Deadly Obsession (11 page)

He was silent so long she wondered if the conversation was over. But when he spoke again, she froze. “Why’d you leave, Lilly? The real reason.”

Shit. She’d talk about anything other than that. Not now. She cleared her throat and glanced away. “We don’t have time for a trip down memory lane. That kiss was…well, just a kiss—a good one—but let’s leave it at that.” She didn’t mean the words coming out of her mouth but if it got him to drop the subject of why she’d left, she’d say anything. No need to let him know her knees were still weak with desire. Turning from him, she grabbed her purse and hooked it on her shoulder.

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to read her mind but when she extended him an apple, he took it.

Silently they locked the house up and headed out again. She hated the fact that someone had just broken into her aunt’s house with seemingly no motive but she really hated that she’d created this chasm between her and Braden. The ache between her legs wasn’t going away any time soon and neither was the growing ache in her heart. Working with him was a sweet torture all by itself and the messed up thing was, she still
liked
being near him. Avoiding his gaze, she took a bite of her apple, though she didn’t taste it.

His fists tightened around the steering wheel of his stolen SUV as he stared through the tinted glass. That stupid bitch Whitney was getting into some guy’s truck. She must have decided to get a ride to work with someone. In the weeks he’d been watching her, she’d never done that before. And her car hadn’t broken down. He was almost sure of it. She’d just gone grocery shopping yesterday.

She couldn’t know he was watching her. Could she?

No! He’d been so careful.

Now his plans were completely ruined. He’d planned to take her this morning, enjoy her all day and possibly tonight, but now that was impossible. With her roommate out of town, it would have been so easy.

Looked like he’d have to move his
other
plans up by a day. It shouldn’t be a problem. This was probably for the best. It was a sign. Yes, that must be it. Now he would get to play with Lilly. Fuck with her head even more.

And right before her aunt’s funeral of all days. It would be perfect. The only thing he regretted was that he wouldn’t get to see the expression on her face when he called her.

Lilly set her purse down at the far end of the long rectangular table in the middle of the conference room. Since she was in a sheriff’s office, she actually felt relatively safe for the first time in a couple days. Instead of taking a seat, she walked the perimeter of the room, looking at and memorizing the blown-up photographs tacked up on corkboards.

The first four victims of the serial killer were older, ranging from forty-five to sixty-seven. While those killings had been brutal, according to the ME, he hadn’t kept them around long and he’d sodomized them postmortem. That was an interesting fact, but she wasn’t sure what to make of it. The last two victims he’d made suffer, so Lilly guessed he killed the first four to make a point. He’d wanted Braden’s attention first.

“What do you think?” Braden asked, leaning against the table next to her.

“Not sure yet,” she murmured. Putting together pieces of a bigger puzzle had always come naturally to her. Which was why she was so good at what she did.

“You said you ran this guy’s MO through NLETS right?” The National Law Enforcement Teletype System was a valuable tool for sharing information to connect possibly linked cases.

“Yep.”

“I only got my tattoo two years ago.”

Braden pushed up from the table. “Shit, that means—”

“If we change the MO just a little, take out the carving on the victims’ backs, and even eliminate the use of a cattle prod, we might come up with something similar. Maybe this guy made a mistake when he first started killing women. If, of course, these aren’t his first.”

Braden nodded in agreement. “They can’t be. He’s too methodical. Too clean. I get the feeling he’s been doing this a while.”

“Me too,” she muttered.

“I think we should leave the sixty-six knife wounds in the profile,” he said.

“I agree. The number is probably meaningful. If we don’t want to wait for the profiler to finally make his way to Hudson Bay, I have a friend at the FBI I can call to speed up the process.”

He nodded. “Make the call…You want to take a break when you’re finished?”

“Yes. My eyes are about to fall out.” They’d been at the station for hours. She’d reviewed all the paperwork and evidence they’d collected over the past year and despite the horrid pictures she’d reviewed, her stomach was growling for sustenance.

“Want to go to Beach Hut Café? They’ve got sandwiches and salads in addition to coffee.”

“That sounds perfect.” A small smile touched her lips as he left the room. This might be the break they were waiting for. They still hadn’t heard back from the lab Hailey had taken the strand of hair to, but if there were more victims and this guy had left DNA at one of his first killings he might be in the system. Maybe even have a record. And they might finally be able to put a face to this monster.

Whitney glanced up as the bell to the coffee shop jingled. The lunch crowd had already left and she was about to take a smoke break. When she saw Sheriff Donnelly and a pretty woman walk in, she cut off Amy, the only other server on duty. “I’ll take them.”

“It’s my rotation,” Amy huffed.

“I’ll give you my next two tables and I’ll close for you.”

Amy’s dark eyebrows rose in amusement. “Dang girl, you really got it bad for the hot sheriff.”

It wasn’t true, but Whitney shrugged. When she’d been a senior in high school she’d had a massive crush on him, but not anymore. That wasn’t what this was about. “Do we have a deal?”

“Sure.”

A lot of people just ordered coffee but she knew the sheriff would order food. He always did. She grabbed two menus and hurried over to the table.

He smiled when he saw her. “Hi, Whitney. How are you?”

“Great. Coffee?” When he nodded, Whitney looked at the woman with him. She smiled prettily.

“Do you have green tea?”

“Yep…” She shifted from foot to foot. This was harder than she’d imagined. The sheriff had always been so nice, but what if he thought she was crazy or paranoid? She’d never be able to look him in the eye again. Maybe this had been a mistake.

“I think we need a few more minutes.” His voice made her jump and she realized she’d been staring.

“I figured. It’s just, ah…” She should have just gone to see him at the station. There was no way she could talk to him in front of a stranger.

As if she read Whitney’s mind, the pretty woman cleared her throat and stood. “I’m just going to use the restroom.”

Whitney blew out a breath of relief as the brunette walked away. “I’m sorry to bother you now. I know I could have come down to the station, but you’re here and well…”

“Whatever it is, you can say it. Are you in some kind of trouble?” Sheriff Donnelly’s brow furrowed.

“Not exactly. It’s probably nothing, but lately, I’ve gotten the feeling that someone’s been watching me. Saying it out loud I feel kinda stupid, but my roommate’s out of town for the next week and I swear, it’s like everywhere I go, I feel like someone is following me.” She held her breath as she waited for him to respond. Either he’d lock her up in a mental institution or he’d smile at her condescendingly. Both options sucked.

“How long have you been experiencing this?”

“Truthfully, I’ve felt this way for about a month, but the feeling has gotten worse since my roommate left. I’ve lived on my own before so it’s not that I mind being by myself. I can’t explain the feeling, but…” She shrugged, unsure how to go on.

“Do you have a place you can stay the next couple days? A friend’s house or your parents’?”

She glanced over her shoulder to find Sheldon watching her. He smiled shyly when their gazes locked. Her parents were vacationing in Hawaii for the next month and most of her friends were away at college, but she knew Sheldon would let her stay over. If she made it clear they were just friends…yeah, it would work. She turned back to Sheriff Donnelly. “I have somewhere I can stay.”

“Do me a favor and write down where you’re going to be staying and your contact information. I’m going to have one of my guys sporadically drive by your place. Remember, if anything feels out of the ordinary or anyone rubs you the wrong way—for whatever reason—run. I don’t care if you feel stupid. If something feels off about someone, you run,” he repeated himself.

A lead ball congealed inside her as she digested his ominous advice. He wasn’t even weirded out by what she’d told him. As Whitney contemplated what that meant, the pretty brunette brushed past her as she took a seat across from the sheriff.

Whitney smiled at both of them. “Thanks, Sheriff. I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

Maybe there was something going on in Hudson Bay she didn’t know about. Either way, at least he hadn’t laughed in her face.

He grasped the needle tightly in his hand as he slid down into a sitting position against the sandy beach. With the exception of the waves and the wind, everything was otherwise silent.

The sun barely peeked over the horizon. Soon, the sky would be lit up with orange and reds, and his sweet little Page Matheson would be jogging by the pier listening to her MP3 player without a care in the world. The young woman did everything in her life like clockwork.

Get up, work out, go to work, meet her current boyfriend for drinks or dinner, go home with him or go home alone. She was one of his easiest marks yet. She even went grocery shopping the same day every week.

He hadn’t planned to take her so soon, but since grabbing Whitney was now growing more difficult, he’d have to speed up his plans. Maybe he’d go back for Whitney once he’d killed Lilly. Only time would tell. He didn’t know why, but she hadn’t come home last night and he’d seen the same undercover cop car cruising by her place more than once. For all he knew, it could be a coincidence, but he wasn’t going to take the chance and find out.

He shifted against the unforgiving sand and glanced at his watch. Page would be here soon. Thanks to the perfect cover provided by the pier, she’d never see him coming.

Or if she did, it would be too late. Page was in good shape, but she was a runner. She was petite with little muscle. He probably didn’t even need the drugs to subdue her, but he couldn’t take the chance she’d wake up while he was preparing her.

His heart pounded wildly against his chest. Everything was finally falling into place. This was one more step in finally bringing Lilly Carmichael to her knees. It might take her a while to understand the connection but Lilly was smart. She’d figure out what he was doing with Page. And if she was fast enough, she’d save her. Too bad she wouldn’t be able to save herself. And neither would the sheriff.

Lilly opened her eyes to an unfamiliar sound. Her heart pounded erratically as she sat up in bed and glanced around. Pale moonlight streamed in through the open blinds, bathing her bed and giving her just enough light to be able to see everything clearly. Nothing was wrong or out of place. No strange shadows dancing around her room.

Just her furniture and her. She’d even checked her closet again before going to bed. So why did she feel so edgy? Sighing, she punched her pillow before collapsing back against it. The air whooshed out as her head landed. She stared at the ceiling as thoughts tumbled through her brain. Her analytical side was perfect for her chosen profession, but right now, her thoughts wouldn’t let her sleep.

There were still too many unresolved issues. No one had been able to locate Greg Murphy but at least they’d put out notices to all the local hotels and motels. They’d let his wife go after questioning her. She’d been a little helpful once she’d calmed down, but all they really knew was that Greg had been disappearing for days at a time over the last year and when he was in town, he’d been just as scarce.

They might have a solid suspect but if they couldn’t find Greg, it didn’t do them a lot of good. Even though she felt like they’d made some progress yesterday, the rest of the day with Braden had been ridiculously uncomfortable on a personal level. Even though she knew she should keep things on a professional level, it was hard when she was working side by side with him.

A loud creak interrupted her thoughts.

Swallowing, she sat up and held her breath. She heard it again. Then she saw a shadow pass under her door.

Blood rushed in her ears as she tried to make sense of things. The digital clock on her nightstand brightly announced the time. Two in the morning. Maybe Braden had gone to get a late night snack.

So why was her stomach twisted up? She pushed the covers off and cringed at the rustling sound. Her feet hit the floor soundlessly. Trying to keep her movements muted, she picked her gun up off the dresser and crept toward the door.

Pulling the slide action back, she chambered a round. The metallic click seemed to reverberate off the walls and windows like a cannon blast. Her heart pounded mercilessly against her ribs as she pressed her ear to the door.

Nothing.

Grasping the handle with her free hand, she twisted it and pulled the door back a few inches. When it made a soft groaning sound, she froze.

A golf ball sized lump formed in her throat as she stepped out into the hall. It was empty. She glanced to the right. No one coming up the stairs but she’d seen something move in the direction of the guest room. Forcing her legs to obey, she headed that way.

The thought of something happening to Braden was the only thing that pushed her forward. As she inched closer toward her aunt’s old room, time seemed to move slower.

Since the door to her aunt’s room was closed, she picked up her pace and rushed down the rest of the hall as if hellhounds were after her. Her feet were silent along the carpet runner, but she could barely hear a thing with the pounding in her ears. As she neared Braden’s door, she wiped a sweaty palm on her pajama pants.

When a crash sounded in Braden’s room, her throat seized. Keeping her gun tightly in one hand, she twisted the doorknob to his room. It swung open easily.

An invisible fist clasped around her throat. A masked man stood over Braden’s lifeless body. Blood covered his neck and hands.

There was so much blood. Too much for Braden to survive. Crimson spatters covered the sheets, the wall and the wicked looking knife. Her heart twisted. There was no possible way he was alive.

“Where should I start cutting? His arms or legs?” The deep growl of the masked man was animalistic.

His words sliced straight to her heart. Without pausing she lifted her gun and pulled the trigger. When it simply clicked, but didn’t fire, the man grinned.

With his free hand he tugged on the bottom of his mask and began to pull it off.

Using all her energy, she let out a piercing scream, hoping someone, anyone, could hear her.

“Wake up! Lilly, wake up!”

Lilly opened her eyes to find Braden shaking her shoulders and staring at her.

“You’re alive!” She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her fingers dug into the hard skin of his back, but she didn’t care if she was hurting him. It had only been a dream.

“What the hell happened? Are you all right? Did you see something?” He gently pried her fingers off him and clasped her hands in his own as he leaned back to look at her.

She removed one hand and wiped a sweaty bunch of hair out of her face. Her pajamas were soaked through with sweat. Somehow she found her voice. “I had a dream. It was so real though.”

Braden cupped her cheek and furrowed his brow as he stared at her. “What was it about?”

“You. He killed you. He killed you right in the guest bedroom—” Her voice broke as she bit back a sob. It wasn’t real. She kept repeating the words to herself. Braden was alive.

“Honey, don’t cry.” He gathered her in his arms and she let him hold her. Her tears slowly dried when it registered he wasn’t wearing a shirt.

Nope, just boxers. As he held her, her heartbeat increased as she pressed her face against his bare chest. A girl could only take so much until she combusted. Finally, she pushed away, afraid that she’d do something stupid like throw herself at him. And that’s exactly what she would do if he continued holding her.

“I’m sorry. You must think I’m an absolute nutcase,” she mumbled.

He wiped a stray tear from her cheek, letting his thumb linger longer than necessary. “No, I think you’re handling things pretty well, considering.”

She managed a small smile. “Thanks.” When she glanced at the clock, relief surged through her veins. It was three in the morning. The clock in her dream had said two. It’s not that she necessarily believed in premonitions, but her chest loosened a little nonetheless. “I’m going to change. Would you mind waiting?”

He frowned, but nodded.

Even if he couldn’t tell, her pajama top stuck to her back and breasts. After pulling out a thinner, cotton set, she shut the bathroom door behind her and stripped. The cool air rushing over her body was a welcome relief. She turned on the faucet then splashed cold water on her face, which helped even more. Once she’d cooled down, she tugged on her clothes.

After opening the door she found Braden in the same position she’d left him. “Thanks. I didn’t want to come out to an empty room.”

“Is there anything you want to talk about?” He shifted against the sheets to face her as she sat in front of him.

“No. I think I’m okay now. I’ve had some pretty bad nightmares before but that one ranked in the top three.” She didn’t know if it was because it had been so vivid or because Braden had been dead. Before she could change her mind, she blurted out the question weighing most on her mind. “Would you stay with me?” When his eyebrows rose, she could feel her cheeks heat up. So much for wanting to keep things professional. “Never mind. I’m sorry. That was totally—”

“I’ll stay.” The command in those two words left no room for argument.

Not that she planned to argue.

He walked around the bed and slid under the covers, but lay on his back without turning toward her. He didn’t try to make conversation, but that was fine with her. She only cared that he stayed.

When her head fell against the pillow, the rest of her body became acutely aware that a hot man was inches away and half naked. Suddenly she was too warm to sleep. Trying not to make too much noise, she pushed the comforter off but kept the sheet pulled up.

Even though she was thankful he was there, Braden’s spicy, male scent enveloped her, reminding her of what she wanted but couldn’t have. She turned on her side, hoping to block him out. It didn’t work.

Her entire body tingled as she remembered their brief kisses.

“You still awake?” His deep voice sounded over pronounced in the quiet room.

“Yeah,” she whispered.

Before she realized what he was doing, he draped a heavy arm over her waist and spooned her back into his chest. “I’m right here, Lilly. Nothing’s going to happen.”

Despite the horrifying nightmare and the fact that her mind was working overtime, her body still craved sleep. For the first time in a while she actually felt safe. Closing her eyes to the sound of Braden’s steady breathing and the feel of his strong arms, she let the blackness of sleep overtake her.

Braden shifted against the sheets, trying not to jostle Lilly too much as he glanced at the clock. It was almost seven. He’d dozed off for about an hour after her nightmare. Holding her in his arms had been torture enough, but he’d managed to control himself. Though he wasn’t sure how. When she’d thrown a leg and arm across his stomach and chest however, he’d woken up. And he’d been up ever since.

In more ways than one.

Now he had an erection that wouldn’t quit and the one woman he couldn’t have grinding up against his side. Talk about a nightmare. If only he hadn’t been stupid enough to kiss her. His life would be a hell of a lot less complicated. Now he knew that fire they’d once shared was still there. Not only was it there, but it was a lot hotter than before. He was ten kinds of stupid to even contemplate getting involved with her again.

Lilly was nothing but quicksand for a man like him. It would be so easy to sink back into the feelings he’d once had for her, but if he allowed himself to travel down that road, there’d be no turning back. He’d lost her once, but he’d never forgotten her. Going to war hadn’t erased her memory. Neither had his years in college.

She was always there. Always at the back of his mind. And now she was stretched out across his body and he was primed to go. Each second they spent together he could feel his resolve weakening. He really must be a masochist to contemplate getting involved with her again.

When she stirred, he rubbed a hand over her back, hoping to wake her. This was more than a mortal man should have to tolerate. “Lilly?”

She mumbled something against his chest, but didn’t open her eyes. When the doorbell sounded, he jerked upright.

Lilly rolled over without opening her eyes. “Did I just dream the doorbell rang?”

He brushed a strand of her dark hair out of her eyes and his abdomen tightened. Lying here like this made him want to dream that second chances were possible. “No dream. Stay here. I’ll check it out.”

She muttered something under her breath, then rolled onto her side and clutched a pillow. When the ding sounded again, he picked up his gun from the nightstand then rushed back to his room. After tossing on a sweater and jeans he bounded down the stairs two at a time. Who the hell would be here this early if it wasn’t an emergency?

Gun in hand, he glanced through the peephole. Immediately he dropped his arm and tucked his gun into the back of his pants. “Hold on.” He turned off the alarm, then opened the front door.

“Took you long enough,” his grandmother, Alma Donnelly, huffed as she brushed past him, a covered dish in hand.

“What are you doing here?”

“There’s more in the car. Help an old lady out,” she demanded over her shoulder as she headed toward the kitchen.

Sighing, he did as ordered. In the back seat of her four door sedan he found ten covered casserole dishes. He let out a whistle as he picked up a couple of them. A few trips later, they’d gotten everything inside and he’d locked the front door. So far Lilly hadn’t come down and he doubted she’d even stirred.

“What are you doing here so early?” he asked his grandmother.

She lifted a gray eyebrow and smirked. “I could ask you the same thing.”

He bit back a defensive answer. It wouldn’t matter if he told his grandmother that Lilly was under his protective custody. She’d still assume there was more going on. “Did you cook all this?”

“All the ladies in my Sunday school class baked for the wake tomorrow. With the exception of those two,” she pointed to two green ovular shaped dishes covered in tin foil, “the rest of this doesn’t need to be refrigerated. We’ll bring the warm stuff tomorrow.”

Damn, the wake was tomorrow. It’s not that he’d forgotten exactly, but with everything happening, it hadn’t been high on his list of priorities. “Thanks for bringing this by. I know Lilly will appreciate it.”