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I nod, swallowing as I pull it to the forefront of my screen, ahead of what I’d been doing.
“I already looped and deleted,” I tell him.
“Great, that’ll be the last thing for the Alvarez case,” he says, biting into a muffin like an animal and getting crumbs all over the place.
“That book doesn’t teach you to tidy your eating?” I ask, smirking as his annoyed gaze flicks up to my face.
I pull the feeds that Carina’s neighbor had installed back up. He doesn’t know it, but he’s helped me a shit ton since placing them. Now, I can watch her all I want. Twenty-four-seven Carina coverage.
She’s gotten up. Her head is lounged on the counter as she watches the slow drip of the Nespresso machine’s brewing cycle. She knows about me now. I mean, she doesn’t knowme, but she knows of my existence. That I’ve been watching her.
Emery Stanner chased me off her property only nights ago, and I watched as Ryker—the annoying twat of a neighbor—installed a camera feed inside and out. Since then, I’ve been so distracted by watching her more than normal. Work has been the least of my daily objectives.
“Hello? Earth to G.” Trevor waves his hand in front of my face, luring my eyes away from Carina, who’s now sipping her first mouthful of coffee, leaning up against the counter.
“What?” I ask, furrowing my brows. I hadn’t heard him speak a word. I’d been too transfixed.
“I said I’ll catch you later. We don’t really have anything more to get done today. The wire should come through with your half of the Alvarez money. I’m going to go take my girl to breakfast,” he says, moving away from the table.
I wave.
He stops near the door and mouths, “You good?”
I nod once, letting my gaze drop as I sip the remains of my coffee.
Almost getting caught was exhilarating. It was the most alive I’ve felt in a while, and it hadn’t stopped me from coming back later that night when she was in bed. Or last night. I loop the feeds and slip right in, unperturbed.
All I think about is letting her know I’m there. But if she asks why I’m watching her, what then? I can’t give her my true motivation. The game would be up, then.
Once the points are tallied, the fun is over.
Carina looks up toward the camera in her kitchen, and I reach down toward my screen, running my fingers over the plains of her face.
She knows she’s in my sights, but she doesn’t understand the gravity of being locked in them.
Carina Eder toes a thin line between prey and trophy. Because once I get my hands on her, I have to decide which she will become to me.
Too bad she has no choice in the matter.
* * *
She’s snoring lightly,cats perched all around her. I didn’t have to tidy up a thing in the house. Seems Carina has caught onto my routine and has been doing it herself.
I have to say, it annoyed me to have nothing to do for her, but such is the way with being found out.
Tigger rolls over, and arches his back, begging me to pet him as he paws the air. I sigh, reaching down and ruffling his stomach fur lightly. Neighbor Boy had equipped the camera feeds with sound, allowing me much more insight into Carina’s life. I now know all the little furballs’ names.
Carina moves, and I slip back into the shadows, watching as she pulls from the bed and toward the bathroom. I’ve never seen her wake up before, but I’ve been coming a lot later the past few days, wanting to ensure she’s not sitting somewhere, waiting to catch me.
When she comes out of the bathroom, my eyes are trained across the room. I’d been gazing out the window at the branch, shadow playing on the floor below. It was a mistake that cost me everything.
Carina heads for the closet, bumping right into my chest. The shadows had kept me hidden. If only she’d gotten back into bed.
If only.
“Don’t scream, little one,” I tell her, covering her mouth with my hand. The gravel of my voice deeper because I haven’t spoken since earlier in the day with Trevor at the coffee shop. Her lips against my palm are unnerving. My blood heats and rages through my veins with rapid intensity.
Her breath hitches and her lemon verbena scent wafts up my nose, dosing me with her presence.
