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“Yeah.”

“How?”

“I grabbed it while on that phone call.”

“So sneaky,” she jokes.

I shrug the best I can while laying on my side in the dirt, “I like surprising you.” Placing a gentle kiss to her forehead, I breathe her in, soaking up the feel of her in my arms. “Now, come on. I need to clean up the house so I can make love to my fiancé.”

Mallory’s face flushes, averting her gaze as she and I get to our feet. “I’m going to start a fire, join me when you’re done?”

“Of course.” I turn toward the house, as behind me Mal brushes the dirt from her clothes. Spinning backaround, I say, “There’s something I wanted to run by you.”

“What’s that?”

“Have you ever thought of working with the dead?”

“Yes… Why?”

“You have?”

“Yes, I just wasn’t allowed to do anything other than support my parents.”

I should’ve known that. I’m glad I killed them, just annoyed I didn’t skin them alive before dropping them in a salt bath. “Would you want to still do that?”

“What are you getting at, Nox? Do you want me to get a job?”

“What? No! I just thought that…maybe…if you worked in a funeral home or something, you’d have a place to…”

She strolls the few paces over to me. “To… What?”

“Uhh…”

“What do I do, Lennox?” she coyly asks while fighting the smile that wants to break free.

Christ, what do I call it? Slice and dice people?Probably not a good phrase.“Satisfy your urges.”

“My urges?”

“Yes…?” I gulp.

“You don’t sound sure.”

“I don’t know what to call it, baby. What’s with the third degree? I’m just trying to let you be you in the safest way possible.”

“I know, I just like to be the one to make you squirm every once in a while.”

What a little trouble maker. She beams up at me, winking before taking off in a run toward the backyard.

Oh, little siren, don’t you know running only makes me want to hunt you?

Chapter Seventy-one

Mallory

Nox dipped back inside to clean up after chasing me around the yard—only to tease me and then tickle me—leaving me horny and annoyed on the back deck to start this fire on my own. It’s almost second nature now, building the base with the kindling. It allows my mind to wander to thoughts of schooling and further employment. I graduated high school with exceptional marks, but could I really go back to school at almost twenty-six years old? The thought of sitting in a classroom gives me anxiety, but I always liked learning about the human body.

“NOX?!”