Page 32 of Dark Reasons

"Yes."

"How long?"

"What?"

"How long would you stalk me?" she asks, the dip of her frown getting deeper.

My answer comes after a single breath. "Maybe forever."

Jenny dances up beside us with a toothy grin. "Alrighty! What are we getting?"

Tracing my finger over my menu, I nod decisively. "The steak and eggs look good. Cooked bloody rare, please."

"You got it! And for you, sweetie?" she prods Selena.

She stares across at me, still pale, still horrified.

I give her a tiny smile. "Hurry and order. You said you were starving. Unless something changed?"

The tension between us grows. This is her chance—we both know it. My big problem will be explaining to Tusk that Selena isn't a risk to our business, or us. But I can convince him. I'm sure I can.

She'll keep her hands clean. I'll spend my years haunting her from the shadows.

She just has to agree to walk away.

It's easy.

It's safe.

It's fucking smart.

Her smile is sweeter than the smell of syrup that surrounds us. Over her head the TV is showing the red and blue flashing lights of cop cars. "Nothing's changed. I'm as hungry as I've ever been."

Chapter Nine

Selena