doubt so that the pictures wouldn’t be right in Karina’s face.
That might help steady her nerves, but Cord figured the images were already fixed in her mind. The photos weren’t gruesome, and there’d been none of her undressing or sleeping. But it had to get to her that someone had been stalking her and violating her privacy.
“You must think I’m stupid,” she said. “Stupid to hire someone like Rocky.”
“Not stupid. It’s just your trust was misplaced.”
Her gaze whipped around, snaring his. “Now we’re talking about Willie Lee.”
Yeah. No need to spell it out for her, though. Plus, footsteps got Cord’s attention. Even though they were in the sheriff’s office, he still slid his hand over the gun in his holster. But it wasn’t a threat.
It was Addie.
Since his sister was the last person he expected to see come through that door, he immediately got to his feet. So did Karina. Clearly, she was uncomfortable with this face-to-face encounter, since she started rubbing her hands down the sides of the scrubs the nurse had given her.
“I heard what happened.” Addie went straight to Cord and hugged him.
Addie had hugged him before, but it always gave him a jolt. He wasn’t usually a hugging sort, but it felt right when Addie did it. Maybe there was some truth to that saying about twins being connected subconsciously, because he’d loved her, and wanted to protect her, from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
Cord didn’t need to do introductions since Karina and Addie had met shortly after Willie Lee’s arrest. Or rather they’d seen each other at the hospital. Addie had been there visiting Cord. Karina had been checking on Willie Lee, and there had been that strained awkwardness that was still there between them.
“Please tell me you didn’t drive here alone,” Cord said to his sister.
“No. Chase is with me. Weston is home with the baby.”
Weston was her husband. And Chase, her adopted brother. Cord was glad Chase had come with her because he was a lawman, too. He didn’t want Addie out on the roads alone until Rocky, or whoever was behind this, was caught. After all, Rocky had said he’d spotted Karina’s attacker heading in the general direction of the Appaloosa Pass Ranch, and while Rocky could be lying through his pearly whites, Cord didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks when it came to Addie.
“Are you all right?” Addie asked, the question meant for Karina and him because she glanced at both of them.
Karina kept her response to a nod, and Cord could see her trying to steel herself up. Probably because she believed Addie was about to blast her for defending Willie Lee.
Addie’s gaze went from the cut on Karina’s face to the bruises on her neck. Addie shuddered. “Who did this to you?”
Karina shook her head. “We’re still trying to figure that out. Maybe a ranch hand I recently hired. Maybe someone else.”
“A copycat,” Cord added.
Oh, no. He could see the argument brewing in his sister’s eyes. “Or the real deal,” Addie mumbled.
Karina blinked, her gaze shifting to him. That gaze demanded an explanation. An explanation Cord didn’t want to get into. Because his sister had her own doubts about Willie Lee’s guilt. Doubts that Addie had expressed during several heated discussions.
Addie made a vague motion toward her stomach. “It’s just a gut feeling. And it might be nothing. But I’m not sure...”
“You think Willie Lee might not be the Moonlight Strangler,” Karina said, finishing for her.
Addie gave a heavy sigh. Nodded. Then, shrugged. “Some things just don’t add up, that’s all. Months ago, not long after I found out about the DNA match, the Moonlight Strangler called me. He said he wouldn’t come after me because I was blood. Well, Cord’s his blood, too, and Willie Lee took him hostage and cut him. Have you seen the scars on his chest?”
This wasn’t any more comfortable than discussing Willie Lee’s
That might help steady her nerves, but Cord figured the images were already fixed in her mind. The photos weren’t gruesome, and there’d been none of her undressing or sleeping. But it had to get to her that someone had been stalking her and violating her privacy.
“You must think I’m stupid,” she said. “Stupid to hire someone like Rocky.”
“Not stupid. It’s just your trust was misplaced.”
Her gaze whipped around, snaring his. “Now we’re talking about Willie Lee.”
Yeah. No need to spell it out for her, though. Plus, footsteps got Cord’s attention. Even though they were in the sheriff’s office, he still slid his hand over the gun in his holster. But it wasn’t a threat.
It was Addie.
Since his sister was the last person he expected to see come through that door, he immediately got to his feet. So did Karina. Clearly, she was uncomfortable with this face-to-face encounter, since she started rubbing her hands down the sides of the scrubs the nurse had given her.
“I heard what happened.” Addie went straight to Cord and hugged him.
Addie had hugged him before, but it always gave him a jolt. He wasn’t usually a hugging sort, but it felt right when Addie did it. Maybe there was some truth to that saying about twins being connected subconsciously, because he’d loved her, and wanted to protect her, from the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
Cord didn’t need to do introductions since Karina and Addie had met shortly after Willie Lee’s arrest. Or rather they’d seen each other at the hospital. Addie had been there visiting Cord. Karina had been checking on Willie Lee, and there had been that strained awkwardness that was still there between them.
“Please tell me you didn’t drive here alone,” Cord said to his sister.
“No. Chase is with me. Weston is home with the baby.”
Weston was her husband. And Chase, her adopted brother. Cord was glad Chase had come with her because he was a lawman, too. He didn’t want Addie out on the roads alone until Rocky, or whoever was behind this, was caught. After all, Rocky had said he’d spotted Karina’s attacker heading in the general direction of the Appaloosa Pass Ranch, and while Rocky could be lying through his pearly whites, Cord didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks when it came to Addie.
“Are you all right?” Addie asked, the question meant for Karina and him because she glanced at both of them.
Karina kept her response to a nod, and Cord could see her trying to steel herself up. Probably because she believed Addie was about to blast her for defending Willie Lee.
Addie’s gaze went from the cut on Karina’s face to the bruises on her neck. Addie shuddered. “Who did this to you?”
Karina shook her head. “We’re still trying to figure that out. Maybe a ranch hand I recently hired. Maybe someone else.”
“A copycat,” Cord added.
Oh, no. He could see the argument brewing in his sister’s eyes. “Or the real deal,” Addie mumbled.
Karina blinked, her gaze shifting to him. That gaze demanded an explanation. An explanation Cord didn’t want to get into. Because his sister had her own doubts about Willie Lee’s guilt. Doubts that Addie had expressed during several heated discussions.
Addie made a vague motion toward her stomach. “It’s just a gut feeling. And it might be nothing. But I’m not sure...”
“You think Willie Lee might not be the Moonlight Strangler,” Karina said, finishing for her.
Addie gave a heavy sigh. Nodded. Then, shrugged. “Some things just don’t add up, that’s all. Months ago, not long after I found out about the DNA match, the Moonlight Strangler called me. He said he wouldn’t come after me because I was blood. Well, Cord’s his blood, too, and Willie Lee took him hostage and cut him. Have you seen the scars on his chest?”
This wasn’t any more comfortable than discussing Willie Lee’s
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