Page 122 of Hot As Ice

“Good girl.” He gently pushes some hair off my forehead, a faraway look on his face, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. After a moment, he straightens and walks toward my bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Taking a deep breath, I close my eyes, not wanting to think about anything. Hunter will take care of everything somehow. And that’s the last thought I remember having.

thirty-nine

hunter

RYDER SAID HE’LL be here in an hour.

He spent NYE with his family in NYC, but he sounded more than happy to return to Concord the moment I told him why I needed him.

It’s nice to have a friend more bloodthirsty than I am.

I also called Jamie. It’ll take him a little longer to get here, but he told me he’s coming. I don’t plan on asking him to do the dirty work – that’s more Ryder’s M.O. – but I need someone to watch over Stevie while Ryder and I are gone.

In the meantime, I duct-taped Joe’s legs and hands together. I can’t wait to drive him out in the middle of nowhere and beat the shit out of him. Until then, I’ve been content kicking him in the balls every few minutes.

The muffled screams coming from his duct-taped mouth bring a smile to my face every time. He’s never going to be able to use his dick again. He’s also not going to live to see tomorrow’s sunrise, so that point is moot.

All the kicking makes me thirsty.

I check in on Stevie to find she’s fast asleep, then head to the kitchen. They only have Diet Coke in the fridge, but it’ll do. Back in Stevie’s bedroom, I take a seat on Stevie’s desk chair and watch Joe. He hasn’t moved an inch. He looks utterly defeated. Let’s see if he actually is.

I rip the duct tape off his mouth.

To my surprise, he doesn’t unleash with a stream of profanity or start screaming at the top of his lungs. He groans and presses his face into the carpet, eyes closed. Maybe he is defeated. I probably would be if someone had been sporadically kicking me in the balls for an hour.

I might feel sorry for him if he wasn’t a predator.

I kick his foot. “Pay attention. How did you know about my deal with Stevie?”

“What deal? I don’t know anything about that.”

“Don’t play dumb, prick. I know you sent that tip to the school paper.”

He eyes me warily. “Tips to the paper are anonymous.”

“Sure. That’s what they tell you. But if they want to find you, they use your IP address.”

Joe’s eyes blaze, nostrils flaring.

I smirk. “Guess you didn’t think that one through.”

“That’s private information. The paper isn’t supposed to give it out to anyone.”

“I can be very persuasive.” I check my watch. Ryder should be here in the next ten minutes. “But you didn’t answer my question. How did you find out about me and Stevie in the first place? Don’t lie. Unless you want another kick to the balls.”

Joe grimaces. For a few seconds, he’s quiet, just staring into the distance with a twisted expression on his face.

“I hacked into her email,” he says in a low voice. He sounds like a man who knows his time is up. “And I saw the contract.” He laughs. “It didn’t surprise me. I pegged Stevie as a slut the moment she came in to interview with me.”

I tell myself to remain calm. “She’s not a slut just because she’s pretty and didn’t want to sleep with you. She never owed you shit. You’re a fucking rapist. How many other young women have you stalked and threatened?”

He eyes me with more hatred than I’ve had directed at me my entire life. Even on the ice, facing off against our biggest rival, wasn’t like this. This fucker is a psychopath.

“I don’t give a fuck,” he rages. “Those sluts deserved it. I’d rape every last bitch on this planet if I could. Fuck them!” He writhes and wiggles on the ground, fighting against his restraints. I take a fresh strip of duct tape and slap it over his mouth, then kick him in the balls again. His scream is guttural.

A knock on the front door heralds the arrival of Ryder. He walks in looking feral, hair all messed up, his leather jacket and motorcycle boots making it clear he rode here on his bike.