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They were all innocent…

Too bad no one believed them.

Oh, Shelby. You beautiful bitch. I loved you. And you put me here.

Maybe it was a good thing that he couldn’t ever get out. Because if he did get out, the first thing that he’d do?

Kill Shelby.

He dreamed of that, so often. In a place like this, if you didn’t have dreams, what did you have?

Nothing.

Chapter Six

Hunter bounded down the stairs too quickly. His breath came too fast. His heart raced too hard in his chest. And with every step, all he wanted to do was turn around and go right back up that staircase. Go right back up…

To her.

Was telling Shelby that I wanted her the best decision or the worst? For a second there, he could have sworn that he’d seen an answering need in her eyes. Perhaps the flare of interest. She’d leaned toward him.

He’d wanted to grab her into his arms, haul her against him, and take her mouth. Taste every bit of sweetness that waited and hear her moan for him.

He still wanted that shit. Even as he jumped off the last step and headed toward Shelby’s den, he wanted her. That beautiful, lush mouth of hers was far too tempting, and he could all but taste her.

The shrill ring of his phone snapped him away from thoughts of Shelby’s delectable mouth. Swearing, Hunter yanked the phone from his pocket. A glance at the screen showed him the caller’s identity.

Memphis Camden. Former bounty hunter. Leader of the Ice Breakers. And the man who’d sent Shelby Carter straight to Hunter’s door.

It was nearing eleven p.m. Pretty damn late for a call, but Memphis rarely kept normal hours, Hunter knew that. He swiped his finger over the screen and put the phone to his ear. “Yo.”

“Did you meet my new friend?”

Hunter glanced back toward the staircase. He’d left Shelby in her bedroom. Near the bed. When all he wanted was to be in the bed with her. If only.

“I wanted to help her,” Memphis continued. “Really did. Something about her eyes, you know? I hate seeing pain and fear in a woman’s eyes.”

Me, too.

“But her case is considered solved. The killer locked away in Raiford, Florida. The guy didn’t confess—that would have been a slam dunk, but his DNA evidence was found all over the sorority house. He stabbed a cop on scene. And he was Shelby’s ex.”

Hunter’s grip on the phone was far too tight. He was well aware that the convicted killer—Nate Shiloh—had dated Shelby. The two had reportedly broken up one week before the brutal attacks. Plenty of people believed Nate had killed all of Shelby’s friends as a way of getting back at her for the breakup. A revenge killing spree.

“When I realized she lived in New Orleans, I thought you’d be the perfect solution to her problem,” Memphis told him. “Wasn’t that a lucky break? Having you right there in the Big Easy with her?”

Hunter realized he’d let the silence stretch a bit too long on the phone.

“Figured you could use an interesting client to start your business.” There was no noise in the background behind Memphis.

Was he at his office? Or home with his wife and kids? Maybe they were sleeping while Memphis called to talk about multiple murders with Hunter.

“Dude, you need to say something,” Memphis urged him. “I get that you can be a stoic sonofabitch—noticed that when we worked that case together in Atlanta not too long ago—but I thought I’d gotten you to loosen up.”

“Thank you.”

“For calling you a stoic sonofabitch? Uh, sure. Anytime. My pleasure.”

“No.” He took a few steps forward and peered through the curtains behind the TV. “Thanks for referring Shelby to me.” Only Declan knows how hooked I became on Shelby’s story. Only Declan knew about his obsession. Memphis had no clue what he’d done by referring Shelby to Hunter. “I will help her.” A vow.