Page 69 of Baited

Since the night he’d run her off the road, he’d only caught a glimpse of her leaving her house the day he’d left the snake. Not seeing her, even in passing or at the diner, had rattled him. He couldn’t make a damn move with that ape always hovering over her. That loser had to go.

Now that she wasn’t with him anymore, he could move in on Riley. But he couldn’t let Ethan walk away. He knew too much, and if something happened to Riley, the FBI hounds would be on him. Not a big deal, all he had to do was make Ethan’s death look like an accident. Maybe his furnace could catch on fire or the brakes could go in his truck. He’d get creative with that one.

The entrance to the bar opened and he saw Riley step out, her long, slim legs in view. His body tightened in response. He clenched his hands over the steering wheel to still the tremor that shook over him. He’d have so much fun with Riley. Her hair glowed in the moonlight, and the black dress she wore hugged her slim curves. A man’s arm circled her shoulders as they stepped to the curb.

Her ex-boyfriend. Or so he’d overheard people say inside the bar before he’d left. Who was this guy and how long was he planning on staying? He couldn’t get rid of him too. Though he doubted the ex would be missed among locals, the last thing he needed to do was draw attention to Beaufort and himself.

His car was parked a couple of aisles away at the end of the row, giving him a clear view of them but shielding him from theirs. They stood under the streetlamp, his body cozy to hers despite the sticky humidity.

Rage shot through him, igniting his skin. The fucking slut. He took a deep breath through his nose, but it didn’t still the fury inside him. Warning bells sounded in his head. He was getting too emotional, too attached. That’s when people made mistakes. One slipup could ruin everything he’d worked for. He was lucky. He lived a happy, double life. The residents of Beaufort respected him, hell, he was even a member of the chamber of commerce. But locked quietly in his house, chained securely to the wall, was Hanna. He couldn’t jeopardize that, no matter how close Riley got. When the right opportunity presented itself, Riley would be his.

A cab pulled up a few minutes later and the man with the obnoxious grin opened the rear passenger door. Riley climbed in and the car sped away. Her ex-boyfriend shoved his hands in his pockets and dug out his keys.

A deep calm settled over him. He shifted into reverse and backed out of his parking spot. His foot tingled with the urge to stomp on the gas and run the moron over. Instead, he nodded at him as he passed, and her ex gave a friendly wave.

Dumb shit. This was how he did it. How he stayed invisible… by being in plain sight. He pulled onto the road and kept a far distance from the cab. A couple minutes later, it turned down the road leading to her house. If he hurried, he could catch her on the audio devices he’d planted. Desire built in him. And he’d beable to watch her in bed. He hadn’t been able to watch her since before she’d started staying with her G.I. Joe boyfriend. He’d checked the tapes periodically, but it had been nothing but dead air.

Now she would be home though.

A shiver raced over him. If only he’d been able to plant more cameras, he could have watched her as she dressed and bathed. Maybe tonight he’d let Hanna watch Riley with him. The look on her face would be priceless.

CHAPTER 20

Riley’s heart slammedagainst her breastbone, still pounding since she’d read Ethan’s text in the cab about her house having hidden cameras. How long had someone been watching her? Disgust crept over her skin with the force of a million bugs. She opened her purse and pulled out her keys as she climbed the porch steps.

She fit the key into the lock and shoved the door open with her hip. The old wood always swelled in the summer. Darkness closed in on her, she blinked her eyes to adjust. She pressed her hand against the solid wood and closed the door behind her.

Long fingers curled around her mouth. Her breath sucked in as an arm closed around her waist and pulled her back against a hard body. Fear lodged in the back of her throat like vomit.

No, no, no.

He had caught her. A cry tore from her throat, muffled beneath his moist palm. Her fingernails dug into his wrists and her body went rigid. His warm, heady scent filled her nostrils, turning her bones lax with relief.

Ethan.

His huge, muscular body should have given him away, but terror had frozen her neurons.

“Shh. It’s me,” he breathed against her ear.

Her body slumped in his arms as if she were a balloon deflating. Her breath was warm beneath his palm. “I didn’t find any bugs out here, but there’s one in the kitchen, one in your room, and a camera above your bed.”

Her breath sucked in. He moved his hand from her face, her heart hammered against his forearm beneath her breast. He turned her in his arms and she collapsed against his chest. His fingers tangled in her hair, cupping her scalp. Her shoulders shook. She swallowed. Someone had been watching her most intimate moments, had listened to her conversations, had been right in the middle of her life like a fly on the wall and she’d had no idea.

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice barely audible. “He’s going to be suspicious if you don’t sleep in your room. Can you go in there and pretend to call someone? Maybe say you’re not going to be sleeping in your room because of the snake?”

She nodded against his throat.

“I’ll wait in the spare room. I checked it over and it’s clean.”

He inched her forward and locked the door behind them. Riley fished her phone out of her purse. She moved down the hallway, the fingers of her free hand drifted from Ethan’s as he fell into step behind her.

Her high heels echoed down the hall, overpowering Ethan’s shoeless footsteps. When they reached the hallway, he slipped into the spare room and she pressed the cell phone to her ear.

“Hey, girl. Yeah, I just got home, thanks for the text.” Her voice trembled, but she pulled her shoulders back.

She had to make this believable. She paced the floor, pretending to listen. What the hell should she say? She needed to make it clear to the listener that she and Ethan were no longer an item. “No, I think Ethan and I are done. He flipped out when my ex showed up from Boston. I had no idea Ethan was so jealous. He wouldn’t even listen to me.” Her voice rose on the words; if the asshole was listening, he’d have no reason to doubt her.

She sank on the bed and pulled her shoes off one at a time, the phone pinched between her ear and shoulder.

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