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“Right. When you get a shrink, you let me know. Maybe I’ll consider it.” Matrix smirks because he knows I’d never let anyone get that deep into my head. Julia’s as far in as anyone outside the club has ever been, and look where that got her.

“I’m going out to look for him.” I take two steps toward the door, then stop. “Anything on Nitro yet?”

“No. He knows all my tricks. He’s untraceable right now. Until he turns his phone on, he’s also MIA. I can’t blame him. If you’d broken my nose, I’d be pissed, too.”

“How do you know I broke his nose?” My gaze narrows.

“Hospital records.”

“He went to the ER?”

“Probably wanted it set right, so he wouldn’t end up looking like Quasimodo.” Matrix smirks.

“It would be an improvement.”

“Can you say that again, louder for the microphones this time?” Matrix opens his hands in a grand display.

“This place isn’t mic’d up, you asshole.” I laugh because he’s so full of shit that it’s comical.

“Yeah, but it could be.” He arches a brow, warning me not to challenge him.

“If you even think about getting mics installed, I’ll know it.”

“You stay the fuck out of my head.” He’s on his feet and surging toward me.

“Back the fuck off.” I shove him.

“You’ve become a real fucking asshole since this chick showed up. Reaper thinks you’re in love with her. I’m guessing he’s right. Are you going to claim her or what?”

“Fuck off.” I head for the door. “If you get a line on the sheriff, text me.”

“Okay,pres.” His sarcasm almost stalls me, but kicking his ass isn’t on the agenda right now. Besides, he’s obviously dealing with some personal shit if he’s cutting himself again. That’s the only reason I decide to give him a pass this time.

Back on the road, I drive past the sheriff’s department. Most of the vehicles are gone, but a few are left behind in the parking lot. There’s no way he’d come back here. Even his own guys would be obligated to arrest him. If they didn’t, they’d be facing jail time for aiding and abetting. So, if he’s not here, then where else would he go?

I park a half mile down the street and consider my options. His house is the next obvious spot, but wouldn’t the FBI already be staked out there? Still, it’s worth a shot.

Checking that off the list was easier than expected because the place is lit up like a Christmas tree with FBI staging lights. The house is surrounded, but there’s no indication they’re trying to talk to anyone inside, so I highly doubt he’s in there.

I park several blocks over in the same neighborhood and text Matrix to get Julia’s address. It’s a long shot, but the sheriff could have gone there to look for her. Matrix sends it back right away, and I’m off. I arrive ten minutes later at a cute little banana-colored bungalow with little white shutters. Somehow, it’s exactly how I imagined her house would be.

Parking down the street, I walk back through a series of shadows. When I get to her yard, I scout the area to look for signs of a trespasser. The only one trespassing is me, and I hop the fence into the back yard. One of her back windows is unlocked, so I slide it up and hoist myself into a bedroom. It’s sparse. A single, tall dresser sits opposite a white, queen-sized bed. The closet is empty, so I’m guessing it’s a guest room.

A tiny sliver of guilt slices through me. I shouldn’t be snooping around her house under the guise of looking for the sheriff, but who am I kidding? Besides, she’ll never know. I might be able to find out things about her she hasn’t told me. She could have skeletons in her closet, too. Although, I doubt it.

Her living room and kitchen are painted a soft blue. It’s comforting and makes me feel welcome, which is a funny thing to feel while searching her place. She’s going to be mad when she finds out I went through her stuff. I should probably go, but only a few rooms are left.

When I step into her bedroom, her cinnamony scent is everywhere. I grab a pillow off her neatly made bed and press it to my nose, inhaling until my cock starts to get hard. There’s no time for this. Besides, I’m not about to jerk off in her bedroom. That’s just wrong.

However, I do riffle through her underwear drawer like a total creeper. I wish I hadn’t because she’s got this alien-green vibrating beast of a fake-cock that nearly scares the shit out of me when I turn it on to see what it does. I guess she wasn’t lying when she told me she’s been single for a while. It’s a wonder she even wants a man when she’s got a mechanical boyfriend at the ready. This thing needs to go, so I shove it into my back pocket. I’ll get rid of it as soon as I leave.

I need to get the hell out of here before I find anything else I’ll have to toss out. Maybe looking around wasn’t such a great idea after all. She’s going to be mad when she finds out I was here without her. Maybe even furious when she finds out what I did with her toy.

To be thorough, I check the closet to make sure the sheriff isn’t hiding behind her clothes. I’m tempted to grab a few things for her, but she’s been wearing a bunch of stuff Nina picked out, and it looks great on her. Leathers are just as sexy on her as the prim and proper librarian-chic outfits in her closet. It’s just a different brand of sexy.

When I get back to my bike, my dick’s telling me to return to Nina’s so I can show Julia that my cock is a thousand times better than her fake dick. However, I can’t listen to that horny-as-fuck voice right now. I need to focus on finding the sheriff. Then I can go home and fuck her brains out.

I check my phone to make sure there aren’t any more updates. There’s nothing new, so I decide to head back to the clubhouse to check in. Matrix might have some other ideas about where to look.