To Tempt A Tiger (32 page)
She held his intense stare, easier because she couldn’t actually see his eyes, just the shadowed area where his eyes were on his face.
“Are you sad?” he finally said.
“Of course,” she snapped. “What a stupid question.” She realized she’d dropped her guard and instantly put the wall back up.
But for the first time since confronting him, she saw something almost like an expression move across his face—one corner of his mouth lifted fractionally. It might have been a smile, though it could also just as easily have been a facial tick since in the next moment his mouth was flat and emotionless again.
“Is your father going to come looking for you?”
“Stepfather,” she corrected almost without thought, a knee-jerk reaction to distance herself from the man who’d raised her. “And no.” She paused. “At least, not yet.”
“Are you going somewhere?”
That was the question. Was she? Tonight? She wanted to. More than she’d ever wanted anything in her life. But… “No.” She needed her wallet first. “At least, not yet,” she finished with a little smile.
The stranger’s expression didn’t change. “Where are you going?”
“None of your business.”
“Will he come after you?”
She sucked in a breath, then tried to cover her reaction. “Who?”
“Your stepfather.”
She didn’t answer. She honestly wasn’t sure if he would or not.
If you finally report his beloved son, if you try to have Bradley arrested, he will come after you
. The voice sounded a little like her mother’s, mixing with her own. And it was right. Her stepfather would come after her for turning Bradley in, maybe not to kill her but definitely to stop her. He’d have her discredited, maybe even committed—just like he’d threatened her mother with through the years.
That was her best prospect. If Bradley got to her first, he’d kill her. And not in a quick, painless way she was sure.
She swallowed down the panic making her heart beat painfully hard. She blinked a few times to clear away the darkness edging her vision.
She could just run away, as she’d planned, and not do the other part, not go to the cops with what she knew, not give them the limited evidence she had. She could disappear and both her brother and stepfather would probably leave her alone, happy to be rid of her.
She’d be free for the first time in her life.
But could she live with herself if she ignored what she knew about Bradley?
She shook off the question. None of this was this stranger’s business. “Why do you care what I do or don’t do?”
“I don’t.”
She believed him. “What are you doing here?”
He’d been here for hours if he’d seen the ambulance leave. And he wasn’t out for scandalous pictures. It occurred to her she might be facing something as scary as her brother. Oh, she’d known from the first he was dangerous, but she hadn’t felt threatened, despite his scary aura. She was just realizing that maybe she’d been mistaken in that idea.
Her stepfather had always drilled her with the idea that she shouldn’t go out alone; she was worth a fortune to anyone who wanted to kidnap her. Though she personally doubted her stepfather would bother paying a ransom for her, kidnappers didn’t know that. Could this terrifyingly intense, emotionless man be here looking for a ready victim? Staking out the house, waiting for a chance to grab her and try to make some money?
“Is your brother inside?” he asked.
“He is. Why? Do you know him?”
“He murdered my sister ten years ago.”
Paige stopped breathing. For several long heartbeats she simply couldn’t pull in any air.
He’d said it so bluntly, so matter-of-factly. So…emotionlessly.
And with absolutely no doubt whatsoever.
Still, she had to ask, “You’re sure?” She sounded breathless even to her own ears and realized she hadn’t taken a full breath yet. She gulped a few times trying to get enough oxygen to keep from passing out.
“Yes,” he said.
She nodded. She believed him. She was positive her brother had murdered many people over the years. Ten years ago…this man’s sister must have been one of the first. At least, one of the first human victims.
She closed her eyes for a single beat, knowing it was a stupid thing to do around this man, but not caring. He’d lost a sister to her psychotic brother. And she’d kept her knowledge of Bradley’s crimes to herself all this time. Guilt rose over her and crashed onto her shoulders, more powerful than any emotion she felt from losing her mother. She was still conflicted about that. But the guilt…oh, she felt the guilt.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, then opened her eyes and looked right at him. “I’m very, very sorry.”
“You know he’s a killer?”
She nodded.
“Have you helped him?”
“No. At least…” She swallowed. Would he consider the fact that she’d never been strong enough to stop Bradley helping? “No, I never helped him.”
“But you know.”
“I know.”
“Does your father?”
“Stepfather. Maybe. If he does, I’m not sure he cares.”
The man was silent for long enough, Paige wanted to fidget. She didn’t. She stood perfectly still, her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes slightly downcast. She hated this pose—the one she’d been forced into all her life—but it seemed necessary in that moment.
“I’m here to kill your brother,” the man finally said. Just as emotionlessly as he’d said everything else.
The news didn’t surprise her. What surprised her was that he’d waited ten years. “Where have you been?”
He actually frowned at her question, more reaction than she’d seen from him yet. “What do you mean?”
“You said your sister was murdered ten years ago. Why haven’t you tried to kill Bradley before?”
“I have. My people keep stopping me.”
“Your people?” What an odd way to phrase that.
Before she even had time to ponder what he might mean, though, he answered her question.
“The tiger shifters.”
Look for DOWN WILL COME TIGER in Late Fall 2015
Books by Kat Simons
Tiger Shifters Series
5 - To Tempt a Tiger
6 - Down Will Come Tiger COMING FALL 2015
Acknowledgements
First and foremost, a huge thank you to all the readers who are traveling with me on this journey with the Tiger Shifters. I am beyond grateful to you for your support.
Thanks to the wonderful editors and betas I worked with on this book: to Jena at Practical Proofing for her always sharp observations, and Becky and the crew at Hot Tree Editing for their keen attention to detail and fantastic enthusiasm. Thanks all!
To the wonderful people on Facebook and from my newsletter who helped me pick a title for this book: Thank you! I would have had a terrible time trying to choose without you.
Special thanks to the fantastic woman who looks after my youngest for a few hours a week so I can get some work done. Estefania, you’re a star! Thank you.
Thanks to all my mommy friends who bring me out of my fictional worlds to think about something else. And thanks to all my writer friends, who take me out of my mommy brain so I can think about storytelling.
And as always, I must thank my family. I love you guys! Thanks for the balance, for the fun, and for the super support.
About The Author
Kat Simons earned her Ph.D in animal behavior, working with animals as diverse as dolphins and deer. She brought her experience and knowledge of biology to her paranormal romance fiction, where she delights in taking nature and turning it on its ear. After traveling the world, she now lives in New York City with her family. Kat is a stay-at-home mom and a full time writer.
For more on Kat and her books:
Website:
http://www.katsimons.com
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