Page 87 of After the Chase

He crosses to me, standing between my legs where I sit at the desk. His hand comes up to cup my face in a gesture of tenderness that should feel foreign but doesn't.

I've watched him transform from a therapist trying to help a court-mandated patient into a man who watches everything I do, some of the worst things, and writes about it because he wants to know the deepest parts of my brain. He watches me kill with arousal rather than horror, and he's never been more beautiful.

"Los Angeles will be different from here. While it will be our peace away from New York, you’ll need to be more careful," I tell him.

"I know."

"We don't have established connections there, not the protection that we have here."

"I get it."

"Do you?" I pull him closer, my hands gripping his hips.

“Yes. It’s a place just for us and I won’t invite anyone into our space, Noah. I wouldn’t put us at risk like that."

"You're mine, Chase."

He leans down, pressing his forehead to mine. "I'm yours. I've always been yours. Since that first session when you looked at me like you wanted to dissect me."

"That’s because I did want to dissect you."

"I know." He smiles slightly. "And now you have. You've taken me apart piece by piece, examined every part of me, claimed every part of me."

"I have."

"And I've done the same to you."

That gives me pause, because he's right. Chase has dissected me as thoroughly as I've dissected him. His journals analyze my brain with microscopic detail. His novels expose my methodology to the world disguised as fiction, but true nonetheless.

He knows me better than anyone ever has, better than anyone ever will.

"We're leaving in three hours," I tell him.

"Okay."

"Are you ready to leave New York?"

He considers this. "Yes. I think I am. Tyler's recovered. He and Ivan are stable and I need some new inspiration for the next book."

He means new kills to write about.

"You'll have plenty of material in Los Angeles," I assure him.

"Oh I’m sure I will." His eyes are gleaming with anticipation. "I'm looking forward to it."

A killer and his witness. A psychopath and the man who enables him, and it's the dream relationship.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CHASE

One Week Later - Los Angeles, California

The apartment we have rented is stunning. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the city, downtown Los Angeles sprawling in one direction, the Pacific Ocean visible in the distance. The Hollywood sign is practically at eye level and the space is modern, minimalist, expensive.

Noah chose it for the security features and the isolation and I chose it for the view. This is temporary until we can find our own place, as I know Noah wants a house so we can have total privacy.

We've been here for a week, and I'm still adjusting to the newness of it all. New city and climate.