Bait: A dark erotic thriller (Hunter & Prey Book 2) by Kira Barker Page A

husband got up to with you, and I have no intention of being a part in that,” Alison stated, waiting for me to flinch, or in any other way react. I didn’t, because there was nothing I could have offered. When it became apparent that I was still waiting for her answer, she went on. “But all joking aside, I have another job offer for you. Make this imbecile of an overgrown infant disappear, and this is yours.” She held out a check to me—signed and all—and the amount it was stating made my eyes go just a little wide.
    “I presume you don’t mean in the literal, decidedly criminal way?”
    That made her laugh. “Of course not. Hiring an assassin would have come with a far smaller price tag,” she divulged. I wondered if she was speaking from experience. Considering who I knew her clients were, better not to go down that road.
    “Exactly what do you want me to do?” I asked.
    Rather than reply, Alison posed a question herself. “Have you fucked him yet?”
    It was kind of tedious that absolutely everyone was up in my business—again. And while part of me wanted to grin—particularly with that check in my hand—I left it to the simplest reply possible. “Guess.”
    It was strange to see the satisfied look on her face appear. “I knew he was taking too long just to use the restroom, and he had his phone turned off so it couldn’t have been a call from a client.” Then her mood visibly soured. “But still he went home with that git. I want her gone, do you hear me? Right there it was obvious that she finally realized that you’re not just some passing acquaintance whose goods he might ogle when she’s not looking. I don’t care how you do it, but get the message across. I need her to stop even thinking of him, let alone continue to lust after him. And, if you can manage it, I would very much prefer if you were to resume your previous arrangement, in whatever fashion possible.”
    That sounded cryptic enough that I couldn’t keep from raising my brows at her. Alison was only too happy to enlighten me.
    “Oh, don’t think I’ve bought either of your insipid excuses. Rafting accident, my ass.” She snorted. “Darren might be a lot, but an outdoors-kind-of-guy is not one of them. Do you even ski?”
    It was hard to keep my right hand relaxed on my thigh, but I managed somehow. “Of course. I spend several weeks in Aspen each year. Many of my clients enjoy a little relaxation on the side.”
    “But not in the summer,” she quipped. I opened my mouth to offer the in-detail story that I’d cobbled together—after all, there was that whole heli-skiing on glaciers business—but Alison’s offhand gesture made me close my mouth again.
    “I don’t want to hear it, and, frankly, I don’t care. Fact is, since he hooked up with that floozy, he hasn’t been himself. And I need him sharp and on top of his game. Like he was with you. I don’t care if you become Chicago’s next sordid power-couple or not. I need this distraction to go away so he can resume being my top doberman in the courtroom. And if that’s impossible, I need you to let me know so I can take care of the problem otherwise.”
    That sounded ominous enough that for a second, I was tempted to tell her the truth.
    “And you think I can pull that off?” I asked instead.
    “Easily,” she confided. “That money is just for alienating the girl into quitting on him. I expect that to not take longer than a month. For each subsequent month, I’m happy to write you another check.”
    “That won’t be necessary,” I replied. Now it was her turn to eye me askance. “I can’t tell you how things between Darren and me will end.” And wasn’t that the truth. “But I can assure you that I will have resolved your problem in a timely fashion.”
    I could tell that my confidence worried her a little, but she pretended not to care. “Perfect. Let me know if the escort-managing business doesn’t work out. I might just keep you on retainer as