“Fuck you,” Zane huffed. “I asked you a question, you old dude.”

  For all the things I thought about Easton, I still wasn’t prepared for when he threw two brutal punches to Zane’s face, and I heard the kid’s nose break.

  “This is the last warning you’re going to get. Leave the lady alone,” Easton growled in a voice I’d never heard before.

  The third guy sitting at the table jerked to his feet, backing away as if acid had been tossed on him.

  But good ole Zane thought he could take Easton, who stood at least six inches taller and outweighed him by forty or fifty pounds. When he threw a couple of punches of his own, Easton simply wrapped one hand around Zane’s fist, using enough pressure the asshole cried out in pain.

  But when he swung Zane around, using a chokehold that I knew could easily break his neck, I couldn’t allow that to happen.

  “Don’t, Mr. Saint. Zane and his friends were just leaving.” I glared from one to the other, the two companions easily getting it was in their best interest to leave while Zane continued to struggle.

  “Come on, man. Stop acting like a turd,” the third guy finally piped in.

  “Please, just let him go,” I said softly and placed my hand on Easton’s arm. The shot of electricity was raw and white-hot and I was forced to curl my fingers to keep from getting burned.

  Easton took a deep breath, still squeezing both Zane’s hand and his neck. But finally, he let the asshole go, immediately pointing his finger. “If you fuck with her or any other lady again, I will not hesitate to hunt you down. Now, get the fuck out of here.”

  As the two companions pulled a choking Zane away, Zane seemed to be a glutton for punishment. He shifted from foot to foot, blood running from his nose. “Try it again, old man, and I’ll kill you.”

  “Uh-huh. I’d like to see you try, buddy,” Easton snarled.

  Zane flicked me the bird as he stormed to the door. “Be careful, princess. You never know when the giant boogeyman will slip from the shadows to eat you alive.” With that, he howled like some wolf before they walked out.

  We both heard the few customers clapping and Ashleigh stepped forward. “Mister. I don’t know who you are but anytime you’d like to drop in for coffee and a piece of pie, it’ll be on the house. No one has ever stepped up to those bastards.”

  Easton softened but it took a full fifteen seconds. “They shouldn’t be giving either one of you any more trouble.”

  “Would you like cherry or apple?” she pressed.

  He threw me a look then tried to smile but I could tell he was still furious. “Cherry would be great.”

  “Comin’ right up.”

  When Ashleigh was out of hearing distance, I folded my arms and confronted the man myself. “Why did you do that?”

  “Because they were about to hurt you.”

  “Uh-huh. You know that how?”

  “I know their type.”

  “Because you’re that type?” I didn’t mean for my statement to come out the harsh way it did but now, I couldn’t take it back. An awkward silence settled between us. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Not against assholes like that.” His insistence was both admirable and made me cringe inside. When he glanced toward the vase of flowers, I felt obligated to say something.

  “Thank you for the flowers. They weren’t necessary.”

  “I believe they were, Ms. Adams.”

  With that, he sidestepped me and all I could do was stare out the window, fretting as anxiety kicked in.

  I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach, one that I doubted would go away any time soon. I only prayed my sudden savior hadn’t egged the three assholes on to the point of retaliation.

  Or worse.

  Why did I have a feeling if Easton had, the three men would suddenly disappear?

  CHAPTER 11

  Easton

  Stalker.

  According to the Oxford Dictionary, I fell into that category. 1. A person who harasses or persecutes someone with unwanted and obsessive attention. 2. A person who hunts game stealthily.

  Well, in truth, I’d been a stalker my entire life, turned into one at a young age. I’d accepted that portion of my past, although it had been a hell of a long time since I’d been on a hunt. What I hadn’t considered was my behavior in two short days riding that fine line.

  I wasn’t in the habit of stalking, including beautiful women. I was far too busy, but I’d found myself gravitating toward the stunning girl over the past two days, watching her.

  I’d learned everything I’d been able to find about her life and where she grew up, which was far removed from the big city.

  With the connections I had, I’d easily gathered a picture of her world, including that her parents had very little money, barely making ends meet on some ranch they owned in Montana. God’s country. I had to wonder how my girl had ended up with a penchant for all things dark.

  She’d excelled in high school, which had allowed her to receive a very nice scholarship, although not enough for her to live on during the four years. That’s why she’d worked at the diner and a couple other places since her arrival. From what I could tell, she was a typical girl from a decent family who’d learned Middle American values and morals.

  Wasn’t I a bad man? I was planning on destroying everything she knew about right from wrong. Good from evil.

  And I was definitely going to rid her of her inhibitions, allowing her the freedom to explore sadistic avenues with me as her teacher.

  The thought was filthy and sinful, providing more than a couple of smiles. There was something about her I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was as if she was teetering on the edge of the darkness yet fearful of falling into the abyss. Or as if she had more experience with disturbing situations or perhaps bad men. While there were some aspects of her past and her family that had seemed nonexistent, including her aunts, uncles, and cousins, I suspected her mother had been estranged from her family at an early age. That was based on the fact she’d left home at seventeen, the day after she’d graduated, leaving Washington State and never looking back. Hmmm… Maybe there was more to it than that.

  Still, what I’d learned about people was that everyone had a dark little secret hiding in their closet. There were almost no exceptions. I would find hers in a way that would leave her exposed and even more vulnerable.

  And absolutely perfect.

  I was turning into another version of my brothers.

  I’d refrained from looking in her windows at her dorm, although I’d easily broken into her private room since so many of the kids had already moved out. I’d enjoyed touching her things, including her clothes that she kept either hung neatly in her closet or in her tiny dresser. She was already boxing up what little she had, which wasn’t much in comparison to so many of the girls.

  My joy and satisfaction in invading her space had been in reading her various neon-colored Post-it notes placed on her whiteboard, reading the additional stories she’d penned, several even handwritten. The quotes she’d posted were some of my favorites from Poe and others, including Stephen King. And given one of my attributes was that I was a trained hacker, I’d easily maneuvered into her laptop, finding the book she was currently writing. If I’d thought she was talented before, what she’d written might have established alarm bells in the minds of her friends or family.

  For me, her darkness and methods of killing her victims in her books was a beacon so strong that I’d almost been caught, forced to hide in her closet until she’d gone back out a few minutes later. I wondered if she knew I’d enjoyed learning about her, indulging in her darkness as I’d allowed her to partake in mine over the last few months in class.

  But I’d paid attention to her comings and goings, which was how I’d ended up at the diner, ensuring that she got the flowers. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Misty, but florist companies had made mistakes in the past.

  I’d had no intention of going inside, but I’d sensed the behavior of the three assholes was about to get out of hand. The way Sara had stood up to me even after I’d protected her certainly told me a lot about her resolve.

  How had I gone from lusting after her to determining that she was mine to use, to discipline, and to protect? Still, the asshole leader of the motley crew would get what he deserved.

  Seeing what made her tick after reading her story had also become important. It would help shape how our work relationship would go.

  And how far I could pull her into my dark depravity.

  Seeing the jerks from the comfort of my car, including one of them pushing her, I’d almost lost it. I’d come this close to breaking the alpha dude’s neck and now wished I had. The situation would have been messy but in my mind worth it.

  However, my sudden act of decency in allowing him to live hadn’t prevented me from following them, even waiting until after they’d chowed down on food at another restaurant. That had been after the three thugs had cased the cars in the parking lot, perhaps realizing the two employees left parked in the back. The jerk was planning something else, a moment of retaliation for whatever my sweet, innocent employee had said to him.

  That simply wasn’t going to happen. Not when I was living and breathing anyway.

  My instincts had been spot on before.

  At least the one guy deserved a date with destiny.

  My unusually long patience level had also allowed me to see the young man who’d accosted Sara had also done the same kind of thing to a young waitress who’d allowed them to order. Meanwhile, the bastard of a manager had done nothing to kick them out or help his employee.

  I’d almost taken him out the back door, finishing what I’d started. Instead, I’d waited until they’d left, each one going in separate directions. Then I’d followed the jerk as he drove to a park, one known to be used by drug dealers.

  It would seem the prick was a wealthy kid with no plans for his future. I knew the type far too well, including by the vehicle with thirty-day tags he was driving. The Mercedes Maybach S 580 went for somewhere in the neighborhood of two hundred and forty thousand. I should know since I owned one.

  I was even more disgusted when I watched from the shadows as he purchased whatever party favor he wanted to end the night on, taking his time strolling back to his car as if no one could touch him. I wasn’t certain what had incensed me the most at this point.

  So I followed. I wasn’t the kind of man to stay in the shadows. Why bother? I was going to be the last person he saw before dying. While I also wanted to take the time to carve him up, given the conversation I’d had with my two brothers earlier in the day, I had to be cautious, even curtailing my habit.

  That would be easier to do with a guest at my place. Sweet Sara would keep me occupied while the heat blew over. However, this asshole deserved to die for putting his hands on her, for daring to threaten her. I pulled out my leather driving gloves, rarely used when I enjoyed the business of killing. I knew every aspect of how to keep any DNA from the crime scene. But being extra careful wasn’t a bad idea.

  I strolled behind him casually, enjoying the unusually warm May night, especially since the wind was blowing perhaps fifteen miles per hour. By the time he turned onto the darkest part of the park, I was only a few yards behind him.

  Something drew his attention and he stopped, slowly turning around as any idiot would do in a horror movie. This time I’d already dipped into the shadows, judging the opportune moment. It came seconds later when the kid was stupid enough to flick the bird in my direction as I’d seen him to do to Sara.

  Now all bets were off. I allowed him to get a little further before easily wrapping my arm around his neck, placing my other arm on his head for leverage. “Don’t you know drugs are illegal? Perhaps not. What I can’t stand more than a rich drug addict is a jerk who abuses women. You fall into both categories, deserving to be executed. And I happen to be judge and jury. Perhaps it’s your lucky day.”

  He struggled as I dragged him toward the densest part of the trees, enjoying the way he wheezed. If I did this correctly, which I had every intention of doing, the police would think it was a drug deal gone bad. It happened all the time in this park. A rich kid with more money than sense. While it wouldn’t prove satisfying for my particular depraved needs, it would need to do.

  I pulled out my knife, allowing him to see the blade in the slender moonlight. As expected, the kid was already blubbering, begging for his life. That proved he wasn’t a man whatsoever but a piece of trash. Nothing I didn’t already know.

  While breaking his neck would be cleaner, the agility and skills needed would suggest someone other than a typical druggie in the park.

  “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Your worst nightmare, you prick. I told you that you had one final warning. You fucked it up.”

  “You,” he hissed, daring to slap his hands at my arms. Hadn’t he learned I was much stronger than him?

  “Yes, the devil in disguise. Are you ready to pay for your sins?” I asked.

  “Fuck you. Fuck… you.”

  Now he was wheezing. I so wanted to take a long time stripping the asshole of his humanity but this had to look like anything but what it was since I’d allowed my anger to get the better of me earlier.

  “You should have thought of that when you were tormenting those lovely girls tonight. Now, shouldn’t you have? You fucked up, asshole. One of them belongs to me.”

  And my innocent fawn, my sweet Sara truly did belong to me.

  She would soon be in my house, required to follow my rules, which meant I was required to take care of her as I would any other possession. The thought was by far the most sinful and delicious one I’d made in a long time. I allowed him to gurgle a little longer before jamming the knife into his gut then under his chin, driving the blade upward. At least I’d managed to get a few jollies out of the kill.

  As I tossed him aside, I shook my head. Why were so many men idiots when it came to women?

  After taking a deep breath, I pulled out a cloth I’d brought with me, wiping the blood off. Once both were secured back into my pocket, I stepped back, satisfied with the job I’d performed.

  I adjusted my jacket, checking for my weapon before returning to the main pathway. The kills had once kept me sane. Now they were leaving a bad taste in my mouth. That was a surprising development, something I hadn’t expected.

  It certainly wasn’t as if the goodness inside of her had rubbed off on me just yet.

  Not that I truly believed a woman could change a man. That was a pipedream and I wondered when my two brothers would realize that they could never completely get away from the hunger we all felt.

  However, Sara was a refreshing respite, a moment of allowing myself to enjoy the lighter side of life. I would ensure she enjoyed her stay. But she would soon learn that she would surrender to me no matter what I asked.

  Chuckling, a moment of satisfaction pooled into my system, and I pulled out my phone. While I could make certain phone calls to people I knew, finding out the details I needed, I was well aware Creed could more easily locate what I was looking for through several of his buddies spread across the world.

  So I called him.

  “If it isn’t my brother, the professor.”

  I huffed and enjoyed the warm night as I moved through the park, constantly scanning to ensure no one was in close proximity. “Well, I doubt I’d get tenure even if I wanted it, but that will be fine with me. My days teaching classes will soon be over.”

  “That’s right,” Creed snarled. “You’re going to make us all famous by writing a book about our pasts. Right?”

  “One never knows what my twisted mind will come up with, but that’s not why I’m calling. I need a small favor.” Oddly enough, I wasn’t kidding about no longer wanting to teach. I’d been saying both men had sold their souls to two women when I’d done so by teaching. I had no clue why I’d gravitated in that direction other than it had seemed natural at the time. But eight years was enough.

  “I think the world started turning on its axis the opposite way. What do you need?”

  “I need to check on the extended family of a girl in one of my classes.”

  “Interesting request and very vague. Why and who is she to you?”

  “I have my reasons, Creed. Will you do this or not?”

  He laughed. “This must be the girl you hired. I told you she’d get under your skin.”

  “You don’t know jack shit.”

  “Always so fucking secretive. Fine, but I’ll need more to go on.”

  “I’ll send you what I have. I’m looking to see if there’s any skeletons in the family closet.”

  “Alright. And if there’s a cost?”

  “Happy to pay.” I headed into the parking lot, feeling as if I was being watched. It was a strange feeling for a man like me, especially since I’d accepted the label of stalker hours before.

  “Keep something in mind. We might need to go hunting in the upcoming weeks.”

  “I thought the hunting grounds were officially closed.”

  “They are but it doesn’t mean we don’t return to urban hunting when necessary.”

  I flicked the key fob, the single beep and lights flashing indicating the door was unlocked. Just before I opened the door, I was certain I noticed someone standing in the shadows. “Fine. That I can handle.”

  “I’ll also need both you and Styx to assist me in handling an issue.”

  “An issue.”

  “Yes, you know the kind.”

  He was being particularly cautious, which meant he was slightly concerned about someone listening in on our conversation. There were various methods of listening in even to cellphone calls that very few people in the world knew about. That had prompted the board to dispatch our scientists, security professionals, and technicians to work together to create a method of scrambling the signal but both parties had to start the application. It was one of our better sellers within the company.

  The poor CIA, FBI, and various other international law enforcement agencies hadn’t understood what we were capable of.