Page 1 of The Prey
1
Hudson Hanan stoodin someone else’s hallway, listening to the sounds of a woman soothing a child back to sleep, and ached hard. Not from the broken arm that had been set the night before, but for what his almost five-year-old son was missing.
A mother. Ryan never really had had one.
Only one woman had ever rocked his son like this, until tonight. Hudson’s twenty-four-year-old sister. But it wasn’t fair that Hudson asked Hala tomotherRyan when the little man needed it.
Hala had her own place now, her own life, her own future. While she gladly helped him out whenever he asked her to, he was always careful not to bog her down withhisdetails. She had her own life to live. He was going to see that happened.
But now…he was almost convinced that ademon womanheld his son.
The most obstinate, hard-headed, stubborn, contrary, utterlydifficultwoman on the planet. So convinced she was right all the time and thatcompassionwould solve all the world’s ills—in spite of the darkness they saw on the job each day. She now satin the living room—rocking his son and singing Ryan a lullaby in a surprisingly angelic voice that caused Hudson’s gut to tighten.
It floored him. For one thing, he’d been staying with her family for two days now—and she’d almost avoided him the entire time. Only at mealtimes had he even seen her.
He hadn’t minded. The last thing he’d felt up to was an argument withher,while staying with her family, atherhome. That would have been awkward and rude, after all. He hadn’t known she was living there again when he’d accepted her brother Gene’s invitation to stay for a week or so. If he had known—hell, no. He’d have avoided the Hiller ranch like the plague.
Gene was one of his closest friends, and Hudson greatly appreciated the rest of the Hiller family and what they had done for him and Hala through the years. Giavonna Hiller was the only thorn in his side where the Hillers were concerned at all.
He crept slowly down the stupidly long hallway, past the othersuitesbelonging to the Hiller siblings. There were eight in this generation. And the house reflected the wealth their father and grandfather had built decades before. Of course each Hiller would have a suite. And there were at least four guest rooms. Gene Hiller’s little boy had his ownsuite,as well. It was just a given.
He wasn’t used to this kind of wealth.He had a nice home in town that he had built five years ago. His house was close to five thousand square feet. It was one of the nicer ones in the Value school district. He’d built it with the future in mind, with plenty of room if he wanted a private practice with a few offices over the garage someday.
Or…if he found a woman and married again, had a few more kids along the way. Not a strong possibility, but…maybe. He definitely wasn’t averse to that idea at all. He remembered whatbeing a part of a larger family was like, and he missed it. He just had Ryan, his sister Hala and his cousin Micah now.
This place was five or six times the size of his home. He wasn’t the kind of man for this place. He’d known that since he was a teenager, running around with Gene and Guthrie Hiller years ago. He hadn’t been there often; he’d just not felt comfortable. He’d remembered wealth, kind parents, and more kids than he wanted to think about.
The younger three had been all girls and quite a bit younger than Hudson. He hadn’t paid them much attention at all. Except the youngest, Greer. She was still his sister’s best friend. But with fourteen years between him and his sister, he hadn’t known the Hillergirlsvery well at all.
Until Giavonna had walked into his office one day three years ago, telling him she was the newest attorney.
He hadn’t had a day of peace at work since.
Giavonna Hiller andpeacedid not go together at all.
Now, it was clear in the dim light just who held his son in her arms.Giavonna. Thiswas the oldest Hiller daughter. The bane of Hudson’s existence completely.
Then he was in the kitchen, looking toward the enormous living room. The living room had a sunken floor. Large sectional couches were on two sides, forming a semicircle, but there were comfortable chairs throughout. Just waiting for someone to sit in them.
Giavonna sat in one near the window, hisson cuddled on her lap with his favorite blanket and stuffed Billy Silly Scraggle-Popp doll clutched tight in one arm. As she rocked.
He had been in the first guest room off the hallway. Even though the walls were thick, he had heard his son’s voice.
But this, he had never expected to seethis…
Giavonna Hiller—in the low light from a table lamp. A different Giavonna Hiller than Hudson ever could haveimagined. Lookinghuman.Her hair was down, long and lightly waved and dark brown. His son’s little fingers were tangled in it. Hudson hadn’t realized her hair wasthatlong.
She wore silk pajamas. Those pajamas were thin, delicate, and feminine. One tiny sleeve hung off one shoulder. A beautiful shoulder that looked pale and almost like cream in the low light.
Holy hell.
Realization struck him hard.That demon beast who tormented him five days a week was…awoman.
An attractive one. A very attractive one. He definitely hadn’t realized that before.
She just rocked, and sang, until Ryan fell asleep right there in her arms. Her hand cupped his son’s head so gently. He watched her brush a kiss on Ryan’s forehead.
She looked so…human. Not like a demon at all.
