Page 12 of The Reaper's Vow
“Stop!” I shout, but she only runs faster.
She bursts through the fire exit, an alarm blaring as she hits the cool night air. The sound pierces my sensitive ears, but I don't slow down. The door slams back against the wall as I follow her into the parking lot, my longer strides closing the distance between us.
“I'm not going to hurt you,” I call out, though I know how hollow those words must sound coming from a man she just saw murder someone.
She doesn't look back, doesn't hesitate. Her cat mask flies off as she runs, dislodging in her frantic escape. I lunge forward and snatch the mask from the ground, the leather still warm from her skin. The scent of vanilla and honey clings to it, filling my nostrils and sending a jolt through my system. My fingers tighten around the intricate feline design.
I could track her by scent alone, but something stops me. The mask in my hand feels heavy with significance. A witness. A liability. But my wolf whines, pushing against my consciousness with an urgency I've never felt before.
The distant sound of car tires screeching tells me she's found her escape. I turn the mask over in my hands, examining it in the harsh glow of the parking lot lights. Black leather molded tothe shape of a cat's face, with delicate silver detailing around the eyes and whiskers. Custom work.
“Dom!” Elias's voice cuts through the night as he jogs toward me. “What the fuck was that about? And why are you holding a mask?”
I slip the mask into my jacket pocket before he can get a good look at it. “She saw Marco.”
Elias stops short, “Shit. Are you sure?”
“Dead sure.” I glance back at the club's fire exit, the alarm still blaring inside. “She walked in right after I pulled the trigger.”
“Fuck.” Elias seethes. “Perfect. Just fucking perfect.”
My wolf is still agitated, pacing beneath my skin like a caged animal. The scent of honeyed vanilla lingers in the air, taunting me. I should be focusing on the threat she poses, the danger of leaving a witness alive. Instead, all I can think about is the way she looked at me. Not with the revulsion I expected, but with something else. Something I can't name.
“We need to find her.”
“We?” Elias catches my arm. “Dom, think about this. She's a witness to a murder. You know what that means.”
“I know what it means,” I snap, jerking my arm free from his grip. “But I need to know who she is first.”
“Why? So you can have a nice chat before you put a bullet in her head?” Elias follows me as I stalk toward the main floor. “This isn't like you, Dom. You're usually more...clinical about these things.”
He's right, and that pisses me off even more. I've never hesitated before, never questioned an order. Find the threat, eliminate it, move on. That's what I do. It's why they call me the Reaper. But something about this woman has gotten under my skin, burrowed deep where I can't dig it out.
“Think she came here with Lockhart? If she talks to him?—”
“Then we're fucked,” Elias finishes for me. “I get it. But you need to think with your head, not your...other parts.”
I whirl on him, a growl building in my throat. “That's not what this is about.”
“If you say so.”
I ignore him, turning on my heels and heading back to the club. My wolf is frantic now, desperate to find her. I fling open the door and step back inside.
“We need to check the exits,” I say, already moving toward the front of the club. “Security cameras. Invitations.”
“We'll need Viktor to pull them.” Elias grabs my arm, tugging me toward the security room. “And we need to be discreet about it. My father can't know about this.”
“No shit, Sherlock.”
“Let me handle Viktor. If I tell him it’s for me, he’ll be less likely to run straight to my father.”
I tear my arm free from his grip. “I don't need your help.”
“Clearly you do, because you're acting like a lovesick teenager instead of the Reaper. Get your shit together, Dom.”
I take a deep breath, forcing my wolf to heel. He's right. I'm compromised, and I don't understand why. One woman in a cat mask shouldn't have this effect on me.
“Fine,” I mutter, following him toward the back of the club.
