Ryenne closed the door on Lucien and listened to his footsteps, then his own door closing softly. Before turning on the light, she went to the window and peeked out between the heavy curtains. Everything looked quiet out there. In a slice of moonlight, she could see the disturbed earth where the rogue had dumped Kyeri’s body for her to find.

She shivered.

She wasn’t sure she’d ever been up against a rogue quite like this before. She’d hunted shifters through city streets and dark alleys, knowing where her prey was. She’d worked security at events where she didn’t always know where the danger would come from—and sometimes it didn’t come at all. Just her presence and that of other hunters like her was often enough of a deterrent. But she’d never hunted a rogue like this. One who didn’t just kill for pleasure, but took pleasure in taunting others with his kills.

Kyeri’s body had only been dumped last night. Would the shifter go after someone else tonight? She hoped Lucien had injured the shifter enough that the town was safe.

She wasn’t sure what she thought of Steven. He was yet another rich businessman with more money than compassion, maybe. But she’d enjoyed her time this evening with Omoro and Anthony and the others. She hadn’t had much time to get to know the guards, but a few of them stood out. Like Innocent in his torn shirt and the nameless dude in Randy’s old bowling shirt.

These were good people and she didn’t want them or their families to come to harm. If she could prevent any more deaths, then she would fight this rogue until her last breath.

She had one of her usual nightmares about Cody, but this time it was different. Less familiar faces, newer faces, of some of the people she’d met here in Kenya were in the shadows of the dream.

When she woke in the morning, she shook off the feeling of dread the nightmare had enshrouded her in, and made quick work of her usual morning preparations. She was determined to find out something important today. She knew they were on the cusp of it. They were so close to uncovering the rogue’s identity.

They didn’t see Steven at all that day. Anyone they talked to said he was sleeping or resting but he was doing fine. But if he was so fine, why was he still in his room, and not allowing Lucien and Ryenne to see him?

At breakfast, she asked Jomo who else had access to the compound.

“I’m sorry, miss,” he said, face calm, “I don’t understand.”

She may have chosen the wrong person to ask. But the people here with the best English might be their suspects. “Who else comes here to visit Mr. Muteti?”

His face brightened. “Oh, sometimes his friends from the village or coworkers from Nairobi.”

“Who has keys to the house?”

His face scrunched as he thought. “Eleanor,” he said, naming the main housekeeper and cook. “And John.” He shivered.

“Jomo.” She lowered her voice. “Are you afraid of John?”

Jomo swallowed and glanced around. “Sometimes he yells at people.”

“Has he ever hurt anyone?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What about the gates? Who has the keys to the front and back gates?”

His face scrunched up again. “I don’t know. I think Eleanor and John.”

“And Mr. Muteti?”

“Of course.” He gave her a wide smile with bright, white teeth, wiped up a drop of juice on the wood table, and left the dining room.

Lucien nodded at her approvingly. “Good questions. After lunch, I’ll see if Eleanor has more information for us.”

As soon as it was late enough in New York, Ryenne video-called Gavin.

“Hey, beautiful!”

“Hey, yourself. Did you find out who Lucien is?”

“Sure did. You might want to sit down for this. Are you sitting?”

She looked down at her lap, which she could see because she sat cross-legged on the bed. She raised her gaze and stared at Gavin on the screen through her eyelashes. “Is this about him being a wolf shifter?”

“Oh.” He visibly deflated. “You already know.”

“Yeah, but is he the kind of shifter I can trust?” If she could ever bring herself to trust any shifter.

“The Malraux family has a long history in the hunting biz in France. His grandfather started the company, continued by his father, and now run by Lucien and his mother and sisters. They’re well respected and well known for their pro-human views.”

She blew out some air, ruffling her bangs. He checked out. Thank goodness.

“I saw photos of him online,” Gavin continued. “He’s gorgeous, Ry.”

“You’re telling me.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to let Gavin know she found Lucien attractive. Her best friend would hound her about him forever.

Gavin’s smile took on a predatory gleam. “You’ve got the hots for him! I knew it!”

“Keep it down. I don’t need the whole village knowing.” She especially didn’t want Lucien to know how attracted she was to him. How she imagined him naked. How she wanted to lick mango juice from his luscious lips.

They had a rogue to catch and they needed to work together. Anyway, she couldn’t be attracted to a shifter. If for no other reason, then because of the memory of her brother.

“Anything new on Steven and his political campaign?” she asked to change the subject.

Gavin chuckled but his gaze slid to the side of his computer and she could imagine him sitting at his desk in their office and pushing piles of paper out of the way to get at the notes he wanted. A tiny part of her wished she could be there with him now. Life at home was simpler, less confusing. “Dead end. While Kenyan politics have been fraught with dirty tricks, like everywhere, nothing to this level. His party currently holds a majority in the government and his region has been relatively stable for the past twenty years.”

“No new players?”

“Sure, a few, but they all check out. I’ll keep digging, though.”

She nodded. “Sounds good.”

Gavin reclined backwards in his chair and dove into a story about meeting Marco’s brother the day before and repeated his claim about Marco being “the one.”

“Wow, meeting family already, Gav. This must be some kind of record for you.”

“No, this is for real. I’m falling for him.”

“Then I’m happy for you. Don’t screw it up,” she admonished then turned off the chat and leaned back against the wall, thinking.

Steven’s absence was suspicious but someone with his amount of influence and money didn’t usually turn rogue. There were a few exceptions, of course. But she thought John was the stronger candidate.

He was all muscle, the strong and silent type, and she could easily imagine him tearing a man’s throat out. If she was right, did Steven know the truth? He and John were close, not like brothers, but the kind of relationship a powerful man might have with the only person he trusted.

Then it was hard to imagine Steven not knowing what John was up to. And vice versa.

So, why would Steven hire hunters?