more suspicious. She pushed the glass away, ignoring Christian’s curse and the droplets of water that scattered on the bed linen.
“What’s wrong with me?” She should be at a hospital. Maybe an ambulance was on its way… “How long was I out?”
“A few minutes. How do you feel?”
She gave a little laugh. “Like crap. I…”
But no, that wasn’t true. She felt disorientated and a little woozy, but the pain was gone. She touched the side of her head and the swelling was gone too. The skin wasn’t even tender. She frowned at Christian.
“What the hell?”
Instead of answering her, he lowered her back down to the pillows, tucked the blankets around her and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry to have to do this right now, but we don’t have much time.”
“Time for what?”
He ignored the question. “How much do you remember about what happened tonight?”
She hesitated. If she told him what she remembered, he’d think she was crazy, but she couldn’t ignore what she’d seen, either. Whatever the animal was she’d encountered in the woods, it had to be what was behind the reports that had brought her here. And what if there were more of them? Christian waited for her answer. She pushed herself up onto the pillows, and he leaned over to help her readjust them.
“I planned on leaving town after you dropped me off at my truck,” she said, hating the quaver in her voice. “But a local paper picked up the news story and Mark asked me to stick around another day or two in case there were questions to be answered. He wanted to be sure the dog was what had been causing the trouble. I didn’t want to sit around at the motel all night so I thought I’d check out the road by the lake.”
Christian’s brows lifted. “Alone and in the dark?”
“I just intended to locate the road I’d seen in the aerial pictures and then grab a bite to eat. It wasn’t dark when I started off, but I got turned around. By the time I found the road, the sun was setting. I saw lights in the woods so I kept going.”
She paused, but Christian’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t offer an explanation, just waited for her to continue. “I parked the truck and decided to take a quick look around.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You were there. You know the rest of the story.”
“I want to hear your version.”
She glowered. The least he could do was meet her halfway. He’d seen it too. She could tell by the expression on his face that he’d seen the same unnatural creature she had, but for whatever reason—probably to save face with his friend—he wanted her to be the first one to cry monster.
“I saw…an animal,” she said carefully. “It was big and like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Christian had killed it, which meant the proof was still there. “If you could drive me back out there, I’d appreciate it. I don’t think I should be behind the wheel right now, but I need to get the body loaded in the truck before anything gets to it.”
A slight smile touched his mouth, but was gone in an instant. “You’re not going anywhere tonight.”
“I have to.”
“It’s being taken care of.”
Taken care of? Taken care of meant others had seen the body of that animal too. Why would they want to cover it up? A sliver of fear worked its way down her spine. “You expect me to just accept that and walk away?”
A hint of amusement entered his eyes. “It would make things a good deal easier if you did.”
She stared at him for a long moment and then lifted her chin. “Your turn.”
“My turn?”
“Explain to me what you were doing out there. I told you what I saw…”
He reached out and took hold of her wrist. It was a light touch, but she could feel the strength in his fingers, the hard, calloused skin. His thumb stroked lightly over where her pulse thundered just beneath the skin.
“Liar,” he said gently. “You saw a monster. A creature big as a horse with
“What’s wrong with me?” She should be at a hospital. Maybe an ambulance was on its way… “How long was I out?”
“A few minutes. How do you feel?”
She gave a little laugh. “Like crap. I…”
But no, that wasn’t true. She felt disorientated and a little woozy, but the pain was gone. She touched the side of her head and the swelling was gone too. The skin wasn’t even tender. She frowned at Christian.
“What the hell?”
Instead of answering her, he lowered her back down to the pillows, tucked the blankets around her and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I’m sorry to have to do this right now, but we don’t have much time.”
“Time for what?”
He ignored the question. “How much do you remember about what happened tonight?”
She hesitated. If she told him what she remembered, he’d think she was crazy, but she couldn’t ignore what she’d seen, either. Whatever the animal was she’d encountered in the woods, it had to be what was behind the reports that had brought her here. And what if there were more of them? Christian waited for her answer. She pushed herself up onto the pillows, and he leaned over to help her readjust them.
“I planned on leaving town after you dropped me off at my truck,” she said, hating the quaver in her voice. “But a local paper picked up the news story and Mark asked me to stick around another day or two in case there were questions to be answered. He wanted to be sure the dog was what had been causing the trouble. I didn’t want to sit around at the motel all night so I thought I’d check out the road by the lake.”
Christian’s brows lifted. “Alone and in the dark?”
“I just intended to locate the road I’d seen in the aerial pictures and then grab a bite to eat. It wasn’t dark when I started off, but I got turned around. By the time I found the road, the sun was setting. I saw lights in the woods so I kept going.”
She paused, but Christian’s expression was unreadable. He didn’t offer an explanation, just waited for her to continue. “I parked the truck and decided to take a quick look around.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You were there. You know the rest of the story.”
“I want to hear your version.”
She glowered. The least he could do was meet her halfway. He’d seen it too. She could tell by the expression on his face that he’d seen the same unnatural creature she had, but for whatever reason—probably to save face with his friend—he wanted her to be the first one to cry monster.
“I saw…an animal,” she said carefully. “It was big and like nothing I’ve ever seen before.” Christian had killed it, which meant the proof was still there. “If you could drive me back out there, I’d appreciate it. I don’t think I should be behind the wheel right now, but I need to get the body loaded in the truck before anything gets to it.”
A slight smile touched his mouth, but was gone in an instant. “You’re not going anywhere tonight.”
“I have to.”
“It’s being taken care of.”
Taken care of? Taken care of meant others had seen the body of that animal too. Why would they want to cover it up? A sliver of fear worked its way down her spine. “You expect me to just accept that and walk away?”
A hint of amusement entered his eyes. “It would make things a good deal easier if you did.”
She stared at him for a long moment and then lifted her chin. “Your turn.”
“My turn?”
“Explain to me what you were doing out there. I told you what I saw…”
He reached out and took hold of her wrist. It was a light touch, but she could feel the strength in his fingers, the hard, calloused skin. His thumb stroked lightly over where her pulse thundered just beneath the skin.
“Liar,” he said gently. “You saw a monster. A creature big as a horse with
Similar Books
