What did Bowen have planned? What kind of devastation would he cause? Why couldn’t Caine get Abel off his fucking brain?

  He looked at his phone when it started to vibrate. Unknown caller. Caine picked it up and answered.

  “Trouble is heading your way. Get out of there.”

  “Who is this?” Caine looked toward the door. He tossed some cash onto the counter and went to the men’s room, but he didn’t get an answer.

  The person had already hung up.

  After tucking his phone away, Caine looked around. The room was small, had no window, and stunk. He cut off the light and used the darkness to travel to…

  Fuck, why was he back in Maple Grove? Why had Caine come here when he needed to find out who had just called him and what kind of trouble had been heading his way?

  He stood on the side of the gas station. The night was quiet, only broken by the sound of crickets. A rusty truck pulled to one of the pumps. A few cars passed by on the street. Caine stayed hidden in the shadows as he watched the small town.

  When the young guy from the rusty truck went inside, Caine moved a bit closer and peered around the corner, looking through the large glass, but made sure he couldn’t be seen.

  He cloaked himself, making his corporeal form fade until he was invisible, and then walked inside. No one would know he was there.

  The stranger went to the coolers. A few others were inside. Abel was behind the counter, watching everyone. There was more caution in the human’s eyes than he’d had before. His gaze followed the people in the store, as if he were trying to assess the level of danger each one presented.

  A guy walked from a room behind the counter. His nametag said he was Craig. The human had blond hair, blue eyes, and was much taller than Abel.

  “I got this,” Craig said. “You can straighten up. I know you’d rather clean than be stuck behind the counter.”

  Abel looked as if he didn’t want to leave his spot but walked to the first aisle, still watching everyone.

  Then his gaze landed on Caine. There was no way Abel should’ve been able to see him, but the guy’s dark brows hiked toward his hairline as he stared right at Caine’s face.

  What the hell?

  Chapter Three

  Abel’s heart did a somersault when he spotted Caine by the counter. How had he missed the guy coming in? Abel had been watching every single person who came and went since starting his shift a few hours ago.

  But there Caine stood, looking like some badass warrior with his Spartan abs and rugged good looks. Abel held his breath when Caine started toward him. Why was he back? Hadn’t he said he had more pressing problems to take care of?

  Not that Abel wasn’t happy to see him, and a bit intimidated. He still felt as if there was something off about Caine.

  “How?” Caine’s dark brows furrowed as his eyes narrowed. “How the hell can you see me?”

  Again with the odd questions. Abel was beginning to think Caine just might have some kind of mental disorder. He already had enough crazy in his life. Abel didn’t need another wacko taking interest in him.

  “Because you’re standing right in front of me.” Abel noticed how strangely Craig was staring at him. His coworker probably looked at Caine as a threat and wondered if he should call the cops.

  More specifically, Aaron.

  Abel had been at work for two hours, and already Aaron had driven through the parking lot of the gas station three times. He’d asked for a double shift so he could keep an eye on Abel.

  Abel had known his brother would be overprotective, but he had no idea Aaron would become sleep deprived over his safety. Abel was half expecting him to show up and storm in there, demanding to know who Caine was.

  The behemoth did tower over him.

  Caine shook his head. “No, that’s not what I meant. You shouldn’t be able to see me at all.”

  “Why?” Abel asked. “You some kind of magician or a man in need of medication?”

  Craig moved from behind the counter and slowly approached Abel. “Are you okay?”

  Caine stood there still staring at Abel with a strange look in his eyes.

  “I’m fine.” Abel pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled, in desperate need of a vacation. “He might look intimidating, but I think he’s harmless.”

  Craig took Abel’s hands in his. “Hon, no one is there. You’re talking to yourself.”

  Abel started to argue but curled his lips in. Caine was capable of doing some weird things. Could he really be invisible?

  Abel looked at Caine but kept his mouth shut. He didn’t need Craig thinking he’d gone off the deep end. That would be another thing Abel would have to explain to Aaron.

  “No one can see or hear me.” Caine’s lip curled as he looked at Craig’s hands holding Abel’s. “You shouldn’t be able too, either.”

  “This is nuts.” Abel pulled his hands from Craig’s.

  “Maybe it’s stress,” Craig said in a voice reserved for small misbehaving children. Firm but soft.

  “I’m not talking about that,” Abel huffed, ready to tell Craig to shove his toddler tone up his ass. “I’m taking a break.” He glared at Caine. “You better come with me.”

  Craig’s brows were drawn as Abel slammed his hand against the door and went outside. Aside from the lights inside the store and above the pumps, it was pitch-black out there. He spun and glared at Caine.

  “Tell me what’s going on. You got rid of my would-be robber with some puffs of smoke from your hand, and now you’re telling me that no one but me can see you.” Abel moved to the side of the station so no one saw him talking to himself. “None of that should be possible.”

  “This is all a hallucination,” Caine said.

  “And you’re full of shit.” Abel damn near shouted the words but managed to keep his voice down. His coworker already looked at him like he was losing it. “You’re not a figment of my imagination.” His brows shot up. “Tell me you’re not my stalker!”

  If Caine was, Abel was in serious trouble. There was no way he could defend himself against such a big, muscled, gorgeous, badass who had dreamy, mysterious eyes and…whoa. That got weird fast.

  Caine grunted. “Don’t flatter yourself. If I wanted you, I’d have you.”

  Either Caine was that confident or he was a walking warning sign not to trust strangers. “You just take what you want?”

  Abel stepped back.

  A deep rumble of laughter sounded from Caine’s chest. “You’d willingly give yourself to me.”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “You have no idea.” Caine’s features darkened as he turned and looked over the parking lot. Why did Abel feel as though he’d just hurt the guy’s feelings?

  Why on god’s green earth did he care? “You’re dodging my question. What’s going on, Caine?”

  “Nothing.” Caine looked back at him.

  Abel didn’t know why, but he wanted to know Caine’s secrets. What is that saying? A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma? Something to that effect, but that was Caine.

  “What are you?”

  Caine dragged a hand over his bearded jaw. “Complicated.”

  “No shit.” His half-assed replies were driving Abel crazy. “Why can’t you just give me a straight answer? I wasn’t hallucinating any of the things you can do.”

  “Why?” Caine snarled at him. “Why can’t I just walk away from you? You’re like this bothersome gnat that keeps flying around my head that I don’t have the heart to swat.”

  “You really don’t have people skills, do you?” Abel placed his hands on his hips. “Insulting me isn’t going to make me go away. I want answers.”

  “You’re not gonna get them.” Caine nodded toward the front of the station. “Go back inside.”

  “Because you have more pressing matters to handle?”

  Caine jabbed a beefy finger at him. “Go. Back. Inside.”

  Abel slapped the finger away. “Not. Until. You. Answer. Me.”

  “Fine, be someone’s bait.” Caine walked away. Abel couldn’t believe he’d just up and left. He watched as Caine strode down the street until he couldn’t see him anymore.

  Now the night seemed ten times creepier. Abel looked around as he rubbed his arms. What if his stalker was watching him at that very moment? That spurred Abel to hurry back inside to the bright lights and a false sense of safety.

  “Did the fresh air help?” Craig brought him a cup of ice water. “Just chill behind the counter. I’ll make sure everything is stocked and cleaned up.”

  “Thank you.” Abel took the cup with him. He was spitting mad that Caine had the ability to make him so angry. Abel shouldn’t give a rat’s bottom about the guy. He’d never met anyone who infuriated him so much.

  Craig leaned an arm on the crowded counter. “Just let me know if you need anything. We all have our moments of losing our shit.”

  Abel wished the guy would leave him alone. He wanted to stew in his anger, but he also wanted Caine to come back. Abel gave Craig a tight smile and turned to count the cigarettes. He didn’t have to do that until close to his shift ending, but Abel wanted to stay busy.

  Come morning, Abel was asking his boss to put him on the day shift. There would be a lot more customers, and Abel would be able to see more than darkness past the large glass windows.

  Once he clocked out, Abel was also calling Caine. He was going to get the answers he was after, even if he had to hound Caine for them.

  God, what the fuck? Now he sounded like a stalker.

  Fine, he would simply forget Caine existed. That would be better for his sanity. Besides, he had a plastic bowl of fish sticks waiting for him. He had skipped dinner, and now he was starving.

  * * * *

  “Thought you could get away with robbing us and we wouldn’t be able to track you down?”

  And it has begun. Caine knew sooner rather than later Bowen would do something while wearing his “Caine suit,” but did the bastard have to rile up Carisio and his band of thugs?

  Caine hadn’t gone far. He’d wanted to keep an eye on Abel. The guy seemed legit scared, and Caine was still wondering why the fuck he cared so much.

  “Look.” Caine turned to face the demon. “Whatever you think I did, I didn’t do. It was me, but not me.”

  “You’re gonna pay me back the ten grand you stole.” Carisio was the biggest demon Caine knew. The guy was over seven feet tall with red skin, and was wide as a house. No kidding. From what Caine had heard, Carisio had racked up the body count.

  “Since when have you known me to sink that low?” Caine looked toward the store. He should’ve stayed invisible. Why hadn’t he? You know why. You were hoping Abel would take another break and the two of you could talk.

  It was more than talking that had crossed Caine’s mind. He liked how the human didn’t take any shit from him. Caine also liked how compact and sexy Abel was. He wouldn’t make a bad bed partner.

  “It was you,” Carisio snarled.

  Caine dodged the beefy hand, which was the size of a small kid. Not really, but they were huge. He didn’t want to be another of the demon’s casualties.

  “It was a chameleon shifter,” Caine argued. “I fucked up and touched him, and for some sick reason, he’s out to destroy my name.”

  Carisio snorted. “Likely story.” He followed Caine’s gaze and grinned. “Have my money by the end of the week, or your little lover in there is mine.”

  “Go anywhere near him and I’ll turn your brain into jelly,” Caine snarled, solidifying Carisio’s suspicion about Abel. He should’ve just kept his mouth shut. Now Abel was not only dodging a stalker but he would be Carisio’s bitch if Caine didn’t get this matter settled.

  “Try that smoke shit with me and your body will never be found,” Carisio countered. The demon’s power was unbelievable strength. If he got his hands on Caine, Caine would be pulverized so badly his body would be unrecognizable. He was a high-ranking demon, but even they had weaknesses. Caine was immortal, but not impervious to death. He considered himself lethal, and not too many beings gave him pause.

  But Carisio did. It seemed Bowen was going after the biggest and baddest in an effort to get Caine killed. But why? This had to be about more than respect. What was Bowen planning on gaining from this, a more solid reputation? He wanted people to fear him. That had been clear, but Caine’s gut told him there was more to it than that.

  Now he had a week to catch Bowen and right any wrongs that he’d done, or Abel would pay the price. Sure, Caine could hand over ten grand, but fuck that. He wasn’t about to run around paying off people because of the shifter.

  Caine would be broke in no time if that was Bowen’s plan.

  “One week,” Carisio grunted before he stalked off.

  Caine cursed. He looked toward the large window and saw Abel sitting behind the counter, nibbling on what looked like fish sticks as he watched the people in the store.

  Caine was split. He needed to find Bowen, but he didn’t want to leave Abel unprotected. What if Carisio was lying and came back to steal Abel away?

  Fuck. Caine knew how to get himself into a bind. He would just wait until Abel got off work and…what? Take the human with him as he tracked Bowen down?

  That was a ridiculous idea, but it would also allow Caine to keep an eye on Abel. Unfortunately, it would also allow Caine’s enemies to get an up-close look at the human, which would put Abel in even more danger.

  Whatever Caine chose had its cons. He scrubbed a hand over his face and hunkered down, waiting for Abel to clock out. Hopefully in the next few hours he could come up with a better plan.

  * * * *

  “You didn’t have to follow me home,” Abel said when he parked his car in his spot behind the building. “I know you’re tired from working two shifts.”

  “And I have to make sure my baby brother is okay.” Aaron walked to the back door. “I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to you.”

  Since leaving work Abel had felt as though someone was following him. He’d checked his mirrors, but other than Aaron, he didn’t see any cars tailing him.

  Still, Abel couldn’t shake the feeling. He might have been telling Aaron not to go through all this trouble, but he was glad his brother was here for him.

  “Let me check your apartment to make sure it’s safe. Then you can go inside.” Aaron led the way up the fire escape. It wasn’t Abel’s favorite way to his apartment. He had a small fear of heights, and since he lived on the third floor, looking down made him grip the metal tighter.

  Abel handed Aaron his keys. When they were inside, he felt like he could breathe again. His brother went from room to room, making sure no one was hiding behind a door or in a closet as Abel walked to the front door and opened it.

  Nothing. No roses or pieces of paper were waiting for him. Thank god. Abel had a foolish hope that the stalker would lose interest in him.

  He’d started to close the door when he spotted Caine coming up the steps. The guy looked around before his gaze landed on Abel. “Glad to see you made it home safely.”

  Caine was a hard man to figure out. He acted as though he was concerned for Abel’s safety one second, and the next he was walking away. Abel just didn’t get the guy. “You might as well come in.”

  Abel stepped aside as Caine walked inside. Aaron came from the back bedroom and looked around. “I thought I heard you talking to someone.”

  Caine was standing right next to him, so the guy must’ve gone invisible again, another thing Abel was trying to wrap his head around. Why wouldn’t he show himself to Aaron? What was with all the cloak and dagger?

  “I was saying that I’m gonna take a shower and get some rest. You should go home and do the same.” Abel gave his brother a hug. “Thanks for everything.”

  “I see you told him about your stalker,” Caine said. “That’s good. The police can keep you safe. I just wanna know why you’re hugging the cop.”

  “He’s my brother if you must know.” Abel released Aaron.

  “What?” Aaron furrowed his brows. “Who’s your brother? What’re you talking about?”

  Abel was gonna get locked up in the loony bin if this kept up. “Just exhausted. Don’t pay any attention to me.”

  “Lock your doors,” Aaron advised. “If a stranger knocks, don’t answer. Call me.”

  Abel wasn’t going to do that. Aaron looked dead on his feet, and his brother had already done enough. Not that Abel would turn his help down if Aaron insisted on keeping an eye on him.

  “You got it.” Abel walked Aaron to the door. “And thanks again for following me home.”

  Aaron tapped him under the chin. “Don’t worry. We’ll find out who’s doing this. Just stay safe until he’s caught.”

  With a nod, Abel closed the door and locked it. Aaron would be listening and would’ve given him an earful if he hadn’t heard the lock engage.

  He rounded and glared at Caine. “Why hide yourself? Now I’m not sure if others can see you when you’re around. I’m starting to look like a crazy person who talks to himself.”

  “We’ve got bigger problems.” Caine helped himself to Abel’s couch, slouching as he crossed his ankles.

  “Sure, have a seat. Would you like me to cater to you, too?” Abel went to his kitchen and started a pot of coffee. All he wanted to do was shower and sleep, just like he’d told Aaron.

  Caine appeared in the doorway. “We might have to leave for a bit.”

  “To where?” Abel grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.

  “From town,” Caine said. “Things just got a whole lot worse, and now you’re involved.”

  Why did that sentence make Abel’s stomach drop? He set the mugs aside and turned fully to face Caine. “You’re gonna tell me the truth of what’s going on. I’m not gonna be sidetracked this time. I want to know everything.”

  Those were words Abel would come to regret.

  Chapter Four

  Caine waved his hand in front of Abel’s face. The guy hadn’t said anything since Caine started talking. Abel had wanted the truth, so Caine had given it to him.