“He was,” I hiss back.
And yet, here he is, looking perfectly in order while he chats with the mayor.
Rafe Vandenberg, in the flesh.
31
I WON’T BE THE ONE
As if sensing my stare, Rafe looks at me. His baby blue eyes lock with mine and the corner of his mouth curls into a slow, teasing grin.
My vision tunnels.
I look at Jude, who looks at me.
Then he follows my gaze and sees Rafe.
His face pales.
Both of us start moving at the same time.
Jude is farther away, so I reach Rafe first. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, hello there, sweet Selah. It’s good to see you, too.”
Mayor Ridley chortles and bounces on his toes, thrilled, apparently, with Rafe Vandenberg’s return to Foggy Hollow.
Jude strides toward us, his golden eyes ablaze.
“If you’ll excuse me, Mayor,” Rafe says. “The three of us have some catching up to do.”
Five minutes later, I’m using my key to get inside Evermore. The store is closed, like all the other stores around the square, which will afford us some much needed privacy.
We retreat into the shop.
Rafe leans against the counter.
Poe greets him curiously.
“I’m sorry I didn’t take you up on your offer, Selah.” Rafe scratches the cat behind his ear. “It was an excellent plan.”
“What offer?” Jude asks, looking from me to him.
“Meeting her at St. Fortuna’s last night.”
The hurt on Jude’s face cuts like a knife.
Meanwhile, Rafe’s smile drips with poisonous delight. He is all too happy to reveal this information. “I had every intention of being there, but then, well, you caused quite the scene. It had Dr. Psycho looking left, which allowed me to exit right.”
My eyes narrow. “Dr. Psycho?”
“The raging, unhinged monster man with a pack of devil dogs.”
“Vorat,” I say.
Rafe tilts his head. “Was that a sneeze?”
“Vorat,” I say again, with more pronunciation and force. “The Hollow Walker.”
