Cara rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t do anything for me. I know you, my mom, and many others think Luke is the catch of the century, but he isn’t. He isn’t that nice, and he has ulterior motives, like making partner in my dad’s law firm and placing his greedy hands on my dad’s money. Ha, like that’s going to happen.”
Eric shook his head. “Okay, so Luke isn’t for you. Find another guy in your class then, but don’t degrade yourself by running into the arms of that fucking outlaw.”
Cara opened her mouth, ready to argue, but she remembered Hawk’s hurtful words. He told her more than once she was just another slut to him, and what they shared was just a good fuck. So why was she defending him to Eric? He hurt me, and he hasn’t even called to apologize or see how I am. Crap, why can’t I stop thinking about him?
At the charity ball, Cara perceived hints of hurt reflected in Hawk’s eyes when she told him he wasn’t in her league. Of course, she didn’t mean it, but she was confused and angry at him because he’d made her fall for him while he used her and didn’t give a damn about her. When he tossed her aside, she acted like she didn’t care, but his rejection pained her more than she thought possible.
“Cara, are you zoning out on me?”
Eric’s voice brought Cara back into the conversation. “Sorry, Eric, I guess I did tune you out. I’m tired, and it’s been a long day.” She yawned.
Eric smiled. “Take the guest room. Promise me one more thing, okay? No more bikers and no more investigation. Got it?”
Cara nodded. “Okay, but I would like to check the Nomads’ conviction rates in this county.”
“Cara, you stop it! Now. You’re going to get yourself killed!”
Surprised, Cara said, “Lighten up, I was only kidding. I’m too busy at work for all this. I told you, I’ve moved on.”
“Make sure you have. I know the Deadly Demons Nomads aren’t too nice to people they want to get rid of. Now, go to bed. Tomorrow will be better, I’m sure.”
Cara padded up the stairs and went into the guest room. After slipping out of her clothes, she laid her head on the down pillow, and in a matter of seconds, she was fast asleep.
A shadowy figure, obscured by gnarled-branched trees thick with autumn’s colored leaves, stood outside Eric’s house smoking a cigarette. When he saw the guest bedroom’s light go out, he smiled. “Sleep well, slut. Real soon now, you’re going to be a guest in my house, and I’m gonna fuck you in all your holes before I get rid of you.” Then he stubbed out his cigarette with his steel-toed, black leather boot.
* * *
For the next several days, Cara was a bundle of nerves. She stopped coming in early to work, making sure Asher was there before she was, and she no longer stayed late, leaving when most of the people in the building did. Installing a burglar alarm at her house, deadbolts on all her doors, and extra locks on all her windows and sliding glass doors made her feel more secure.
“What’s going on with you, Cara?” Asher asked.
“I’m just a bit rattled, you know, with the break-in and all.”
“Has something happened besides the break-in here?”
“Don’t freak out on me, okay? Someone has been following me. I think it’s Viper. He almost got me a few days ago in the parking lot, but he ended up with a handful of my hair. Since then, I have a creepy feeling he’s watching me. I can’t prove it, but I know he is. I know he’s trying to intimidate and scare me. Crap, it’s working.”
“This is insane, Cara. You have to go to the police,” Asher said.
“You know they can’t do anything. I can’t prove it’s him. I know it’s him, but how can I prove it? I’m hoping he’ll get tired of this and go away.”
“Seriously? I don’t think guys like him just ‘go away.’ I’m afraid he’s going to escalate things, and I can’t even imagine what he’ll do.”
“Me, too,” Cara whispered.
“You need to tell Hawk. This goes beyond pride and playing games with him. You’re in some serious trouble here, and you need to call him.”
“No, I don’t want him around. I’ll call the police, I promise.”
Cocking his head while he raised his eyebrows, Asher said, “You better do something, Cara, sooner rather than later.”
“I will. I’m so beat and it’s Friday. I think I’ll take off now and go home. I need to think.”
“Do you want me to spend the night with you?”
Cara, touched by his offer, patted his forearm. “Thanks. That means the world to me, but I can’t pull you into my mess. I’ll be fine. If I feel freaked, I’ll go to Eric’s again.”