But something about the way she says it this time winds a spiral of unease around each notch of my spine. Maybe it’s the fact that I don’t know exactly what Max’s motive was.
Maybe he’s your typical serial date rapist. But then, you think he’d have found a way to drug the first drink I shared with him. And if he’s missing now, will he just move on to another victim? A more vulnerable one without a knight in shining armor to come to her rescue?
I push away the thought in the back of my mind that tells me the predator has become the prey.
“How was your day with Colin?” Stella asks, surprising me.
I pull my legs onto the couch, folding them under me as I lean against the cushion and rest my head in my hand. “He loves me,” I say dreamily.
She scoffs. “Really. How was it?”
I shrug, turning serious. “It was great. I took him to volunteer at the shelter with me. We ran the painting class together—well, I ran it. He did paint a pretty cute panda though.”
Maeve stares at me in disbelief. “I cannot imagine that man painting a panda bear.”
“I know, right? Apparently it’s his favorite animal.”
I’ll have to remember to ask him why. It’s the last thing I ever expected to come out of his mouth. I mean, abear, sure. But apanda bear?
Detective Colin Mills doesn’t strike me as the panda bear type. Then again, maybe I don’t know him as well as I think I do, either.
“How was he with the kids?” Maeve asks.
“He was great. Quiet, you know, but nice. They were enamored with having a detective there.”
My friends nod, Stella’s constant scowl of concern melting a tad. “Any luck with you two?” I ask Stella and Stone, who share a quick glance.
Maeve, Stella, and I met shortly after my mother’s arrest, when her lawyer suggested I join therapy. Said it would look good during the trial, though I can’t imagine how. I wasn’t interested in that in the slightest, but I did find alovelytrauma survivor’s support group—lovely only because it brought Maeve and Stella into my life. We never returned to the group after the meeting we met at, having found immediate connection and purpose in each other instead of the musty walls and muddy coffee in the church basement.
Stone wasn’t far behind Stella—which is as true today as it was then. They grew up together, and he’s the one who found her on the brink of death. They’ve been best friends since they were kids, and Stella never hunts without him close by. They spend most of their time out of town, exacting revenge on all the people who wronged her.
“Not really,” Stella murmurs, her words clipped and bitter.
“We’ll find them,” Stone promises her quietly, and we all nod in agreement.
“Alright, I seriously need a nap. Will someone take me to my car?”
Stone offers me a ride, and the rest of us split ways with assurances that we’ll see each other later in the week.
I stare out the window of Stone’s truck as we pull onto the downtown drag, thinking about nothing but how damn good it’s going to be to crawl into my bed.
“Stell and I are doing a quick run up to Mt. Lance,” Stone says, his hand resting on top of the steering wheel as he drives. I glance over at him.
“I know she said you weren’t having much luck, but have you hadany?” He looks so calm and cool, his eyes shaded behind his blue, reflective sunglasses, but instantly his temple flexes with tension.
“The last guy we found, it spooked the others. They all left the area or went into hiding.”
I face the window again, understanding the frustration of that considering Max and his friends also seem to be on the run. “Sounds like something people do when they know they’re being cornered. When they know it’s almost over for them.”
“Well, they’re not wrong. Just makes it all a bit more dangerous.”
“Why’s that?” I ask, turning back to him.
He glances at me before returning his attention to the road. “A cornered animal always attempts a strike.”
I think I see his lips kick up into the tiniest of smirks, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Stoney Baloneylikeswhen the cornered animal attempts a strike.
“Anyway, just wanted you to know we’ll be out of town. If you end up needing anything, I have a friend who lives nearby who can help.”
