Hideaway (Devil's Night 2)

But he’d already hung up.

“Hello?”

The other end of the line was dead.

Goddammit. Kai worked late on Wednesday nights. Then he showered and ate and drove to Thunder Bay to the Cathedral of Saint Raphael. Sometimes he went in the confessional, sometimes he strolled and looked at the art. Sometimes he was in there less than ten minutes, sometimes more than an hour.

He went every Wednesday, though. Every. Single. Wednesday.

He was supposed to be an expert in self-defense, right? Wasn’t “varying your routine” a preventative measure, goddammit?

I stuck the phone in my pocket. “Can you take me to St. Raphael’s?” I called out to Will.

“In Thunder Bay?” He glanced over his shoulder at me. “Why?”

“I just need to get there.”

“What about your clothes?”

“I don’t give a shit about the clothes,” I bit out. “Just let me take your car then? Please!”

“Alright, alright.” He sighed and jerked the wheel left, turning and speeding down the narrow, cobbled street toward the highway. “I’ll take you.”

I pulled on my seatbelt. “Go fast.”

Kai

Present

“Kai?”

I turned around, following the voice.

The cathedral was all but empty, except for me and a couple janitors lurking somewhere, but the doors were still unlocked. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Keeping my arms folded over my chest, I walked down the Stations of the Cross to peer around the massive marble columns.

Banks stood at the back of the church, near one of the holy water fonts, slowly turning her head back and forth, looking for me.

How did she know I’d be here?

No, of course. She’d done her research, hadn’t she?

I let my eyes fall down her form. Wasn’t she just shopping? I saw all the charges come in on the card, but she still wore her same grungy clothes with the newsboy cap covering her hair as before. Although, some dark strands fell around her face.

It was funny. She seemed to do everything she could to distract from the fact that she was a woman, but she didn’t realize that the clothes she wore only amplified her face. Without her curves or smooth skin, you had no choice but to rest your eyes on the one part of her you could see.

Unfortunately, after last night, I’d seen everything else, and I knew what she hid now. Arousal wound its way through my body.

I stepped out from behind the column, walking toward her between the pews. Her head immediately snapped to me.

“Are you here alone?” she questioned, her eyes flitting about again.

I fought not to smile. What was she up to? She seemed nervous.

“Not anymore,” I said, playing with her.

“Well, I just…” She continued to look and around, glancing at the balcony and down the aisle toward the altar. “Um, I knew you’d be here, that’s all. Thought it would be, um…”

“Um…?”