20
ADDIE
“You were two minutes away from losing control!” I flung my hand accusingly at Maddox.
His lip curled in anger, but he didn’t say anything. That was enough to prove me right. I tightened my hand around the keys that Luca had given me. It would get us past the front gate—the house certainly didn’t need keys anymore.
We needed to rest before heading out to the library. That meant getting some food into Maddox before he went on a shifter rampage. Though, I did wonder if his beast would hurt anyone. Maddox’s beast seemed to like me. If I asked, it might stay with me until Maddox could regain control.
Luca had called us mates. I didn’t want to argue with the vampire in front of the entire club. Even though the music had been thumping, every vampire in there had super hearing that would have allowed them to eavesdrop on us.
While Luca wasn’t their leader, he was a respected figure. Talking back to him in front of them could have backfired badly, making Maddox’s situation worse. For now, it was best to move on and ignore Luca.
Maddox wasn’t my mate. He would never love me. I would have to deal with that.
Not that I wanted him like that or anything. That’s not what this was about. I didn’t think the way Maddox’s hair fell over his dark eyes was the epitome of sexiness. I definitely didn’t want his lips on mine again.
He ran a hand through his hair, revealing his face as he peered down the street. I could see the gears turning behind his dark eyes. The pointed cupid’s bow of his upper lip had me mesmerized until he spoke.
“What’s next?”
I startled. “Why are you asking me? Aren’t you the lead detective?”
He gestured to the keys in my hands. “Apparently, I’m nothing more than heavy machinery.”
“You’re in no shape to be doing more physical activity right now. You should get something to eat and take a nap. Then we can go check out the library.”
A smile curled his lips.
“What’s so funny?” I snapped.
He shook his head. “I’m not laughing.”
I narrowed my eyes at the man. This wasn’t the cold detective that I’d met out in the Adirondacks. He no longer thought of me as a murderer. He knew, now, the real threats that were out there. And I think he saw me as soft and weak in the face of it all, just like everyone else did.
While I couldn’t blame them, I was growing tired of being everyone’s weak spot. This wouldn’t be a problem if we stopped the killer. Once that man was behind bars, then we would all be able to sleep easier. We wouldn’t have to worry about anything other than needy ghosts.
Oh man, was I pining for the days when my biggest concern was how much sleep I’d get between ghost visits?
“Go home,” I told Maddox. “I’ll be fine for the night.”
He made a sound of disbelief. Instead of arguing with me, he took me by the hand and led me down the street. He lifted his nose to the air as he tugged me along. I thought he’d caught the killer’s scent. My heart pounded nervously until we rounded the corner and came face to face with a late-night pizza place.
A bell over the door chimed, and the spirits inside flickered but never vanished. I held my breath, waiting for them to swarm me. They never looked up from what they were doing. These spirits were content with their simple existence.
I let out the breath held tight in my chest as Maddox led us up to the counter. He ordered himself several slices of pizza and patted his backside for his keys. He paused, realizing that he wasn’t wearing his own clothes. His clothes, and his wallet, were lost elsewhere.
I put my own card on the counter and ordered a slice of white pizza and a basket of sour cream and onion-seasoned fries. The ghosts didn’t look twice when Maddox and I took our seats to wait for our food. I let my shoulders drop in relief.
When my gaze slid towards the dark windows that looked outside, I wondered if the killer was out there. Where had he gone? When would he strike again? We still had nothing to go on.
The killer would continue to sneak up on us. He would take the people who meant the most to me. He wouldn’t stop until he had what he wanted from me.
My life.
It had to be more than that.
“I don’t get why he wants me dead,” I whispered.