Tease Me (Private Listing #4)

At least I’m buying time for Hope.

The man in black stalks forward and I brace myself for his attack. The moves I’ve learned flow through my mind on repeat, just waiting for him to grab me.

“Aren’t you scared of me, little bird?”

I gasp. My body shakes as cold floods me. He didn’t say little one. The stalker always calls me that. Only one person calls me little bird. I step back, needing distance. Needing to get away.

He yanks off his gloves and reaches for me. I knock his hands away, but my motions are slow, like I’m cutting through molasses.

I can’t.

No.

This isn’t happening.

Tears well in my eyes. But I fight against letting them fall.

“Come on, little bird. You don’t think I’d let you fly away from me that easily.” He laughs as he tugs off his ski mask.

As soon as he reaches for it, I race to the bar and grab the almost full bottle of wine and hold it like a bat. Hunter Adams chuckles darkly as he turns his blue eyes on me. His grin chills me to the bone.

“I love it when we play, Maddy.”

Chapter 164

Help Needed

Madison

My hands shake, but my grip on the bottle is solid. Hope got away, that’s what matters. I’ll deal with whatever this is.

I’m prepared to fuck someone up. Except I don’t know who’s friend and who’s foe, but I do know I’m getting out of this without anything fucked-up happening to me. I’m done with that shit. The bottle shifts in my hand as the liquid swishes inside.

“Do something, Patrick.” Anna pushes on his arm. He remains sitting by her side on the couch.

“Yeah, Patrick.” Hunter’s smile is pure evil as he turns his gaze to Patrick. “Do something to protect Maddy and your wife. Isn’t this the moment you’ve been waiting for? To play the hero?”

Patrick drops his head and shakes it like he’s disappointed. I focus on him. He’s relaxed and not worried at all. Spiders crawl up my scalp.

I dismissed Hunter as the stalker because it isn’t the way he works. He doesn’t hide in the shadows. He just takes what he wants. But Patrick blends in. He becomes part of the shadows until you don’t even realize he’s there.

My breath catches. Hope said it could have been completely different guys checking on her. Maybe it was.

Patrick laughs lightly. My hair stands on end as fear ripples through me. There’s no way out of this. Only through. All I can do is fight through the horror before me.

“This!” Patrick thrusts his hand toward Hunter.

I jump at his loud voice. My tremors increase.

“This is your problem. No pizzazz. No sense of style. You just plod your way through until you either get caught or get what you want.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Patrick?” Anna shrinks away from him like he suddenly grew horns and a tail.

“Like this.” When Patrick lifts his head, he’s completely calm and rational looking. Too calm for a guy trying to protect his wife.

My heart pounds so hard it feels like it’s trying to get out of my chest.

He gestures to Anna. “You hit her over the head and dumped her in a closet. You could have tied her to the bed and done anything to her. Used your blade to make sure she bled out, but no, let’s just hope she bleeds to death in the closet from a minor wound.”