Dan nodded. “It’s possible”
“Chloe Howard made a public appearance with her mother two days before she was taken. Some sort of women’s fundraiser or something.” Murphy looked over at Alex. “If what these two are saying is true, our guy could’ve seen her on there and somehow read whatever angst she was feeling. That could have been how he chose her.”
Frustrated, Alex exhaled loudly. “That’s all well and good, but that news footage was broadcast all over the damn state. So, we still have no idea where to even start looking for him.”
“He’s right,” Garrett told Murphy. “Don’t get me wrong, the information Eden discovered is important.” He gave her a quick, apologetic glance. “But knowing the guy’s first name and that he grew up on an Amish-type farm with an abusive father and a suicidal sister doesn’t tell us where to start looking for him.”
“So we find a way to bring him to us,” Murphy shot back.
Garrett snorted. “How the hell are we going to do that? It’s not like we can go on T.V. and offer the prick a formal invitation.”
A slow smile crept over Murphy’s face. One that had Alex feeling all sorts of nervous.
“Actually”—their sergeant looked in Eden’s direction— “that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
Chapter Eleven
“No. Absolutely not. It’s totally out of the question, so don’t bother asking.”
Eden looked at Alex. As much as she hated Sergeant Murphy’s idea, she knew it was something she had to do.
“I wasn’t asking.”
A muscle in his jaw bulged, and she could tell he was vicariously close to losing his shit.Well, he’s going to have to get over it.
With his hands on his hips, Alex kept his eyes locked on hers as he ordered the others gruffly, “Give us the room.”
The other men, including Murphy, left them alone without so much as a word.
“Alex, I—”
“You do this, you’reaskingfor him to take you. You get that, right?”
“Yes.” She looked up at him, hating the fear staring back at her. “I know exactly what this means, but…”
“But, nothing, Eden!” His voice rang off the small room’s walls. Running his fingers through his hair, he turned away from her.
“I get that you’re worried, Alex. And I understand why.”
“Do you?” He spun back around. “Do you really?”
Closing the space between them, he put his hands on her shoulders. Eden tried hard, but in the end was unable to hide the reaction to his anger. She flinched beneath his touch, and Alex immediately pulled his hands away.
“I’m sorry.” Eden’s eyes found his. “I didn’t mean to jump.”
Pain filled his gorgeous blue eyes. “You can feel my anger, can’t you?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Your anger and your fear.”
He clenched his jaw. “Imagine what it would feel like for that bastard to touch you. To be in the hands of a sadistic fucking killer instead of someone who—”
Eden’s breath caught, knowing what he’d stopped himself from saying. They’d made love on more than one occasion. She’d felt it pouring from his touch, but they had yet to actually say the words.
“Someone who what, Alex?”
Though he shook his head, Alex closed the short distance between them again. With more control over his emotions than before, he cupped one side of her face and said, “Someone who loves you, Eden.” His thumb moved back and forth over her smooth skin. “And I do love you. You know that, right? You’ve felt it?”
Eden nodded. “I know.” She wrapped her fingers around as much of his thick wrist as she could. “I love you too, Alex.”
