Page 49 of Baited

Her eyes lifted to his, which were crisp and bright with enthusiasm. “I plan to.”

Ethan winked and folded his arms over his chest and paced the room, taking in every nook while she continued to pack. A paisley comforter covered the bed, and a nightstand held an alarm clock and bedside lamp. The room was simple with an old dresser against the wall and the comfortable, worn rocking chair he had sat in and watched her while she slept the other morning. Another old, wooden chair with a blanket folded on it sat in the corner. Three picture frames crowded the top of the dresser.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode to it. Riley was in every picture. Her hairstyles varied in each one. In one, she had her blond hair in a bob, the other similar to how she wore it now, and in the last one she was a rich brunette. In the last picture, she cuddled a young boy on her lap. His eyebrows rose. Damn, even as a brunette she was sexy as hell. Her skin was brighter and the green of her eyes jumped through the glass. He plucked the frame from the dresser. “When were you a brunette?”

A bra hung from her fingertips as she peeked around the closet door. His gaze landed on the inky black lace. Lust curled inside him. A flush crept up her cheekbones and she shoved the bra in the bag and dropped it to the floor.

“That was a couple of years ago, with my nephew Cruz. The other picture is”—her breath sucked in—“where’s the other picture?” She stood on her tiptoes and lifted each frame as if another one would appear.

“There was just three.” His senses went on high alert. “Is one missing?”

Her eyes were wild, and her tongue jutted out to wet her lips. “Yes, the one of Hanna and me. It’s…it’s gone,” she rasped.

He gripped her elbow and turned her to face him. Her hand rose to hover at her forehead, her breath came out it sharp puffs. “When did you last see it?”

“I don’t remember. I’m sure I would have noticed it missing if it’d been gone since the break-in.”

“All right. You need to look around and make sure nothing else is missing. The front and back doors were secure, so I need to check the windows.” Her chest rose and fell erratically. Terror flashed through her eyes, its sharp edges pierced yellow through her green irises.

He ground his teeth. The cocksucker was going to pay. “Sit down for me, okay?” He backed her up to the bed and she sat. “I’m going to do a quick look around.”

She nodded and dropped her face into her hands, her elbows on her knees. It took every will in Ethan’s body not to go to her. Not now.

He checked the bedroom window first. They sat about five feet above ground level, which wouldn’t make it easy for someone to get in, but it sure as hell wouldn’t make it impossible either. His fingers traced the seal. It was locked. If someone got in through a window, they would have gone out the same way. They couldn’t lock the dead bolt on the doors behind them without a key. And with the new security system, there was no way they would have entered other than through a window.

He moved away from the glass and crossed the room to the door, his gaze drifted to the closet. He stopped dead in his tracks.

“Christ,” he breathed. He stalked to the closet, moved her bag from its spot on the floor, and stared up at the ceiling.

“What is it?” Riley’s small voice shook from behind him. Anger shot through him. He went to the chair in the corner and carried it to the closet. “Ethan, you’re scaring me.”

“I need you to be quiet for a minute. I’ll tell you in a second.”

Her arms folded tightly across her chest and she sat back down heavily on the bed. He stepped up on the chair and stared at the small door above his head. Why the hell would there be an attic access? The floor above was a rented suite. It made no sense. The house was old, so it was possible it had been closed up ages ago on the other side. But if there was…

His fingertips hovered on the thin, wooden square door. His breath came out slow and steady through his nose. If there was access on the other side, he had to be really quiet.

He pressed up.

“What the…?” Riley whispered.

He didn’t turn away to look at her. The door didn’t budge. He pressed harder and still it didn’t give even a millimeter. The tension in his neck eased and he worked his jaw. No, it wasn’t likely the landlord could rent a suite with access like this between the two units going unnoticed. Hell, this would lead right into the floor above.

“Ethan!” Riley’s shriek reverberated through his eardrums and tore through him. He jumped off the chair. She slammed into him as soon as his feet hit the ground. Her fingers clawed at him and her screams echoed through the house. His gaze zeroed in on the bed.

“Shit.” His heart slammed in his chest. He shoved her behind him and leapt to the bed. His fingers closed over the head of a snake, stilling it before it could slither off the bed. Its tongue jutted out angrily, and its yellow-bellied tail whipped in warning. “Grab that pillowcase, honey. It’s okay, it’s a king snake. It’s not venomous, but hurry up.”

She raced to the other side of the bed, pulled the pillow out, and handed him the case. She made her way behind him, keeping her distance. He lowered the snake’s tail into it, then dropped its head in, and wound the top into a tight knot. He dropped the snake on the bed, grabbed her shoulders, and crushed her to his chest. His fist tangled in her hair, pressing her face into his throat.

Her shoulders shook violently, her hands knotted in the shirt at his abdomen.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded. “I was sitting on the bed and felt something move against my leg.” Her voice shook. “I pulled back the covers, and it was there… It was in the bed,” she whispered against his neck.

“I know, babe.”

“Someone put it there.”

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