Page 73 of Hunted Innocence

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come back,” I whisper.

I want to say that there is nothing for me here, but that’s a lie because there are these women, the other Securus guys, and Brody. But none of them are Grayson. However, I don’t want Lucille and Colette to think that I don’t appreciate them or their friendship because it truly means so much to me.

I can’t even put into words just how much it means to me that all these people want me here. Want to be near me, be my friend, love me, and care for me. But, and I hate that there is even a but, it doesn’t make Grayson want to stay.

“Maybe he doesn’t really want me, and he’s just trying to let me down easy,” I murmur. “Like that movie, he’s just not into me or something.”

Lucille snorts. “I’m the wrong person to even try that shit with. I chased after Theron for far longer than any sane woman would.”

Colette giggles softly, and I press my lips together, rolling them as I try not to smile because Lucille really did the most, and Theron was so closed off.

I really thought he gave no shits about her. I didn’t know that he’d been watching her, too, that he’d been madly in love with her from afar. And now they’re two of the happiest people I know, them and Colette and Merrick.

I’m just not sure if my destiny is the same with Grayson.

“The only way would be another man,” Colette states matter-of-factly.

“Another man?” I ask.

She hums. “But it has to seem genuine.”

I open my mouth to ask her how when Lucille jumps up from her chair. My head swings around, and I look at her. Watching her as I wait for whatever it is that has popped into her head to make her jump that way to come out of her mouth.

“This is going to be good. So good that when you have those babies, and you’re going to have a dozen of them, you must name one of them after me,” Lucille says, her eyes wide as they sparkle.

Something is working behind those eyes, and I can’t deny that I’m a little afraid of what it could be, but at the same time, maybe it’s exactly what I need.

GRAYSON

The list Theronsends me is fairly detailed, and while I don’t recognize any of the names, I know that I’m going to have a good time watching them, learning about them, and figuring out ways to ruin them—all of them.

This is a good thing.

Not only will I be saving people from being hurt, but it is a way for me to further protect Nadine when I can’t be with her. I’ll still be able to keep her close this way. At least in my own head, that’s what I’m telling myself.

I am going underground, and it’s going to be fucking amazing.

And if I pump myself up enough, then maybe I might actually believe the words I’m thinking. Packing my bag, I pick it up off the bed and glance around my apartment. There’s an empty feeling. I know that nothing has changed, but even in the short time I had her with me, Nadine filled the space with something I needed, and now that’s gone.

And so am I.

Gone.

I walk toward the door and tug it open, sending Vaughn a text to keep an eye on my place while I’m gone and reminding him where my hidden key is located in the office. We all keep one there, just in case.

He responds to my text, but I don’t read it. Not yet. I don’t need anyone else asking me to stay. I already want to fucking drive to Nadine’s apartment and fuck her so hard that she forgets her own name.

Once I’m in my parking garage, I quickly locate and unlock my car before I throw my bag in the back seat, laptop and tablet included. In the trunk, I load up all my expensive and extensive surveillance equipment. I’m not sure just how deep I’m going to have to dive underground to get information on these men.

Slamming the trunk, I walk over to the driver’s door, sink into the front seat, and start the engine before I shift it intoReverseand drive away from home.

Stupidly, I don’t head out of town. My car has different plans and drives in the direction of Nadine’s apartment. Pulling up to the sidewalk in front of her place, I stupidly shift the car intoPark.

The light is on inside. Like a stalker, I look up and watch her window. My good binoculars are in the trunk, and I don’t want to get out and be caught. Not that I think she would even see me down here, but if she did, I don’t want to upset her since I said I wasn’t going to be in town at all, and not only am I in town, but I’m stalking her.

So, instead of getting out and searching for my equipment, I stay where I am, somewhat content to just look up at her window. There are shadows moving around, and what feels like seconds later, I see both Lucille and Colette walk out the front door of her building. They turn toward me, but they are focused on one another, talking and not paying attention to anything else.

I wish I could hear what they’re saying. Without a doubt, I’m sure I would gather some important information about Nadine. Shaking my head, I try to get thoughts of her out because I need to forget she exists.

---