesn’t know anything about me.
“Come on,” Henry calls to me. “Jude will look at the exterior and meet us inside.”
“Better go,” Jude nods toward the door, where a middle-aged blonde woman in slacks, heels, and a bright pink blouse is waiting for us.
“Can we talk later?” I blurt, instantly biting down on my lip for being so fucking desperate. “Please.”
Jude blows out a cloud of smoke—right in my face. “Maybe. I have a lot to do, and being sweet will get you nowhere with me.”
I swallow hard. “Then punish me for it.”
He narrows his eyes, but I still make out the spark of desire. “I always did want to see you crawl to me, and then beg for forgiveness while choking on my cock. However, that’s a fucking privilege, Cher, and while I still consider you mine, you’re skating on thin ice. I don’t share.”
My cheeks burn and my pussy fucking weeps for him—and I know he can see it in my face. But instead of waiting for my reply, he simply walks away, leaving me there to watch him go. I can’t decide if he’s toying with me, or if it’s an implication that he might be willing to forgive me for today.
I could just tell him the truth.
Ugh, but then he’ll have to face the real me.
And I’d never wish that on anyone.