“So…” I hesitate. “What if Bonnie decided to hit us where it hurt?”
“What about possibly hurt us?” Cyn asks in irritation.
Rory is practically bouncing. The limo is still there, but the silence that I’ve grown used to over the last three weeks has descended again. Just the sounds of us and the bugs and birds.
“Bonnie stole our kill,” I finally blurt out.
Vale whips around. “That is not funny.”
“I know, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. She’s unnaturally good at preventing us from reaching our goal. She knew about their medical history. It’s not something we even really paid attention to because how likely would it be to kill someone via bee? Vale, I’m telling you, she is like us. She is merciless and vicious, and she’s a killer just like us, but, fucking hell, a damn sight smarter. Who kills by bee swarm?” I throw my head back and laugh.
Rory bounces on his heels in delight. “She offered the showers and went straight to her car. She probably knew exactly how long it would take for the cars to get here. Even an ambulance took one hour and ten minutes. She knows all of these things.”
“She was watching us,” Cyn points out, smiling widely. “She made sure we and the betas didn’t go to the showers. After three weeks, she would have known their habits.”
I start to laugh. “This is wild. Bonnie Sanderson is a killer just like us.”
“It’s a stretch,” Vale grumbles, but I can feel how happy he is through the bonds.
“We should find out,” Cyn says.
“What would her motive be?” Vale growls. “Three lives need a motive.”
“What isn’t motive? Them sexually assaulting her, being assholes, or the missing photos.”
We all go silent.
Vale stills. “Who is her father again? Has anyone heard of serial killer Unknown?”
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“Serial killer Unknown is an urban legend, a bogeyman who lived in these parts. It was a killer that was so smart, so vicious, and so ruthless that whoever they targeted ended up dead, and there was never a sign of foul play.”
“How do they know it was a serial killer?”
“Thirty people died, all of them rapists or alphas who hit their omegas or children. It was the sheer number of kills.”
I frown. “But?”
“But he stopped. Twenty years ago. It just suddenly all stopped.”
“You think Bonnie has taken up the crusade?”
Vale shrugs. “We should look into it.”
Yes, we should. “Fine, let’s go home. Then, we can go find our omega.”
****
I bring my tablet into the lounge room and look at Vale. He, Rory, and Cyn are sitting on the couch, each of them has a tablet. All four of us have done nothing but search for information that can help us win Bonnie over. It’s been…difficult. The lounge lights are bright, and there are an assortment of empty food wrappers because we’ve banished the staff for the day.
“Have you sorted out the merger?”
“Yes, it’s canceled.”
“I’ve got the information,” I say and plug my tablet into the projector, turning towards the wall in anticipation. The room is empty of personal touches. It’s like no one lives here. I want Bonnie’s presence on everything. I will happily give her whatever she needs to make any space hers.
A graph appears on the wall. At one end, there are sharp spikes that go flat, and then about five years ago it started up again. My heart thuds in my chest again as I look at it.
