Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 69582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69582 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
“What’s going on there?” I asked. “And why does she know so much?”
“It was really hard to keep it from her when she needs to know that there’s a bad guy in this world that would happily leave her to die if it meant getting me away from her.” Constance sighed. “I went on one date with a man back home, and he thought that it was his god-given right to dictate how I lived my life. My best friend and I had a drunk one-night stand that resulted in Wendy, and Mackey’s so-called friend beat the absolute shit out of him. Mackey now lives half a life in Nepal with his parents. Errol Fuller, on the other hand, didn’t see a lick of time.” She eyed me. “Mackey’s parents have—had—a private investigator following his every move. They were worried that he might come back and try to finish the job with Mackey. Or me. Errol disappeared about six months ago when I left and hasn’t been seen since.”
“He followed you here.”
Her eyes widened. “He what?”
“He followed you here,” I repeated. “I looked into you.”
Her eyes widened. “Me? Why?”
I wouldn’t tell her the real reason—that I was her source of what the world considered “Golden Blood”—but I could give her the other reason we knew of her existence.
I told her about the dog fighting ring.
I told her about Holly and Denver, and what Holly had gone through. I then explained that the man Holly had seen at the dog fighting ring had been her ex, Errol.
By the time I was done, she looked angry and scared.
“That man never leaves me alone,” she groaned, but her face went serious a moment later. “But something that doesn’t make sense…Errol wouldn’t have let us know that he was here. He would’ve only shown his face when he was ready. He was into dog fighting back home, sure, but he was never caught. Everyone just knew he was in to it. Mackey told me when we found out that I was pregnant that Errol only liked the betting aspect. That was why he quit the CIA. They gave him an ultimatum: quit gambling or find a new job.” She grew more serious. “He wouldn’t have been stupid enough to use credit cards that could trace him back to here. Plus, when he was done with that trial and given community service and parole, the Dixie Wardens took his patch. How would he have gotten another one? Did this Holly person give a sketch of what this man looked like?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure she saw him all that well. It was dark, but he was wearing a Dixie Wardens cut. That was why we knew where to start looking. Though, our national club president, Silas, was the one to come back with the information. Apollo, our computer nerd friend, only confirmed it by finding his credit card records and seeing that he was checked into one of the resorts in town.”
She was already shaking her head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s here, Odin. But whoever your friend saw? That wasn’t Errol. He’s very good. Better than anyone you could ever imagine. And he’s extremely paranoid. He would’ve known that your friend was there and known that there were people looking for her. He would’ve never been caught dead somewhere that could get him discovered.”
That was the same thing I’d been thinking when Apollo had originally shared all this information with me.
Something wasn’t right here, and I had a feeling Constance was right in the middle of it.
Twelve
Angry masturbation isn’t as fun as angry sex.
—Constance’s secret thoughts
Constance
I slept fitfully the night before, my brain turned up to eleven.
But the more time that I spent thinking about what Odin had shared, the more I realized that whatever they thought was happening wasn’t.
I mean, sure, it was possible that Errol was here.
But the Errol that I knew wouldn’t have been caught using his actual name in a place where he was doing illegal things.
And like I’d told Odin last night, Errol was smart. He’d gotten out of going to jail for beating Mackey to within an inch of his life. There’d been camera footage, he’d done it in public in front of several witnesses, and he’d admitted to it.
He’d still gotten off with probation.
The man was insanely smart, vindictive, and sneaky.
What he was not was stupid.
If he was here, we wouldn’t know.
Which meant only one thing to me.
Someone was here impersonating Errol.
That was the only viable excuse to what was going on.
Plus, I would know if he was here.
Errol left calling cards.
I may not see him, but he wouldn’t be able to resist leaving me what he called “presents.”
And honestly, the things that he left me could be considered presents to most women. Purses. Jewelry. Chocolate. Food from my favorite places.