She shuts the door, leaving us on the porch.
My grin doesn’t leave my face when I crook a finger at him, making a come-hither motion.
He gulps.
***
At the next house, it appears no one is home, but my tracking says otherwise. My guys, including Tyler, let themselves in and march upstairs.
“You were right. He’s here. Sleeping,”Tyler mindlinks me.
How he could sleep soundly after what he did is beyond me. It’s unacceptable.
“Bring him to me.”
Tyler and my guys drag him out of bed. Trent is demanding to know what’s going on when he’s awakened from his guiltless slumber.
I’m standing at the front porch’s steps with my hands behind my back, sporting the same grin I gave Kevin.
Once they reach the front door, my men launch Trent across the threshold. He tumbles down the steps and lands directly in front of me.
He looks up at me and gulps.
“How’d you sleep?” I ask.
“I, uh . . . not good?”
“No? That’s a shame. Nightmares getting you down?”
“Uh . . . Uh-huh.”
He’s so confused. I love it.
“I’ll give you one chance to tell me why you might be having nightmares, Trent.”
He laughs nervously. “Beats me. I don’t know. Probably all the sugar I’ve been—”
“Oh, come on, Trent. You took something that doesn’t belong to you. Didn’t you?”
He gulps. Then he lies.
And I hate liars.
“Let’s make a bet, shall we?” I tap my chin. “I bet... I can make your nightmares seem like a fairytale after I’m done with you.” I bend down to his level. “Want to bet against me?”
***
We’re rounding them up, one by one.
I use his face as a battering ram, breaking the front door right off its hinges. He tumbles down the steps and keeps going.
“We grew up together, Cody,” I yell after him.
I catch the slight shift of his foot, dirt stirring behind his heel, the first sign he’s about to run. He tries to scramble to his feet, but I’m on him first.
Where could he possibly run to? I can chase him to the end of the earth. There isn’t a place he can hide from me, and he knows I never lose track of my prey.
“Oh, you’re not getting away that easily. Come here,” I growl. I grab the back of his collar and drag him backward. As punishment for running, I kick him in his side. I’m not going to lie, it feels good but does little to ease my rage. “It’s pretty rude to run away when I’m speaking to you.” My fist cracks his cheek, and he falls forward at my blow. He’s about to push himself up, but I press my boot to his temple, smashing his face into the dirt. “Stay awhile... We havemuchto catch up on.”
