Page 24 of Fanged Desire
"Ew – that's disgusting!" I exclaimed, but Hunter only laughed harder.
"Trust me.” She chuckled, watching the man sip his drink with a kind of fiendish glee. “That guy of all people definitely deserved it."
I raised an eyebrow, tearing my eyes from the travesty on screen. “Do you know that man…”
My voice trailed off as Hunter turned to look at me, her face mere inches from mine. Her gaze was intense as always, but there was a playful twinge to her lips that made my heart race.The sudden closeness sent a jolt through me, rendering me momentarily speechless.
Hunter clearly noticed, the corners of her mouth tilting upwards as she teased me. “What’s that?”
Trying to recover, I cleared my throat and shifted slightly, though I didn’t really want to move away. The small room felt even smaller with her near, her very presence overwhelming.
"Uh – You know him?" I managed to get out, albeit a bit clumsily.
Hunter's smile widened. "Let’s just say, he’s something of a thorn in my side. Can’t say I don’t enjoy watching Elliot get what he deserves." Her voice was tinged with vindictive glee, and she glued her nose to the screen where the red-headed man was now sipping his drink, oblivious to the secret ingredient.
The way Hunter watched the scene with detached amusement made me wonder about the myriad of stories she must have tucked away. Stories I was increasingly eager to hear.
But before I could gather my thoughts and pry further, Hunter’s demeanor changed dramatically. She jerked upright in her seat, head angled toward the door as she lifted a finger to her lips.
I froze, my words swallowed in an instant, and listened for the tell-tale sound of footsteps. Despite my best efforts I heard nothing, but Hunter was already moving, her reaction swift and sure. She leapt to her feet, and in doing so aligned her body against mine. My breath caught in my throat as the close contact left me momentarily breathless.
It didn’t occur to me to step away.
Then I heard it too – footsteps, faint but approaching fast. Hunter’s quick reaction suddenly made sense. She rolled her eyes, reaching the door in two strides. “As predicted, Ethan is useless.”
The casual smirk was gone, replaced by a sharp focus I had come to recognize.
“What the hell do we do now?!” I whispered but I wanted to scream, dancing on my toes as the footsteps grew louder.
The handle rattled, and my stomach dropped. Hunter looked back at me, her expression stern, signaling me to stay quiet. The door creaked open and a staff member – a janitor, by the looks of his uniform – peered inside. He caught my eye and I blanched in response.
The guy looked like he was about to say something, but Hunter was quicker.
She moved impossibly fast, her hand shooting out to grab the collar of his shirt. The man yelped in surprise as she yanked him toward her and leaned in, whispering something indecipherable before he could say another word.
The janitor’s eyes widened for a moment and then glazed over, his face going slack, and Hunter released him.
“You didn’t see anyone in here,” she said smoothly, her voice laced with an almost hypnotic quality as she straightened out his shirt. “You’re just checking the halls like normal.”
I watched with bated breath, frozen in place as Hunter smiled at the guy. “You have somewhere else to be, don’t you? You should get going.”
It was the kind of smile you see in toothpaste commercials, bright and dazzling, and completely out of place considering her menacing tone.
The man nodded slowly, incomprehensibly backing out of the room without another word.
My pulse was racing, but Hunter was already back at the computer, grabbing the flash drive as the download finished. She hit delete on the remaining footage and straightened up. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Wait – Did you justthreatenhim away?” I gaped at her, gesturing at the door where the janitor had been. “What if he tells someone? All of this would have been for nothing.”
“He won’t breathe a word to anyone.” Hunter brushed past me, hauling the door open and beckoning me through it. “Trust me.”
“But I–” I didn’t get to finish my protest as Hunter ushered me down the hallway, steering me out of view of the bouncer rounding the corner ahead of us.
We slipped unseen through the corridors, finally making it to the back door with Hunter still gripping my shoulders. Ethan was waiting outside, leaning against the wall, cigarette smoke curling in the air.
"Did you manage?" he asked, flicking the butt of his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out. His eyes flickered between the two of us, suspicion and concern splicing his expression.
“Next time, keep an eye on the janitor.” Hunter strode past him and then paused, waiting for me to catch up.
