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Sighing to myself, I grabbed my lion mask off the top of my dresser and tucked it securely under my arm before walking out my bedroom door and fetching my keys off the center table in my living room.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her while I was in the shower. Eve. The mystery woman Phoenix and I had taken a strong liking to over the last few months. Although I’d never seen the real her behind the cat mask, Eve was truly stunning—and goddamn, that woman knew how to suck cock. I wasn’t sure if she’d show up tonight but just in case she did, I wanted my mask with me. I wasn’t sure how to do it without fucking up the investigation, but somehow, someway, I had to warn her. If what Delilah said was true and this bastard really did mistake her for someone else, then he just might be reckless enough to strike again.

After locking up my apartment, I marched down the steps and entered the parking lot. I hopped inside my truck, tossed my mask in the passenger seat, and was on the road in under a minute.

With still no word from Charlotte, I could only assume she hadn’t found anything useful, which to be frank, wasn’t a good sign. Phoenix and I spent all fucking night bouncing from tape after tape until our eyes were painfully strained and bloodshot, and there was nothing—no signs of that bull mask fucker anywhere. Just because we couldn’t find anything didn’t mean Charlotte would, but it also didn’t mean she wouldn’t either. There was still a chance, though, and it was a prospect I was trying to hold onto despite not being able to shake this gut feeling that maybe this guy, whoever the fuck he is, was so much smarter than we’d originally anticipated.

Twenty minutes later I was pulling into The Flirty Sanctum’s lot and had parked in the open spot next to Phoenix, who was leaning against the trunk of his car, waiting for me.

“Nice,” he said, nodding approvingly at my royal blue button-down and black slacks. “You look good, man.”

“We’re basically wearing the same thing,” I grumbled, ready to hurry up and get in the building before the crowd began rolling in. The only difference was Phoenix’s shirt was white and mine was blue.

“I see you brought your mask.” He eyed it profoundly, his dark brows raised. “Let me guess… Eve?”

I nodded, not bothering to deny it.

“Great minds think alike then.” Phoenix walked over to his car door and opened it, fetching his rabbit mask from the driver seat. “I brought mine too. Do you think she'll show up tonight?”

“I don’t know. It’s possible. Do you have the list?”

Phoenix nodded. “Yeah. It’s right here.” He reached inside his back pocket and pulled it out, showing it to me.

“Come on, then. We got less than ten minutes before this place starts filling up.”

The front door was locked, but after knocking three times and having to wait a bit, Felix finally opened the door and let us in.

“The office is set up and ready for you guys,” he said, looking at Phoenix before his eyes fell on me, delivering a wink that made my guts clench with revulsion. The pervy fuck said nothing more and then pranced through the door leading to the bar.

“How do you want to do this?” Phoenix took my mask and rounded the front desk, depositing it with his mask on the top shelf under it. “Do you want to conduct the interviews or stay up here and help Felix?”

I scoffed at him. He knew better than to ask such a stupid question.

“I’d rather get gang banged by a pack of werewolves than work with Felix.”

Phoenix threw his head back, chortling so hard he snorted. “It’s not his fault you’re so damn handsome.” He grinned bigger and waggled his brows at me. “I bet he dreams about choking on that massive co—”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll shoot you in the dick, Phoenix. I’m not even joking.”

He wiped the tears out of his eyes, then nodded, taming his grin. “Fine, I’ll handle Felix.”

Speaking of the prick, he just appeared in the doorway behind Phoenix with his keys in hand, telling us it was time to unlock the doors.

Without another word, I blew out a deep breath and headed to my post.

Two and a half hours later and we had nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero, zip, fucking nothing. It was unnerving. I’d interviewed ten guys, and not only did they not have bull masks, but I could unfortunately account for five of their alibis, due to recognizing their masks and remembering they were in the Red Room with me and Phoenix at the time of Delilah’s attack.

Strangely, the other five was a polyamorous group who conveniently claimed they were all together, and had sworn up and down that they had no desire for a woman’s pussy, and wouldn’t so much as touch one with a ten-foot pole.

They were, um…

Very convincing, to say the least.

Aside from that whole insanely weird encounter, there was one thing all ten of them tactlessly had in common. Nobody claimed to have seen anything or recalled seeing Bull Mask that night. It’d been a while since Phoenix gifted me with more suspects to interrogate, so I decided to get up off my ass and deliver the full update.

“That’s bullshit.” He blew out a flustered breath and angrily shook his head. “Somebody had to have saw something.”

“Maybe, maybe not.” I hated having to say it, let alone think it. “You know how wild and crammed this place gets. Between the bar, lounge, and the Red Room, it’s quite possible everyone was far too busy getting buzzed and being balls deep in joy to notice anything suspicious.”