Samantha screamed his name so loudly she had no doubt Crystal could hear it across the hall and would be bringing up the subject tomorrow. But right then, she didn’t care. And yeah, this time, she might have passed out…just a little.
Trey slipped into the master bathroom to clean up and was back in bed with her by the time she pulled herself back. Dragging the blue paisley comforter over them, he lay on his side, head propped up on the palm of his hand while his other hand casually traced circles through the moisture still glossing the skin of her stomach.
Samantha gazed at his mouth, then his eyes, looking for a glimpse of fangs or glowing eyes, but there was nothing unusual to see now. She absently lifted her hand to run her fingers over the skin where her neck and shoulder met. The area was a little tender and slightly raised up…like a welt. She glanced at Trey out the corner of her eye to see that, while he didn’t exactly appear to be panicking, there was definitely something in his eyes. Guilt, maybe?
If anyone should feel guilty here, it was her. She took a deep breath. It was time to come out and put her cards on the table, then give him a chance to do the same.
Samantha opened her mouth to start, but Trey started talking first. He stopped when he realized he was interrupting, and they ended up stopping and starting twice before he held up his hand.
“You first,” he murmured with a soft chuckle.
She laughed nervously as she gathered her courage, trying desperately to think of what she could say that wouldn’t make her sound like the worse stalker on the planet.
Then Trey’s phone rang.
Samantha seriously didn’t think he would answer it, especially since she was about to say something so important, but before she knew it, his perfect, naked ass was leaping out of bed and digging through the jeans on the floor to come out with his cell phone.
“Conner, this had better be important,” he muttered the moment he thumbed the green button on the screen. “I was in the middle of something.”
Whatever Connor said must have been serious because Trey’s whole body stiffened.
“That’s not even five minutes from here,” he said, reaching for boxer briefs. “I’ll meet you there.”
Trey dropped his phone on the bed, then hurriedly pulled on his underwear and jeans before snatching up his shirt. “Someone thinks they saw the Butcher carrying a body through the woods not far from here. Connor and the other guys are on the way, but I’m closer and can get there first. I have to go. I’m sorry.”
Before Samantha could say anything one way or the other, Trey kissed her hard on the lips, then turned and ran for the door, leaving her to figure out what the hell she was supposed to do now.
Chapter 14
“I want your word that you won’t even think about getting out of this truck,” Trey said as he pulled off Mountain Creek Parkway onto the narrow road leading deeper into the Cedar Ridge Preserve.
Samantha remained silent in the seat beside him for so long Trey was sure bringing her with him had been the dumbest idea of the century. Right up there with how they’d decided to end the TV show Game of Thrones.
“You don’t have to worry about me staying in the truck,” she finally said. “I’m an ME, not a cop. I have no interest in dealing with any suspect until he or she stops moving.”
Trey could tell from Samantha’s elevated heart rate that she was nervous. Of course, those nerves had started building long before she’d demanded he take her with him to the heavily wooded area only a short trip from her apartment complex.
He’d first picked up on the tension filling her beautiful body shortly after coming back from the bathroom. It was obvious she’d been trying to tell him something important before Connor called. It was possible she was having one of those defining the relationship moments, but part of him had hoped she would broach the subject of her stalking him and the Pack. Maybe admit she knew they were werewolves or at least confess to stealing his blood. When she’d gotten stuck, Trey had tried to talk first, finally deciding to tell her what he was. Then the phone had rung, and a minute later, both of them had been dressed and running for his pickup. Bringing her with him was stupid, no doubt. But it wasn’t like he could have stopped her from following if he’d left her back at her place. At least this way, he knew where the hell she was.
“There’s no one else here yet,” Samantha announced unnecessarily as he turned into the gravel parking lot surrounded by acres of thick pine forests and one poorly lit building that held the park’s education center. “You’re going to wait for backup, right?”
Trey shook his head as he reached for the door handle. “There’s no time for that. It’s been at least ten minutes since the witness who called Connor saw the man carrying a body into the preserve from the direction of the Mountain Creek subdivision. Even if the suspect was moving slowly, he’s probably already on the way back out of the woods. I have to try to cut him off before he reaches the perimeter of the preserve.”
“What kind of witness would be out here this late at night?” she asked desperately as Trey stepped out of the vehicle. “And if they saw the Butcher, why would they call Connor instead of 911?”
Trey sighed. He really didn’t have time for this. But that didn’t keep him from turning around to lean back in to look at her.
“The witness who called Connor was out here in the woods looking to score some drugs. Nearly every street cop in the DPD knows him, but Connor has helped the guy out a few times, so he called him first. Connor called dispatch the second he got off the phone with me. The cavalry will be here soon, but it won’t matter if the Butcher is already gone.”
“But what if it’s not the Butcher?” she pressed.
He bent down a little lower, catching her eyes. “Whoever this person is, if they were actually carrying a body, I have to stop them because there’s no scenario where a man in the woods in the middle of the night with a body is a good thing. I have to go, Samantha. This is my job. Connor and my other teammates will be here soon.”
Samantha looked like she was close to crying but nodded and sat back a little in her seat. “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will,” he assured her. “I left the keys in the ignition, so lock the doors after I get out. There’s a flashlight under the seat, but if you feel the slightest bit nervous about being in this parking lot alone in the dark, I want you to start the vehicle and get the hell out of here, okay?”
He closed the door before Samantha could start asking questions about whether she had a good reason to be apprehensive. As he headed south past the education center, he fingered his badge, hanging by the chain around his neck, then slipped a hand down to make sure his off-duty weapon was secure in its ankle holster.