Ripper (Hunter #1)(72)

“You have a funny way of showing your affection, Sloane.”

“My name is Gray,” he insisted. “You can’t go back to last names just because you’ve decided you’re pissed with me and you can’t lie about working for Quinn because you want to set me off.”

“I can do whatever I want, Sloane. You want to shove me off at my brother, fine, but don’t expect me to walk away like some obedient little woman. It ain’t happening. And I’m not lying about Quinn. I have a lovely check for twenty-five grand that I intend to cash at my earliest convenience.” I walked a couple of yards to the other pile of earth. It was well trampled down and little shoots of grass were starting to come up.

“What the hell did you do for twenty-five thousand dollars?” The question was ground out of Gray’s mouth, and I could see his eyes getting dark. He clenched his fists at his sides.

“Nothing, yet.” I have to admit I enjoyed the fact that I could have some sort of effect on him. I was mad. Shouldn’t he be, too? “Tonight, I’m going to the vampire club with Marcus to talk to the original gangsta himself. Quinn is letting me into the club so I can interview the vamp who claims to be Jack the Ripper. Then I’m supposed to check in with my new boss tomorrow.”

“You aren’t going anywhere, Kelsey.” His hands shook. Strangely, it didn’t make me any less reckless. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Well, he wouldn’t physically hurt me. “If you don’t want to stay at home with Jamie then you can hole up at my place, but you are off this case. You will not be going into that club. I forbid it.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not dangerous, Sloane. No one’s going to bother me. Marcus explained it all and he set up our cover. After last night, everyone thinks I’m his mistress so they’ll back off.”

The tree next me sort of exploded as Gray shoved his fist through it. I managed to hold my ground and when he looked at me with red-tinged eyes, I shook my head. “I thought we weren’t contaminating the scene.”

“Fuck the scene,” he snarled and got into my space. “What did you do with that vampire?”

“I walked around with him and I talked to him,” I explained. I didn’t let the halfling back me up a single inch. “He introduced me to some people and they drew incorrect conclusions. He treated me like I had a brain in my head. I liked him.”

“Yeah, you like him? Get to know him fast because I swear I’m gonna kill him,” Gray said. “I’ll rip his heart out and then we’ll see how he feels about sniffing around another man’s woman.”

“Nice, Sloane,” I shot back. “Very caveman-like. I don’t get the righteous indignation. You’re shoving me to the side. Am I not allowed to have a life after Grayson Sloane is done with me?”

He enunciated his words carefully. I got the feeling he was rapidly reaching the end of his patience with me. “I am not done with you. You are the most frustrating woman I have ever met. You’re going to make me pull out every piece of hair I have and damn it, woman, I won’t look good bald. Let me make this plain to you. You’re mine. I’m trying to protect what’s mine. He killed again last night and this morning I got a letter saying you’re next.”

My mind flooded with the possibilities. “That’s perfect. I can be bait. We set me up and let him come after me.”

He stared at me for a long moment with his mouth hanging open. It wasn’t the first time I had gotten that reaction from him. I wondered if a lot of things knocked the words out of him. Somehow I doubted it. I thought it was probably a reaction he only had to me.

“Are you going to kill another tree?” I asked after he was quiet for the longest time.

“No, Kelsey,” he said, a little breathless. “I think I’m gonna give you my gun and let you shoot me. It’ll be for the best. It’ll be a hell of a lot quicker than the heart attack I’ll have someday.” He took a deep breath. “That is the stupidest thing you’ve ever said.”

I shrugged. “Only because you haven’t been around me for very long.”

He shook his head and before I could move away, he grabbed me and kissed me senseless. “Okay, baby, I love you. Why is this so important? Why can’t you give it up? I would feel so much better if I knew you were safe.”

I leaned into him. I couldn’t resist this man when he touched me. I melted like butter when he said he loved me. If he really thought I was in danger, he would have come up with some stupid plan to protect me. “It’s important to me because I can do this, Gray. I can find this guy. I’m tired of hiding. You want me to come out of my shell, well, this is it. You can’t have it both ways. I can go to ground and hide and be the person I’ve always been afraid I really am or I can stop hiding and become who I want to be.”

I didn’t tell him that he was a big part of why I needed to do this. I needed to feel worthy of him.

I felt him nod against me. “All right, sweetheart. But I am not using you as bait.”

“I still need to get into the club.” I pressed my luck. “You can’t kill Marcus.”

“I find out he’s laid a hand on you and I promise I will,” Gray said.

It was time for me to live up to my previous words. It was time to be really brave. “I like Marcus, but I don’t love him. I love you, Gray.”