Another sleepless night ends in a sunrise that’s blinding and daunting. Now what? I need to figure out who killed Theo’s mum. That’s the only way to keep him from killing Braxton Ames and risking life in prison or worse. The problem is I can’t leave him unattended. It won’t take much to replace his weapons. Americans show great pride in worshiping their Second Amendment like a religion.
Gathering my computer, I put theDo Not Disturbsign on the door and head to Starbucks. Like yesterday, I park across the street. Parking next to his flat is too risky, especially since he’s probably on high alert after returning last night to the scene of a weapons robbery. I hope he needs his coffee this morning.
A big pair of black sunglasses cover most of my face. I thought I needed to add them to my hat disguise. I spy him in my mirror, so I scoot down a bit even though he’s on the other side of the street. Again, he has on a long-sleeve shirt, beanie, and sunglasses. He looks around before opening the door to Starbucks. I tip my head down when his head turns in my direction.
When the door shuts behind him, I release the breath I’ve been holding. A few minutes later he comes out, but insteadof walking toward his truck the way he came, he heads in the opposite direction, disappearing around the front of the building.
“Where are you going?” My teeth dig into my bottom lip as I contemplate following him versus waiting for him to come back around the corner. A tracking device would be much easier. That’s what Oscar would do. I might have to acquire one so that I have more time to devote to Kathryn’s murderer. I’m not used to leaving my house or hotel room to conduct my business. Mobiles and tracking devices usually do the job, but I don’t have help on this, so here I am, following Theo the old-fashioned way. I’m completely rubbish at it.
“Shit!” I jump when something shakes my car like someone ran into the back of me, but when I look in my mirror, I don’t see anything except the vacant car that’s been parked behind me for the last forty-five minutes. There was a crushing sound, I know something hit me. “Fuck it, what the hell was that?” I mutter, releasing my seatbelt then glancing at the corner to check once more for Theo. As soon as I unlock the door, it opens.
“Ah!” My scream is silenced by a large hand over my mouth.
“Over,” Theo’s gritty voice sends prickly bumps along my skin.
He doesn’t wait for me to move before lifting my body with one hand while keeping my mouth covered with his other hand. My bum lands in the passenger seat.
“Fucking scream and I’ll shove the lone knife you left me right into your heart. Understood?”
No, I don’t understand, but since his massive hand covers both my mouth and nose, I nod because my lungs crave some oxygen. He eases his hand away from my mouth, testing my response. I have no response. What’s happening?
Theo starts the car and pulls out into traffic. The only sound in the car is my heart hammering in my chest. I am his song.
He can’t stab his song in the chest!
“How did you know?” I whisper,notwanting to be stabbed in the chest. But if I’m honest, it already feels like that’s what he’s done.
He gives me a quick, menacing sideways glance, the one where he bares his teeth a bit. “I smelled you. The second I walked through my door, I smelled your fucking scent.”
Scent. Hmm… most experts solve crimes with fingerprints or eyewitnesses. Nope. Theodore Reed is a bloody hound dog. That’s why I like to work from my flat where no one can smell my scent.
“And there was a fucking plant in my tub.”
Phoebe. How did I forget her? Oh, that’s right… I had a bag of weapons that needed to be hauled to my car.
He pulls into a parking spot outside of his flat and shoves my car into park. “If you run, I will catch you and it won’t be pretty.”
The last time he caught me, it changed everything. Ournothingbecame a very realsomething. I don’t think if I run this time it will end with him worshiping my body in the shallow moonlit waters of the Atlantic.
“I mean it. Whatever you thought you knew about me no longer exists. I’m not that guy. If you want to live, you’d better let every fucking memory go. They are all dead.”
Who is this man? I physically feel nauseous. I came here because I didn’t want to live without him, only to find out it’s the only chance I have to live at all. Bloody great.
“Wait right there.” He gets out and walks around to my side and opens the door. “Get out.”
I get out, feeling quite wobbly.
“Ow!” I groan when the tip of his knife digs into the small of my back.
“Shut up and walk.” He leads me into the block and into the lift.
I blink back my tears. This cannot be happening. I’m hissong. His tears didn’t need to fall for me to see them. I saw the emotion—the love—in his eyes when we made love. It was hard and brutal, but it was love. Painful… beautiful love.
“Hold the elevator!” a voice calls.
I reach out to push the open button, but Theo yanks my arm back. The frantic woman, with her arms full of groceries, manages to make it in time to stop the doors with her foot.
“Close call.” She smiles stepping into the lift. Then she frowns. “Are you okay?”
