Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 50080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50080 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
I look at him warily. Is he talking about how my pulse tends to race at the slightest hint of violence? Or is he talking about how I didn't hold back at all even when I was beating up another woman? Or maybe he caught me almost smiling—-
Stop assuming things, Kayra!
I lift my chin and pretend I'm Bailey when she's trying to play it cool with her husband for whatever reason. "I'm not sure I'm getting you."
"There's no need to play coy."
Huh?
"I'm not playing—-stop that!"
Rake ignores my slapping hands as he pinches my cheeks.
"Why didn't you tell me my future wife is such a badass?"
No, no, no!
I am not going to make him cockier by letting myself smile—-wait.
Does this mean he doesn't care about seeing the real me?
And why is he still pinching my cheeks, darn it?
"Stop that."
I shove him away as I finally remember what I've come here for, and I'm aware of Rake following behind me to watch my six as I start searching through the apartment. Sweet and misguided of him, as always.
"What are we looking for?" Rake asks.
We get to the master's bedroom, and my steps come into an abrupt halt when I see the most awful painting hanging over the headboard.
"Is that a...vagina?"
Rake chokes.
"Ever heard of GRWK?"
"Guh-ruh-wuck?"
Rake spells it out, and my eyes widen. I know it's been a while since I last went to school, but how is it that people can easily read words or names now without vowels?
"You obviously haven't heard of him," Rake observes with a grin, "but he's one of the most popular artists in recent years—-"
"Because he likes painting vaginas?"
"That's actually an African tulip."
I look at it again, but for the life of me I can't see anything floral—-
Shit.
The look in his eyes tells me that he heard the same thing I did, and both of us start hacking away as the pitiful little cries get louder.
Shit, shit, shit.
It's only when we've flipped the whole bed over that we see underneath it a small rug...used to cover a padlocked door. I use the butt of my gun to break the lock open, and my usually hard-as-stone heart breaks next at what I see.
"Fuck!"
Rake is already on his knees and reaching down for an emaciated-looking dog that has blisters and sores all over its body.
Damn them.
It's times like this when I find myself dangerously close to crossing the line and letting my monster take over.
Will it be really bad to kill people who don't deserve to live?
IT'S ABOUT AN HOUR later when the emergency vet finally comes out and gives us the happy news. Milo the Yorkshire terrier is showing signs of recovery, and we should consider ourselves as real-life heroes for getting him to the hospital in time.
"So..."
Rake's gaze narrows on me as soon as the vet leaves, and it's just the two of us again in the waiting room.
"Are you part of some secret animal-loving cult that thinks tracking down human abusers is their calling?"
How is this man ex-FBI, like seriously?
"Because if you are, I want in."
He is not going to make me smile again like I'm normal.
"But if you're not, this day has opened my eyes, and how do you feel about the two of us starting one? It can be an offshoot of Strakh—-"
I roll my eyes, he grins, and did I just let him tease me into flirting with him again?
"Seriously, though. What the hell did we just do back there?"
I tell him about Yiorgos, who works for a second cousin of mine and whose dog we've rescued from his evil ex-girlfriend's clutches. "She regularly sends him photos to torment him, and when he showed me one of them, I knew I had to take this job."
"And this is why they call you Familia's most skilled tracker?"
"Yes."
Rake rubs his jaw at this, and I automatically grit my teeth to avoid betraying myself with a smile.
"There's more to this than what you're telling me."
"I just do what most others would say no to."
"I don't think that's it."
"I also don't feel fear the way others do?"
Rake shakes his head. "Still not that."
"You're imagining things."
"Doubt it."
"There's no great mystery to solve here—-"
"Not buying it."
I lift my shoulders in a shrug. "Then don't."
"Just make this easy for yourself, darling."
"Are you trying to threaten me?"
"Yes, I believe I am," he says pleasantly, "and if you don't tell me the truth, you'll find yourself tickled to death in public—-and it will embarrass the hell out of you, I promise."
Aargh.
It would have been so much better if he had simply threatened to kill me, darn it.
"I'm the only one who accepts jobs that involves non-human elements."
"Still not buying it."
I can't remember being this humanly tempted to freak out. Why, darn it? Why does this man know me so well?
"Last chance, Kayra." He leans towards me and actually wiggles his fingers like we're a couple about to giggle over tickles.