Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 31905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 31905 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 160(@200wpm)___ 128(@250wpm)___ 106(@300wpm)
King had many talents, but his expertise was in forgery. He was also a former CIA agent. If anyone could pick up information out of ink and paper, it would be him.
I pulled out the map I’d drawn and spread it out on the table. “As a matter of fact, I think I can narrow down our search parameters to a town where the stalker either lives or works.”
I explained my method for the findings, and we agreed that it made logical sense. It was at least a place to start.
“I’ll get you a list of stores in that area who sell printers,” I told King.
“This one is fast and on the higher end, but I still think it’s a household printer and not larger office equipment.”
I nodded and typed a few thoughts onto my computer notepad.
“You read all of the letters?” Blaze asked thoughtfully.
I shook my head. “Just got ’em from Thea yesterday and gave them straight to Ash.”
“Why don’t we go over them together and see if anything pops out at one of us?” he suggested.
It couldn’t hurt, so I withdrew the stack of letters and began reading them aloud. Halfway through the first one, I recognized a specific sentence. I tapped on it and mused, “That’s a line from Monster Unmasked.”
Instead of reading the rest aloud, I did it silently so I could get through them speedily. In each one, I stopped and pointed out at least one line, sometimes more.
“This is from Snowbound.
“This one is from Sweetest Revenge.
“This one from The Monster Behind the Mask.
“Under the Blanket of Stars.
“The Spy’s Return.
“The Darkest Hour.”
On and on, line after line.
“Most of these lines are lifted directly from Thea’s books. But they aren’t ones you’d see in teasers, reviews, or any kind of marketing. This guy really knows these books.”
“We sure the stalker isn’t Wizard?” Echo said suddenly.
“The fuck?” I grunted, my head snapping up.
He shrugged, his face deadpan, but his eyes full of laughter. “You recognized all those lines, too. Either you know the books as well as the stalker, or it’s you.”
“Shut the fuck up, dickhead,” I growled.
“Wasn’t a denial,” he crowed.
“I am not Thea’s fucking stalker!”
“Maybe not,” Ace conceded, “but you’ve clearly read her books.”
“Research,” I grunted. Then feeling guilty for being embarrassed, I added, “She’s a fucking amazing writer. Don’t care what genre it is. Until one of you reads a book Thea wrote, we’re done talking about this.”
Predictably, no one had a retort for that challenge.
“Keep working your angles,” King said, changing the subject. “Anyone finds something, keep us all in the loop.”
After a few more minutes of strategizing, everyone except Blaze, King, and me filed out.
“Something else on your mind, Wizard?” Blaze queried.
“Need a vest,” I grunted. “With a property patch.”
“Saw that coming,” King drawled. “Lucky for you, the shipment of extra vests came in a couple of days ago.”
“Also made a deal with a store in town that will get the names embroidered on there in twenty-four hours,” Blaze added.
“Thanks.” I nodded as I stood, then lifted my chin at them in parting before I left to go find my woman.
10
THEA
My first two days at the Hounds of Hellfire compound were exciting—mostly because I lost my virginity and had way more sex than I expected so soon afterward. I assumed that the third would be pretty boring, but I was proved wrong late in the evening when one of the prospects brought another bouquet with a note for me. Not that I actually saw it because Wizard thrust his hand between us to grab the flowers before I could take them from the guy.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he growled.
The prospect’s eyes widened, and he gulped before answering. “Um…these flowers were dropped off for your woman, so I brought them in for her.”
“You got one thing right…she’s my woman,” Baylor snarled. “If shit gets delivered here for her, it comes to me. Got it?”
The prospect nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good, now get back to the gate.”
The kid—who probably was about my age but seemed much younger—ran out the door of the clubhouse as though his pants were on fire.
“You didn’t have to be so mean,” I chided with a sigh.
“I sure as fuck did,” Baylor disagreed, yanking the card from the flowers before striding to the bar to drop them into the garbage. “This is a safe place for you. Nothing is supposed to touch you while you’re here.”
I was about to point out that the prospect hadn’t purposely done anything to hurt me, but I pressed my lips together when he started to read the note. My words dried up at the fury in his dark eyes, and I whispered, “How bad is it?”
“Worse than the last one,” he grunted. “He’s pissed that you’re here with me. Doesn’t get why you think you had to come to the club for protection when he’d never hurt you. He threw in some threats to me, which I expected. But the part that really pisses me off is that he might need to do something to you that he’ll regret if you don’t stay away from me when you’re supposed to be his.”