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"Then once we've narrowed it down, we just need to get close."
"Without him seeing us. Especially Aurora," Stellan said, and when I gave him a look, he said, "We need to be able to spring the trap. We can't tip him off."
"And here I was afraid you might be all overprotective."
Stellan scoffed. "I kidnapped you before, remember? I wouldn't underestimate you. I know just how dangerous you are."
I sighed. "Life was simpler back then. Just you, me, and a knife."
Remington brought up the digital trails of the people who owned land in that area. We clicked through photo after photo, eliminating people who didn't seem to be linked to Carnage.
"It never fails to amaze me how much information people leave about themselves on the internet," Remington muttered.
"Meanwhile, I just have to worry about what oversharing other people do on the internet to break me," I teased him, remembering the hell he had unleashed to bring me under control. Not that it had worked for them.
I pressed a kiss to his stubbled cheek. He'd been working too hard all night to shave.
"Just don't run away from me, and you never have to worry about what I'll do to get you back." He returned the kiss, although he claimed my lips, his touch surprisingly gentle given the depraved things he’d said.
I wanted to keep going with Remy—and draw in Stellan too—but I forced myself to shift, straddling one of Remy's muscular thighs as I kept clicking through the photos. "What if someone else owns Carnage's house?"
"We'll figure something out," Remy said. "It's too bad you never heard his real name."
I shook my head. "I called him Uncle Carn. He and the Demon thought it was amusing. But I don't think even the Demon knew his real name."
Stellan had pulled up Remy's extra desk chair—since I certainly didn’t need it when I could perch on these men instead—and he drummed his fingers absently on the desktop. "Do you think Carnage is keeping tabs on you?"
I nodded. "I've never worried about him because I have plenty of other things to worry about, but...now that my name is out there..."
"Sorry," Remy said, though he never sounded particularly apologetic about anything.
"That can work for us, though," Stellan said. "If he's got a Google alert set on your name or something, and we can make it seem like you're running..."
"I like it," I said. "I've already been expelled. But that hasn't hit the news yet..."
"I can fix that," Remy promised.
"But we still have to make sure we're two steps ahead of him."
"You're a lot smarter than Carnage," I said.
"Well, obviously." Remy was always the soul of modesty.
"Let's get some breakfast while Remy works on that," Stellan said, and Remy's hands were on my hips, guiding me up, though they lingered on my body as if he didn't want to let me go.
Still, these men were trying to take care of me, so he pushed me off into Stellan's arms. Stellan looped an arm casually around my neck as the two of us sauntered down the hall.
The Demon and Carnage had taken me camping. Wholesome fun with two serial killers. I remembered the scent of barbecue rising into the air. The way I'd covered my mouth and nose, unable to bear the smell, once Carnage explained where he'd gotten it. I'd choked on the scent.
The Demon and Carnage had laughed about my reaction. Carnage had been nice enough to give me the whole bag of marshmallows to eat instead.
"He's a cannibal," I said quietly. "But at least he takes his time killing his victims because of it. So if you did lose me, there would be time...he'd want to taunt my father, I bet. To make it clear he won in the end."
"He's not getting his hands on you." Stellan's eyes had gone steely, obviously angry about the very idea, but then he softened as he looked down at me. He wrapped his arms around me as one of the staff came in to take our order. "I know I was a huge dick to you, Aurora. But I'm going to take good care of you. I'm going to make it up to you."
"You already have."
He cocked one eyebrow at me, as if he were skeptical, but we weren't going to talk about our sordid history in front of anyone else. Instead, we ordered creme brulee french toast and eggs and coffee.
