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“Are you fucking kidding me? That’s your story? So much for the truth. You had me going. Silly me.” Her smile was forced. “Thanks for the coffee, but it’s time we went our separate ways. If I see you or that dog again, I’m calling the cops.”
She grabbed her purse and started to stand. At the last second, she rolled what remained of the brownie in a napkin and stuffed it in her bag. She might think he was out of his mind, but she took the chocolate. It was such a Zoe thing to do. He hadn’t known her long, but he was beginning to understand the core of her as a woman. She was unique and brave and faced the world without flinching, no matter how much it scared her.
“It’s the truth.”
“Then you’re delusional. Stay away from me.” Grabbing her iced coffee, she sailed out the door.
Chapter Five
Why do I attract the crazies?
“Werewolf, my ass. It was a big, vicious dog. You allowed your reaction to his hot body to overrule your common sense.” There was no one to blame but herself. The scare from last night, added to the drama with Brenda this morning, had shoved her off kilter. And this was the result.
She ignored the fact that for a second last night the thought the creature was a werewolf had briefly flashed through her mind. That had been the middle of the night. It was broad daylight now. Werewolves belonged in movies and books, not in the hallway of her apartment in New York.
What couldn’t be denied was there’d been a huge dog menacing her last night, and someonehadlet it into the building. While she didn’t want to believe it was Devlin, she no longer trusted her judgment where he was concerned. Shewantedhim to be innocent because she was attracted to him. Talk about losing her grip on reality.
If she did believe him that meant someone else was to blame. That was a chilling thought. Maybe scaring her was enough. Maybe that’s what they got off on.
She marched across the crosswalk and up the sidewalk to her building. “You’re doing the right thing,” she muttered. Why, then, did it feel so bad?
When she went to unlock the door to the lobby, she got a sick twist in her stomach. It was broken but hadn’t been when she’d come home last night. She’d missed it on the way out. Hurrying up the stairs, she made a mental note to contact the building super.
Her phone rang as she was opening her apartment door. Juggling her coffee, keys, and phone, she kicked it shut behind her. The call display showed it was Brenda. Taking a deep breath, she answered. “I’m surprised to hear from you.” Maybe she’d called to apologize.
“You owe me an apology for your earlier behavior.”
Dumping her purse, keys, and coffee on the desk, she dropped into the chair. “You thinkIshould apologize?” Headache brewing, she rubbed her forehead.
“You swore at me.”
“I wasn’t swearing at you.” Why was she explaining? “And you left me last night and took off with some guy.”
“You’re an adult, not a child. And John is not some guy, he’stheguy. I’m seeing him again tonight.”
Zoe could hear the excitement in her voice as Brenda began to chatter about her latest boyfriend. She’d heard it all before, could practically write the script for the next half hour of conversation. There was no recognition from her friend that she’d done anything wrong. Fed up, Zoe cut her off midsentence. “I don’t care about John. Unless you’re going to apologize for treating me like dirt, we’re done.” If she didn’t stand up for herself, no one else would.
“I can see why you didn’t have any friends when we met. You can cross me off the list.” The line went dead.
It stung to realize she was no different from the long line of males who’d been in and out of her friend’s life. She’d served a purpose, much as they had. Now that she no longer did, she was cast aside.
“Screw it.” She was young and independent, had her own business, and was living in the most exciting city in the world. Any of those reasons usually perked her up. Today, they felt empty.
Tossing her phone down, she scrubbed her hands over her face. God, she hated drama. First Devlin, now this. Her quiet, predictable life was unraveling at the seams.
Devlin had swept into her life like a hurricane, bringing danger and excitement. A little more than a day ago, she hadn’t been aware of his existence. Yet his absence would leave a bigger hole than Brenda’s.
“I’m out of my mind.” She scanned the street below, searching for a tall figure in black.
She folded her arms on the desktop and rested her head on them. Her headache was full-blown. Her stomach ached. A wave of sadness washed over her. She was truly alone.
A single tear slid down her temple. She’d pull up her big-girl panties and deal with her problems, but first she needed a few minutes to wallow. Her breathing evened out and exhaustion overtook her.
…
He should go back to his hotel, shower, and catch some shut-eye. It had been almost two days since he’d had any sleep. It was starting to take its toll. He might be immortal, but even he needed to recharge.
It was daylight. Zoe was in a building surrounded by people. Rogues hunted almost exclusively at night, the darkness a psychological tool they used against their intended victims.
