His uncle gave him a stoic nod.“Let me know if you need anything.I’ll be praying for you both.”
“So will I.”
I’m going to pray as if the love of my life’s life depends on it.Because it does.
Pulling the car into the detached garage of his aunt’s home, George got out and shut the overhead door, blocking any view the neighbors might have.He hadn’t known his mother’s sister had ever existed until he was contacted by her lawyer after she’d passed away.The woman had never married and had no children, but her life had been far better than her sibling’s.
After years of disappointing her family left and right with poor decisions, George’s mother had run away from home at seventeen because she believed her boyfriend loved her more than her parents had.That dirtbag had apparently been George’s sperm donor and had abandoned his girlfriend faster than he could take a dump when he found out she was pregnant.
Instead of returning to her prim and proper family for help, George’s mother had gone on welfare and worked her way through a steady stream of johns and boyfriends.Luckily for her son, she hadn’t been into the heavy drugs of heroin and crack until a year or so after he was born.
Whereas his mother had always been a whiny bitch who hadn’t given a crap about anyone but herself, her sister had been a successful businesswoman with a nice suburban home and an even nicer bank account.How she knew about George and why she hadn’t tried to find him before her death was a mystery that she took to her grave.All her lawyer had was George’s name, date of birth, and an address in Philadelphia, where George and his mother had lived when he’d been in elementary school.
His aunt had left instructions for a private investigator to be hired to find her only living heir upon her death.While part of him had been thrilled at his windfall, the other part hated the woman for not rescuing him from his crappy childhood.
Opening the trunk, he reached in and lifted the unconscious woman, carrying her up the stairs to the second floor.The large, windowless room had been the first thing he’d renovated in the house.He’d tripled the insulation in the walls, ceiling, and floor, making it soundproof.It was now the place where the women he abducted became his masterpieces.No matter how much they screamed while he carved them, no one heard them but him—it was music to his ears.This was his playroom.The only one he hadn’t killed in this room since moving from Pennsylvania had been the bitch reporter.He hadn’t wanted to risk her telling anyone she was meeting him for the “exclusive,” and she didn’t deserve to be brought here after the names she’d called him.
The only thing that was still bothering him about this latest snatch was the cameras he’d seen at the firehouse after he’d driven by with his prize in the trunk.A reporter had been talking with some firemen in front of the station.It shouldn’t be a problem, though, because several cars had been on the street then, and he was just another person heading home from work or going out to meet some friends.
He dropped the slut unceremoniously onto a plank table in the middle of the room.She would wake up soon, and he quickly restrained her wrists and ankles.
As he finished securing her, his cell phone chirped.One of the other things he’d added to the house was a security system that he could control via his smartphone or computer.The alert was for someone ringing the bell at the front door of the house.
Bringing up the picture of whoever was interrupting him, he rolled his eyes when an elderly neighbor from across the street appeared.
Fucking pain in the ass.
Every time she spotted him arriving at the house, she came over with some request for him to help her out—usually with something that needed to be repaired at her place.Whomever she’d bugged before him was probably thrilled she’d found someone else to annoy.Maintaining his friendly persona around her was getting harder every fucking day.He should just kill the bitch and end his misery.
The alert sounded again.The irritating woman would continue pressing it until he answered the door—she must wait at her front window, just watching for him to pull into the drive.
Not worried about the slut screaming, he locked the door behind him and hurried down the stairs.Putting on his “nice neighbor” smile, he exited the garage through the pedestrian door and walked down the driveway instead of going through the house.“Mrs.Pennington?I’m over here.”
Turning away from the door where she’d been about to press the bell again, she looked at him in relief.“Oh, George.There you are.I hope I’m not bothering you.”
He fought the urge to roll his eyes or punch her in the face.“Well, I was kind of in the middle of something…”
Letting his voice trailed off, he hoped she would get the picture.No such luck.
“Oh, I’m sorry, but I was hoping you could just help me for a moment.My hallway light is out, and I’m too old to climb up on a chair to change it.That, and I think I’m too short, even with the chair,” she added with a chuckle.
His laughter at her lame joke was forced and didn’t reach his eyes.He wanted her four-eyed, wrinkled face gone from his sight, but he’d worked hard to make the neighbors in the area think he was just a nice, quiet guy.He even had some of them bringing him dinner and baked goods.Meanwhile, a few had tried to set him up with their daughters, granddaughters, nieces, or friends, which he’d gotten out of by conjuring up a long-distance relationship.The last thing he needed was anyone thinking he was rude or that something nefarious was going on behind his closed doors, and he still had some time before the slut woke up.“Sure, Mrs.Pennington.I’d be happy to help.”
Chapter21
Everyone had swarmed to the scene as Sean’s panic and anger raged.He should have known…fuck!He should have fucking known the bastard would come after him again, and what better way than to take the woman he loved?But how the fuck had the killer known about Grace?Sean had been careful about being followed.He’d had one of the deputies check under his car a few minutes ago for a tracking device—nothing.
“Fuck!”
Brian startled next to him.“What?”
“This morning was a setup.It was more than him telling me he knew where I lived.My mind was all over the place as I drove back over here, trying to think of how to tell Dan the house was a crime scene.”He ran a hand through his hair, fighting the urge to punch the brick wall of the building behind him.“Honestly, I don’t even remember the drive—the bastard could have been right on my ass, and I was so distracted I wouldn’t have even known it.This is my fucking fault!All of it!”
“Hey!”Brian grabbed him by the shoulders and got in his face.“This is not your fault, brother.It’s that fucking, psychotic asshole’s fault.Now, settle down, and let’s think this through.Pull it the fuck together.”
As much as he didn’t believe Brian, Sean knew his last statement was what was needed.He could deal with the guilt of Grace’s kidnapping after they found her—alive and unharmed.“All right.All right.”
He glanced around.The deputies were in the process of questioning everyone they could find at the businesses and homes within a three-block radius.The BCI techs were taking pictures and checking the dumpster and Grace’s car for any possible evidence.There were no fucking cameras in the alley, and none of the small shops on either side of the street had security cameras outside, so they couldn’t even look for pictures of a car driving past or out of the alley.That was one of the drawbacks of small towns with very little crime.
