An intense pair of eyes watched as Olivia climbed the steps and disappeared into the house. Stepping back under the ragged canopy of trees, the hooded figure glanced down in amusement at the figure at its feet.
The dirty and bruised man was lying in the dirt on the cold, hard ground. His arms and legs were bound with cable ties, although it hardly seemed necessary with both of his legs bent at an awkward angle and the bone protruding from one shin poking through layers of cloth and torn flesh. His eyes, when he glanced up at the killer, were filled with pain and terror. He tried to speak, but under the bruising and swelling his jaw seemed to be broken, making speech impossible. All he could manage was a few muffled cries.
“Shhh.” The killer leaned down, a lock of pure white hair falling free of its deep hood. “Don’t waste your breath. No one will hear you.”
He cried out again, louder this time, in panic, in pain, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. The killer grasped his hands by the cable tie and yanked him hard, causing yet another pain-filled cry to escape his lips, dragging him deeper into the woods.
“Don’t worry.” The cool voice carried on the cold air. “This won’t hurt... much.”
25
Olivia was jolted out of sleep by a loud pounding at her door. Untangling herself from Theo’s arms, she swung her feet over the side of the bed, wincing as her bare feet made contact with the cold floor. Cursing silently, she made a mental note to find where her aunt had stored the rugs so that she could put them down on the hardwood floors now the cold weather had set in. The impatient thumping sounded again, and this time Theo poked his sleepy head out from under the bedding.
“What’s going on?” he murmured, glancing at the clock, and rolling out of bed reluctantly.
“I don’t know.” She frowned, looking around.
Leaving Theo as he pulled on his clothes, and unable to find her robe or her slippers, she left the room and headed downstairs. No doubt she’d find them slobbered on in Beau’s bed. He seemed to like to sleep on anything that smelled like her.
She stifled a yawn as Beau danced playfully around her bare legs. Raising herself up on tiptoes, she looked through the peephole and sighed.
“This should be interesting.” She grimaced and opened the door. “Chief.” She shot him a glare. “What is it this time?”
“Olivia West”—he reached out and grabbed her roughly—“I’m placing you under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of Lucas Campbell.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she replied in complete disbelief.
The chief spun her around and slammed her roughly against the door as he yanked her arms behind her and handcuffed her so tightly she felt the blood cut off from her hands.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Theo growled as he stormed angrily down the stairs.
“This is none of your concern, Mr. Beckett, unless you want to be charged as an accomplice.”
“The hell it isn’t.” He glared at the chief. “Take your hands off her now.”
“Deputy,” Walcott called as he marched Olivia off the porch into the freezing cold air, wearing nothing but her nightshirt. “Deal with him, please.”
Cameron and Helga both stepped forward to block Theo’s way.
“You have no right.” Olivia tried to pull away, but he simply tightened his grip on her upper arm.
“I have every right, Miss West,” he sneered. “I have a search warrant for your car and your house.”
“What?” Her eyes widened as she saw a forensic tech with his head in the trunk of her car. “But you won’t find anything.”
“We already have.” He smiled smugly. “Blood was discovered in the trunk, which tested positive as human. It will need to be analyzed, but I’m confident it will be Lucas Campbell’s blood.”
A feeling of dread curled in her gut. “What did you do?” Her voice was little more than a horrified whisper.
He slammed her up against the side of the squad car, leaning in close to ensure no one else could hear their conversation.
“What I had to do to catch a cold-blooded killer. You’re going to prison, Olivia, for a very long time, and when I find your father, he will join you there, which is where he should have been the last twenty years. No more cushy hospitals, no more insanity pleas, it’s time to pay the piper.”
“You bastard,” she hissed.
“When we search your property, I’m sure we’ll find enough evidence to convict you of Adam and Brody’s murders as well.”
Knowing there was no way out of this, she knew she had to warn Theo. She couldn’t risk letting them get their hands on Hester’s Grimoire, not that they’d know what to do with it anyway, but it was still their best shot at preventing the demon from rising.
