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“I don’t think you have to worry about her. She can’t be his mate. If she were, he wouldn't be mad at her, and they would be together,” she says as if that clears everything up.

“What? Mates? Vampires have mates too? What does that mean?” I gasp, taking short breaths, fighting nausea churning in my stomach from the confusion swirling through me.

“How about I make us something to eat to soak up the alcohol, and I can answer all your questions.” She nods, opens the freezer, and pulls out some pizza.

“I only had one beer.” I glare.

“It’s more for me. I’m super drunk.” She smiles and starts the oven.

Fuck.

Chapter Seven

Ryker

I’m going through the files on the killings when Bash finds me. “Hey, I’ve been reading the files again. These people are careless. They don’t cover their tracks like a mastermind would. All the bodies are dumped with their identification, in the same clothes they get taken in. I don’t get it. They don’t seem worried about getting caught,” I say.

“Why is Samantha off tonight? She’s supposed to work.” He sits in front of me.

“I switched her days off. She caused problems last night with Serenity,” I say, distracted by the latest victim.

“Ah, it didn’t go as smoothly as you thought.” He grins.

“No. Samantha was a total bitch. I overheard her last night,” I grumble.

“She knows you can hear everything, so maybe she did it on purpose. Get your attention.”

“I don’t think so. She had real fear. I brought her to the office and made things clear. I changed her schedule. Most of the week, she is off when Serenity is working.”

“Think she’ll back off now?” he asks.

“She better, or else she won’t have a job anymore. It was convenient until it was not. Now that I have a mate, I will never touch anyone but her.” Just the thought of someone else brings me pain.

“How does it feel?” Bash sits forward in his chair, watching me intently.

“Like the world is a different place than it was the other day. Now I am living for her. For her safety and happiness. I have a constant pit in my stomach because I can’t see her every minute. Last night I followed her home and sat outside her house like a stalker asshole. I parked down the street, the windows up and the music on to not invade her privacy. What have I come to?” I shake my head. “Going from not caring about much to her being the center of everything is a shock.”

“When are you going to tell her what you are?”

“That’s the big question running around my mind. What’s the rule for this? From what I have heard, I know she hasn’t had great luck with men. I’m not sure I want to know the extent of what she went through. I feel if I do, it’s going to involve lots of blood and a dead man.”

“I’ll gladly help,” Bash growls. His eyes glow with eagerness.

“I won’t need any, but you can watch,” I smirk.

He nods his head. “Maybe we need to look at your enemies.”

“That will be a long list.” Sorting through everyone I hurt will take years. None in the past few years come to mind. I may piss someone off daily but not severe enough for this. “What’s the point? The only way they can hurt me is by hurting my mate.”

Tristan bursts through the door, a panicked look on his face. “Ryker, we have another body.”

“Shit. Where did they find it?” I ask.

“That’s the thing. It’s in the alley behind the club.”

Bash and I jump up. “Fuck, who found it?”

“The bartender. He’s freaked the fuck out. I have him downstairs waiting for you. Brian is with the body.”