Hunter

Chapter Twenty Six

Kenzie ~

Hunter and the rest of the guys had been gone for three days and even though Kenzie was aware that Caroline and Lainey probably had information on what they were doing and when they were due to come home, Kenzie knew better than to ask.

They'd tell us if something bad happened. I know better than most that no news is good news.

Staying at Hunter's house was...interesting. It was immaculate and clean with minimal decorations, but the ones that were there looked like he had paid someone to decorate for him. Everything had a place and everything was in order which was slightly intimidating at first.

She found herself tip toeing around as if she was going to mess something up, but the more time she spent in his house, the more comfortable it became. His bed was a California King size bed, probably because he was so tall. It was plush and comfy, but it was lonely. So she broke the first rule she'd been told and let Zeus curl up in the bed with her, loving the way the big fury teddy bear snuggled right up against her back as she slept each night, snoring loudly until the sun came up.

One thing she hadn't expected was the fact that Austin had joined her per Hunter's request. She rolled her eyes at him as soon as he explained that Hunter wanted him to keep an eye on her and turned him away immediately, but Austin wouldn't budge. He just gave her a charming smile and a rebuttal to her every protest until she was too tired to argue and simply relented.

Austin stayed out of Kenzie's hair and let her do her own thing, checking in on her periodically throughout the day and waiting up on her to return home from the bar each night. It was overkill and unnecessary, but it was comforting at the same time.

Kenzie finished making a few drinks for the patrons sitting in front of her and glanced at her watch, knowing Austin would be there to pick her up any minute since it was nearing the end of her shift.

Her eyes swept over the large crowd, looking for Austin's face as she popped the top off of a beer when she felt a sudden sinking feeling in her gut. The feeling stole her breath and she took a step backwards, searching for the source of her sudden anxious energy, until her eyes landed on a man in a baseball cap that was pulled too low to see his eyes or determine his facial features.

Is he looking at me? Yes he's definitely looking at me. No he's staring at me. 

The feeling of his fixated gaze made Kenzie's stomach turn and every hair on the back of her neck stand up.

Who the hell is that and why am I freaking out like this? It's probably just a drunk creep who's looking to cheat on his girlfriend.

Trying to convince herself that he was harmless and that she was safe was useless because her body had already decided that the man was a threat and sent her fight or flight reflexes into overdrive.

She jumped when her phone started buzzing in her pocket, shaking her head at her jumpiness and answering it immediately.

"Hey Kenz. I'm parking right now and I've got a surprise for ya." Austin said cheerfully over the phone.

"I uh...thanks." She said, keeping her eyes on the sinister looking man who had yet to move and was still staring at her. He was completely still...eerily still with intense focus, which set her whole body on edge.

"What's up you sound stressed. Busy night?"

It was difficult to focus on what Austin was saying, but Kenzie tried her best to control her flood of adrenaline and speak clearly.

"No. I mean, yes it was busy. Really busy." She lied, but quickly scolded herself for it.

Don't be stupid. Tell Austin what's happening. If it's nothing then it's nothing, but if there's someone dangerous in here, Austin can handle it.