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I didn’t think Caleb would have any qual me over to ave me chills He sounded so cold, so calculated, so like--

Never mind! Get out! My brain screamed at me Get away! The ladies’ room was to the ining a bladder issue and sneaking out the front wouldn’t work There was probably another exit in the back, through the kitchen, and a fire exit, but both were in Caleb’s line of sight I willed my face to relax, firsttense I took a casual bite of net ahold of you?" I asked I leaned forward, resting lanced behind him Maybe there was another way out off of the restroom area These places always had fire exits, but I couldn’t risk setting off some alarm

"A buddy of mine owns a bar about an hour outside Fairbanks If people want to get ahold of me, they know to call e, Portland, Seattle Mostly PIs who don’t want tome," he said

"And you just bounce around on the road?" I asked, swiping the last bite of French toast through the golden puddle of syrup on es of the fried bread, unsure when I’d be able to get another nice, hot meal

"Sometimes I head home to see my family But I haven’t been there in a while They live in the Crescent Valley near Grundy, very tight-knit"

That explained why I’d never met him He hadn’t been to the valley for years I’d heard stories about a Caleb froe "stupid criminal" tales from her cousin the bounty hunter, who hadn’t come back home since his dad, Artie, had died of stroke complications shortly before I was hired on The funeral service had been held just after I’d arrived, while I was off restocking the clinic’s medications and supplies I was still so pale and shaky and skittish that Eli, the for one of the distant pack cousins with me on the supply run I only realized later that it was because he was afraid I would take off and not come back I remembered now that Artie’s son left town before I returned two days later, and that had upset soed to stay away froie’s brother, Cooper, had exiled himself for a while after a particularly violent interpack confrontation, and the separation nearly drove him insane How could Caleb stand it?

Not that I could afford to care about that sort of thing, since I was conteh the frontof the diner like sogie’s pack was a pleasant surprise, that didn’t necessarily ood person As evidenced by Eli, the interi spree and fras Werewolves hit a lot of different points on the spectruuy who is occasionally an apex predator" and "furry Lord Volde up anotherbouncing around the Great North?"

I gave him a bland s part of Maggie’s pack didn’t make me trust Caleb any more than I had before I’d made a clean break with them and couldn’t let on that I knew his fa It was safer for theie would kickthe way I did She was a stickler about policy and procedure

"And why are you traveling south?" he asked "Getting too cold for you?"

"I’ up with a friend," I lied smoothly

Caleb tensed "What sort of friend?"

"An old roommate, Cindy," I said

The tension drained out of Caleb’s frame, and he scooped up another bite "Well, that’s nice But you never knohat could happen"

I arched an eyebrow "What do you uely

What did he e my plans for me? Under the table,I considered the ladies’ roo bathroo Did that hed "So do you believe that I’m not, in fact, a serial killer?"

I kept erous And I had a sneaking suspicion he was probably quite good at his job

I smiled blandly "I’ over ?"

"The ladies’ rooetic little shrug, although he eyed my purse with suspicion I turned on y restrooirls in the dining rooe stopper under the door until it couldn’t be budged

The bathroom was a pink-tiled one-seater with a crankjust over the toilet I stood on the seat, trying to gauge whetheroutside at the unkee next door, I turned thecrank Given the ungodly squealing noise it , I glanced overfor the sound of Caleb the bounty hunter approaching the door

I turned the crank again, and it gave a bit, lifting the ly After a few turns, it was open just wide enough that I could squeeze ood luck, I zipped h I carefully stepped on top of the toilet tank, praying it would support

I told ao? Contracting my body into the most aerodyna air My head and shoulders slid out easily, butood five feet off the dirt, head doith no clue how to land safely

"This was a stupid plan," I told ainst the pressure onivinga toilet

Suddenly, my hips worked loose, and I free-fell I shoved ainst the sill on the way down, slowing my descent, so I was able to flop down on

"Stupid, stupid plan" I huffed, struggling against gravity and ravity"

"Is there a reason you’re hanging out of the bathroo it!" I cried as ainst the sill

I dropped, rollingwith an uhf In a few seconds, Caleb was lifting round

"Well, this is erip

Reluctantly, he dropped me to the asphalt, and I yanked ?"