“They hunt in pairs. That’s what they always do. Every six months, from what I have been able to piece together. Only their kills are all over the US. It makes it hard for authorities to figure out what the hell is going on and to connect the attacks. They are everywhere because they are on their motorcycles. They go wherever the hell they want. They travel, and they hunt. Always twin kills.”
“No.” Another shake of her head. “They aren’t serials.” He was wrong on this. Wasn’t he? “We hunt serials at the FBI. Gray—That’s Gray’s specialty. He would have told me. He would have said something to me if he thought the perp was a serial killer.” They’d built a profile, but Gray had never said anything about the perp being the rare breed of predator that counted as a serial.
He’d also certainly never mentioned that he thought it was a serial killing pair. Talk about the rarest monsters out there.
Cass just stared at her.
She…she squeezed her eyes shut. “Gray would have told me.”
“Not if he is protecting you because you aren’t just a Fed…you’re a victim.”
She didn’t want to be a victim. “I don’t need protecting.” She needed for the perp who’d hurt her to be punished. She needed for the crimes to stop.
“And maybe he wouldn’t tell you because…” A soft sigh. “He has a man deep inside. Someone who is working the damn case.”
Breathing was too hard. Cass was working the case…that was why he had the tattoo. He was taking down the Twins.
“He didn’t tell me about you, Agnes. I had no idea why this mess was so freaking personal to him. I just knew—hell, I was working my own agenda. I’ve been doing it for years. The Twins weren’t on my radar, not until I came across that first matched set. Then Gray started asking questions that got me to dig even deeper into them. And once I did that digging, I knew I wasn’t gonna let those bastards roam free. Not once they made it on my list.”
Goosebumps rose onto her arms. “What list?”
“Aw, sweetness, you really think you’re the only one with a kill list? That is so precious.” His hand fell away from her cheek. “Go take your shower. I’ll find some coffee. Then we have to talk about our agenda items.”
Item one on her agenda was getting her boss on the phone and potentially ripping him a new one. Betrayal burned through her. Gray had known, he’d known how badly she wanted her justice, and he’d misled her. Lied to her.
She felt another teardrop slide down her cheek. Her eyes remained closed.
“Dammit, stop doing that.” His fingers were back on her cheek. Brushing away the tear. Catching it? “I don’t like it, and I want you to stop right now. Do you hear me? Now.”
Her lashes fluttered as her eyes opened. More teardrops fell down her cheeks. “I’m not a faucet. I don’t just turn on and off.”
He brushed aside—caught—more of her teardrops. And looked increasingly haggard. Which was odd.
“I don’t like them,” he growled.
Another leaked out. “I don’t care. I just found out my boss has been keeping secrets from me, lying to me. He point-blank told me that no agents get undercover with the Twins. That it doesn’t happen. That he’s tried to get people in, and they vanish. Or else they’re found cut up in little pieces. He even told me this tale about the Twins blowing things up. Obliterating people.” Her heart ached. She’d trusted Gray. Completely. “But here you are. You’re not in pieces.”
“Yeah, and hopefully, I won’t be.” His thumb brushed under her right eye. “But I’m not an agent undercover. I told you before, I am not undercover. What you see is what you get.”
“Liar.” Almost a caress. “You lie to everyone, remember? I’m not special.”
He stepped back. Stopped touching her. “Unfortunately, I think you may fucking be.”
“Be still my heart,” she huffed.
He swung away. Her gaze immediately fell on his broad back. The two-headed snake. Her stomach twisted.
With fast, angry steps, Cass advanced toward a heavy, wooden chest of drawers. He yanked open the top drawer and hauled out a black t-shirt. He wrenched it over his head and covered all the tats on his back. His head turned toward her as he glanced back over his shoulder. “Take as long of a shower as you want. There is a bag of clothes in the bathroom—should be stuff in there to fit you.”
She blinked. “You have clothes for me?” Since when? And how?
“I made arrangements for some items to be here waiting when we arrived last night. Something else you don’t remember.” An exhale. “They were on the porch. I grabbed them when I carried you in. Should be the right sizes.”
“Who in the world did you get to buy clothes for me?” And how had he known her sizes? Had Gray told him?
“Clothes, shoes, underwear. Makeup, too. Whatever you need is in there.”
“How?”
