Page 34 of The Prey
“Ryan’s at the ranch?” Gia asked. The last she’d heard, Ryan was having a sleepover with Aunt HalaatHala’s apartment.
“Hala texted me an hour ago. Grady drove over and picked Hala and Ryan up for the night. Something about marshmallows with Calvin, and going on an adventure to see an old magical pony who lives under the moon and sometimes grows wings.”
“I didn’t know that,” Gia said. “The only pony we have is the one most of us learned to ride on. She’s Grady’s precious baby. He’s probably taking the boys up to tuck her in for the night or something again.”
Her brother liked to make up stories to tell Calvin at night. Gia had recorded some of them. She was working on illustrations in her spare time. She planned to have them printedinto a hardback book one day. Just for Grady to have for his own children someday. And for Calvin to keep and remember.
“Well, I haven’t exactly had the chance to speak with you alone, have I? You haven’t danced with me even once.”
“And I’m not going to. You have been a butthead all night and you know it.” The last thing she wanted was to be pressed up against Hudson Hanan tonight. Everyone around them went quiet.
“Well, that settles it,” Murdoch said. “Hudson will gladly take Gia home. Perfect.”
She was cornered, and they all knew it.
And it did make the most sense. His son was already there. It wasn’t like he’d planned this.
Or had he? He had her—and they both knew it. The rat.
No. Gia was going to let him drive her home, and then she was going to escape as quickly as she possibly could. She needed time to strategize here.
Because…the crazy man had changed everything.
And she didn’t know what to do now.
“You can’t hide from me forever, you know.”
24
Sweat was already soakingthe collar of his shirt, and not just because the heat in his damned apartment was jacked up and he couldn’t get the damned thermostat to work at all. Jason was beyond pissed. He hadn’t been able to get a damned thing accomplished tonight. Here it was, a damned Friday night, and he was sitting at home, fucking alone. Because those assholes in Wichita Falls had it out for him.
He’d canceled his plans with the only decently hot woman in Value, so he could sit at home andthink.Figure out what he wanted to do next.
Everyone in the fucking world had it out for him now, apparently. Even the people he’d once thought were his friends. Some friends they were. Assholes.
A guy from Wichita Falls had emailed wanting to know what kind of shit he’d gotten messed up in to get him sent back to Barratt County. Asked if he knew someone was digging into his previous cases now for some reason.
Someone withpull,with connections.
Jason hadn’t beensent back. He was back in Barratt County to regroup.
To figure out another plan.
Because of Hudson fucking Hanan. Jason justknew…it was Hanan fucking around, looking through Jason’s previous cases. Probably calling on his Barratt buddy to pull some fucking strings. Mac Barratt was pals with the governor, even.
Hanan was one of the only few men in Value who would have connections.
Trying to bring Jason down again.
Probably because of her. That bitch. She’d been waiting all this time, just to get even with him.
He’d seen the way Giavonna had been eyeing him in court.
He so wanted to put that bitch in her place.
Giavonna had smiled at Hanan. Not that polite, businesslike smile she used to give everyone else. They had to be screwing around with each other. It made sense. And why wouldn’t they be?
She was right in front of Hanan every single day. And was the hottest woman in the entire damned town. Of course Hanan had fucked her by now. The guy could only hold out so long. Jason knew that for a fact. Hanan was screwing her—he had to be. He’d even pulled her real close when they’d been walking out.
