Page 29 of Only the Hunter

Those doe eyes are dazed, her skin pale, the yellowing bruises stark against it...she swung open the door. Was she expecting someone? There’s no blood, she’s not protective of an injured limb.

I kick the front door closed, and carry her to the sofa, kneeling on the ground for a better look.

“What’s going on?”

She swipes a hand over her face, and her brow crinkles, like she’s in pain or maybe trying to wipe away a memory.

“Did something happen?”

“Someone broke in.”

With those words, I’m upright, scanning past her, through the opening below the stairs that leads to the back of the townhouse, then shifting my gaze up the stairs.

“When?”

Behind me is the bay window that overlooks the street. A person dressed in a black overcoat, head down, hurries past on the sidewalk. I’m not armed, but my fingers twitch for my handgun.

I wait a beat until he’s out of sight.

An innocuous passerby.

Evie holds her head in her hands, leaning over her legs.

“Evie. Talk to me.”

“I just got home.”

“Have you cleared the place?”

“No.” Her response is slow, tongue-tied, like she needs a drink of water.

She’s processing it now. Shock giving way to pattern recognition.

“You’re not hurt?” The need to confirm my visual findings is almost as intense as the need to touch her for the same confirmation.

“No.”

“Okay.” I pull out my phone. “Let’s call the cops.”

I need to clear the place, but I’m not sure where to leave her. If the intruder is here, I don’t want to scare them right back to Evie.

“You can’t call the cops.” She tugs my arm, fingers clasped on my wrist. “There’s not… There’s no point.”

She breathes in deeply enough I clock her chest lifting, then, as if she’s snapping back into her collected self, she pushes up from the sofa and heads to the stairs.

“What’re you doing?”

“Do you want to see what I found or not?”

“Yes, but we need to make sure the intruder isn’t still here.”

“He’s not.”

She climbs a step and I clutch her elbow.

“How do you know?”

“I just know, Gabe. They probably came earlier when I was at work. They were careful. Not so careful that they didn’t want me to know they’d been here, but careful enough I’ll look paranoid if I call the cops.”