The strange occurrences at Liz’s must’ve made him realize he was being hunted. The first couple could’ve been dismissed, maybe, but a gunshot?
In fact, the strange occurrences had been escalating in danger. First a pulled fire exit alarm, no big deal. Then a break-in, which was a little more concerning.
But a gunshot? No wonder he’d freaked.
I groaned, looking at my bedraggled reflection in the bathroom mirror. I had deep, dark circles under my eyes, made all the darker by my pale, waxy complexion.
I’d assumed James was simply jealous of Luke, but what if he already knew what Luke was? What if Luke’s interest in me had been therealreason James called things off, hoping it’d make Luke back off?
Regardless, I had proof Lukewashunting James. Even scarier, he wasn’t acting alone. I had to warn James before they struck.
“Fuck!” I pressed my temples to fight the pain brought on by the high-pitched scream in the kitchen. Carlos had tricked me: he'd been thequietone in the litter, damn it.
I vomited, hovering over the sink until I finished. Only then did I leave the bathroom and head down the hallway to the kitchen.
“I hear you, you little nightmare!”
The second he laid eyes on me, he stopped howling. He licked his nose, then eyed his food bowl.
“Is that the only reason you love me? Because I fill your bowl?” A loud yap sent a knife digging into my skull again. “All right,fine!”
I took him outside, then gritted my teeth through more screaming while I filled his bowl. I leaned against the counter while he ate, savoring the silence.
I wanted two things: Hannah and James. Right now, both were off limits.
I hadn’t seen Hannah since I’d dropped her off at home more than a week ago. We’d talked on the phone a few times, but Erin and Ben watched her every move.
While I waited for Carlos to finish eating, I flipped my phone around in my hand. I should’ve eaten something myself, but the thought of food made me want to throw up again. I looked down at the device in my hands. I unlocked it, scrolling through my contacts until I found Hannah’s name. Then, before I could second-guess it, I scrolled back up to Erin’s name and hit call.
The phone rang for so long that I thought it’d go to voicemail. It wouldn’t be the first time, but Ireallywanted her to pick up now.
At last, I heard an annoyed, “Hello?” in my ear.
I swallowed the snarky comment I wanted to say. “Do you want to go to breakfast?”
No response. I pulled the phone away from my ear to make sure she hadn’t hung up on me—again, it wouldn’t have been the first instance. Then, “What?”
“Breakfast,” I repeated. “Do you want to get some? I’m buying.”
She stammered, then let out a deep sigh. “You know what? I really want to say no, but I’ve been staring at this spreadsheet for hours and I’m sick of it.”
I double-checked the time. I hadn’t sleptthatlate, had I? “It’s only 9:30.”
“Exactly. I’ll meet you at the diner in twenty minutes.”
In true Erin fashion, she didn’t give me a chance to answer before she ended the call. I groaned, earning another skull-shattering yip from Carlos. He glared at me, licking his lips and judging me through squinted eyes.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not my fault you inhaled your breakfast.” The Predator growl started low in his belly, and knowing what was coming, I pointed my finger at him. “No.”
His eyes narrowed in challenge.
“I was going to leave you out of your play area today, but since you want to have an attitude…” I stepped forward. Carlos tried to scramble away, but his furry paws slid on the linoleum. It slowed him down just enough for me to scoop him up with a hand under his belly. The screaming commenced as I lowered him into the playpen. As a peace offering, I set his bowl inside and added a scoop of kibble—which he promptly demolished, but not before huffing at me first.
“Complain all you want; you can stay in there until you’re ready to play nice.”
I showered, making it to breakfast in time to find Erin settling into a garland-decorated booth in the corner. I slid in across from her, peeling off my jacket. Soft Christmas music played over the speakers, and the servers had their aprons decorated for the upcoming holiday.
“You look like hell,” she said in greeting.
