Ripper (Hunter #1)(17)

“Hi, Mom.”

“Kelsey, this is your mother,” she said in a too-loud voice.

“I know, Mom. You don’t have to yell.”

“I need you to call me, Kelsey” She carefully enunciated each word. “I talked to your brother and I’m worried.”

“Mom, why should I call you? I’m talking to you now.” I was the one screaming because she always thought she was talking to a machine and this could seriously go on forever.

“Oh, it is you, dear.” My mom sounded delighted. “It’s so refreshing for you to answer. You know how bad I am with these new tech things.”

Yes, like cell phones, although my mother might have been talking about regular old telephones. It wasn’t that she was old. Her upbringing had been unusual, to say the least.

“I’m fine, Mom. Nathan didn’t need to call you.” I read the name of the building I was standing in front of. Not the one I was looking for, so I kept walking.

“Well, I’m glad he did, Kelsey Jean,” she said, her voice firming.

I sighed. I was in trouble. “It was no big deal. I’m even up and working. I’m on a case, a paying case, so I should really…”

Mom ignored me entirely. “Nathan believes that drugs might be involved.”

I groaned and rolled my eyes as far back as they could go. “Nathan always thinks drugs are involved. Nathan is clinically insane. Talk to Jamie. He’ll tell you I’m fine.”

“I already talked to Jamie and you’re obviously not fine since you turned down a date with that nice Grayson Sloane. Jamie said Gray was devastated.”

I bet that’s what Jamie said. I was betting Jamie had said it while laughing his ass off at the thought of his sister turning down his superhot friend. “I think he’ll recover, Mom.”

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as the hair on the back of my neck started to tingle. Eyes were on me. I wasn’t anonymous anymore. Someone, something was watching me.

“Well, you’re not getting any younger, Kelsey. That man is quite the catch. He’s attractive and respectful and he has a good job. You already know he gets along with your brother so he would fit in well,” my mother continued as I turned slowly, searching the crowds to find who was watching me.

The students rushed around as the hour changed and classes were being released, only to start again in the next ten minutes. It was Friday and everyone wanted to get where they were going. I studied the campus for signs of someone not terribly interested in getting somewhere.

My mother continued to expound on the many blessings of Grayson Sloane. “He’s so polite. He’s come to dinner a couple of times with your brother and he always comments on your pictures.”

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Sloane studying my high school graduation photos. What was his real interest in me? I wasn’t in his league looks-wise. It was hard for me to believe he’d seen my picture and known instantly he wanted me. I shook my head because I needed to concentrate on figuring out who was following me.

My mother’s voice went low, like she didn’t want anyone overhearing her next words. “And, dear, I think he would be a considerate lover.”

“Then really, Mom, you should give him a try.” Ah, my eyes lit on a familiar face. There was my little stalker. He watched me from a tree across the quad. The wolf from yesterday stood there. Darren’s brown eyes narrowed as he caught me staring. “Look, Mom, I gotta go.”

I bore down on the werewolf, and there must have been something in my eyes as I closed in because he looked startled at what he saw there.

“Well, I won’t keep you then,” she said breezily. “Don’t forget to come by for dinner and we’ll talk some more about Grayson.”

“Good-bye, Mom,” I said between clenched teeth and I dropped the call. “Don’t you say a word.”

“The hunter was talking to her mommy. Sorry to interrupt,” Darren bit out sarcastically.

I was just about done with Darren. I felt like shit, my head was still pounding despite the caffeine, and I really wanted to be back in bed. I didn’t want be here dealing with Darren’s obvious mental problems. “Look here, wolf, I’m trying to help the Taylors. I haven’t done anything personally to you. I’m not my father. I realized what a horrible human he was a long time ago, and if he were here I would shoot him myself. So back the f*ck off and let me do my job.”

I turned and began to stalk away.

The baby wolf was hard on my heels. “Are you really trying to find her?”

I sighed and stopped. I’d finally found the right building, but I didn’t want to go into the professor’s office with a werewolf in tow. “I’m looking for her. I think she’s in trouble. You dogging my every footstep isn’t helping.”

Darren, who was in another flannel shirt and jeans, seemed to deflate. “I think she’s in trouble, too. She told me she was working, but I followed her one night and she went to this club downtown. It was a school night. She never used to do stuff like that.”

“Did you follow her into the club?” So Joanne had a reason to mask her scent. Darren was obviously nosy.

Darren nodded. “I followed her to the club, but I couldn’t get in. It was real busy. They have this line waiting to get in and the bouncer has to let you go. That night the bouncer was this * from the pack who’s jealous that my dad is the alpha. Dad put him in his place a couple of months ago and he was getting back at us by not letting me in. Jerk.”