Hunter's Moon

“Did you get hit by a truck?”

He shot me a less than amused glare. “Your bounty hunter paid me a visit.”

“When?” I jammed the Glock back into my shoulder holster.

“About an hour ago.” He placed an alcohol-soaked wipe onto his split lip without so much as a wince, then stuffed the bloodstained fabric into a plastic bag.

“Severino is aware his dog has gone rabid. He claims he’s sending backup.” He checked his face in the rearview mirror. “Until then, my mission is to keep the animal from exposing us all.”

“Did you find out if he bit the gas station guy?”

Sebastian’s dark eyes met mine. “Twice.”

“Oh, shit.” I shook my head. “So he really is losing it.” I thought of Aren’s mauled and eaten employee, my missing underwear, and the dead attendant, and realized “losing it” was probably an understatement. Fonthill had lost sight of his original mission to kill me and collect the bounty. I didn’t want to know what he had planned next.

“Wolves are aggressive anyway, and this one is angry.” He shrugged his shoulders in an unnaturally fluid movement, but for Sebastian everything was smooth—he was the epitome of a male jaguar. “He knows he’s dying, his friends are all dead, and he blames Nero for the experiments.”

“Maybe we can track him. I could take him out with one shot if we find him.”

The corner of Sebastian’s mouth smirked. “Fonthill is a trained Green Beret, Carina. If he does not want to be found, he won’t be.”

“Don’t call me Carina.” I fought the urge to punch his sore lip. “And you already found him once today. Let’s retrace your steps.”

Sebastian swiped the bag of medical waste off the passenger seat and hit the button to put the window up between us. Apparently we were done talking. Asshole.

I walked to the rear of the car, leaning against the trunk while I waited for him to get out. He slammed the door, rocking the entire vehicle.

“He found me.”

That was all he said. Sebastian walked toward the restaurant and I followed, counting all the ways the pompous bastard pissed me off. When I got to the door, Sebastian held it open for me.

At least he still had his manners.

Once we were seated with menus and drinks I lowered my voice. “Should I ask why you didn’t kill him when he found you?”

He didn’t glance up from his menu. “No.”

I reached across and lowered his menu for him. “Well, I’m asking anyway.”

A muscle in his cheek clenched as his eyes narrowed. “He tackled me in the parking structure outside my hotel. I didn’t catch his scent until it was too late.”

The tone of his voice made it clear that his pride was wounded worse than his face. I dropped the subject when the waitress returned to take our orders. After handing over the menus, Sebastian sipped his drink as silence blanketed us.

I needed to be cautious. It only took one misstep with Sebastian for him to clam up. His loyalties were in a constant state of flux between his father and Nero, me, sometimes Lana, and his own interests—which even I had no idea about.

The waitress finally returned with our food, and I couldn’t stand it any longer. While Sebastian poked at his salad, I cleared my throat, and he met my gaze. “I need to talk to you about Brightwood Academy.”

His hand froze for a split second before he recovered with a shrug and forked his food again. “I have never heard of such a place.”

“‘Hidden talent counts for nothing.’” I paused, watching his face. “Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus”

“I am aware of who spoke the phrase.”

I wanted to stab him with my butter knife. “I’m sure you are. Because it’s on Nero’s letterhead and on the freaking building. It’s also on Brightwood’s donor list.”

He shrugged. “Coincidence.”

“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes, struggling to keep from raising my voice. “Don’t insult my intelligence.”

“My father supports many causes.” He drank from his glass and met my eyes. “Perhaps the school is one of them.”

It was all I could do not to reach across the table and smack the bastard. “Your father supports causes that benefit him. This wasn’t for charity, Sebastian.”

He set his glass down. “I thought the purpose of this meeting was to discuss Fonthill.”

“You’re right.” I nodded. “Was Fonthill the one who shot my parents?” He started to balk, but I held up a finger before he could reply. “I’m not finished. See, before my parents were murdered, my sister attended Brightwood Academy for Gifted Children. I always thought it meant academically gifted students, but it’s actually geared toward students who show psychic gifts, isn’t that right?”

He opened his hands like he had nothing to hide. “You know more about this place than I do.”

I yanked my napkin out of my lap and threw it at him as I got out. “Screw you, Sebastian. Your lies are all the answers I need.”

He caught my wrist as I started to leave, and my eyes narrowed. “Let. Me. Go.”

He kept his voice low, but his tone was clear. “Sit down or you get nothing.”

I glared at him for a moment, and part of me wanted to keep right on walking, but the temptation of finally getting answers to my parents’ deaths was too strong.

I slid back into my side of the booth.

He wet his lips and leaned in closer to me. “Nero does have an interest in Brightwood Academy. My father keeps spies in place to report to him on possible candidates for future projects. I am not privy to all of his decisions.” His eyes locked on mine. “I don’t know if he gave Fonthill the order to kill your parents.”

“Was he looking for my sister when he sent you to seduce me?”

Sebastian rubbed his forehead. “I have told you before that I wasn’t sent to seduce you. Your witness was my target.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Instinctively I reached to touch his hand but recoiled my fingers when I realized what I was doing. Sebastian glanced at my hand and then back up to my eyes.

Anger bubbled up inside of me. This was a man I could never trust. Not fully. “I understand Severino is your father, but on some level you must know you’re still a pawn to him. My witness was supposed to testify against a company bringing in prescription drugs from Canada illegally. Does that sound like something Nero would be interested in? He could have given you that assassination assignment because he suspected I might be Nadya’s sister.”

His brow furrowed. “If you had a sister from Brightwood Academy that interested Nero, my father would have just taken her.”

“That’s what I’m saying Sebastian.” I rested my elbow on the table pressing my fingers to my temple. “Maybe that’s why he had Fonthill kill my parents. Severino thought he would be able to step in and take my sister. He could pose as a long-lost uncle or something.” I straightened in my seat. “He may have already had the false documents prepared before he ordered the hit. I took my mother’s maiden name when I joined the police force, so there’s a good chance Severino had no idea Nadya had an older sister. After I got word about the shooting, I went to Nadya’s school and took her away. We moved and enrolled her someplace else. I was trying to hide her from the killer.”

“And you believe my father found her again and sent me to you?”

“I believe there are no coincidences when Severino is involved.” I sighed. “I’m looking for answers, Sebastian, not more questions.”

His eyes searched mine, and I wished I had Nadya’s ability. Could she reach across this table, touch him, and somehow sense if he was lying? When things settled down, I’d have to ask her.

He spoke soft and slow. “‘Seeker of truth, follow no path, all paths lead where truth is here.’”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t have time for your poetry. I should go.”

“I’m trying to tell you that regardless of who pulled that trigger, it won’t change that your parents are gone.