Page 21 of To Hunt A Wolf
I look up at him from where I’ve landed on my back. His expression is impossible to read, but I swear I see regret flash before his mouth settles into a hard line.
“You’re out of your league, Mac. Go make a new life for yourself. You deserve to be happy.”
His boots scuff against the loose gravel. Then he’s gone, and my rage is a burning inferno that demands to reduce Levi Wild to nothing but ash—if only I could do the same to my feelings for him.
* * *
Tracking Levi is useless.Not because I won’t find him but because, when I do, we’ll undoubtedly repeat the little song and dance from earlier. I’m not in the mood to end up on my back for that man a second time tonight. Especially because if it happens again, I might just drag him down on top of me and give us both a different kind of ending to our little reunion.
Instead, I find a shitty motel and break into an empty room for the night.
After a hot shower, I pull on a pair of black leggings and a sports bra I found at the gas station grocery store combo on my way over here. I don’t love the idea of stealing, but without money or credit cards, I’m a bit strapped.
Pressing a towel to my wet hair, I eye the bedside telephone.
It’s an olive green thing with a cord that looks stretched beyond its capabilities.
I wander over and pick it up, surprised to hear a dial tone.
Wondering if I’ll regret it, I dial the number and wait.
She picks up on the fourth ring. “Yeah?”
“Mom?”
“Mac.” There’s relief in her voice, but I can already feel her breezing past that to the business side of things. “Where are you?”
“North Carolina. You heard what happened?”
“Yeah.”
“I need you to find a way to get Kari out of there.”
“Honey, you need to worry about yourself right now. If you don’t bring back a body, it’s your head—”
“I know, Mom.”
She falls silent, and I know she’s irritated I didn’t let her finish the lecture.
“Who’s the mark?” she asks finally.
I swallow hard, heart pounding. “No one I can’t handle.”
“I’ll help you hunt if you need it—”
“I didn’t call for help with the mark,” I snap.
Her tone hardens. “I don’t see how being angry with me will help your position. You’re the one who got yourself into this mess, not me.”
Her words slice at me, but I force myself to relax. “Thiago has Kari,” I say as calmly as possible. “If we can get her out, I won’t need to hunt the mark.”
“Kari isn’t my priority. Getting you off Thiago’s radar is.”
“She’smypriority,” I snap. Forcing myself to calm down, I try again. “Look, I called to tell you I’m safe and I’ve got it handled on my end. If there’s anything you can do for Kari—”
“There isn’t. Not without getting myself killed.”
I bite back a slew of curses. “Fine. I guess there’s no reason for this call.”
