Ripper (Hunter #1)(25)

Chapter Five





I stared across the elegant table at my captor. I thought of Grayson Sloane that way since I’d been told in no uncertain terms that I was off my case and I wouldn’t be going home. Liv had been told to take a hike. Sloane used kinder words than that, but it was basically the same thing. After he informed me of my sad state, I’d been hauled to an expensive steakhouse on Lemmon Avenue. I felt underdressed, but it was the kind of place where if you walked in they expected you had money. Texans with money didn’t take kindly to being told how to dress. The hostess at the front acted like Sloane had planned the evening out. Despite the full waiting area and bar, she greeted him by name, immediately showing us to a private dining room.

“How did you find me?” I asked the question calmly because I wasn’t one to turn down a meal. If I’d gone home, I likely would have stopped at some fast food place and gotten the el cheapo special of the day. “I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. Liv used a locator spell. Do they train the Rangers in the dark arts?”

The light in the room was low and there was a candle on the table between us. It was a romantic setting complete with elegant glasses and china. This place didn’t scream “working dinner” to me. It kinda whispered “get your lover in bed.” My eyes got big as I checked out the price tags on the menu.

“Nothing so exotic.” The hulking Texas Ranger who had, only an hour ago, verbally shot down a vampire and taken me into custody, radiated uncertainty as he watched me. “I turned on the GPS locator in your phone.”

“You can do that?” Maybe I should check into doing that to Joanne Taylor’s cell phone. It would make missing person cases so much easier to deal with.

He shrugged. “Yes, when the occasion warrants it, law enforcement is allowed to work with the phone company to track down missing people.”

I nodded and decided on the petite filet. It was reasonable. The price wasn’t. The price was ridiculous, but considering the rest of the menu it was reasonable. Besides, petite sounded dainty and feminine. It probably wouldn’t fill me up. I set the menu down. “You could have called. It might have been simpler.”

His eyes gleamed in the low light, and I was struck again by how hot the man was. “You wouldn’t have answered. You would have taken one look at the number and ignored the call. I would have gotten your voice mail all night long. You’re scared of me.”

I snorted. I couldn’t have him thinking he had the upper hand like that. “Yeah, I’m real scared of you.” Except, I kind of was scared of him, though not in a physical sense. Being around him made me antsy in a boy/girl, he’ll never like me the way I’ll like him way, and I really hated that. I really hate feeling vulnerable. “I’m annoyed by you, but you’re not exactly terrifying.”

“Look, Kelsey, we got off on the wrong foot.” His eyes were coaxing and his hand started to reach for mine before he realized what he was doing and pulled back.

“Which foot is that, Sloane?” I will admit that I enjoyed having him on the ropes for a change. He was being so careful with me that it was easy to needle him. “Is that the foot you put in your mouth when you tried to tempt me away from my alcoholic lifestyle, or the one you shoved up my ass when you threatened to toss me in jail if I didn’t come with you?”

He stared blankly at me for a moment and I think I had shocked him. Then he threw back his head and laughter filled the small private dining room. He laughed for a good long time and even the waitress was smiling as she brought the wine Sloane had ordered.

“Lieutenant Sloane, your wine.” She poured a small amount into a glass and he was grinning as he took a deep whiff and then tasted it.

“Excellent,” he pronounced and she proceeded to pour each of us a glass. “Try this, sweetheart. I’m finding this pinot pairs well with the taste of my foot in my mouth.”

He ordered the center cut filet, a loaded potato, and a glazed carrot. I gave the waitress my order. It was the ladies filet with broccoli and I hoped it filled me up. Despite my tacos from earlier, I was already hungry again. I’ve always had a ridiculously high metabolism. Liv keeps telling me it’s going to catch up to me, but twenty-six years in I can still eat whatever I want and maintain my size six. I was kind of worried about looking like a total pig in front of the hot guy across from me. It tends to weird the guy out when I eat twice what they eat, and I won’t even go into how much I can drink. Guys really get intimidated on my fifth beer. Any dates I had usually ended up being spectacular failures. Not that this was a date because it totally wasn’t. It was more like a kidnapping, but I still didn’t want to look bad in front of him. I smoothed down my T-shirt and wished it was at least new. It was an old concert T-shirt from my college days with the name of a punk band splashed across it.

He shook his head when I finished my order and had the waitress stop. “Why don’t you bring us a couple of lobsters, too?”

She nodded and walked off.

He stared at me seriously. “What was that about?”

“Dinner. I thought.” Had I burped and not noticed it? That could happen.

“Kelsey, I’ve been friends with your brother for a couple of years. Do you seriously believe I haven’t heard stories of your legendary appetite?”