Adrenaline Rush (Death Chasers MC 4)

“That’s more complicated than the question I asked you,” she grumbles. “Pop is decidedly predictable in some areas. He’d never just show up and kill me in a town like that. In a town where people loved me. He’d have to take me, and he’d have to do it without fifty second-amendment-loving people rushing out with a gun to defend me if they heard my screams.”

“Fifty people,” I say around a laugh. “Funny. I don’t picture them as the gun-toting, life-saving townspeople.”

“That’s because you’re from Halo where the people have learned to be scared of their own shadows. But there, where nothing ever happens to show them how cruel and dangerous men like you can be, yes. All of them would come rushing to my aide. Hence the reason I chose the most popular neighborhood.”

She says all this like she’s smug and proud.

“Worked out great for you,” I point out.

She resumes glaring at me.

Annoyed, she adds, “I spent years trying to learn how to intercept video feed and run a loop like that. Self-taught myself mostly with internet tutorials. I only managed to take a couple of classes to fill in the gaps. It’s a plan I’ve been building for years, and it was flawless. So how’d you find me?”

One corner of my mouth tugs in a grin. “Things have changed. I had your phone’s GPS tracked.”

“I knew I should have thrown it away sooner,” she grumbles. “When the hell did you guys get that sophisticated?”

“We didn’t,” is all I say.

“That makes no sense,” she argues.

I remain quiet, letting her stew a little.

“So, were those really the presumed-dead Collin Smith’s brothers?”

“If I answer that, then you have to tell me what Drex wants with me,” she fires back.

I shrug noncommittally. “I’m not really bothered by unanswered questions as much as you,” I remind her.

She blows out a breath. “Those were really Collin’s brothers.”

“Is Collin really dead?”

“Ha! No. He’s probably at the lodge with his latest flavor of the week. I went to their lodge two years ago for a trip I got invited on when Collin swung through town. It was one of those really memorable weeks for the Smiths, because they found me utterly delightful as I helped them plot his great escape from his mound of unnatural debt. I was suddenly the little sister they’d never had, and they were really pissed at Collin for not immediately falling in love with me.”

To that, I snort. Clearly they have no idea what she’s really like. They’d have shit all over themselves.

“After that, I kept in touch with them, but not Collin. And he paid me a visit at the diner last year on his way through, trying to convince me to spend another week with him and his family before we faked his questionable-can-be-reversed-death loophole. I turned him down, but he stuck around all day trying to convince me otherwise, because his family really wanted Karen Canady back for another week.”

“Must have been some week,” I say a little too bitterly, which of course causes her to smile.

“I gave them the perfect girl. Of course it was a good week. Collin got the wildcat he wanted. The brothers got a little tomboy sister who could hunt, fish, and drink beer right alongside them. The wives got a sister who could cook, clean, and carry on exciting light-feminist conversations. I was like the missing piece. Which was my goal.”

Her head lolls to the side.

“But they never knew me or it would have been a much different week. They found it perfection. I found it exhausting. However, I did like them. I had some awesome hunting strategies, and I spent the week beating them all in chess.”

“So how’d you make it work? My PI said—”

“I just planted information where I needed it in case any PI came sniffing around me.” She gives me a pointed stare. “One thing I do know how to do is start very believable rumors. Herrin’s specialty, as I’m sure you’re well aware. In fact, I heard a rumor that I’m dead and Drex killed me on Herrin’s command. I also heard a lot of people believe that rumor. More people believe it than question it.”

I shrug. I’m not giving her the twisted compliments she’s fishing for, simply because it drives her insane not to have her crazy be appreciated.

“Now tell me what Drex wants with me,” she quietly demands.

“Sure. After you tell me how you knew about his cocksucker daisy.”

To this, she starts laughing like she’s surprised, and the sound has me gripping the steering wheel tighter. I haven’t heard her laugh like that over the past few months that I’ve been watching her.

I’d forgotten how it fucking felt to hear a rare, genuine Kara Caine laugh. I hate her exaggerated fake ones she does for the benefit of someone else.