“Maybe that’s reason enough. It’s not something I would expect.” She cleaned the last dish and placed it on the drain tray before sliding the pans into the sink to soak.
“And you’re going to drive yourself crazy trying to reason things out.” Being alone a great deal of the time meant she talked to herself too much. Didn’t mean she was going to stop.
Maybe that’s why she found Alexei irresistible. He asked questions and then really listened. Fisting her hands in her hair, she pulled and released a short scream.
“All I want is to be left alone. Is that too much to ask?” She knew it was. A reaper reaped souls. It was as simple as that.
She should catch the first flight out of here to anywhere. Somewhere hot and remote, far away from the ice and cold of Alaska. The heart of the rainforest would work.
It was tough to imagine Alexei trekking through the thick rainforest. She tried but just couldn’t picture it. He belonged in the colder climes with his long hair and bushy beard.
Of course, he’d also look hot as hell with a sweat-covered chest, his hair pulled away from his face, his beard neatly trimmed, and a machete in hand. She sighed and forced the fantasy away.
If she ran, he wouldn’t follow.
Alexei had wiggled his way into her life without really trying. Now he was gone. She’d never see him again, not after sending him away.
He was male and had to have a healthy ego. And he didn’t strike her as the type to stalk a woman. But, then again, what did she really know about such things?
She’d always shown up at such scenes as they were coming to their horrible conclusion.
Not pleasant. So many times, she’d been tempted to take the stalker’s soul instead, putting the woman back in her body. But that wasn’t done.
The universe was a delicate balance. And those that kept it would tolerate no interference. Kill one person or refuse to do your duty and you could start a ripple that might end in the total destruction of the world.
And that wasn’t just a theory or cautionary tale. A dereliction of duty had led the world to the brink before Death righted the situation.
It had been a horrible time.
She dried her hands on the towel, went over to the table, and stared down at the small white rectangle resting there. The only thing on the card was a phone number in black ink. No name, no business number. Nothing.
What kind of man walked around with a card with only a phone number on it? The short hairs on the back of her neck rose.
Whoever Alexei Medvedev was, there was a whole lot more to him than the drool-worthy outer package. She’d barely met him, yet he’d gotten closer to her than anyone since she’d run.
Self-preservation was high on her list of priorities, but she couldn’t leave. Not yet. Not until she uncovered who or what he really was and who’d sent him. Maybe he was nothing more than he seemed, but she was beginning to believe that less and less.
If survival was her goal, it was time to be smart.
She picked up the card and tucked it into her back pocket for safekeeping. Since there was plenty of time before she had to get ready for work, she retrieved her laptop and set it up on the kitchen table.
Time to do some research.
Chapter Five
Ping. The alert on his laptop had chimed sooner than he’d expected. Even though he knew who it was, he checked anyway. Living a long while had given him time to acquire various skills. Naturally curious by nature, technology fascinated him.
As he’d suspected, Cassie was online searching through various sites trying to uncover what she could about him. Not that there was much to find. He liked his privacy and stayed off chat groups and all social media.
The only thing she’d discover was that he did indeed own a real estate company with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Hong Kong. He also had a small firm in Moscow that he kept separate from the rest. Politics were a bitch in that part of the world.
On one hand, he was thrilled she was interested enough to try to find out more about him. On the other, if she was that curious, she could be suspicious of him.
He angled his computer screen away as the waitress returned to his table. This was his third breakfast of the morning. All different places. He’d only stopped at home long enough to fetch his knapsack. “Can I get you anything else?” Her tone was polite, but there was an edge of curiosity. The problem with isolated places was that strangers stood out.
“No thanks.” It was time for him to head back to his own place where he could relax, get the privacy he needed, and do some serious research.
He gathered his belongings and stood, doing a search to make sure he left nothing behind. The waitress backed up and scurried behind the counter. After handing over enough money to cover his meal and a healthy tip, he left.
The air was crisp and clear, but it was no longer quiet. Members of the community were out, going about their business. While he might live on the edges of civilization, he enjoyed people-watching, trying to imagine where they were going, what they were thinking about. The sun was shining, so he slipped his sunglasses out of his pocket and pulled them on to cut down the glare.
He was just thankful he could still be out in the sunshine, but it was a bitch that his eyes were now sensitive to light.
With his pack slung over one shoulder, he made his way back to the small house he’d bought. A house was better than an apartment. More privacy. And it always made sense to buy instead of rent. He could come and go as he pleased, and when he was ready to leave, he’d simply lease it and make money.
Keeping his head down, he trekked quickly, all the while aware of his surroundings. Once inside, he closed the drapes and removed the sunshades. The shadows were much easier on his eyes.
Sleep beckoned, but he took the time to send off a couple emails. The first one was to the client, asking for more information on the potential target. All he had was an email address. Not unusual, but he preferred to know who he worked for. It would be interesting to see if he got an answer back.
The next was to Maccus, the leader of the Forgotten Brotherhood. Power radiated from him. You only had to be in his presence to know he wasn’t someone you fucked with. Under the definition of badass in the dictionary, there should be a picture of him.
He’d also been around a very long time and had connections everywhere. So, Alexei asked him to look into the person or group who’d made contact through their website. If there was anything to be found, he would uncover it. Alexei also asked if he was aware of any paranormal creature that could pull off the appearance of being full human.
That bothered him. With his mixed genetics, he should have sensed something. Maybe he was simply tired. He’d been traveling around the North for months searching for her.