Page 42 of The Prey (The Hillers of Barratt County #6)

Gia spent a third of the break speaking with a clerk on the second floor. On her way back downstairs, she thought about how far she’d come. A month ago, she never would have imagined being in the courthouse with Jason Clarke and not being terrified out of her mind.

But now…she was handling herself just fine.

And she had an evening to plan. She wanted romantic. She wanted to celebrate.

She just had to figure out how to make it happen. She could text Hala, see if she’d keep Ryan for Hudson all night. Maybe she’d order dinner for them both from the diner. Then…she was getting him out of that blue suit and they were going to celebrate.

Her freedom from what Jason had tried to do to her was a good start. But mostly…they were going to celebrate each other.

She was humming when she stepped through the entryway from the stairway that led to the second floor. And slammed right into a man’s chest.

She looked up.

Into angry blue eyes. And into a face that had snuck into her nightmares far too many times for her to count.