her?” Mac tossed at him. “She was wearing your shirt! And it sure looked like you were having a cozy breakfast for two!”
Dane’s back teeth locked. “Sorry—should I have put her in handcuffs?”
Mac swore. “Knowing you, that would have been foreplay.” Snapped but quiet.
Dane glared at him. “Watch it.”
Mac exhaled and rubbed a hand over his tired face. “I’m just saying we
need
her.” Mac glanced toward the closed bedroom door. “We need to stay on that woman’s very good side until we can figure out our plan of attack.”
Dane already had a plan of attack. Find the killer. Lock him up. Make sure the jerk never hurt another woman again.
Simple enough.
“Some FBI profiler is flying in. Captain told him about Katherine, and the guy wants to talk to her.”
Dane nodded. He’d make sure he was there for those questions. Actually, until the case was closed, he planned to stay as close as possible to Katherine.
He’d learn all of her secrets, and he’d use those secrets to catch Valentine.
So she’d spent the night with the cop.
Katherine walked out of the entrance to the building that housed the detective’s condo. She was wearing the same wrinkled dress she’d worn the night before, and looking for all the world like she’d spent hours screwing.
She didn’t deserve to be special. She didn’t deserve the attention she’d gotten.
Katherine was weak, pathetic, so easily dominated by her fear.
She should die like the others. Crying. Helpless. In agony. She
would
die that way.
It just wasn’t her time…not yet.
Someone else had already been selected to be the next kill. A woman with hair as dark as Katherine’s. A woman with a smile as lying. A woman who also deserved the pain that she had coming.
Katherine could wait a while. She could enjoy the time with her new lover—because that time would be fleeting. One more kill, then Katherine would get to face the knife.
No escape this time, Kat. You won’t be so lucky anymore.
– 5 –
The bull pen quieted the minute Katherine walked in. It wasn’t even one of those gradual hushes that can happen as folks elbow each other and point to an object of attention. It was just utter and complete silence.
Katherine stiffened beside Dane, and his hold automatically tightened on her arm. She wasn’t showing any fear, but he could feel the slight tremble that shook her body.
“What the hell?” he snapped at the cops in the bull pen. “I know you bozos have cases to work.”
And, of course, everyone started talking again and trying to look busy, when really their attention was totally on Katherine.
“It’s okay,” she said, giving Dane a weak smile. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been the freak in the room.”
“You’re
not
a freak.” She was beautiful. Fragile. And in a body-hugging dress that showed all of her perfect curves.
She also had a spine that he was coming to realize was pure steel. Because she was already pulling away from him and glancing around the bull pen.
“Where do I head for interrogation?” Katherine asked.
Before he could respond, Dane saw a familiar face across the bull pen.
“Oh, now it’s a party,” Katherine said. “But I did expect him to show sooner.”
The U.S. marshal had beaten them to the station and was storming across the big room. In seconds Anthony Ross was in front of them, and he grabbed for Katherine’s wrist. “You should have called me.” His voice burned with censure and heat. “I would have come to you immediately.”
Dane put a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “You’re gonna need to ease back and watch that tone.”
Ross blinked at him. “What?”
“I said back the hell off.” He didn’t want the marshal messing up
his
case.
Frowning, Ross released Katherine and backed up.
“Anthony…” Katherine sighed out his name. “Detective Black was already at the scene when I found the…” She cleared her throat. “He was there. He called in backup, and he
Dane’s back teeth locked. “Sorry—should I have put her in handcuffs?”
Mac swore. “Knowing you, that would have been foreplay.” Snapped but quiet.
Dane glared at him. “Watch it.”
Mac exhaled and rubbed a hand over his tired face. “I’m just saying we
need
her.” Mac glanced toward the closed bedroom door. “We need to stay on that woman’s very good side until we can figure out our plan of attack.”
Dane already had a plan of attack. Find the killer. Lock him up. Make sure the jerk never hurt another woman again.
Simple enough.
“Some FBI profiler is flying in. Captain told him about Katherine, and the guy wants to talk to her.”
Dane nodded. He’d make sure he was there for those questions. Actually, until the case was closed, he planned to stay as close as possible to Katherine.
He’d learn all of her secrets, and he’d use those secrets to catch Valentine.
So she’d spent the night with the cop.
Katherine walked out of the entrance to the building that housed the detective’s condo. She was wearing the same wrinkled dress she’d worn the night before, and looking for all the world like she’d spent hours screwing.
She didn’t deserve to be special. She didn’t deserve the attention she’d gotten.
Katherine was weak, pathetic, so easily dominated by her fear.
She should die like the others. Crying. Helpless. In agony. She
would
die that way.
It just wasn’t her time…not yet.
Someone else had already been selected to be the next kill. A woman with hair as dark as Katherine’s. A woman with a smile as lying. A woman who also deserved the pain that she had coming.
Katherine could wait a while. She could enjoy the time with her new lover—because that time would be fleeting. One more kill, then Katherine would get to face the knife.
No escape this time, Kat. You won’t be so lucky anymore.
– 5 –
The bull pen quieted the minute Katherine walked in. It wasn’t even one of those gradual hushes that can happen as folks elbow each other and point to an object of attention. It was just utter and complete silence.
Katherine stiffened beside Dane, and his hold automatically tightened on her arm. She wasn’t showing any fear, but he could feel the slight tremble that shook her body.
“What the hell?” he snapped at the cops in the bull pen. “I know you bozos have cases to work.”
And, of course, everyone started talking again and trying to look busy, when really their attention was totally on Katherine.
“It’s okay,” she said, giving Dane a weak smile. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been the freak in the room.”
“You’re
not
a freak.” She was beautiful. Fragile. And in a body-hugging dress that showed all of her perfect curves.
She also had a spine that he was coming to realize was pure steel. Because she was already pulling away from him and glancing around the bull pen.
“Where do I head for interrogation?” Katherine asked.
Before he could respond, Dane saw a familiar face across the bull pen.
“Oh, now it’s a party,” Katherine said. “But I did expect him to show sooner.”
The U.S. marshal had beaten them to the station and was storming across the big room. In seconds Anthony Ross was in front of them, and he grabbed for Katherine’s wrist. “You should have called me.” His voice burned with censure and heat. “I would have come to you immediately.”
Dane put a hand on the guy’s shoulder. “You’re gonna need to ease back and watch that tone.”
Ross blinked at him. “What?”
“I said back the hell off.” He didn’t want the marshal messing up
his
case.
Frowning, Ross released Katherine and backed up.
“Anthony…” Katherine sighed out his name. “Detective Black was already at the scene when I found the…” She cleared her throat. “He was there. He called in backup, and he
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