Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Lee snickers as he shucks his cleats. "You want what we all want and have yet to find. Good luck, man. I hope when you find her, you're able to keep her."
I shrug. "Maybe, maybe not. That depends mostly on her, I suppose. The more she doesn't want me, I think, the more I'll enjoy The Hunt. That's my goal. The ultimate hunt and the ultimate prize."
I want very few things in life. Given my money and my father's legacy, there is nothing I can't have except this: the perfect chase.
It disturbs me how much I need it. How much I've thought about nothing else recently. Maybe tomorrow will be the night. When you have as little control over your life and the things that happen in it as I do, something as simple as a little chase in the woods can make or break you. It’s one singular thing I have a choice about.
I clench my fists again and stand, shoving off my pants and tossing the rest of my kit into my locker. Shower first, then I have a nerd to hunt down. I check my phone again, and I’m not surprised when there's no response to my text. The little shit will regret keeping me waiting. I paid him five hundred up front for that paper, and if he thinks he can stiff me, he's sorely mistaken.
It doesn't take me long to shower and throw my wash into the designated bags. I make sure to shoulder-check the glowering teammate who thought he could take me on the way out. Ruckus or Tucker, maybe. I don't remember his name.
The guys watch me go and say nothing as I head out, hair still wet, in my hoodie and jeans. On the way through the training center to outside, I shoot the little asshole a text telling him to respond before I hunt him down and beat the shit out of him.
I stop to fill my water bottle from a fountain on the path while I wait for him to respond. The idiot reads the text but doesn't answer. If that's how he wants to play it, so be it. Unfortunately, some people aren’t nearly as intelligent as they think. I don’t pay nerds to do the work because I can’t do it myself. I pay them because it’s easier to have someone else do it. I don’t have time to waste on writing papers or doing research. But it only works if the person I hire actually does the work.
I stalk across the quad, heading toward the place I first found him: the library. It's not even a half mile, and the slight chill in the air cools the simmering rage in my veins into something sharper and more sinister as I walk.
A flitty little blonde rushes up to my side, matching my pace to talk to me. "Drew, I heard that tomorrow is the big night."
I give her little more than a grunt of agreement. "So?"
She bats her long, fake eyelashes, now practically running to match my long stride. "Well, I was hoping for an invitation. I have some friends I could bring along for some fun."
I stop, and the halt makes her lose her balance. I wait to see if she falls, but she doesn't. "What kind of friends?"
Out of breath now, her smile widens. "Oh, I have a lot of friends. I guess it depends on the type you’re after?”
I narrow my eyes and scan down her low-cut top and skintight leggings. She’s dressed as if she’s ready to go frolicking through the woods at this very moment. "How about someone with a little innocence? Know anyone like that?"
She taps her chin, considering what I’ve asked, but her eyes have a knowing twinkle. "Well, I have a few who might fit. I'll ask them to come in exchange for an invitation of my own and some tips on how to bag one of your crew."
I tip her chin up gently, towering over her, and lean in. "Sure, come along, but you'll have to figure out how to catch their eye on your own."
Not so gently, I shove her back a few steps. "Meet at the Mill House at sunset, tomorrow."
I walk away without looking back. There's a small chance she might have what I'm looking for, but it sure as hell isn't her.
The rest of the walk to the library is uneventful, mostly because everyone else on the path takes one look at my scowl and doesn't even try to approach me. Good, that’s how I like it. I keep up the nice guy image for appearances only, but I’m about as nice as a crocodile that hasn’t eaten in months.
I take the stairs to the library entry two at a time and push through the glass doors. It's a big space, being the only library on campus, so it might take time to find the scrawny little fucker. Especially if he’s doing his damnedest to hide from me.