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She should have known escape wasn’t possible.
She should have known.
ChapterThree
She went to him.When the press conference was over, when the freak-out in the mayor’s office had finally subsided, Erin went straight to Jude. She knew where he lived. She’d gotten that information from Night Watch when she called to verify his alibi.
Jude’s lair was at the edge of the city, skirting the swamps. More of a cabin than a house, and one that didn’t look overly inviting.
Raising her hand, Erin banged on the door. So, sure, it was close to midnight. And, okay, granted, the swamp looked dark and dangerous and the call of the crickets and who-the-hell knew what else had her ears ringing.
The mayor had sent her to Jude. The DA had sent her. And she’d come because she needed to see him.
The door opened with a creak. Jude stared down at her, stubble on his cheeks, his blond hair tousled and his eyes hooded. No shirt. His chest was bare and too close.The man had serious muscles. Damn.His jeans hung low on his body, wrapping around his hips and clinging to his strong, hard thighs.
Hunter.
“Took you long enough,” he said, voice so deep it was nearly a growl.
Light surrounded him and spilled onto the porch. She shifted, her high heels scraping over the old wood. “Didn’t realize you were waiting for me.”Lie.She’d known that he wanted to talk to her,alone, just as she’d wanted to talk to him.
Erin had to find out what he knew about her—andhowhe knew it.So I won’t slip up and make the same mistake with someone else next time.“Do I get to come inside or do I have to stay out here all night?”
His mouth hitched into a half-smile. Erin inhaled.
Then Jude stepped back, motioning for her to enter.
The fingers of her right hand tightened around her purse strap and she walked forward, hesitating for only the briefest of seconds when she caught sight of the deep gouges along the doorframe.
Claw marks.
Some shifters sure did like to mark their territory. Her jaw tightened and she brushed past him, all too aware of the heat and strength of his body.
The interior of his place was Spartan bare. A couch. A giant TV. A paperwork-covered desk shoved into the corner. A big, scarred wooden table, two chairs around it, a small lamp on its surface. Erin caught a glimpse of the kitchen—or was that a closet?
“Not here much,” he said with a shrug, following her gaze. “Too busy?—”
“Hunting.” She knew exactly how he spent his days. In the hours since they’d parted, she’d done her homework.
Jude Donovan. Age thirty-five. College graduate, with a degree in criminal justice. He’d been recruited to work for Night Watch when he’d barely been twenty-two. His reputation for hunting was vicious, and so were the criminals he captured. The vilest of criminals.
Humans...and she’d be willing to betOther, too.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a check. Not the usual way things were handled in the DA’s office, but... “I’ve been authorized to acquire your services.” He didn’t glance at the check, just kept those blue eyes trained on hers. Her fingers were steady as she held the check in the air between them. “This check is for ten thousand dollars.”
No change of expression. From the looks of his cabin, the guy shouldn’t have been hesitating to snatch up the money.
“Give the check to Night Watch.”
At that, her lips firmed. “I already gave them one.” A hefty one, at that. “This one’s for you. A bonus from the Mayor. He wants this guy caught, fast.” Before word about the true nature of the crime leaked too far.
“So old Gus doesn’t think his cops can handle this perp?”
Gus LaCroix. Hard-talking, ex-hard-drinking mayor. No nonsense, deceptively smart, and demanding. “He’s got the cops on this, but he said he knew you, and that you’d be the best one to handle this job.”
Erin strongly suspected that Gus belonged in theOtherworld. She hadn’t caught any unusual scent drifting from him, but his agreement to bring in Night Watch and his almost desperate demands to the DA had sure indicated the mayor knew more than he was letting on about the situation.
Could be he was a demon. Low-level. Many politicians were.
