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Even with the ridiculous, too-small uniform, he was impressive. From afar, he looked tall and lean. Up close, I could see the cords of muscle straining against the fabric. How the uniform stretched over a built chest and wide shoulders. The way his thigh muscles—
On second thought, it’s not the time for that.
“Let’s cut to the chase, Gray,” he suggested.
“You do that.” My arms were crossed to keep them from shaking.
He chuckled and, maintaining that smile, said, “Right, then. You’re bored as fuck, and I need someone who can investigate high-profile crimes without getting scared off or running into dead ends.”
I blinked, truly stunned. “Oh. Oh. You were serious. I’d thought the whole client thing was a trick to get me into a dark alley to slit my throat or something.”
“Why would I need to bring you into a dark alley to slit your throat?”
“Because otherwise, it would be in public, and you’d get caught. Obviously.”
He shook his head. “Alleys are too cliché. If I were to kill you, I’d do it creatively. Make it into an art piece, you know? Something that would make some interesting textbook material for our future generations.”
“That’s not actually comforting.”
He waved a hand. “Learn to live in the rhetorical, Gray Wilder. Because in reality, you’re hired! Let’s go over some details, shall we?”
This man… this man was ridiculous. I argued, “No, I’m not. First of all, I don’t take high-profile jobs. It’s not my expertise. Secondly, you’ve been stalking me, and I still don’t trust you. And you just described how you’d kill me and make it art.”
His grin stretched wider. “You’re stalling.”
“You don’t know me.”
“I’ve been watching you for three weeks, Gray.”
Even my shaking stopped. My hollow voice managed to make out one single word. “What?”
He pushed himself to a stand and faced me with his full height. The playful smirk still ghosted across his lips. “Three whole weeks. Five pet cats. Four dogs. One lost purse, two cheating husbands. A set of sapphire earrings and a stolen car. Wallets, phones, children. One turtle. One sister. I know I’m missing some, but you get the point.”
My feet had shuffled back on their own accord. Urging me away from this psychopath. I don’t know why this made his stalking any different.
No, I did.
He’d been watching me, even when I hadn’t known it.
The sense of violation and stomach-turning anger rose.
“Why reveal yourself?” I asked finally. That had to be the only reason I’d ever seen him. The man was clearly capable of staying hidden.
He didn’t advance on me, but his expression became more thoughtful. The wind picked up, nearly stealing his hat away. He pulled it off and tucked it into a pocket.
Up close, I realized his hair was more silver, with the slightest sheen of violet. Like a moonstone.
He raked a hand through that silky hair, muscles pulling and flexing with the movement. “I’m not entirely sure. Wasn’t part of my assignment. I just wanted… I wanted to see how you’d handle it. Everyone reacts differently under pressure. I guess I was curious.”
I bit out the words, tight with my rage. “And what did you find? Because if I’m to be experimented on, I’d like to know the results.”
“Your voice is shaking.”
The fascination in his was infuriating.
“Answer.”
His hands went up in mock surrender. “You’re resilient. In an amateur sort of way. It’s a good trait.”
