One Dirty Night

Nick didn’t touch me.

He sucked in a breath, and in a heartbreaking, horrible move, he stepped away from me.

I froze with my black sheet pooling like nightmares around me.

Hunter narrowed his eyes at Nick but then captured my cheeks and kissed me one last time. “I will never forget you, Ella, and I hope you never forget me. But…a word of advice. It seems as if you’re drawn to men who like to help others. Nick has the unwavering commitment to eradicate the world of cancer, and I have the undying desire to slaughter every single sick son of a bitch I come across. Maybe, through our tireless work, we can make a difference and the world will one day be a happier, healthier place, but…no matter our responsibilities and pledges to our chosen causes, you should never, ever come second best. You should be the only commitment a man makes. That’s the least you deserve, and it’s why I can’t steal you even though I would very, very much like to. I can’t because I don’t deserve you. I know in myself that when we leave this town tomorrow and go to another, my focus will be on hunting monsters, not providing you with a safe and stable home.”

Tears welled and rolled down my cheeks.

Not because I’d wanted him to take me but because he spoke with such conviction and apology. “I’m endlessly grateful I met you, Hunter. That I got to share this incredible night with you. I’ll never forget you or what we did.”

“You too.” Giving me the softest smile, he whispered in my ear, “Don’t let his coldness hurt you, Ella. Nick is an imbecile, waging a war on himself. He’s completely besotted with you, but if you want him…you’re going to have to break him. He won’t have the power to do it himself.”

Catching my stare, he rubbed away one of my tears then rounded on Nick with a hurricane of animosity. “And you…” Crowding Nick, he seethed, “I get why you’re focused on work. And I get why you don’t want to love another or for someone to love you, but…you’re a fucking idiot.”

Nicholas balled his hands. “I suggest you back off or—”

“She’s out of your league, man. She deserves a lover who will rule her in the bedroom and cherish her in life, yet you don’t have a life, do you? She wants you, but you have nothing to give her in return. No heart. No soul. You’re content to stay lonely and miserable, and I can’t change that. Even Ella can’t make you change, so…that’s on you. I have no idea what’s going on in that head of yours after what we’ve done here tonight, but what I do know is, if you don’t take Ella home, if you don’t bathe her, tend to her injuries—injuries you gave her—and care for her the way she deserves to be cared for, then I’ll pay you a visit before we leave and ensure that by the time I’m through with you, someone will need to provide you with aftercare.”

Marching to Giselle, Hunter stopped with his hand on the doorknob. Turning back to us, his gaze softened on mine then hardened on Nick’s. “I’ll never forget what we shared. I hope you enjoyed your visit to Spectacle of Secrets. Goodbye.”

He swept out of the room.

Giselle ran after him.

And I never saw Hunter Dixon again.

Chapter Nine

A BLACK CAR SLID OUT OF THE NIGHT the moment Nick and I exited the big top’s fence line. I flinched and went to get out of its way, but the window rolled down, and a girl with a huge halo of ebony curls grinned. “Mr. Dixon requested I drive you home. His words were, quote, unquote, ‘Please drive my friends back to their place as they’ve had a strenuous night and aren’t in a state to walk.’”

“How does he know we walked?” Nick asked, his nose wrinkling with suspicion.

The same way he knew how we felt about each other without asking.

…Magic.

I shot him a look, doing my best not to prickle with heartache but unable to stop it. With every second that passed, he pulled away even more. He hadn’t spoken a word to me as we bypassed the rooms where plenty of other circus-goers still indulged in sinful games. He jerked away every time I inched closer, and refused to make eye contact with me.

His entire body language throbbed with…regret.

He regrets what we’ve done?

He regretted the joy of being free? Of indulging in something that I doubted we’d ever indulge in again?

Tears stung, but I sniffed them back and smiled at the driver. “A lift would be great, thanks so much.” Not looking at Nicholas, I opened the back door and slid onto the cold leather seat. Nick waited for me to shuffle to the other side before slipping inside and closing the door.

“What’s your address?” The girl twisted in the driver’s seat, holding her phone with the map app open.

“It’s forty-four Tagon Crescent,” Nick murmured, looking out the window.

The tension between us already fogged the small space.

“Great.” Inputting our location and placing her phone in the dash holder, the girl eased the car into a comfortable speed and drove us away from Hunter and his secrets.

The purple-and-silver big top vanished into the night, replaced with familiar streets flickering beneath glowing lights. Cosy homes lined the pavements, judging us as the car turned into our cul-de-sac and slowed outside our unassuming rental.

I studied it like a stranger.