Ripper (Hunter #1)(61)

Gray got on the freeway, which was blissfully clear at this time of night. “How did you handle it?”

“I don’t know.” I wondered if we were going to get into another fight over this. If we were, I’d rather go to my place. I was antsy. I’d been through the emotional wringer and all I wanted to do was sleep. I didn’t think I could take another big scene. I had to hope Gray’s patience wasn’t wearing thin on the sexual front. “I tossed him out of my head and that was that.”

Gray was thoughtful as he exited the freeway and started down the road to his house. I enjoyed the silence for a moment and let the evening’s events wash over me. All in all it had been pretty crappy when I really thought about it. I’d been used by men all night. Gray tried to force me to choose between him and work. Quinn tried to use me as a pawn in his war with Marcus. The local alpha treated me like a piece of ass. Marcus…that had almost hurt even more than Gray. I expected that Gray would realize I wasn’t the girl for him. I just hoped for a little more time before he figured it out. Marcus wasn’t a lover. He was a friend who I thought I might not have to pretend around.

“Kelsey, we’re home,” Gray said softly and I realized the truck had stopped. His hand came out to run the length of my arm. “Let’s go to bed, sweetheart. We’ll go over everything in the morning and figure out what to do.”

He got out of the truck and was around to my side before I could open the door myself. He helped me down and hustled me into the house, locking doors and setting alarms. He nodded toward the rear of the house where his bedroom was. “Go on, sweetheart, I’ll be with you in a minute. I want to check on a few things first.”

When I got to the kitchen, I noticed a small tray had been left for us. Syl, no doubt. I passed on the wine, preferring a bottle of water, but I took two of the cookies. And yes, I then turned and took another two. I munched on the pepperminty chocolate chip cookies as I made my way to the back of the house.

I turned on the shower in the bathroom and let my clothes fall to the floor. A steaming hot shower sometimes helped. I was still alone when I got out. I noticed the clothes I’d worn yesterday were clean and neatly folded on the long marble counter. Syl must have been busy while we’d been gone. When we’d left earlier in the evening, the bathroom looked like a girl bomb had gone off. There had been makeup, curling irons, and clothes everywhere. Though it had hurt Liv’s heart to leave behind a mess, Gray had insisted we be on time. Now the bathroom was pristine.

I dried off and quickly got into my panties and one of Gray’s T-shirts. It was comfortable. I could lie in bed staring at the ceiling for hours in it.

I heard Gray before I saw him. He was standing in the doorway, his shirt gone, his feet bare and a look in his eyes that told me what he wanted. I caught my breath at the sight of him. He was so freaking gorgeous, with perfectly tanned skin that bespoke of hours spent working in the sun and that thick dark hair I wanted to run my fingers through. If I had the chance, I would convince him to grow it out so it waved and curled and went wild in the mornings. His eyes were rich and hot as he looked over me, but he didn’t make a move yet and I just knew I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t sleep with him when I knew it wouldn’t work between us. It would hurt too f*cking much when he was gone.

There must have been something in my eyes because his whole body seemed to deflate. “I’m gonna take a shower, Kelsey. Go to bed, okay?”

I hated that I’d disappointed him, but it was better this way. “Where’s my bedroom?”

He checked the flare of anger that I watched wash over him. His reply was even and controlled. “I didn’t attack you last night and I won’t tonight. Get in bed. If you can’t trust me enough to even sleep beside you then I’ll take the couch, but I’m not leaving you alone. Now let me take the coldest shower in the history of time so we can get some sleep.”

I fled the bathroom and crawled into the big bed where we’d slept the night before. The sheets were smooth and cool against my skin and I stared up at the darkened ceiling. I listened to the sounds of the shower and wondered why I couldn’t take what little happiness I was offered. Why was I so afraid of the pain that would come? Didn’t I want to feel even the tiniest bit alive?

I fought back tears and eventually the sounds of the water running and the fan overhead lulled me to sleep.




I hurry to keep up with my dad, but the boots he’s given me to wear are Nate’s and they’re too big.

“Keep up, girl,” my father says gruffly.

The leaves beneath my feet crunch and the air is cool all around me. It’s winter in the Ozarks. We drove all night from Dallas to get here and then camped during the day. Dad grew up here. I want him to take me to his old house. He took Nate and Jamie to meet his cousins, but he told me we don’t have the time. He never lets me meet the people he knows. When his friends come by the house he tells me to stay in my room, that there will be hell to pay if I come out. I don’t think my dad wishes he’d ever had a girl because, as far as I know, none of his friends are even aware of my existence.

He is ashamed of me.

I wish he’d given me Nate’s gloves. My hands are cold, but I don’t complain. He almost never takes me anywhere with him so I don’t mention my discomforts. If I do a good job, maybe he won’t hate me so much. Maybe I can prove I can hunt like the boys. Dad hunts werewolves who eat people and make humans miserable. He’s a hero so it makes sense he doesn’t have time for me. I have to prove my worth and then he’ll train me like he did Jamie and Nathan. I know that my brothers don’t want Dad to train me, but I can do it. I know I can.