Heart Taker - Sasha Devlin

When the evidence doesn’t add up, follow your heart “My name is Aya Bedel. I have killed before. I will kill again.” Detective Will Speedman knows guilt when he sees it. And the delicate, darkeyed pixie sitting before him in the interrogation room doesn’t look strong enough to have overpowered and murdered a string of women. Yet Aya knows grisly details about the killings that haven’t been made public. And something about her sinful shape

reaches deep into his primal core and yanks. Hard. Aya has been having increasingly gruesome visions over the past few weeks. Not only does she witness the murders, she feels the victims’ flesh beneath her fingers, feels their last breath caressing her face. She must confess or go mad. As time runs short, Will’s superiors demand answers. Aya’s only hope for salvation rests in the desire glowing in Will’s eyes and his seductive touch that draws clues from her subconscious.

Warning: Contains a woman driven nearly mad and a detective driven to seduction to find the truth. Darkly sexual imagery could keep you awake at night trying to figure out why you’re trembling. It may not be purely from fear…

Heart Taker Sasha Devlin

Dedication To Annie Nicholas and Ella Drake for being my first readers and encouraging this crazy. To my editor, Heidi Moore, for taking a chance and allowing me to mark another item from the bucket list. And, as always, to Hailey Edwards and Lanie Jordan for being co-captains of Team Sasha. Long live glitter!

Chapter One From my spot in the bushes, I watch, completely unnoticed though my breath huffs in the air much the same as my love’s did. I’ve been here for almost an hour, barely shifting position. Between the burn in my thighs and the cold that tightens my lungs, I should be uncomfortable, but it feeds into my excitement.

The woman is lithe, beautiful and mine in a way she will soon come to understand. Her long, spandex-clad legs pump gracefully as she circles the track again, her ponytail streaming behind her like a black flag. Around and around the track she zips, but her gaze never strays to where I hover just outside of the glare of the bright lights. I have timed her laps and her pace guarantees she will be back to this spot in under a minute. Three steps and then again out of my reach. I track her movement as carefully as a lion

stalking a gazelle. My resentment grows with every revolution that she misses my presence until I have to fight the urge to stand and scream her name. She has forgotten me all too easily, but I will make her remember. The rhythm of her feet steady my breathing and I spread my fingers. Waiting. Ready. My muscles coil in anticipation and I tackle her to the track as she passes my spot for the final time. With her ponytail clutched in my hand, I smash her forehead against the track. It gives such a pleasant thwack that I

smile and do it a second time. I roll her to her back and sigh. They always make me ruin their perfection before we could have any fun. I sit on her chest and push her bangs to the side. “Look what you’ve made me do to your beautiful face.” “Don’t hurt me.” Her voice is thick with tears that run unchecked down her cheeks. There is no recognition in her gaze, but my heart feels lighter than it has in days. “I would never hurt you. I love you.

Now come with me.” I roll to my feet and yank her up. Now the fight comes back to her. She swings at my face, wind milling her arms in a truly pitiful show of fight or flight that does nothing but speed up my heart. With a grin so wide it hurts my face, I advance on her and take her to the ground behind the bushes. Again, I sit on her chest and wrap my hands around her throat. Her pulse thumps out a frantic beat against my palm, and I wish I could dance to it.

I hold her for several moments, nearly drowning in her dark gaze, until I feel her take one shuddery, hopeful breath. Then I squeeze. Such a small thing that squeeze. Makes her pulse that much more real, makes her breath wheeze and then stop. Makes her feet kick, her hands claw. But the best are her eyes. So beautiful until they bulge. And even then, there is something about her panic that makes me ache. I want to keep her right on that edge, let that feeling soak into me until I can feel her

fear as my own. Delicious. Decadent. The only thing that could make it better is if we were skin to skin. The gloves aren’t wanted but necessary. All too soon, her struggles slow, then cease. Release threatens as her body goes limp beneath me and I pant to stave off my orgasm. Not now, not yet. With a barely contained groan, I push to my knees and check the area. Time slows when I’m with my love, but it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes since I had first made

contact. Satisfied we were still alone, I grasp her under her armpits and drag her into the surrounding forest, a bright crimson smear the only sign they’ll find that we were ever here. The night is young and I am ready to have more fun. Aya gripped the edges of the dryer and whimpered. She knew she was in her home, could feel the wet jeans heavy and cold against her bare feet, but that didn’t stop the images that flickered across her mind. The woman running,

falling, pleading for her life as Aya hit her, strangled her. And that would be the least of the woman’s worries. Thank God, this vision had stopped before the final act. Aya knew that the runner wouldn’t be spared, but at least she didn’t have to witness the bloodbath. Or feel that damnable rush of power that was almost sexual, leaving her nipples beaded and her panties soaked. A harsh breath rattled out of her as her muscles finally unlocked, and she barely caught herself before she busted her nose. The metal cooled her cheeks

and tears splashed on the dryer. She was so tired, and now it seemed like staying awake had been for nothing. In the week that she’d been off from work, the visions had intensified until she no longer trusted herself to sleep. But even that had backfired. She’d been awake for thirty-six hours straight and had nothing to show for it but burning eyes and a heavy heart. And now a new victim. Aya didn’t know the runner. Nor any of others. Didn’t know what had pushed her into these rages that made her stalk

and then kill them, but no one deserved to die that way. If she could help it, no one else would. She forced strength into her legs and ignored the resulting twinge in her sex. Aya wanted a shower hot enough to scald the memories from her mind and reach the cold that had steeped into her bones, but she didn’t dare. She was in control of her mind now, but who knew how long that would last. With trembling hands, she grabbed up a pair of rumpled jeans from the dirty clothes pile and pulled them on her body.

It seemed to take her an eternity to pull on a flannel shirt, and she didn’t bother to button it after her first failed attempt. She wanted more clothes but knew she’d only have to strip out of them once she got to the police station. Aya stood on the edge of the laundry room and tried to calm her breathing. How pathetic was it that she had made herself a prisoner in her own home and it still wasn’t enough. Her body had stopped being her own weeks ago, and now her mind was going as well. It was only a matter of time before lucidity was

a thing of the past, and then what would happen? She couldn’t even stop herself now.

Chapter Two Will had cataloged the woman’s physical attributes in a single glance— large, dark eyes that looked bruised in a face that might be pretty if it weren’t pinched. Her short inky hair might have been stylish, if it were combed. As he watched, her fingers went back to her lush mouth and she began chewing on her fingernails again. Just as quickly, she

jerked her fingers from her mouth and shook her head. She’d repeated the process every few minutes since he’d started watching. “Funny, she doesn’t look batshit crazy.” Will ignored the nervous laughter of those around him. Word there might be an end to the brutal murders plaguing their town had spread, and nearly every officer on shift had crowded into the observation room. The woman had arrived a mere thirty minutes earlier, claiming to be a serial

killer. Right now, she didn’t look strong or stable enough to lift a sandwich, let alone partake in some of the heinous carnalities he’d witnessed over the weeks. But they needed a break in this case, and he was too desperate to be picky. He made eye contact with his boss. “I’m going in.” “Careful, Speedman, just in case she’s the real deal.” Will grinned with a confidence he didn’t feel. “I’m sure I can handle anything she can dish out.”

He took a deep breath and entered the interrogation room. Her gaze drifted up to meet his and his steps faltered. For a moment, so quickly he would have thought he imagined it if not for the sudden sweat that beaded on his lip, he felt something he couldn’t explain. It was fear and desire intertwined and made no sense when all she’d done was look his way. Will slid into the seat across from her, feeling the eyes watching them from behind the two-way mirror. “I’m Detective Will Speedman. You

have information pertaining to an open case.” It wasn’t typical, but he wasn’t taking any chances with this case. He read her the Miranda rights and waited for her acknowledgment of her them, never breaking eye contact. He wasn’t sure he could. The thought should have worried him, but instead, he was getting aroused. He shifted in his seat. “We’ll record this conversation, if you don’t mind.” He waited for some reaction from her, but she continued to stare, unblinking, at him. Will pushed the record button and

rattled off the date and time. “Now, please state your name and why you’re here.” Aya licked her lips and wished she had a glass of water. The man before her was hands down the finest one she’d ever seen, and wasn’t it just her luck she would meet him when she was on the cusp of major jail time. His brown eyes seemed warm and intelligent and so comforting she wanted to climb inside of them and forget why she was here. He’d probably handcuff her if he knew where

her thoughts were. Guys like Mr. Tall, Dark and Dreamy didn’t go in for girls like her. “My name is Aya Bedel. I have killed before, and I will kill again.” Her voice wobbled but grew stronger throughout. Best to let him know what he was dealing with. She waited for her words to get a reaction, but all she got was a slow blink. Aya chewed her thumb until she tasted blood. She removed her hands, not bothering to hide the fact they were shaking.

“That’s a very serious claim. I don’t have to tell you the kind of trouble you could be in if that were true. Are you sure you don’t want to think more before —” “The first girl was found behind the Millers’ diner, but I actually killed her six blocks away in the park.” Her words dried his up, but that was his only reaction. He must be a hell of a poker player. Was he always so cold, so controlled? In another time or place, it might be fun to know what shocked or delighted him, and if he could show it.

“The second girl, you found her where I killed her. The school yard seemed as good of a place as any other. Victim three was in her house. Girl four in her car…” Aya struggled to pull in air before continuing, “…in her car, which I later drove to the police station.” He gave another slow blink, but he had to know she was telling the truth. So far, the papers had tried their best to make the deaths sound like isolated incidents, not wanting to incite panic, but someone soon would make the connections.

“Are you a reporter?” Aya gave a dry laugh and shoved her hands through her hair. Her fingers grazed her scar and, as always, she was strangely soothed. “Not even close. I teach speech to elementary students.” “Clearly, you’ve connected a few random crimes together. Seems like something a reporter would do.” “Or a killer who has no desire to kill again. You want more details? How ’bout you haven’t found the fifth one. But she’s in a tree house over on Devonshire Lane. The family is on vacay, so I’m not

sure how long she will be there if I don’t help you.” He glanced at the mirror on the side of the window, no doubt signaling to someone to check out her tip. “Tell me, Ms. Bedel, when’s the last time you slept? Had a meal? Took a shower?” Aya’s spine stiffened, her cheeks heating with embarrassment. It’d been… days since she’d bathed, and apparently her smell offended. “What does it matter? I’m telling you I’ve murdered five women and I’m afraid I’m going to

kill a sixth. Don’t you think that should be more important?” He leaned away from her and tapped on the table. His hands were strong with capable-looking fingers. Watching them reminded her that hers were once again in her mouth. She tucked both hands beneath her thighs, the nails biting into her skin. They had to believe her, get her off the streets before someone else died. His eyes gave nothing away, but his silence spoke volumes. “Ms. Bedel—” “I take their hearts.”

Again, he fell silent with that damnable blank stare. “They break my heart, so I take theirs.”

Chapter Three Breath locked in Will’s lungs. That tidbit had never made it into any of the official reports. His mind shuffled through each of the victims looking battered in death. The only thing that tied them together was their missing hearts and their gender. Not the same age or race. Some had blue eyes, some brown. Their body types weren’t even the same.

But none of them had been found with their hearts. “They break my heart, so I take theirs.” The words were just as eerie this time and the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Up until that moment, she had been the kooky, albeit gorgeous woman who needed a guiding hand. Now, she was someone who knew too much. There was a knock on the door before he could ask her anything further. Matthews stuck his head through the opening looking paler than usual. “We need you out here, Speed.”

He nodded. “I shall return, Ms. Bedel. Can I get you something?” Relief shone on her face. Transforming her. What a looker she must be when she was cleaned up. “Handcuffs.” Will blinked. Each time he didn’t think she could surprise him more, she blindsided him with something new. “Come again.” She extended her hands to him, palms up. The nails were dirty and bitten, a few bleeding. She was a mess. “I’d like you to handcuff me while you’re gone.”

“That won’t be necessary.” He spoke slowly. Didn’t she realize there was no way she’d escape the precinct, let alone the room. “This room locks from the outside. I assure you handcuffs aren’t needed.” She gave him the saddest smile he’d seen in a long time. “I have a way of getting around obstacles, Officer. It’s much safer for all of you if you take the option out of my hands. Please.” She waved her wrists before him, and though it went against everything in him, he grasped her dainty wrists and cuffed

her to the table. She felt delicate, like he could break her with a mere thought. He swiped his thumb across her pulse before he could stop himself. Her eyes widened and her lips parted on a gasp. Will had the insane urge to lean down and taste her. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to curb it and only Matthews’s watchful gaze stopped him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With reluctance he couldn’t explain, Will slowly left the room. Closing the door behind him felt like a slap and an abrupt jolt back to reality.

“You okay, Speed?” Anything he told Matthews would be through the office in a matter of minutes. The man was worse than the bingo ladies his grandma called her friends. Will nodded. “Yes. What do you have?” Matthews looked like he wanted to dig more, but Will outranked him. Will rolled his eyes as the man gestured dramatically and waved him down to the end of the hall. He didn’t have time for officer’s productions. “Look, if you have something just, spill it.”

“The boys just called in. They found the body just like she said. Up in the tree house. Looks like this one has been dead for a few hours.” Shit. They did not need another dead girl. The captain was going to be all over him about this, and poor Aya Bedel was going to fry. His instincts were screaming it couldn’t be her, but all the evidence they had made her look guilty. Except for one thing. “Did they find any rope at the scene? Tethers? Pulleys?” His temper ignited at Matthews’s blank stare. “Any way for

her to get the dead body up the tree?” The shorter man shook his head. Didn’t matter what the girl looked like. There’s no way Aya could lift another woman and carry her up a tree. Her words echoed in his mind. “I have a way of getting around obstacles, Officer.” Despite his better judgment, Will turned and stared through the small window in the door. She was still there, looking way too small and defenseless to be in the amount of shit she was in. “I want our best guys over there. I

want that entire scene gone over with a fine comb. And I want the same done for the surrounding mile. If she sneezed two blocks over, I want pictures and swabs to prove it. We have to find those ropes.” Even as he said the words, Will knew they would find nothing. All they had was too many dead girls and a woman who had confessed to a crime there was no way she could have committed. As he watched, she jerked against her bonds and then seemed surprised that she had done so. Probably going to chew her

nails again. Her nails. Will walked away to his desk and picked up the phone. He continued to dial the crime lab even after the captain came over. “Hey, Moyer, it’s Speed. I need you up here with a kit. Got some evidence I need you to take.” He hung up and faced his boss. “Matthews told me they found the girl, just as she said. We need to move on this, and fast.” Will shook his head. “It’s not that simple. There’s no way she could have killed all of those girls. She’s too

small.” Too beautiful and too scared. Whatever she was involved in, Aya was clearly in over her head. She needed help. A surge of protectiveness washed through Will. If she’d truly done it, he’d gladly let her fry. But no one would touch her until he was absolutely sure. He ran his fingers through his hair and tugged. Where was his head? Forget being a career ender, this woman might be a cold-blooded killer. “You have to give me something, Will. That neighborhood is going to be

crawling with cops. There’s no way someone isn’t going to call the mayor’s office, and it’ll be my ass if he doesn’t hear it from me first.” “Then say we’re getting closer to a suspect. I’m having Moyer come upstairs to collect any evidence that might be under her nails. If she’ll agree to it, I’ll get the lab to strip her and take pictures looking for defensive wounds. All of those girls fought, and some of them fought hard.” He tried not to think about the flesh they’d found in the third girl’s teeth. If it had been Aya, there wouldn’t

be a way to hide it. Dixon’s face pinched and Will prepared himself to launch another defense, but his boss nodded. “Get it done. And report to me ASAP.” Dixon marched away before Will could respond, which was fine by him. The man was fine as long as he got in his rounds of golf. This killer was the biggest case to come through their town in his tenure, and it wasn’t going well. Will rubbed his eyes. Might as well make the call he was dreading the most. He swallowed a swig of tepid coffee

while waiting for it to connect. “Yes, Detective.” Will frowned. He hated when Easton did that. Caller ID no doubt had alerted the doctor it was Will, but if you asked Easton, he’d start going on about instincts and intuition leading him to the right conclusion. The man might be the department shrink, but he seemed more interested in the mystical than concrete facts. “I think you should come to the station. There’s something I need to show you.”

Will could almost hear Easton shifting into doctor mode. The man was a pain in the ass, but he wasn’t a dummy. “There’s been another body?” “Yes. And a…witness.” He couldn’t bring himself to say suspect. His gut rarely led him wrong, and all signs pointed to Aya’s innocence. Until it was proven without a doubt, he wouldn’t let himself think of her as anything but. Though if something didn’t come to light soon, she was going down for this. The thought made his stomach churn. “What aren’t you telling me,

William?” Easton’s voice was sharper than normal and not something to be ignored, but he wouldn’t have this conversation without being able to see the doctor’s eyes. “Just get here as soon as you can.” Will disconnected the call and headed back to the interrogation room.

Chapter Four Aya pulled against the table restraints again. They were cold against her and already she had red half circles on her wrists. What would it be like when she’d have to wear these for hours on end? She flexed against them before she thought about it. It was what she’d wanted, what she asked for, but panic still rose. If she was

this scared now, what would happen after they locked her up? She panted for air and closed her eyes so she didn’t have to watch the room close in on her. She wanted to touch her scar, needed to, but her hands were trapped. She whimpered. What if no one came back? What if the buzzing in her skull continued until it was a roar that drowned out what little bit of sanity she had left? “Ms. Bedel? Aya.” Warm fingers grasped her wrist and her eyes flew open. It was the detective with the kind

eyes. Sometime during her freak out, he’d come back. “Are you all right? Do you need me to get a doctor?” Just the low rumble of his voice was enough to slow her racing heart. She concentrated on the concern on his face and not how good his fingers felt against her abused flesh. “Aya? If you don’t say something soon, I’ll be forced to bring someone in to see you.” “No, please.” Her voice sounded too thin to be convincing. She cleared her

throat. “I’d rather keep the cuffs, if I may.” His gaze traveled to her wrists and then slowly back to her face. “It doesn’t seem that way.” His thumb whispered over one welt so quickly that Aya would have sworn it was a trick of her mind more than anything else. Just that tiny contact made her want more. She curled her fingers into fists so she wouldn’t try to hold him as he walked away to sit across from her. “We need to talk.” His voice still

made her tummy flip, but his face was back to being solemn. They’d found the body, and now he knew she was telling the truth. Odd that he didn’t look disgusted, but Aya knew that would change once he saw what she’d done. She absorbed his stoic gaze. “Tell me how you knew about the body in the tree.” Her cuffs rattled as she again tried to chew her nails. Damn nervous habit. “I told you. I killed her.” He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Tell me about her.”

Aya’s breathing picked up. She didn’t want to talk about the women, just about her crimes. “What do you mean?” “What’s her name? What was she like? Why her?” “You don’t believe me?” “I believe you just fine. But I want to know what makes a woman viciously murder five other women before turning herself in. I want to know why you picked those women and why you take their hearts.” Aya shook her head. Every word made the buzzing in her head louder and

louder until it was all she could do to hear his actual words. If she could just touch her scar. She tried to rub her head against her shoulder but knew it wouldn’t work. The pressure was all wrong. “What are you doing? Aya?” He approached her carefully, the way one would a rabid animal, and Aya supposed that’s what she looked like as her world quickly narrowed to the buzzing in her brain. Frantically, she dug her shoulder into the side of her head. “Stop it. Stop before you hurt

yourself.” His hands caged her face and held her still when she would have continued to thrash. The white noise in her brain overrode his words, but she could see that he was concerned. He tunneled his fingers through her hair, probing and then pausing when he felt the scar. He gingerly traced it, end to end, and the sound faded a bit. “Does this hurt you?” She shook her head and his palm skidded along the scar. His blunt fingers jabbed in a few places and the sound dimmed more.

“If it doesn’t hurt, why are you crying?” He held out a hand that was dappled in her tears. Tears she hadn’t even realized she was shedding. He tried to release her and she followed him with her head. The sound from her mouth was that of a wounded animal. “Okay. Just calm down. I will do this.” She felt more than heard others enter the room, but she never took her gaze from Will. He didn’t have to help her, and yet he continued to smooth over a scar that most men would find hideous. She’d seen it only once, but it had been

enough. Since the staples had come out, Aya hadn’t let anyone get close enough to see or touch it. “I’ve got this under control. Just send Easton this way when he gets here.” She heard him without a hint of distortion, but she didn’t want him to stop. His touch was impersonal, but it made something feminine inside of her stretch and take notice. She wanted that same touch all over her body. She squeezed her thighs together and tried to remember to breathe. “Who is Easton?” she asked.

His fingers slowed but picked up a moment later. If only they could stay right here in this room, the two of them, touching in this way that was both innocent and decadent. His touch filled her with a contentment she’d been sorely lacking, and wasn’t that the saddest commentary on her life. Reluctantly, she pulled away, though her head felt cold without the heat of his large palm. “Easton is a coworker. He’ll definitely want to talk to you once he gets here.” He took a deep breath, and for the

first time, she saw indecision in his eyes. He knew what she was, and yet he still treated her with kindness. She hadn’t been imagining the care with which he’d soothed her and ushered the others from the room. He was the type of man she could easily fall for. Or at least could have if she wasn’t staring a lethal injection in the face. He sat back down across from her and seemed to gather his thoughts. “Let’s try something different. Questions seem to upset you.” He paused as if waiting for a response, and after several blank

moments, Aya realized she was going to have to speak. “I don’t know that they upset me.” The words seemed a lie after her episode, but she continued. “I can’t answer those questions. I don’t know why I picked those women.” “Can you tell me why you take their hearts? You said they break yours. How?” Aya’s hands flexed toward her again. She placed them palm down and concentrated on keeping them there. It’d be hard to fall into a panic if she had

something to focus on. Then again, she’d thought staying awake and alone would stop the killing, but she still saw death. “I don’t know.” The words seemed much too loud in the silence of the room, and she wished like anything Will would say something. He was her only tether to the real world, and even that felt tenuous. “So you know you are killing these women, and that they have broken your heart, but that’s all you know? Do you know how you are taking the hearts?” Aya closed her eyes so she wouldn’t

see his regard turn to disgust. “I have a knife.” She swallowed the lump in her throat before she could continue. Her hands sweated against the table but she kept them still. “It’s old. The kind of thing my dad might have given me if I were a boy or had a father. The handle is nicked in at least three places, but I keep the blade sharp. Sharp enough to slice through anything with the right amount of pressure.” “How do you know how much pressure you need? Are the women awake when you cut them?”

“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate. Will didn’t need to know how their bodies felt as they kicked and clawed and did everything they could to dislodge the weight that signified death. He didn’t need to know how their terror made their blood spray, still warm when it landed on her skin. “How? You have to tell me how you’re doing this.” Aya shook her head. She had no answers for anything he was asking except the knife. He wouldn’t want to know about the sense of power that

flowed through her when she took from them after they had taken from her. And she didn’t even know where that thought came from. Just that it was true. Will grunted and outside noise filtered in as the door opened behind her. “Is now a bad time?” The voice was low and sultry, the type that wouldn’t be out of place on a lounge singer from the golden age of jazz. Aya opened her eyes and found the vivacious brunette’s body matched her voice. Her big brown eyes shone with a familiarity for Will that

made Aya’s stomach burn. They were obviously colleagues, but were they anything more? Jealousy was the last emotion she had time for, but it didn’t stop her eyes from narrowing. She hated the woman on sight. “No, now’s fine. Come on in. Aya Bedel, meet Carmen Moyer. Carmen, Aya.” “Hello, Aya.” The smile directed her at her seemed genuine, but Aya still hated the woman. “Has Speed told you why I’m here?” Aya shook her head, not trusting

herself to speak. Even though she didn’t like her, she didn’t feel the burning need to hurt this woman like with the others. It helped that Will had called her by her last name, treating her like one of the guys. Aya rubbed her head against her shoulder once and then stopped when Will’s gaze focused on the side of her. “I’m fine. Let’s just get this over with.” “Moyer works in the lab. She’s going to take some samples from you.” Aya ground her teeth. This is what it meant to be a criminal. If it made her feel dirty, it was no one’s fault but her

own. Will unlocked the cuffs, but Aya kept her hands in the same position. She didn’t want to be free. The runner still had a chance if the police could keep her here. It didn’t make any sense, but Aya knew that she was still alive. Much more than that, she couldn’t say. “Moyer will get what she can here and then we’ll take you to the processing room for pictures.” For the first time, Aya saw the case in woman’s hand. It wasn’t unlike the ones on the police dramas she saw on TV, but never did she think she’d be witness to

one in real life. She wanted to endure it in silence, but she couldn’t stop her muscles from tensing as Carmen reached out. The woman kept up a steady stream of one-sided conversation, but Aya was far from soothed. Every word ratcheted up her tension until she was sure her spine would snap at any moment. Aya couldn’t help the tiny noise when Carmen scrapped beneath her nails. It didn’t hurt, but set off something deep inside her. This was really happening, and this would be the least of many demeaning moments to come. Her ragged

hands in the grip of Carmen’s gloved ones filled her with a wash of shame. Aya would bet any amount of money that she was the kind of woman who got manicures regularly and whose nails didn’t look like she’d been tunneling her way to freedom. “Did that hurt? I’m almost done.” Until she had to take the other pictures. Aya couldn’t contain her shudder. Will wouldn’t be able to help her then. Somehow, his presence made all of this a little more palatable. “There. All done here.” Swabs went

into clear tubes and Aya couldn’t believe something so harmless had the power to bring such an awful spree of violence to a halt. There had to be enough evidence to keep her from hurting anyone else. “I’ll have you finish the processing and then you can bring her back here.” Will pulled her to her feet and snapped the cuffs on to her wrists again. The weight was minimal, but it felt like a tether to the real world, and Aya was glad for it. His grip on her arm was firm but still gentle. She had to fight against the urge to lean against his side. She was

a prisoner, and the sooner she started thinking that way, the better off she’d be. It was stupid for her breathing to pick up, for her nose to try to indulge in his scent. Moyer preceded them down the hall and Aya felt grubbier by the second. The woman was dressed in a form-fitting pants suit that had definitely not been slept in. There were no dirt stains she couldn’t explain or traces of food that had missed her mouth. The woman’s hair even bounced gorgeously like she was in a freaking shampoo commercial. Aya

couldn’t remember the last time she’d even washed her hair. “I’ve been awake for a while. Like more than I probably should be.” Her cheeks flushed when he looked down at her. Where had that come from? As if he couldn’t think poorly of her for more than her messy clothes and her hopeless hair. “In here.” Moyer gestured and Aya had no choice but to follow her into a windowless room where an armed female officer waited. “Bring her back to interrogation when

you’re done.” Will’s words had a finality to them that shivered up her spine. She could endure it if he was here, but she felt the separation in more than just the distance between them. After tonight, she’d be on her way to a jail cell, the best she could hope for would be an asylum. He’d go back to working cases with decent people who had made mistakes, not serial killers. And even that harsh truth didn’t make her strong enough to look away after the door closed and blocked him from her view.

“Okay, I need you to strip down,” said Carmen.

Chapter Five Will forced his feet to keep moving when all he wanted to do was rescue Aya. She hadn’t flinched, hadn’t hesitated, but he knew she was scared. He felt like he’d abandoned her, and where was his objectivity? He rubbed his chin and frowned when he saw Easton come around the corner. The doctor still wore his pajama top

but had at least put on jeans. His hair stood on end, which combined with his glasses gave him the look of a mad scientist. As much as it galled him to think of it, he was glad the man was here. They needed someone who could make all of this make sense. “William. You said we have a witness?” Will gestured for Easton to follow him and went to his desk. “Off the record here?” He waited for Easton’s nod and then continued, “I said witness because I

didn’t know what else to call her. She’s claiming to be the Heart Taker.” Easton’s only reaction was a controlled blink. “But you don’t believe her?” Will broke his gaze. Easton had an uncanny knack of seeing the things that Will wasn’t ready to reveal. It made him a hell of a doctor and a true pain in the ass. “I don’t know that I don’t believe her.” “Try that again, William. This time give me the truth even if you can’t do the same for yourself.”

Will ground his teeth. “I don’t want to believe it’s her. She seems too…” Genuine. Sad. Lonesome. All true, but nothing he could say to Easton without further compromising this case, and he would do anything not to get pulled. “I just don’t think she could have done it.” “What’s telling you that? Your instinct? Facts? Her?” Will balled his hands to fists. He hated Easton’s mumbo jumbo, but in this the man was kind of right. All evidence pointed to her guilt. She knew more about the crimes than the police and

she’d even confessed, and yet he couldn’t see her as the villain. There had to be another answer. “She has confessed. Given details that only the killer would know.” Easton’s eyebrows rose with each word, and Will could have cursed. Maybe it would have been better to let him meet Aya without any buildup. “And still you don’t believe her? William, what is it about this woman that makes you turn your nose up at all of the evidence? Tell me that.” “She’s too small.” Only she wasn’t.

Not in the places that truly mattered. Her head hit him mid chest, but her legs were long. Even through the sag of her jeans, he could tell she had a nice ass and hips a man could hold on to. He shifted in his seat. She was built just as he liked them, with enough curves to be dangerous and yet with a softness that looked like she could be tamed. “Moyer is taking pictures now.” He steeled himself to say the next part. “We found another body. More like, she led us to it. I don’t have any details except the victim was found in a tree house of all places. Probably

wouldn’t have been found for days if Aya hadn’t told us. The family’s out of town for the next two weeks.” “And the captain?” “’Bout how you’d expect. I suspect the mayor and the captain will both show up looking for blood at any minute.” “Lovely imagery. Do you think it’s wise to deny them the suspect they crave? You sure this isn’t some sort of misguided attempt at reconciling the Jones case?” Will rubbed his hand over his face.

He didn’t want to talk about the Jones case. Everything there had seemed airtight, and he’d allowed the captain to silence his reservations. On paper, everything had made sense, but there was something that had nagged Will even after he’d agreed to stop searching for more evidence. It had taken an innocent man committing suicide for them to take a proper look and find the truly guilty party. Nearly a year later, and Will was still haunted by the fact that if he’d just stuck by his guns, maybe a man could have lived. He’d be

damned if the same thing happened to Aya. “It’s not the same. But, yeah, there’s something in me that’s telling me it’s deeper than what’s in front of me.” Just saying it made him feel like a fraud, but that didn’t make it any less true. All his instincts were humming, telling him to dig deeper, but they didn’t have time. With the discovery of the body and her knowledge of intimate details, there was no way they wouldn’t move on this sooner rather than later. “Then we have to figure out what it

is.” Moyer joined them. “I should have something for you in about an hour, so keep your phone handy.” “First impressions?” Easton was in analytical mode and Will was glad. Anything to get their focus off of him. He needed to be sharp for dealing with the captain. “She’s scared but hiding it rather well. We stripped her naked and there aren’t any defensive wounds.” Moyer frowned. “Not a scratch. Her hands are a mess, but if these girls fought as much as

the scenes show, she wasn’t there. Doesn’t make sense with all she knows.” “Fill me in.” “I got her talking a bit. She was much less animated after Speed left.” Moyer punched his shoulder and Will rocked with it, striving for normalcy when everything in him was telling him he had a ticking time bomb to contend with. “But she knows details. It’s as if she’s seen the crime scenes.” Will sat up straight in his seat. Could it be that simple? Could she be tailing the actual killer? It all fit, and while

visiting crime scenes wasn’t legal, it wouldn’t get her executed. The relief that surged through him was enough to make him frown. He shouldn’t care so much when he’d just met the woman hours ago. And yet he did. He wanted her to be safe, happy, naked. The last thought made him shake his head. Clearly, he needed to get laid and soon. Then maybe he could stop obsessing about a suspect. “There’s no way she could have done that,” Will said. “Why not?” Easton asked.

“Because at least two of the scenes were drenched in blood. There’s no way she could have been there and not left trace evidence.” Will knew he sounded defensive, but he needed her to be innocent. “Who’s to say she didn’t?” Carmen asked. Will pulled the files with the photos in them, going through each one as Moyer and Easton joined him. He flipped through them faster and faster, hoping for something that would pop out and declare her innocence, but there was

nothing. There wasn’t a shred of anything that was going to save Aya, but he wasn’t done yet. He looked up to find Easton and Moyer both watching him. Moyer with a look of pity and Easton with that damn thinking thing he did that drove Will up the wall. He sighed. “Nothing here. She back in interrogation?” “Yeah.” “Good, let’s go.” Will strode away from the photos, wishing he could forget the images as fast as his feet could carry him away from them. Tonight would be

another sleepless night. He waited for Easton to join him. “She also said she’s not slept for a while, looks like maybe she’s not eaten or bathed in that time either.” “But no blood on her?” Will shook his head. “Just her fingers, but she bites her nails. I watched her make them bleed not five minutes in to the interview.” Easton hmmed and then froze when he got his first look. The doctor closed in on the two-way mirror until his breath fogged the glass.

“You okay, Doc?” “What’s her name?” “Aya Bedel. According to her license, twenty-six, 5’5, 135lbs.” “She shouldn’t be here. She was supposed to make it.” The words were more to himself than aloud, but Will heard them. “Excuse me?” “I know her. Well, I knew her. I can’t counsel on this case. Clear conflict of interest.” Easton looked ill, and Will knew he wasn’t going to like whatever the man said next.

“Wait. Explain. She was a patient of yours?” “Not exactly. Her brother was more my patient than she was. I worked at the group home where they lived until she was nine.” “What aren’t you telling me?” Easton looked at him, and the only word that Will could use to describe his look was haunted. “Her brother started a fire and burned the home to the ground one night. Myself, Aya and two aides were the only survivors. And only because we were down in the infirmary

and were able to climb to the roof and from there down a tree.” He turned back to the window, his gaze riveted on Aya, who sat still as a statue in her chair with the exception of her twitching wrists. “I carried her out myself. Ironic that the head injury he gave her is what saved her life. Will stiffened. That terrible wound he had felt earlier, the one that seemed to still be causing her issues many years later, had been inflicted when she was a child? Could that be why she was a killer? Something in her brain didn’t

work right? He thought back to her reaction before. She hadn’t tried to hurt him or get free. It was more like it was painful for her than anything else. “What type of injury? What were the side effects?” Easton laughed, but the sound held no mirth. “Little bastard cracked her skull like it was a piece of fruit. We only found her because one of the other kids caught him playing in her blood. Said she’d taken his idea, so he was only trying to get it back.” The hair on the back of his neck stood

up. What were the odds? “Before the injury, how close was she to her brother?” Easton finally turned to Will, his face once again schooled into his impersonal mask. “Why this interest in her injury and her brother?” “Look at her, David. Does that seem like a depraved serial killer to you? Or more like a sad woman who has lost her way? I’m trying to get the truth here.” Will barely held in his wince. In his line of work, he knew that a sweet face could hide all sorts of trouble. He just didn’t

want to believe that Aya could be mixed up in anything sinister. “You’re trying to save her. Is this because you didn’t manage to save Clifford Jones? That wasn’t—” “This is not about Jones. It’s about doing the right thing. I want this to stop. No more dead girls, no more calling their families and explaining to them that part of their loved one is still missing, and I have no idea how to explain it.” He crossed to stand in front of the doctor. “You know something you’re not telling me.”

“I don’t want to believe she could have turned out this way, but I’m realistic. People snap all the time.” “And the lack of evidence?” Will asked. Easton shook his head. “Carmen hasn’t processed all the samples and photos she took. There might be something not visible to the naked eye that makes her guilt evident. The lack of defensive wounds is circumstantial at best. She has intimate knowledge of the crime scenes. She led you to the most recent victim and professed her guilt.

The prosecution will undoubtedly see this as a slam dunk. If you have anything to suggest otherwise, I think you better share it.” Will paced away from Easton and rubbed the back of his neck. It was going to sound crazy, but what other choice did he have? “I think she’s got a problem. Something wrong with her head.” He described her earlier fit, not sure what to think as Easton’s eyebrows drew down with each sentence. “How long ago was that?” “Not long after she got here. Maybe

an hour, hour fifteen tops.” “Did she mention anything about headaches before she confessed?” Will shook his head and tried to hold on to his patience. “No. Frankly she seemed embarrassed that I had witnessed it. She also didn’t treat it like it was anything outside the norm.” The thought that she could be so tortured and just accepted it as her lot made him angry. Hearing about her past made him want to help her more. “What did she tell you when she first got here? What were her first words?”

“Well, she told the front desk that she’d committed a crime and she wanted to confess. It wasn’t until they had her in house that she claimed to be the Heart Taker. She said that she wanted to be stopped before she killed again. That she knew about the next victim.” “And what did she tell you? What did she say?” “Not enough. Details of a crime that hasn’t happened to a girl she doesn’t know by name. She mainly talked about the previous victims. I did ask her why.” And the answer still chilled him to the

bone. “I’ll stay here, but I need you to press her about the next victim. Find out what she knows.” “You’re thinking of something.” “It’s a small thing. It might mean everything or it might mean nothing. If she tries to change the subject, I want you to push her. You said your questions made her agitated. I want her that riled up and more. We need to see what happens. And what she can tell us.” Will nodded and left Easton in the observation room. He didn’t want to

cause Aya any more distress. But if that’s what it took to save her life, he was going to be the coldest bastard she’d met since her brother. Hopefully, he wouldn’t leave a permanent scar.

Chapter Six Without turning, Aya knew it was Will who’d entered the room. Her nipples pressed against her bra and she hunched her shoulders to try to hide it. Her mind hadn’t seemed like her own since the first body had been found, but now it was betraying her in a different way. He came into view and she wished she could clean up a bit. Even if he knew

she’d done horrendous things, did she have to look her worst? He sat and stared at her for a moment, and Aya’s toes curled. If they’d just met before all of this had happened, she could imagine being scrutinized by him while she lay on the bed just as he positioned her. He’d tell her not to move and she’d tremble but earn his approval by holding still. Until he came for her and rewarded her with his mouth and hands. “Aya?” His voice jolted her out of her fantasy and she felt her cheeks flush

again. She was in the most trouble she’d ever been in her life, and she couldn’t stop fantasizing about what he could do to her body. “I’m sorry. What were you saying?” Will leaned forward and clasped his hands. It was hard for her not to look at them and wish they were touching her all over. “You told the first officer that you needed to turn yourself in to save lives. But one life in particular.” Aya nodded, ashamed she could have forgotten about the runner for even a

moment. “This is not the woman in the tree house though, is it?” Aya shook her head. Six women in less than thirty days. All leading up to… she didn’t even know what. Just that there was a sense of impending doom hanging over her. “Then who is this other woman? Did you already attack her? Is she somewhere right now, bleeding to death? Did you take her heart?” “No, no, no!” She shook her head. The buzzing was back, but she fought

against it. “I came here to save her.” “But you said you don’t remember what you did, where you’ve been. How do you know you haven’t killed her? “I would know if I killed her. I haven’t yet.” The droning got louder and she needed to touch her scar, but she was still cuffed to the damn table. She closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. “Did you know with the others? How many times have you done this and not stopped yourself? Why is she important? Why stop with her?” Someone was sobbing, but she could

barely hear it over the roaring in her ears. “I wanted to stop. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I never wanted anyone to hurt.” But night after night, she’d seen herself watching them, stalking them like prey until she had them. Until they disappointed her and she killed them with her hands. “How’d you do it? You’re tiny. How’d you hold down those women? They fought. Sybil Reid fought. Justice Miller fought. Candice Stevens sure as hell fought, so you tell me how you did it.”

“I kn-kneeled on their throats and I cut their hearts out while they were still beating. I didn’t want to do it, but I couldn’t stop. They had broken my heart. They left me. So I took their hearts back. I took them so they could never leave me again!” Aya knew she was yelling, but nothing could be heard above the cacophony between her ears. Hands closed on her shoulders and she twisted, she needed to get away. Her head was going to rip open like last time, and the pain was going to come. She fought, not knowing

what they wanted, but knowing that it wasn’t good to be around her when she couldn’t hear herself think. That’s when the danger happened. That’s when people got hurt. Several hands held her and she felt herself being lifted. And then nothingness. ***** Will sat in the dark of the hospital room. A glance at the clock showed it was five minutes since the last time he’d looked and a full three hours since they’d rushed Aya to the ER in an

ambulance. He wiped a hand over his face and put his elbows on his knees. Never in all his time on the force had he seen anything like the sight of her in an apoplectic fit. God willing, he’d never see the like again. She’d kept screaming that she was sorry even after they’d uncuffed her and laid her down. They’d given her a mild sedative and things had gone from bad to worse. Aya had spoken in a hollow voice, feeding him details about a woman who must be the next victim. Young. Runner. Easy to take down.

Easton had described it as a type of seizure, and if this was the kind of thing that had been happening to her, it wasn’t likely they were going to be able to convict. No jury in the world would send her to jail if she had a fit like that. At best, she could plea insanity and be institutionalized. Will frowned. The thought left a bad taste in his mouth. She didn’t seem crazy. He’d caught tiny glimpses of her personality. She was too vibrant to be drugged to the point of being a zombie, and they would medicate her. As soon as

he had her struggles slowed and then ceased all together, he hadn’t been able to resist touching her scar. Easton had noticed but kept quiet. He knew he’d have to hear about it later. He looked up as a nurse came in. She checked over the machines and took Aya’s vitals again. Will was old hat with the procedure at this point, but he held his breath waiting for different news. He bit back a curse when the nurse shook her head and left the room. No news was good news, but it wasn’t. Aya had claimed she’d dumped the

runner in a grove of trees mere feet from the university track, but they had found no body and no signs of a struggle. It was the one time she had been wrong, and it gave him the tiniest ray of hope. He had uniforms out canvassing the campus, trying to find out who the runner could be. There was still the chance that Aya wasn’t the Heart Taker, but it was getting smaller by the minute. Everything in Will needed to find the runner. He could admit to himself that he wasn’t one hundred percent certain the woman was still alive, but he wanted her to be. Both

for her sake and for Aya’s. Aya muttered from the bed, her feet moving restlessly. She was once again strapped down—both with leg and arm restraints, and he was ashamed that his first thought was that she looked good tied down. In the time since he’d met her, she’d gotten nothing but disrespect and shame. He wanted to do something for her, but what? He had cleaned her face and hands as best he could, but it wasn’t enough. Will moved to the side of the bed and traced her scar. Her hair was cool and silky beneath

his fingers. With the blankets tucked around her, he got hints at her body still hidden from his gaze. He curled his free hand into a fist so he didn’t try to pull the blankets back. It had been too long since he’d felt this burn for a woman, and just his luck it was the prime suspect in the most important case of his career. How could she look so defenseless and so sexy at the same time? “Speed?” Will refused to jump though Matthews had surprised him. He joined the younger officer out in the hall and hoped he hadn’t seen him petting the

suspect. That’s the last thing he needed. “What have you got?” “They’ve finished with the scene at the tree house. Definitely a Heart Taker kill.” The younger man craned his neck, trying to see in to the room. Will crowded him and closed the door behind him. He didn’t want Aya to wake up alone and be frightened, but he didn’t want Matthews gawking at her either. Will’s stomach rolled but he gestured at Matthews to continue. “No word on the runner. There are just too many women who jog there at

night.” “Keep at it. Someone has to know something. We have to find this woman soon as possible.” “Why? I mean we already have the killer strapped in. Hell, at this point, we can just call the executioner in and have them inject her.” Will had Matthews backed against the wall in a matter of seconds. The smaller man’s eyes widened. “Let’s get something straight, Matthews. This is my case, and I take the matter very seriously. Your job is to do what I tell

you. Now I told you to find the runner. And I told you to find her a while ago. So get your ass out there with the rest of the guys and do your damn job.” “Sure thing, boss.” Matthews lifted his hand and pushed an oversized envelop at him. “Moyer sent over pictures.” Will took them, knowing they would make this night even harder to stand. He backed away slowly. “Thanks. Find the runner, Matthews. I don’t want to have to look at any more of these.” He waited until Matthews had left

before he looked at the pictures. Bile rose in his throat. How could another human being do something so foul to another? He’d seen enough crime to last a lifetime, and none of it could compare to the carnage in the pictures. The poor girl had fought hard—the club house toys surrounded her prone figure in pieces. The plastic furniture was overturned and sported multiple bloodied handprints. Time of death was estimated between twelve and sixteen hours ago. More than enough time for Aya to develop bruises, and yet her body was clear of any marks.

Will frowned at a note. Skin had been found in both the victim’s teeth and under her nails. Only time would tell if it matched Aya’s DNA. He pushed the door open. Even in sleep she didn’t look at peace. Then again, if she was involved in the carnage in the pictures, she might never sleep again. “Is someone there?” Her voice called to something deep within him. He wouldn’t let her down. Even if she was involved, he’d get her help. Make sure they didn’t lobotomize her or medicate her until she was a shell of herself.

“I’m here. It’s Will.” He’d never felt so inadequate in his life. He moved to the side of the bed, grasping her fingers before he could stop himself. She was a block of ice. “Where am I? What’s that noise?” In the muted glow of the courtesy lights, she looked even more vulnerable. “Hospital, and those machines are just monitoring your vitals, making sure everything is working like it should. Do you remember how you got here?” Will could tell the moment she remembered. Her face went completely

blank and her fingers went lax in his grip. Though she didn’t move, couldn’t even if she wanted to, he could feel her pulling away, and he wanted to howl. “What are they giving me? I don’t feel right.” “It’s just a little something to make you relax.” This time, Will did flinch as he turned and caught sight of Easton. First Matthews and now the doctor. She was messing with both his objectivity and his observational skills. Next, he’d make a rookie mistake like contaminating

evidence. “Doctor Easton?” “Hello, Aya. It’s been a while.” Easton came to the other side of the bed, his eyes never straying from Aya’s. Will had never seen the man more intent than he was now. Aya stare was equally intense, and Will felt as if he were prying on an intimate moment between lovers. He’d be damned if he’d leave though. “What are you doing here?” “Yeah, Doc, what are you doing here?”

Easton’s lips quirked, and Will knew if they didn’t have an audience the man would lay into him. “I’m a colleague of William’s. We often work closely together, don’t we, William?” Will grunted but refused to rise to the bait. Easton continued like he hadn’t heard him. “How are you feeling, Aya?” “Please don’t head shrink me, Doctor Easton. If you’re here that means you know what I’ve done. You know I’m no better than Dennis.” “Nonsense. You’re nothing like Dennis. He never felt remorse for

anything he did, not even when he nearly killed you. If Dennis were the one committing these crimes, he’d never stop by choice. The fact that you’re trying to do the right thing speaks volumes to your character.” Her eyes overflowed with tears, and Will squeezed her hand. He knew Easton saw it, bastard didn’t miss a trick, but he wouldn’t let her continue to feel so helpless and alone. Not if Will could help it. She squeezed back and a surge of rightness washed through him. She knew she could count on him.

“For all his sadistic tendencies, Dennis never killed anyone directly. His words were lethal, and if he laid hands on you, you’d bleed, but he never slaughtered women while they begged for their lives,” she said. “How quickly you forget, he murdered fifteen people the night of the fire. And it would have been almost twenty if we hadn’t survived. Never think for a moment that you’re alike. Do you hear me, Aya?” She nodded and bit her lip, but tears continued to flood, each one a dagger in

Will’s psyche until he nearly growled in frustration. His mouth wanted to kiss her until she couldn’t even think about this nightmare, so she would know that she’d never have to face anything else alone ever again. He rubbed a hand over his chest. “May I see your scar?” She tensed beneath his hand and it was on the tip of Will’s tongue to deny Easton, but she nodded. He held his breath along with her as the doctor slowly approached and stroked his hand over the area. Aya’s gaze met Will’s, and

though he wanted to see the extent of her scar, he knew she was looking at him to be her anchor. In this, he wouldn’t let her down. “Does it bother you often?” Aya licked her lips before she could speak and gave Will ideas he had no business having. “Some. I…I guess it doesn’t matter if I tell you now.” Will squeezed her fingers again and felt even more inadequate. He wanted to hold her so much that he gripped the hand rail to keep himself grounded. Easton hadn’t said anything about him

holding her hand, but lead detective or not, he’d be tossed if he climbed into bed with her. “It…sometimes I get noise in my head. And it builds and builds. Sometimes I can stop it, and sometimes it gets so loud that I can’t hold on anymore.” “What happens then?” Easton moved back and mirrored Will’s stance on the other side of the bed. The touch was purely platonic, and yet Will wanted to push him away. His mind was a swirl of lust and protection, and all he knew was

Easton was touching what was his. Aya shook her head. “I lose time. Normally wake up crumpled in the floor. A few times I’ve crawled some place dark.” “Ever end up places you don’t remember? Do things you can’t recall?” She hesitated and Will’s pulse sped up. “Not exactly.” Easton was quiet for several moments and the tension rose higher and higher. Will was just about to break the silence when the doctor beat him to it.

“Why haven’t you been sleeping, Aya? Is it normal for you to go so long without sleep?” “Forty-two hours is not that much.” “Answer the question. Why aren’t you sleeping? “Because that’s when they die. If I don’t sleep, they don’t die.” Will looked to Easton and then quickly back to Aya. Her thought process was wrong. The victim from the tree house was less than a day ago. If she was killing in her fugue states and she hadn’t slept in two days, that would

mean she wasn’t involved in the treehouse murder. Or that there was something else at play? “What about Karen Manettii?” “She was the last one I…killed until I turned myself in. I thought if I stayed awake, I could control it. I could make sure no one else had to die.” “What about the runner? How do you know about her?” Aya looked to Will. Easton might hate him for interrupting, but he couldn’t just sit and wait. In his mind, the ticking of the clock was louder than all the

machines in her room. “I saw it. I was in my laundry room and I saw it all. Her running, me waiting, me tackling her, her bleeding and begging as I took her heart.” “But how do you know you haven’t done this already? “Because I liked knowing that all those people were just across the street in the gala, and yet no one knew, no one came to help her.” She smiled, one so crooked that Will’s heart hurt. “The gala is still nearly a week away. If you guys lock me up now, she’ll never be hurt.

She’ll get to live long enough to graduate and become somebody.” Will kept his face calm while his mind churned. Somehow, Aya was missing time. The college’s annual fundraising gala was in less than fortyeight hours. If she was sure that was when the runner would be murdered, all they had to do was keep Aya off the streets and they could prove she was innocent. This was assuming Will believed she’d seen the murder before it had actually happened. If she wasn’t

innocent, he at least wanted her to be not evil. Was he considering that she might have prior knowledge to the crimes before they happened? Was she psychic? “Can you tell us anything else about her?” “She’s strong. Young. Total stunner with the smoothest, most perfect brown skin I’ve ever seen. Her hair is probably shoulder length if she lets it down. In motion, she is a thing of beauty. And I don’t want to kill her.” Aya sobbed, pulling her wrists against her restraints. “Promise that you won’t let me kill her.

Promise, Will.” “You have my word.” His vow seemed to deflate her and she relaxed against the bedding, sobs still tearing from her throat. Easton gestured to the hall. “I’m sure you noticed her details were off.” Will nodded. “It’s not enough to save her. Any jury would convict on the strength of what she’s just told us. We need something else.” Easton cocked his head to the side,

scrutinizing him in that way that always made Will think the man could see into his mind. He’d be damned if he would squirm though. “Do you believe her, Will? Can you believe her?” He wanted to. There was some spark between them that had him circling back to her innocence, but maybe his mind couldn’t be trusted. All the evidence, all the logic said she was guilty ten times over, and yet there was something in him that couldn’t accept that. There was more going on here than just what he

could see, and he had to find a way around it. Her life and possibly the life of another woman depended on it. He focused on Easton. “You believe her.” “I do.” There was no hesitation in the doctor’s voice. “Why?” “Because she saved my life all those years ago. She told us trouble was coming that night well before any alarms went off.” Easton was quiet for several moments. All Will could hear were his

own heartbeat and Aya’s soft sobs. He wanted to call the man out, but for once, there was no sly grin on the doctor’s face. There was no devilish twinkle in his eye. “I called a couple of my colleagues about what happened in the office. Lots of interesting information. That combined with what I just heard, I don’t think Aya is our killer.” Will would never admit the sense of relief he felt hearing someone else say what he was thinking. “How do you plan on proving that?”

“Well, proving it isn’t my job, that’s all you. But I can get you there. Well, I think I can. If you are willing to do a few unorthodox things.” “Name it.” If it would save Aya, there were any number of things he’d do without a second thought. For Easton to admit it was unorthodox though? That meant it was something illegal and probably borderline insane. The fact that the man was leading him to a quiet alcove to speak instead of their current relative privacy raised Will’s suspicious meter.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that she knows more than she should, so how could she be innocent? Unless she’s seeing someone else’s crimes.” Will felt disappointment like a kick to the solar plexus. Easton was going to give him some mumbo-jumbo explanation when what he needed was a way to get some facts to save her. “This can’t be one of your projects. I put up with you needling me because it seems to be the only way you’ll help me on cases, but playtime is over. Lives are at stake. Aya’s life. And maybe some

unknown woman who is going to go out for a nighttime jog and never make it back home, so can the bullshit.” Easton leaned into him and Will was so surprised, he leaned back before he caught himself. “This is not bullshit. When will you learn that there is more than what you can see and taste and smell? You talk about cop instincts, well, who is to say it stops there? If you can have a sense that something is wrong and continue to dig for answers, why can’t she have the same thing?”

“Because I have to deal in facts. The fact is she knows about these murders. She led us to one we didn’t even know existed. She’s given us a motive of sorts and information that’s not even made it into the press. I can’t go to the captain and proclaim she’s innocent on the strength of, ‘Well, Easton said she sees someone else’s crimes.’ Give me a break.” “What if you could prove it? What if I gave you the skills to prove she was innocent?” “Then do it. If you have the power,

tell me what I need to do to save her.” “Two words—seduce her.”

Chapter Seven Will gaped at the doctor. For once, the man had made him speechless, and if his stupid smirk was to be believed, he was enjoying it. “Come again?” “These fits always come when she’s either at a heightened or an unguarded state. I’d wager that depending on the impetus, she gives out different signals, different information. Let’s pretend for a

moment that she has a connection to our killer. A deadly connection that tells her when he’s killing and shows her the gruesome details. The best way to find out what she can possibly tell us would be to get her into those states. Wouldn’t you agree?” Will grunted, not sure where Easton was going. His mind just kept replaying, “Seduce her. Seduce her,” and he wasn’t sure if it was a mantra for his sanity or a curse upon his soul. He needed to pay attention to Easton, but all he could think of was her long legs

wrapped around him as he took her. He wanted to be balls deep in her more than he wanted his next breath, but that wouldn’t help either one of them with the Heart Taker situation. “Probably the best time to find out what she knows would be to force her into those states. Now I think trying what we did at the office again is too risky. We can’t take the risk she might crash. The gala is little more than a day out, and we need a way to find out who that girl is so we can find out who the killer is. Pushing her isn’t going to work.”

“But you think seduction will? Have you lost your mind?” With the entire town on high alert and the mayor and his boss breathing down his neck, Will needed results immediately. He didn’t know what he’d do if he had to tell one more family their daughter or sister wasn’t coming home. Easton held up a hand, and for once, Will heeded his unspoken request. Maybe his brain was entertaining this idea more than it should. “Think about it. You can stretch foreplay out enough to get her to a

heightened state. She’ll be vulnerable and more likely to say things that are buried in her subconscious. Likewise if you bring her to orgasm and ease her down. It’s why there are so many postcoital declarations of love. The subconscious takes control and words pour forth.” “You want me to question her about serial killing while I’m having sex with her?” His tone left no doubt that he was sure Easton had gone far over the edge. “Do you have a better idea?” Will paced the small distance

between the walls. There was no way this could work. Even if he could seduce Aya, could he ask her about dead women while he was deep inside her? His cock twitched at the thought of her beneath him. Was he even considering this for the right reasons? Or was he so desperate to have her, he’d stoop this low? “You can’t be serious.” “Deadly, I’m afraid. For what it’s worth, there are documented studies of people being brought to the brink of orgasm as a way to obtain information.” Will snorted. “Any of those since the

1950s? Any that don’t involve torture?” “I’ll grant you it’s unusual, but it’s not completely unheard of. If it’s the only way to get the information, what have you got to lose?” His impartiality was already gone. All he had left was his integrity. And he wouldn’t have that if he gave in to his desires and did what Easton wanted. “You realize they’ll never let us get her out of here.” Those were not the words he expected to say, and he wished he could cram them back in once Easton grinned at him.

“So you’re on board.” “I didn’t say that.” “Your words said what you were too chicken shit to say, William. I can get her released to a facility. I have some pull there. I can get you in. The administrator is one of the people I contacted about her case.” Will was already shaking his head. There was no way he could seduce her mere feet from crazy people. Even if she didn’t mind, he did. “No. If this is going to happen, if this is going to work, I want her at my house.”

The words should have sounded all wrong, but the thought of her in his house sounded more than right. It sounded perfect. Easton frowned. “She could be dangerous. You don’t know what he might do to you if we trigger her outbursts in this manner.” “We don’t know what it’ll do to her either, but we’re both willing to take that chance.” Easton was right. Having a professed serial killer in his home was dangerous. There was no way the captain would go for it. Unless he didn’t know about it.

Will glanced down the hall at Aya’s dark doorway. Was he willing to risk his career for a taste of her? Was he willing to walk away if this didn’t give them what they needed? Would he have anything to even come back to if that happened? So many questions and he didn’t have a single answer. Worse, he didn’t have time to figure any out. “Would you and your colleague be willing to bend a bit further?” Easton’s eyebrows rose and he stepped into Will’s personal space. “What do you have in mind, William?”

Will leaned in closer and described what he wanted to do. Easton’s face looked like he didn’t want to go along with it, but what choice did either of them have? ***** Aya’s tears finally subsided and she realized she was alone in the room with nothing but the sounds of the machines to keep her company. She felt pressure in her head like the buzzing wanted to start up but couldn’t. She glanced to the IV in her arm. It was probably drugs keeping

her steady. God knew, she couldn’t be trusted to keep herself in check. She just wished Will would come back and spend a little time with her before they took her away. She regretted the deaths of those women, but it felt surreal. Her regret of never knowing Will’s body felt all too real to her. Shame instantly washed over her. She shouldn’t be thinking of his body or her own when she was responsible for so much ugly death. But she couldn’t stop the sigh that escaped her when she thought of what

might have been. He was strong, handsome, the kind of man she would have loved to build a life with. And now she would never get the chance. Just like none of the women she’d killed would get such a chance. It served her right that she suffered. It wasn’t a millionth of the pain she’d caused. As if her thoughts had conjured him, Will filled her doorway, his shoulders neatly blocking out the brighter lights of the hall. “Are you still awake?” She cleared her throat. “Yes.”

She might have imagined the reluctant way he walked into the room, but one look at his face let her know something was heavy on his heart. Oh God, please don’t let it be another woman she hadn’t remembered. “What is it?” “Doctor Easton wants to talk to you. I want you to think hard about what it is he has to say. If at any point you’re uncomfortable with any of it, just say my name and it’ll all stop.” Aya had a flash of her saying his name and begging him not to stop, but she

shoved it aside. Now was not the time for her fantasies. Now was the time for whatever the doctor had on his mind. “Just keep an open mind, okay?” She nodded. He seemed to want to say something else but did no more than squeeze her hand and then leave the room. She took a deep breath, waiting for Doctor Easton to drop a bomb on her. In contrast to Will, he seemed downright calm. He too grabbed her hand. Funny neither man made her feel trapped or scared. “Aya, what I have to discuss with you

will seem strange, but I need you to keep an open mind. Lives depend on this. I will ask that you not speak until you’ve heard everything I’ve had to say.” With every word, she grew more tense, until she thought she might scream from it. And wouldn’t that get her locked up quicker than a blink. She nodded though she wanted to run shrieking into the night. Who knew confessing would be more nerve-wracking than avoiding the truth. “I know you, Aya Bedel, and you are no killer.” His words rang with a

sincerity that brought tears to her eyes. She opened her mouth and promptly snapped it shut at his raised brow. “Yes, you know more than you should. Yes, coming forward will save lives, but this is bigger than you, Aya. I’m going to ask you a series of questions and I just want you to nod yes or no. Got it?” She nodded. “Have you found any blood on you after one of these moments?” She hesitated. Easton had focused on the one thing she found odd about all of it. Well, odd was relative when you

were killing women during blackout hours. She shook her head. “I was sure you hadn’t. Ever find any blood in your car? On your clothes? Any unexplained blood in your house?” He asked the questions rapid-fire, like he already knew what the answers would be. She shook her head at each question, her hope growing with each negative answer. Maybe he could explain why she could never find any evidence. It was the one thing that had kept her quiet for so long. Where was the physical

evidence? Forget what she saw when she closed her eyes. Where were the blood-soaked clothes? The murder weapon? How could she possibly get that clean and not remember it? “I tell you again, you are not a murderer. But I think you know who is.” Aya’s hope crumbled. She shook her head violently, not even able to hear his next words. She didn’t want anyone else to die, but why couldn’t she save herself as well? Was it so wrong to want a bit for herself? Hands clasped her face and held her still. Easton was so close she

could feel his breath stirring her hair. “Calm yourself.” His grasped her shoulders and squeezed. Aya covered her mouth, cutting off the sobs that seem to tear through her chest. How much more could she take before she splintered apart? “I don’t believe that you are committing these murders. But you are getting, for lack of better words, vibrations from them.” She laughed and could admit that it sounded hysterical even to her own ears. Clearly, she’d gone off the deep end if

she thought she’d heard him correctly. “Have I ever lied to you? Even once?” His words stopped her cold. He hadn’t lied to her. When the nurse had tried to tell her that she didn’t remember correctly, that Dennis hadn’t meant to hurt her, Doctor Easton had told her the truth. When she’d awakened after the fire, Doctor Easton had been the one to tell her about the home and all her friends. No, the man had never lied, but how could what he said possibly be the truth?

“I would not lie to you about this. And I think I can prove it. You just have to agree to work with Detective Speedman.” Aya swallowed hard. “Does…does he believe I’m innocent?” Doctor Easton tilted his head. “William believes in what he can see. And right now, he agrees that what’s in front of him doesn’t make a lot of sense. He’s willing to go on a little faith if you are.” Aya nodded. What did she have to lose? And it meant more time with Will.

Even if it was just a few more minutes, she’d take whatever she could get. It wasn’t like there would be any tender moments where she was going. “What do I have to do?” Doctor Easton smiled and started to explain his plan. Aya felt a slice of fear that grew with his every word. Could she do it? Would Will? Did it matter if it gave her a night with him? “Yes, I’ll do it.”

Chapter Eight It was easier to get Aya out of the hospital than he’d thought it’d be, but that’s what Will got for underestimating Easton. The man could be very persuasive when he set his mind to it. Will could almost admire the man. Now he just needed his plan to work. He stole a glance at his passenger, but Aya’s gaze remained focused forward.

She’d barely blinked, and only the slight hitch of her breath let him know she was still with him. Easton had told him she agreed, but he’d yet to hear the words from her mouth. She nibbled on her fingers again and he wondered if that was a habit she’d always had or if it was one that had sprang up after she’d started the murders. Or having visions of the murders, if Easton wasn’t a crackpot. “Did Easton tell you what’s going to happen?” He could have kicked himself at the choice of words. As if the doctor

would just blatantly tell her she was going home with a cop to be fucked six ways to Sunday in hopes that some orgasms would shake some information lose in her brain. “Not in so many words.” She flushed, darted a look at his crotch and then away. Even though it wasn’t a real date, he couldn’t stop himself from puffing with pride. He had no doubts he could satisfy her in the bedroom, the trick was getting her relaxed enough to let him. “I’m really sorry you have to do this.” “I’m not.” The words were out before

he could second-guess them, but he wouldn’t have taken them back. Not after he heard her gasp of surprise. “I wish it were in other circumstances, but I can admit you’re a lovely woman. It’s no hardship to make love to such a beautiful creature.” She ducked her head and Will grinned. He meant the words more than he wanted her to know. It had been a while for him, and instead of a random bar hookup, he had a shot at the type of woman that did more than engage his body. Aya tugged at his heart.

He pulled into the garage and closed the door behind him before they exited the car. His neighbors pretty much minded their business, but he didn’t want to take any chances. He only had so much time to be with her. If he couldn’t get the information out of her in the next few hours, they were going to have to take their chances on a stake out. While the idea held merit, the real killer would see them a mile away. He pushed open the back door and gestured for her to enter before he did. The mail was still out front and he

hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, but all that could wait. All of it would wait until he took care of the woman huddling in the doorway of his kitchen. He walked to her slowly, giving her time to voice any dissent, but her mouth remained stubbornly closed. Will tilted up her chin and lowered his mouth until a mere breath separated him. Both of them still had their eyes open, their gazes locked in an embrace that seemed almost too intimate, but, God, Will wanted this. He brushed his lips across hers using

the slightest pressure to test their fullness. She was as soft and as warm as he imagined, and it took all his willpower not to plunge into her mouth like a starving man presented with an undeserved feast. He pressed a little harder, gliding his tongue along the inside of her lip when she gasped aloud. He wound a hand around her throat, gratified to feel her racing pulse against his palm. Oh yes, they were well matched, and if he could only get the next few hours, he’d make the most of them. Reluctantly, he raised his head.

“Do you want the grand tour?” She shook her head, her eyes too wide in her face, but not from fear. She wanted him. It was in the peaking of her nipples, in the hitch in her breath, the way her hand clutched his shirt. He wanted to see where else he could see it, taste it, but he was getting ahead of himself. It was a sure thing that he could get her to come, but how would either of them react to what she might be able to tell him? Will gently pulled her fingers from her mouth. She ducked her head as

if she were embarrassed, so he pressed her finger tips to his lips, nipping and sucking at them until she looked at him, her gaze utterly enthralled on his mouth. “It’s okay if you’re nervous. This is happening fast. I wish I had time to take you out to dinner, treat you like a real date. Are you hungry? I can put together something.” It would be his pleasure to feed her. With the drugs pushed from her system, her face was flushed, her eyes clear. She was exquisite. Aya smiled and shook her head. Will

felt a tug in his heart. No matter what happened tonight, he’d never forget how she looked in this moment, so vulnerable that she made him feel weak, yet so sexy it was all he could do not to take her against the island. Without another word, he towed her upstairs and into his bedroom. He turned on the bedside lamp, bathing the room in a slight amber glow. She looked utterly feminine in his room of navy and maroon, but she also looked like she belonged. “Why don’t you take a shower in my room while I get cleaned up in the guest

room?” “Oh no, I can take the guest room. I wouldn’t want to put you out.” Will pulled her into his arms and brought his face within kissing distance of her own. He slid a hand down her spine and over her ass. Killer curves within reach. How was one night supposed to be enough? How could it be? It wasn’t fair that he’d meet someone so intriguing attached to a case. Assuming they both made it out unscathed, there was no way she’d want to see him again. He kneaded her flesh,

grinning when she both arched into his body and ground into his touch. “I like having you in my home, in my bedroom. The thought of you in my shower is enough to nearly make me come in my pants.” He dropped a quick, hard kiss against her pout. It was a true statement, but his purpose was twofold. It would be virtually impossible for her to escape if he had her in the most centralized room of the house. “Besides, I know where the shower is and you don’t. So in you go.” He spun her and tapped her on the butt to get her

going. His arms felt empty without her, but he pushed the thought aside. They just had to get through the night. “Trust me, Aya.” She paused on the threshold of the bathroom and turned to him with solemn eyes. “I do, Will. I do.” The door closing was as loud as a gunshot, and Will stared at it as he imagined Aya getting undressed and then stepping under the warm spray. Her body would glisten in the water, her tension would ease and nothing would have ever looked as good. He cupped

his erection and knew that a cold shower wouldn’t be enough to keep his body under control. When the water started, he jogged downstairs and did his nightly routine— grabbed the mail, fed his cats and armed his alarm system. His phone showed a message, so he listened to it on the way back up the stairs. “Hey, Speed,” Moyer’s voice sounded excited. “Earliest we can get results is going to be a solid twelve more hours. Good news is we’ve got enough samples from the last victim’s

nails to make a positive id of her attacker. I’ll call you in the morning once the results are in.” Her voice dropped. “I nearly had to beat it out of him, but Easton told me what you’re up to and… just be careful. And check in. If I don’t hear from you every two hours, I’m coming over and I’ll break down the damn door if I have to.” Will grinned and tossed his cell on his dresser before going to the guest room. He was glad that Moyer had his back, but that just put more of a time crunch on tonight’s activities. He jumped

in the shower, barely letting the water touch him before he turned it as cold as it would go. Even after all that mundane activity, even after Moyer’s warning that he could be walking into an ingenious and oh-so-dangerous trap, his erection didn’t go down. Hell, even with the icy water pounding against him, all he could think about was being buried deep inside her warmth. He scrubbed at his flesh, not letting his hand linger in any of the places that might appease his hunger. He washed his hair and then stood several

long moments letting the water chill him. In moments, he would make love to this woman who he’d only known for a few hours but felt like he’d wanted for ages. In another time, in another place, she would have been his kind of woman, but who knew what would happen beyond tonight? It wasn’t enough for him, but anything was better than his imagination. So he’d taste her tonight, and God help them both if he didn’t get the answers he needed.

Chapter Nine When Aya finished counting to two hundred and the door still remained closed, she removed her clothes and stepped into the shower. She hadn’t been sure that Will would give her this time alone, not knowing what he did about her. For some reason, he trusted her, leaving her alone in a room that held things that could easily become weapons

in the hands of a killer. But was she a killer? She frowned. She had thought so, but now she wasn’t sure. Nothing made sense anymore, and she figured it must be sleep deprivation. Not even in college had she stayed up this long, and there was no rest in sight. She and Will were going to make love until she could tell him something, something big enough to save lives. Easton seemed so sure it was going to work, Will seemed skeptical but hopeful, and she…she was doing this because Will wanted her to,

and because she wanted to have one pure memory to hold to her when they put her away for life. She sniffed his bar of soap—smelled like thunderstorms—and began to lather up. How long had it been since she’d washed? The soap stung the cuts on her hands and she looked at her wrecked fingers. Had he kissed these feeling sorry for her? Or had he done it because he truly wanted her? There was no denying his interest when it had been pressed so firmly against her, but that could have been

proximity. Her hands slicked over her breasts and she paused, her breath trapped in her throat. It’d been so long since she’d gotten to indulge her desires. Even before the nightmares had started, she’d been in a drought that had seemed insurmountable. She cupped her weight. Her breasts weren’t huge, but her nipples were sensitive. She tweaked them and shuddered at the answering jolt in her pussy. She was sopping wet and it had nothing to do with the water that beat on her shoulders. One hand trailed down

her belly and skirted the edge of her pubic hair. Part of her wanted to burrow her fingers deep in her cleft and finger fuck herself until she came, bawling where the shower would drown out the noise of her passion. But the other part of her wanted Will to be the one to undo her. He’d take her body and leave her with nothing but jagged lust. If his kiss was anything to go by, the man knew his way around a woman’s body, and she wanted that. She needed it. With a shaky breath, she released her skin and quickly finished washing. Aya

leaned under the spray, letting the warm water sluice through her hair. She took her time massaging the shampoo through, careful to avoid touching her scar, which seemed more sensitive than usual. She was surrounded by Will’s scents and oddly, they made her feel more womanly. Would he like the way his products smelled on her body? Would it turn him on? She rinsed but was reluctant to get out of the shower. Her body was primed, ready for his touch, but her mind wouldn’t turn off. While she had no doubt that Will could

make her come over and over, she also knew it would only happen if she gave him what he needed to know. The moment she couldn’t deliver, he’d have to change tactics. What if she couldn’t tap into the vibrations Easton had mentioned? Hell, what if nothing came out because it truly was her? Aya wrapped herself in the towel from the rack. She knew it was Will’s but couldn’t find any shame in what she was doing. She patted her body dry, not allowing herself to do much more than daub at the wetness. She borrowed his

toothbrush and then his comb, slicking her hair back from her forehead. Now what? Did she go into his bedroom and wait for him there? It wasn’t like she had any clothes, and there was no way she was putting her old clothes back on. She’d leave the house in a towel first. “Everything okay in there?” His voice rumbled through the door and she swore she could feel it like a stroke against her most private place. What was it about him that could make her feel so needy and so wanted all at the same time? She took a breath, squared her shoulders,

opened the door and promptly gasped. Aya had only thought she was prepared for Will. But that was before he stood before her wearing nothing but gym shorts and a smile. His hair was damp and curling at the edges and he hadn’t bothered to shave. The thought of him giving her beard burn made her nipples tighten. Stray droplets highlighted his lightly furred pecs and rolled over his welldefined abs. Underneath his suit, Will had been hiding quite the body. A dark trail of hair ended at his shorts and she

wanted to follow it with her tongue. His cock tented the mesh, giving her the barest idea of just how big he was. “See anything you like?” Her gaze snapped back to his and she raised her hand to cover her eyes. His laugh gave her goose bumps. “Hey now.” He pulled her hand down and kept it in his grasp when she tried to pull away. “Don’t get shy on me now.” He stepped in closer until their bodies just touched. They both smelled of his soap, and Aya wanted to bury her nose in his neck. If she’d more time, she

would have indulged, just smelling his big body, exploring all the places that made him tense and moan. She tilted her head and he cupped the back of her head. “I need you to tell me you’re still okay with this. If you aren’t, we’ll find another way.” The thought was enough to make her close the distance between their mouths. There wasn’t another way, but the fact that he was willing to try for her meant so much. She deepened the kiss, sending her tongue deep into his mouth. He clasped

her close and then he was striding to the bed with her in his arms. Aya didn’t have time to dwell on the fairytale feeling before he’d opened the towel and laid her bare before him. She wanted to cover her body, but the look in his eyes stilled her hands. “You are something else, you know that?” “I hope it’s something good.” “Oh yeah.” His eyes worshiped her from head to toe. “It’s something amazing.” “Touch me.” She pleaded again when

his gaze clashed with her own. This was why they were here. This is what her body craved. She parted her legs and raised her knees. Her honey was dripping on the bedding, but she couldn’t bring herself to be embarrassed. “Look how wet you make me, look how much I want you. Please touch me.” She didn’t know where the words came from, only that she needed a touch. His, hers, soon it wouldn’t matter. She closed her eyes and lifted her hips, shamelessly undulating for his pleasure. His hands were hot on her thighs as he

pushed out, opening her even wider. “All this for me, huh? Let’s see.” His words were breathed against her sex, teasing her. His first pass was light, just enough to whet her appetite and make her strain toward him. She tugged on his hair, trying to get him deeper, but he seemed fine with surface touches. Sweat broke out on her body and she whimpered. It felt so good and had been so long. His tongue darted deep inside her, dragging a moan from her throat. Will alternated gentle teasing licks with sharp, penetrating stabs. In no time at all,

Aya fell into her first orgasm. She arched, digging her head into the mattress. As the pleasure crested through her body, she felt her grip on reality snap. It is raining again. My face against the window makes steamy circles that make it hard to see, but the house is empty. Why isn’t she home? Where could she be at this time of night? Doesn’t she know that if she breaks my heart, I will take hers? A howl builds in my throat and I let it go. Then I break

the glass. “Aya. Baby, come back.” Aya felt Will’s warmth wrapped around her, but that didn’t stop her from shivering. Good God, what the hell was that? “Will?” Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry. And she couldn’t stop shaking. “You’re okay, baby. You did it. Or we did it. Doesn’t matter, because we aren’t fucking doing that again.” He pressed frantic kisses along her forehead and jaw, but Aya fought to be free.

“I did it? I told you something useful?” If she’d doubted it before, the look on his face would have made her a believer. “Yes, and then you proceeded to act like you were being electrocuted and I about had a heart attack because you stopped breathing.” The words kicked her heart into high gear. She didn’t remember anything except the crushing terror knowing she had already picked out another victim. “It’s not the runner.” She looked out his window where a storm was putting

on a show. “How long has it been raining?” Will swore and pulled her closer. “Since I got out of the shower.” “We have to find her. She doesn’t have much time.” She leaned into Will’s body and felt hers warm from the contact. How could she be so terrified and so turned on at the same time? “Can you tell me anything else?” Aya concentrated, scrunching her eyes until they ached, but no further details would come. She shook her head. “I never saw her, just know she’s in

trouble.” Will sighed and pulled her closer. His eyes were haunted and Aya would bet all the money in her account he had no idea she could see it. “We’ll figure something out.” They didn’t have time and he had to know that. Aya slid her arms around his neck, pressing closer to his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist, resting her pussy against his flinching abs. “What are you doing, Aya?” She lifted her lashes, hoping he’d see

all the desire she felt reflected there. It was a dangerous edge she was walking, and the line between fear and desire further blurred as she slid along his erection. His heat parted her labia and teased her clit enough to make her moan. “Don’t you want me?” She rode him like she had all the time in the world, shifting so the hair on his chest chaffed her nipples. Her pussy clenched and another wave of warmth surged forward. She was dripping all over him, and yet he remained unmoving. Could she come from just this contact? Undoubtedly, but

would it be a big enough to give them what they needed? Aya met Will’s gaze and quickened her pace. Had any man ever made her feel so wanted? His brown eyes scorched her beneath lowered lids and Aya felt beautiful, sexy, like she deserved to bring a man like this to his knees. Her breath hitched. She was close, so close he probably didn’t even know it. On the next stroke, she twisted her hips and he spoke her name in that guttural voice that did more for her than the touch of any other lover.

“Aya.” She lowered her lids and gave herself over to the bliss that rolled through her in mockery of the storm outside. She arched her back, hips going wild as everything in her went tight and then loosened as she came apart in his arms. The buzz took her by surprise, jolting her as it wiped away all the traces of pleasure and brought a nightmare slamming into her consciousness. It is dark inside her house, but navigating is no problem since

destruction is the goal. I swing the heavy Bowie knife and it crashes through the glass coffee table like a blade through skin. A chair is on its side, pictures dragged off the walls. If she isn’t going to be here, her stuff would pay the price. I stab the knife into the sofa over and over again, the light playing off the blade in a show that is nearly mesmerizing. If she wouldn’t come, it was time to go and find her. A sound came from the foyer. “Hello? Is there anyone home?” She wasn’t the one, but she would

do. I go quickly to the door and open it before the newcomer can protest. She would do nicely. They all bleed the same. “Goddammit, Aya.” His words registered mere seconds before she was submerged in water so cold she gasped. Aya turned her face toward his voice but couldn’t see him. “Wake up, goddammit!” Aya wanted to tell him that she was awake but found herself completely underwater. Her heart thudded even

louder in her ears and she struggled, panicking when she realized her arms were barely moving. Water rushed into her open mouth and she was choking when he finally pulled her up. “Thank God.” She was clasped against his hot chest, his mouth pressing kisses against her rabbit pulse. “Wha…” She cleared her throat and shivered, glad for both the strength of his arms and the warmth of his embrace. She couldn’t get warm, and it had nothing to do with the water she was sitting in. By the amount of water in the tub, well over

her bellybutton and closing in on her breasts, she’d been in the deep whirlpool tub for a while. She tried again. “What happened?” Will’s eyes looked tortured and she wondered just how bad it had been. This man had seen the worst of the worst, and yet he was looking at her with such heavy emotion it made her guts churn. “Can I get out? I’m so c-cold.” Without another word, he shut off the taps and lifted her from the tub. He barely paused to grab a robe and then it was back to the bed. Aya wanted to

demand that he talk to her, but one look at the muscle ticking in his cheek stayed her words. After he chaffed her skin and swaddled her in his robe, Will tucked her beneath the bedding. He slid in and pulled her close. Only then did she feel some semblance of warmth. “Talk to me. Please.” Anything to distract her from the images that kept circling in her head like vultures ready to pick her sanity clean. Each time she thought she’d already seen the worse, and yet each new experience topped the last.

“It was like before. I didn’t know you were so…so close. I thought I could stop you before something bad happened. And maybe, with you on the edge, I could get info that way.” Aya wanted to look in his eyes, but Will wouldn’t release her. Had she hurt him? Somehow, that gripped her even more than her vision. He was the only person trying to help her and she could have injured him. “Are you okay? Did I…? She couldn’t even bring her mouth to form the words around the lump in her throat.

Will pulled her tighter, seeming to know what she couldn’t express. “You didn’t hurt anyone but yourself.” He feathered kisses over the top of her head and Aya closed her eyes. What she wouldn’t give for this to be a real moment, untainted with her murderous intent and the deaths on her soul. She didn’t deserve his comfort and began to struggle in his grasp. “Just let me hold you, okay? I’ll tell you but only if I can hold you.” The words melted her resistance and she allowed him to pull her even closer.

She even pretended it was because he cared for her. “You came and it was a thing of beauty. I wanted to make you come more and more and I reached for you. But your eyes.” He paused and she felt him swallow. What could he have seen to make him act this way? “In a matter of seconds, your pupils dilated. If I hadn’t been with you the whole time, I would have sworn you’d taken a hit of something. Your body seized up worse than before and you just

fell over. You made these terrible gasping noises and then you just stopped. Nothing but your eyes and your fingers moved, and I thought for sure you were having a heart attack.” Tears leaked from her eyes. If he was this riled up just seeing how she reacted, how would he be when she gave him the details of what she saw? He lowered his voice, “I thought I’d lost you.” Will was everything good in the world, and it wasn’t right that he was wasting time worrying about her. Not

when she had such darkness in her soul that it threatened his very existence. “You were in that tub for nearly five minutes before you responded to anything.” Five minutes was nothing when you were lost to the terror of your own mind. “I saw more. I trashed a house, snatched a new victim.” Aya stopped, unable to describe the terrible glee she’d felt at the woman’s panic. Instead, she focused on the details of the scene. Pieces of it seemed so familiar, and she strained, trying to give

him more to go on. Something about the woman’s voice seemed familiar, but it was so hard to separate it from the rush of blood in her ears and the sound of the storm. “Can you tell me what else you remember? Something about the house? Did you see an address or something outside the window that could help us?” She squeezed her eyes shut, but it was no use. The information she needed was just on the edge of her consciousness, and no matter how she tried for it, she couldn’t pull it out. Her lip trembled as

she realized she would have to do it again. “There’s nothing there. I-I feel like I know where I am, like it’s familiar but not. I know this sounds crazy.” Will didn’t speak, merely cuddled her closer. His arms felt strong enough to hold her together, and Aya wished it were that simple. They could stay right here in Will’s bed and let the world just pass them by. Had she ever experienced such peace? Not that she could remember. She was content with her job, but she could admit something was missing.

Something like the tenderness of Will’s touch. His fingers riffled through her hair and Aya snuggled into the touch. It didn’t seem right to be enjoying Will’s caresses when a nightmare was surely going to unfold tonight. “Will, I need you to help me.” She tried for strength, and hoped he believed it. “Anything.” She levered herself up until she could see his eyes. A woman could surely drown in the pools of chocolate that peered back at her. Even the sorrow

couldn’t distract from his beauty. Her heart seized as she realized that soon he wouldn’t have to deal with her. He’d move on to a woman who deserved to find happiness in his arms. Aya bit the inside of her cheek. Now was not the time to feel sorry for herself. There’d be plenty of time after she was committed. “You know what I need.” Aya slid her leg over until she straddled his lap. Never in her life had she been so bold. She shifted, riding the edge of his cock. This is what she’d been missing, and she could kick herself for waiting so long to

feel it. He was already shaking his head though his hands held her hips in place. Will wasn’t pulling her closer, but he would soon enough. “I can’t let you get hurt. I won’t.” Aya struggled against his grasp, the strength of his grip turning her on even more. She might be horrified by the evil burning in her heart, but her body was more than attuned to the naked man beneath her. “No, you don’t understand. If I can save just one woman, then it’s worth it.

Any amount of pain is worth it, and I can do this. I know I can.” She grabbed his wrist and brought his hand in for a taste. Aya opened her mouth and rested the very tip of his middle finger on her lower lip. Several seconds passed in strained anticipation before she sucked the digit into her mouth, making them both moan. Will eased his grip and Aya rolled her hips in time to the suction. She needed him to make her come—no way could she do it herself, and he needed this seduction. His finger bumped the back of

her throat and his hips surged against her. The familiar tingle was building up, but she would need more. Lots more than before. “Aya, we can find another way.” Aya opened her eyes at his words and gave him a sad smile. He was still trying to save her. Had anyone ever fought so hard for her? Not her parents, who had abandoned her. Not her brother, who had tried to kill her. Hell, before tonight, had she even fought this hard for herself? Tears pressed at the backs of her eyelids. She wanted this man, this

moment, like she’d never wanted anything before in her life. Aya released his fingers only to press his hand against her bare breast. Her nipple hardened further beneath his palm. “Please, Will. Tonight might be all we’ll ever have, and I don’t want to have any what-if moments later. Make love to me.”

Chapter Ten What man could resist such an offer? Will held out for a full thirty count before he rose and took her lips in a ravaging kiss. His momentum plowed her to her back and he wasted no time climbing on top of her, threading his fingers through her hair and holding her in place for his plundering kiss. Aya tried to move and he tightened his grip,

keeping her exactly as he wanted her. He knew he should slow down, give her a moment, but if he slowed, he’d remember why this was a bad idea. His conscience nagged at him that he was more worried for Aya’s welfare than for the new victim she’d claimed to see. If she were the killer, the woman wasn’t in danger, not with Aya spread beneath him, so hot he expected the smoke alarms to go off any second. Will pressed biting kisses down the column of her throat, marking her in a way that would normally make him

cringe, but right this moment it satisfied some primitive urge in him. Anyone who looked at her would know she was his, and Will protected what was his. At the base of her throat, he latched on, working her flesh between her teeth until she gasped. Aya made him feel out of control, and it was that more than anything that made him pause. He rested his forehead against the hickey he’d made. “Why did you stop?” Her voice was slow, almost as if she’d been drugged, and Will wanted to

beat his chest. He’d done that to her. Gone was the shy woman, and in her place was the sensuous goddess who could bring a man to his knees. How could he let her go after tonight? “Will?” With a shaky breath, he met her gaze and felt as if he’d been kicked in the gut. Never had a woman looked so lovely, so marked by passion, and in that moment, he vowed he’d do whatever it took to save her. Between Easton’s vehemence and her belief in him, how could he not? If she needed him to take her until she

couldn’t see straight, he would. And he’d make sure to catch the bastard that was hurting her and all the other women. “I’m right here, baby. I’ll always be right here.” Will leaned up just enough to part her legs and slid between them. Aya wrapped them around his waist and he reveled in the feel of her silky flesh. She squeezed him and he cursed. He wanted this to last, but they needed to move. There was a time constraint in play, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t give her as much as possible in the time allowed. Will nudged their noses together, grateful

when Aya gave him a smile that reached her eyes. Her hands gripped the side of his face and her gaze searched his. He hoped she would see what she needed to. What he didn’t have words to say because it just seemed too crazy. “I wish I had met you in a different way. At a time when I didn’t have to let you go,” she said. He pulled her closer. There had to be a way to keep her safe and still get this killer. Some way that wouldn’t break her down. “You can try to let me go if you

want to, but I’ll just keep coming back. Hate to break it to you but you’re stuck with me.” Aya laughed and a sob worked its way from her throat. She closed her eyes and two fat tears squeezed out. Will kissed as much of her face as he could reach. She was so brave to do this, and her sacrifice would not go unrewarded. He kissed between her eyes and hardened his emotions. To save some lives, he’d have to risk hers, but he would win. This was too important not to.

“Are you ready, baby?” She nodded, her forehead bumping against his mouth. It was time. Aya kept her eyes closed and waited for Will’s touch. She expected him to go straight for her crotch, but his lips ghosted over her cheeks and trailed down to her mouth. He dug his thumb at the corner of her mouth and she gasped, surprised at the pinch of pain. His mouth was there immediately to soothe her, and Aya allowed him to take control. Again he surprised as his tongue

slowly stroked along hers as if he had all the time in the world. Every kiss ratcheted up her tension until Aya thought she might scream if he wouldn’t take her. She tugged his hair and he pinched her nipple hard enough to make her gasp. “There’s no rush. We have time,” he murmured against her skin. But he was wrong. Even if there wasn’t a life on the line, he would need to hurry. The fire in her veins wouldn’t allow anything else. She reached for him, but he held her wrists to the mattress beside her head. Aya pulled against his hold, her pussy

spasming when she realized she wasn’t hurting but there was no way to get free. Her sex life until now had been pretty vanilla, but this bite of danger when she knew that more would be coming turned her on in ways she’d never imagined. “I said we have time. Don’t make me punish you.” His voice was a sexy growl against the hollow behind her ear and Aya wantonly wrapped her legs around him. Maybe she’d like his punishment. Anything would work as long as he’d put his hands on her. She squeezed. “Behave.”

Aya opened her eyes and froze at the feral look in Will’s eyes. His gaze trapped her in all the ways his hands had not. She let her legs fall wide and whimpered as his cock nudged her pussy. She could feel her pulse in the back of her throat and knew they balanced on the edge of something life changing. Something that would tie them together long after this case tore them apart. Will would guide her where she needed to go and she would enjoy it while it lasted. She relaxed all of her muscles and moisture painted her thighs.

It was so simple to just let go and let it happen. When was the last time she’d allowed herself to enjoy something just because she could? If this was going to be her last night of freedom, the least she could do was milk it for all it was worth. “Please, Will.” Those two words spurred him to action more than anything else could have. Will’s grin turned positively sinful, and Aya couldn’t hear his words over the pounding of her heart. His lips were whisper soft against her throat, but

she felt the touch deeper in a place that had been cold for far too long. He nipped at the hollow in her throat and she arched into that bite of pain. “Mark me. I want you to.” The words surprised her with their truth. She did want his mark on her, some sign that for a moment she’d belonged to someone. That someone cared. Will bit down and sucked on her flesh, and Aya went wild. She could hear his voice seducing her even though she couldn’t decipher the words. He released her wrists and she clutched him

closer. One hand cupped her breast, the other slid over her stomach and between her legs. She held his breath as she waited for him to touch her. Will’s gaze bored into hers and she knew what he was waiting for. Aya nodded her permission and then bit her lip. His finger traced a design closer and closer to where her body wept for his touch. The barest touch had her on edge and she trembled. “In all my years, I’ve never felt anything as delicate or as fine as your skin. I wonder if you know just how

amazing this is for me.” Tears threatened at his words, but she blinked them away. Nothing should spoil this. She licked dry lips. “Why don’t you show me?” “My pleasure.” His gaze never wavered as he stroked through her curls. Aya shifted, hoping for deeper contact. He nudged between her folds, pressing the tip of his finger against her clit. Sparks shot through her blood and she shifted even though she wanted to remain still. More moisture flooded her pussy, and she imagined Will’s hands coated in

her juices. “You’re so wet. It’s for me, right? All for me?” “Yes, Will. All for you.” Aya would have promised him anything if he’d just make her come. “That’s my girl.” There was a wealth of emotion in the words that wrapped Aya in his spell. There was nothing beyond what Will made her feel. “I want to make you feel good, baby.” He ducked his head, latching his mouth on to her aching nipple. She arched into his touch, forcing her flesh

farther into his mouth and his finger more firmly inside of her body. Just a bit more and she would come. Her heart thudded with both excitement and fear. Every second brought her closer to bliss, and yet if she fell into that moment, she would also be sucked into torment. “You’re close, baby. I can feel you fluttering against my touch. But I think we can do better than this.” Aya whimpered as his teeth scraped against her. Will worked another finger inside of her and Aya clamped down on them. He continued kissing down her

tummy until she felt his breath against her core. He paused and let the moment have weight. “You’re so pink and pretty. I wish I had enough time to worship you like you deserve. But you better believe I won’t waste what we have.” He pressed a closed-mouth kiss against her and it zinged like electricity through her whole body. One simple touch had her on edge, his name on the tip of her tongue. Without warning, he plunged his fingers deep, and Aya jackknifed off the bed with a moan. She needed to calm

down but couldn’t stop gasping for breath and wouldn’t release her death grip on Will’s curls. “That’s it, baby. Come for me.” Will’s mouth clamped around her clit and he hummed or maybe he talked, Aya didn’t know anything other than the sensations that slammed into her. His mouth was even more talented than his fingers, taking her to heights she hadn’t been certain she could reach. She rode his face, holding him close as her body soared with pleasure and the edges of her vision began to fuzz with black. Aya

called out Will’s name as the vision took her. The woman isn’t who I want, but her screams are necessary. Something has to cool the fire for vengeance. She isn’t a heartbreaker, but it doesn’t matter. She will suffer just the same. A high-pitched whine pulled Aya to consciousness, and she was startled to realize that wounded animal noise was coming from her. She panted, trying to get her bearings and focused on the

sound of Will’s voice calling to her. She came up slowly, feeling his lips against her own as he whispered words. “Come on, come on, come on. Dammit.” She wanted to tell him she could hear him, but her mouth wouldn’t form the words. Aya squeezed his biceps as much as she was able and knew she got it across when he gathered her to his chest. She desperately wanted to fall into his embrace and let his warmth carry her into oblivion, but her conscience wouldn’t let her. Somehow, his kisses

had pulled her from the trauma before she could see enough. Taking a deep breath, she forced her mind back to the images she’d seen. Still not a clear picture of where, but the knife was the same. No way to forget the heft of it, or the way it felt when it carved through flesh and bone. The heavy scent of blood gagged her, but she pushed harder at her memory. There had to be something they could use. And there it was on the edge of her consciousness, so unexpected that she gasped.

“What? Tell me?” He pulled her back and cupped her face, but Aya took the coward’s way out and shuttered her gaze. She wouldn’t panic him without knowing for sure. She had to know one hundred percent that it wasn’t a trick her jealous mind was trying to play. No way could she look him in the eye and tell him that the woman she’d seen starting to bleed out was Carmen.

Chapter Eleven If it was anyone other than Aya, Will would have tried to shake the truth out of her. As it was, she felt too fragile and looked too wrecked to make him do anything other than press a kiss to her forehead. Something had rocked her, and Will wanted the truth. “Can’t you trust me?” She stiffened at his words, but Will didn’t stop

feathering kisses across her cheeks and down to her mouth. He sipped kisses from her lips, trying to remember that he needed to coax answers from her, not fall into her the way he wanted to. He was sure no woman had ever tasted sweeter or responded more. She linked her hands behind his neck and pulled him closer, and Will was only too happy to oblige. He could get lost in this woman’s mouth, wanted nothing more. Aya whimpered and went soft against him. Oddly, it was her surrender that brought him back to the task at hand.

Slowly, he eased up to his knees and had to hold back a grunt of pure male satisfaction. It was okay that she had him twisted up inside, because he devastated her. Her eyes were passion glazed and half lidded, her mouth plump and shiny from his kisses. Her dark hair was mused as if someone had tunneled their fingers through it repeatedly and her skin held a rosy flush of anticipation. He’d done that to her, and was going to do more, so much more, once they were clear of this damned case. “Aya, baby, talk to me.”

She licked her lips and spread her legs wider. Will ground his teeth so he wouldn’t bury his face in her sweet pussy. Her arousal perfumed the air and stroked his desire that much higher. He didn’t want to protect her. He wanted her. All of her. From the mole on the outside of her thigh to the scar over her ear that she was currently rubbing. Will frowned. Focus, Speedman. “I need you, Will. I need you to make the bad go away.” Her voice broke on the last of it and his guts twisted. She still blamed herself, thought herself to be

the bad that he had to stop. Inwardly, he sighed. There was nothing else to do but seduce her and prove her wrong. He lowered himself until they were fused together. “There’s nothing I’d like to do more,” he whispered into her mouth before taking it in a gentle kiss. It was Aya who deepened the kiss, her mouth going frantic against his own. For a moment, he let her hunger fuel his own. The edge of desperation made every stroke of her tongue, every clutch of her fingers that much more erotic, and Will didn’t even

try to control it. If they were going to burn up, it would be together. Will let his mouth roam, kissing and licking and sucking every inch of flesh he could reach and still remain flush with her body. Desire sang through his blood and he shook with the need to claim his woman. He licked the sweat on her neck and latched on over her pulse. Hickeys were a thing of his past, but he couldn’t stop. He wanted to mark her outwardly the way she was branding him inside. Aya went even wilder beneath

him and Will plunged two fingers into her tight pussy. So hot. He worked her until her hips rose to ride his fingers and his palm was slick with her juices. There would never be enough time to sate himself with her body the way he needed to. Will rose to his knees and frantically searched for the condoms he’d thrown on the bed. His fingers felt too clumsy for the task, but he persevered, sheathing his cock with hands that shook. Aya watched him with her mouth open and he’d never seen a sexier woman. She

looked hungry for him, and Will wanted to be everything she could ever need. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen and he needed to claim her. “Will?” Her voice trembled and a look of uncertainty marred her brow before he kissed it away. There was so much riding on this, so much danger to her that he wanted to make this perfect. She didn’t deserve anything less than the best he could give her. And if this was the only time he got to touch her, he wanted to enjoy every second of it. He feathered a kiss to the corner of her

mouth and nipped her chin. “You are the most perfect woman I’ve ever had the pleasure to touch, hold or kiss. I wish we had more time.” He kissed the spot below her ear while dipping his fingers farther into her warmth. “The things I could do to you if I had more time.” His fingers stabbed deep, and he groaned at the pull of her muscles against him. She was so tight he shook with the need to be inside. Will notched his cock at her opening and squeezed the base of it so he wouldn’t spill against

her. Had anything ever felt so hot? He breathed deep and reached for her face. “Look at me, Aya.” She opened lust-dazed eyes and he was trapped, could easily drown there and die a happy man. Will held her gaze as he slowly penetrated her. Aya bit her lip, her hips reaching for him, silent as her pussy swallowed him inch by inch until his sack rested against the heat of her ass. Will pulled her legs over his thigh, putting his pelvis right over her clit. Now she whimpered, and Will wanted to roar to the ceiling. He pushed

in and she did it again. Already he could feel his orgasm nipping at his heels, but he ruthlessly fought it back. “You ready for this, babe?” She nodded and he pulled back and slowly advanced. One long, slow, practiced glide that made both of them moan aloud. Her thighs trembled and his thumbs dug into the creases where her legs met. Will thrust in and out and tugged at the trimmed hair on her mound. Aya jerked as if he’d slapped her, but Will felt the answering squeeze in her muscles. “No hiding from what you like. You’re

gorgeous. Everything about you is gorgeous. I could spend hours licking every bit of you and never grow tired.” Aya’s eyes closed on his words, and this time he let her. She was lost in the pleasure he brought her and he wanted that for her. Wanted her to be as torn down as she was ripping him apart. Her hands dug into his muscles deep enough to leave a mark and he welcomed it, wanted to be branded as hers without a doubt so that they would survive this thing together. He leaned on his hands, deepening the angle of penetration, his

thrusts coming faster and faster. “You have no idea how beautiful you are. How much I want to make you scream my name, how much I want to taste you, feel you come against me. Don’t you want to give me that, Aya?” She moaned his name and his hips moved even faster. Sweat dripped from his brow and stung his eyes but he never blinked. Didn’t want to miss a second of her coming apart beneath him—her skin flushed, her hair tangled and a steady stream of “please, please, please” spilling from her pouty lips. Aya

wrapped her legs around his waist and Will gripped her ass with one hand, pulling her against his cock. He leaned down until his lips were against her ear. “I could fuck you forever and it still wouldn’t be enough,” his whispered confession seemed to trigger her orgasm. Will could feel her pussy fluttering around his dick, pulling him toward oblivion even as he fought to contain himself. He wanted more time, thought he could hold off, and then Aya grabbed him and shoved her mouth against his. Her kiss was raw and wet and cut the

ties to Will’s control quicker than anything. He bucked against her, moaning his pleasure into her mouth. He knew he held her too tightly, but couldn’t stop when it felt like she was the only thing holding him to the earth. Will’s cock jerked and he regretted the use of the condom even as his hips gave one last pulse and he collapsed on Aya. Will kissed her shoulder, her ear, her chin and anywhere his mouth could reach. The woman had turned him inside out. He pushed to his knees ready to thank her and froze. Aya’s eyes had gone

blank again, her mouth working but no sounds coming through. “Son of a bitch.” He was basking in afterglow and she was suffering through whatever hell passed before her eyes. He fisted his hands but there was no one to fight. Never had he felt so useless. Aya’s hands clutched the sheets, and her legs started kicking. Will pressed them into the bedding, but then her back bowed with the strain of some unseen pain. Her head thrashed back and forth, and a low keening sound poured forth. After seeing her earlier fugues, he

foolishly thought he was prepared, but there was nothing to shield him from the ugly that seemed to be tearing her apart. He pulled Aya into his arms. When she fought, he held her tighter, forcing her face to his neck as he rocked her chilled body. How she could be so cold and yet dripping with new sweat baffled him. Her body lifted, her face torqued into a gruesome rictus. Here was the proof that no one else would see. Aya was no serial killer, but she somehow had ties to one. Another cry ripped from her throat and Will vowed that he’d find

a way to free her from whatever was shredding her in his arms. “It’s okay, Aya. It’s okay, babe.” He repeated the words over and over, hoping to break past the torment that wracked her frame. “You’ll be okay, Aya. Promise.” Will continued his litany as her hot tears bathed his neck. He repeated them, not sure if it was her benefit or his.

Chapter Twelve There is prey in the house. A woman who has no business here, but who will learn the hard way. It is so easy to sneak up behind her, so easy to rush her and take her down. She swings, but it is like a child fighting a monolith. The flashlight bounces and lends a spotlight to her terror. A quiver of pleasure rolls through my

belly as she fights. This woman is stronger than the others, but none are as strong as my absolute conviction that she needs to die. That is the source of all power. That is what allows me to push the knife through skin and bone. Faithless, feckless people were everywhere, and few have the gumption to take them on. Few are strong enough to wield the instrument of truth, to seek to right the injustices. The struggles, tears and pleas prove they know they are guilty. Would anything ever feel more potent than the terror of a person

about to die? I pull back my arm, the weight of the blade a comfort that makes all of the struggles background noise. The tang of sweat makes my mouth water. Nose to nose, I ask, “Did you know when you woke this morning that you were going to die?” A quick swipe, the barest dip into flesh and warm red sprays my face. I hum and do it again, digging into her as she squeals beneath me. My heart pounds as her blood flows over my fingers.

She swears and tugs at my fingers but I ignore her struggle. She will make a nice statement once she’s found. I flip the knife, ready to get her heart when she swings her arm and the world goes black. “Jesus fucking Christ! Aya, if you don’t wake I swear I’m calling an ambulance.” He sounded panicked, or as close to it as she’d ever heard him, but his voice was distance away. Aya fought to open her eyes or get her arms to respond. Anything to get him away from

her, to stop him from feeling the blood that coated her skin. Aya wasn’t sure what was worse, knowing she was a cold-blooded murderer, or the look that would surely be in Will’s eyes now that he knew the truth. It was one thing to know deep down that she was evil and another to disappoint the one man who had shown her the slightest bit of decency in years. “So help me, if you don’t open your eyes.” He shook her hard enough that her head snapped back and her eyes flew open. Aya gasped for a deep breath, her

chest burning as if she’d run miles instead of come back to herself. “Don’t…touch me.” She pushed at Will’s hands but he tightened his grip. Aya focused her gaze on her naked lap. “Don’t hide from me, baby. You’re safe now. You know that right?” He still sounded so calm, and her guts churned at what she’d have to admit to him. Tears spilled down her face. Somehow, someway, she was going to harm Carmen. It might not happen tonight when she was at Will’s house, but the woman was on borrowed time.

Aya frowned. And if her scrambled brains were to be believed, Carmen was going to be attacked at Aya’s own house. She reached for her scar, but Will grabbed her hand, clutching her fingers when she would have pulled away. He was so warm. Everything about him radiated warmth, and she wanted to bask in it. Wanted to wallow in what he could give her until she was no longer plagued by visions of things she couldn’t change. “Tell me what you saw.” He cupped her chin with his other hand and pulled her gaze up to his. The man was

completely unabashed at being naked, and Aya wish she had an ounce of his bravery. The most gorgeous man she’d ever gotten intimate with wanted to clear her name and all she could think of is how much she wanted to lick the dents above his hips. Aya swallowed hard. “Do you know where your coworker is? Carmen?” Will didn’t even blink. “Is Carmen in trouble?” Aya nodded. “I think so,” she whispered. Will rubbed a hand over his hair and

seemed to wrestle with some decision before sitting more fully on the bed. He looked determined but earnest, and the girly part of Aya sighed. To have someone look at her like that just because they wanted her…she shivered. A girl could dream. And then have it all fall apart when he realized just how damaged she was. Did she dare tell him how Carmen’s terror turned her on? How she liked feeling the woman’s lifeblood pump between her fingers? “Tell me, Aya. Tell me so I can save her. Don’t you want to save her? Don’t

you want to know that you can save a life?” Aya nodded dumbly. Will’s voice mesmerized her. She wanted to be that girl, the one who helped him save a life instead of the girl who would willfully, gleefully, carve a heart out. She licked her dry lips. “I see her. She’s standing in the rain.” Aya stopped, her purpose abandoning her for moment at the approval in Will’s eyes. What wouldn’t she do to see that look leveled at her again and again? “That’s good, baby.” He chaffed her

arms as if he knew how cold sharing the details made her. Not for the first time, Aya wished she could locate the knife and turn it on herself. The blade could cut out the cold that numbed her to the horror of her actions until it was too late. Aya pushed forward before she lost her way. “She’s in the house. In my house, and she thinks she’s alone.” Will stiffened slightly but kept eye contact. “But she’s not?” Aya shook her head. “I’m there. And I’m angry.”

“But you won’t hurt her. Carmen hasn’t hurt you, so there’s no reason to hurt her.” Aya bit her lip. She refused to blink and yet two big fat tears rolled down her face and landed on her breasts. “Tell me you’re not going to hurt her.” Will’s grip had become painful but Aya accepted the pain as her due. Those bruises would be her punishment for what she would do. “I’m going to take her heart, Will. Right there in the hallway between the kitchen and the living room. I’m going to

hold her down and gut her,” Aya said the words around a mouth full of bile. She hadn’t actually seen her blade make the death slice, but she’d never seen anyone survive her wraith. Carmen was as good as dead. Will’s hands tensed and released, tensed and released. “What else can you tell me? What else do you see?” “Nothing. It’s raining and I’m excited. Feel an unspeakable amount of joy that I’m ending her life and the people around can’t hear her. No one is coming to save her. No one can stop me. I know

how you’ll feel when you find her. How much you’ll agonize if only you had been quicker. If only you could have gotten there in time.” She pulled in a shuddery breath and said the words that would take him from her for good. “You might already be too late.” “No. You’ve been right here. Right beside me all night. There’s no way you could have done anything.” Will stood and began to pace. Aya rubbed her arms. Mere seconds away from his touch and she already felt adrift. “I don’t know what to tell you other

than I’ve never been wrong before.” Aya wanted him to think of another alternative, anything to get that frantic look off of Will’s face, but there was nothing. More tears spilled over, but she let them come. What more could she do at this point? Will’s muscles bunched as he stood staring out at the night, and even from where she sat, Aya could see the rain blowing sideways. Just as it had in her vision. “Don’t you think you should check on Carmen?” Her voice was stronger than she’d thought it could be when her heart

was breaking. Will didn’t want to believe it, but if he didn’t do something and Carmen died, he’d never forgive himself. “Will, you’ve got to call her.” He swore and then strode back to the bed. His face softened when he saw her tears and he gently stroked away her tears. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. We’ll figure something out.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, slid on his boxers and grabbed the phone. He gave her a sad smile before he moved to the doorway to make his call. Aya wanted to hold him, wanted him to come back and tell her

that it would be all right, but nothing ever would be again. This was torture. She wanted to drive herself to the station all over again. Only she knew she wouldn’t feel relief. Just the acrid taste of disappointment. Will frowned, and Aya pulled on his tee. She knew it was bad news and refused to hear it naked. She firmed her jaw as Will joined her back on the bed. “Carmen’s not responding to her radio. She left the station nearly thirty minutes ago and no one has seen her since.”

Aya nodded but remained silent. What could she say at this point? “I’m going to check on her.” Unspoken was the fact that he had to check on her. Carmen might be safe now, but she wouldn’t be for long. If Will found Carmen unharmed, he would begin to believe in Aya’s innocence. He’d try to get them to drop the case against her, would fight to clear her name and then she’d be back on the street and hurting defenseless women she couldn’t recall seeing anywhere but in her mind. And in the papers once their bodies were

discovered. If Will wouldn’t or couldn’t end her misery, she’d find a way to do it herself. She wanted Carmen to be safe, and maybe, just maybe one of the other cops would take her back into custody. “I want to go with you.” Aya didn’t believe the words had come from her, but Will’s gaping proved otherwise. If she was with him and she tried to kill Carmen, she had no doubt Will could stop her, even if he didn’t want to. She’d have to borrow something of Will’s to wear and everyone would stare. Her heart beat raced again. It was stepping

into the police station all over again, only this time she knew for certain she wouldn’t be coming out. Aya swallowed further tears. No sense in making them both uncomfortable. “There’s no way in hell you’re coming with me.” Will snatched her jeans from her hands and held them behind his back when she reached for them again. “I need to be there. I need to see her.” Unspoken was that Aya needed to see the damage she’d inflicted on a woman who didn’t deserve it.

“You’ve been with me the entire time. Carmen’s fine. In the event that something has happened to her, I know she can take care of herself. You are going to remain here where I know you’re safe.” Will scrubbed a hand over his face. The whole situation sucked, but there was no way he could take her with him. And she was stubborn enough to not stay put. He’d have to restrain her. Aya frowned and reached for her pants again. She swore when Will’s

hand gently pushed her away. “I’m not in any danger. I never have been. But if you leave me, something bad will happen. And not to me. To some other woman.” She advanced on him and Will’s gaze narrowed. “You can’t just leave me here. You think you know, but you have no idea what I’m capable of. You’ve seen the aftermath, but you don’t know how much I revel in their terror. How much I love the feel of their hearts as they grow cold in my grasp.” She leaned in until they were pressed against each other and wanted to sigh at

the warmth of his body. How was that she’d only learned how good it could feel only to have it taken away? How could she miss it already? She cleared her throat. “You know I’m right. You know it’s a risk to just leave me behind. I promise you, if you leave me here, I’ll do anything in my power to get back to the station.” Will’s face closed, and Aya realized her mistake ten seconds too late. Before she could react, he scooped her up and deposited her on the bed. She fought as hard as she could, but it was no contest.

In a matter of seconds, he’d twisted his belt and tied her to the bedpost. He looked upset, but Aya didn’t care. “Untie me.” Will shook his head. “Untie me now, Will.” Aya tugged on the bounds and swore. The man had bound her and damned if she could get loose. She jerked her arms again and swore again as it bit into her flesh. “Stop it.” Will pinned her shoulders to the bed. “That’s a constrictor knot. Every time you try to tug lose, it will just tighten. You’re going to rub your wrists

raw.” He stopped and his gaze dropped to her lips. A look that could only be described as longing chased across his face, but if she’d blinked she would have missed it. Will leaned toward her mouth, but Aya turned away at the last moment. He didn’t pull back and breathed against her face, and even that made tears come to her eyes. “Don’t you know that I would save you from this if I could?” Aya closed her eyes. She was furious with him, wanted to kick him away, but

the other part of her wanted to pull him closer and absorb his warmth. Aya tugged again and then went limp as she realized it was futile. No way was she going to get loose right now. “Won’t you look at me, baby?” His voice was so gentle, as was the caress to her jaw. Aya wanted to lash out but couldn’t make herself. Not when this was the last time they might be alone and able to touch like this. She let him turn her face until his forehead butted her own. She wanted her body to memorize the way his felt against her as his weight

pressed her to the mattress and he heated her from the tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. It wasn’t lost on her that the most intense affair of her life would end in heartbreak because she couldn’t curb her need for revenge against women who she claimed had broken her heart. She rubbed her scar against her arm, but Will’s hand held her steady. “I don’t want to leave you, but neither of us will get any rest until I ensure that Carmen is well.” His words were spoken against her lips, and god love her, but she wanted to deepen that

contact and pull Will into her until she could forget all the turmoil of this moment. As if he knew, Will hummed and pressed closer, his lips taking small nibbling kisses, his cock boring into her stomach, hot, hard and insistent. “Will…” she sobbed his name and moved her legs to cradle his body. She wrapped one thigh around his back and pulled him closer. Her body was heating even as her mind chided her that there was no time. “Shhh, baby.” He pressed a hard kiss against her mouth and then pulled away.

“This isn’t goodbye, Aya. I promise you that. Now look me in the eyes and tell me you understand that.” Aya opened her eyes and knew that tears were running down the sides of her face and pooling in her ears, but she wanted this last glimpse of Will. He smiled and kissed her cheeks. “Nothing bad is going to happen to me tonight. I’m going to find Carmen and make sure she’s okay. And then I’m coming right back here for you. And we’ll pick up where we left off, okay?” Aya nodded and reluctantly released

her leg lock on his body. Her internal muscles twinged, but it was a pain she wished would never end. Will levered himself up and she immediately felt the loss of him. He dressed with the quickness of someone who was used to moving when the situation called for it and was fully clothed quicker than Aya was ready to let him go. He stood at the edge of the bed and then reached for her hands. “There. That’s better.” Aya crushed her frown when she found he hadn’t let her go. The leather no longer strangled

her wrists, but she would have preferred it if he’d let her go. Will sat on the bed and smoothed her hair behind her ear. He traced one finger over her scar and Aya shivered. “I promise you that I’ll be back. All you have to do is rest for a bit and you won’t even know I’m gone.” He palmed her face and gave her the sweetest kiss of her life. “I’ll set the alarm and you get to rest until I come back, okay?” Aya smiled and nodded, though she was already thinking of how to help him. She didn’t want to lie to Will, but there

was no way she was going to just wait here while he potentially walked into danger. Her ears strained for sounds of him after he had plodded down the stairs and she sighed when the kitchen door closed behind him. The sounds of his SUV revving and then pulling away tore another sob from her chest, but Aya forced herself to remain still for a count of two hundred. When no other sounds came, she began to work her wrists. No way was she going to lie down and wait for Will to come back. Even if Carmen was safe, there was no guarantee that she

would stay that way. Aya inched her way up the bed. Maybe she could bite and loosen the knots. She swore. Even with her face pressed awkwardly against the headboard, there was no way to get her teeth anywhere near the knot. She continued to work the knot. Going to jail wasn’t what she wanted, but it was the course that made the most sense. If she wasn’t the killer, and that was a huge if, then being locked up would cause no harm. If, like she believed, she was the cause of those deaths, then jail was

where she belonged. Really hot sex didn’t equal a get-out-of-jail-free card. She shifted and another of those good pains rippled through her. Will had only been with her for mere hours and he’d managed to do what no man had ever even come close to doing in all of her years. No one had ever made her body respond like that, and she’d never felt closer to a single human being. She couldn’t think about that now. Anything that softened her made it harder to do the right thing. Ice-cold terror danced down her

spine and her scar began to throb. Aya could taste her heartbeat in her mouth. She tugged harder at the bindings, hoping the sharp jab of pain would focus her. “Dear God, not now. Not like this.” The words were spoken in a whisper she could barely hear over the fear that threatened to drown her. The pain flared brightly through her scar and black crept around the edges of her vision. “No, no, no!” The sounds of her own denial lured her from consciousness, and then Aya saw no more.

***** For what felt like the millionth time, Will fought the urge to drive back to his house. He knew that taking Aya with him was the height of unprofessionalism— assuming that taking her from the hospital to his house didn’t win him that prize—but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. At a fourway stop, he called Easton, hoping for a miracle. “It’s Speedman, any word on Carmen?”

“No one has heard from her, Will. We sent a cruiser past her house, but her car wasn’t there. No one knows what to think.” Will bit back a curse and continued on to Aya’s house. “How did it go with Aya? Did you get the information you need?” He looked at the phone and debated on what to say. Did he tell the doctor that Aya had seen Carmen covered in blood, fighting for her life? Did he snowball the man and hope he could save Aya some other way? He didn’t think she was

involved. He had been with her since the hospital, but he couldn’t deny the conviction in her voice when she talked about Carmen’s injuries. “Will, I remind you that it was my idea to remove her from the hospital. If something has happened, I’m a part of it.” The doctor’s voice dropped. “I blame myself for not trying to help her sooner. That girl has lived through hell.” Will thought about turning on his siren, but could he risk it? He was torn. If her vision was correct, that meant that Aya wasn’t a murderer but was

somehow tied to one. If she was wrong, he’d have to try to get another confession out of her. And while his body was more than willing to explore every sexy curve and dip of her body, there was no way he would put her through the aftermath of such horror. Hell, Captain Dixon would probably bust his ass down to traffic cop after this. Will turned into Aya’s subdivision and slowed his speed. If there was a criminal at her house, he didn’t want to spook the guy. He drove past Aya’s culde-sac and smacked the steering wheel

when he saw Carmen’s car parked in her driveway. He continued and parked a block over. “She saw something. She thought it was Carmen and I think she might be right.” Doc swore, but Will continued to talk over him. “I’m at Aya’s house now and I just passed Carmen’s vehicle. I need you to call this in for me.” “You can’t go in without backup.” “I can’t not go in, Doc. Carmen is not an officer. And if what Aya saw is even close to what is happening, there is no

way we can wait. Call dispatch and get some guys over here and call an ambulance just in case.” “Wait. Where is Aya?” Will swallowed his dread. “I left her at my house. She should be safe there.” Why didn’t he tell Doc that he’d left her tied to his bed? That she was basically alone and scared and he had just left her? Because he still felt like he could fix this. “Check on her, Doc. I don’t think she should be alone right now.” “Consider it done. Be safe, Will.”

For once, the man didn’t sound like a total pain in the ass, and for that Will was grateful. He checked his gun and chambered a round and then pulled a hoodie on and exited the truck. The rain had soaked through within two steps but didn’t pay it any attention. He jogged the block over and darted through the service alley. This late at night, people were scarce, but houses were lighted. Will stayed to the shadows and noted the house to the left of Aya’s had lights, the one to the right none. He circled around and snuck over the fence. He

stayed still until he was sure he wouldn’t trip any sort of security lighting and they didn’t have a dog. Coast clear, he jumped the fence into Aya’s yard and quickly slunk toward the house. She didn’t have security lighting either, and it was mere seconds until he was on the back porch. He tested the doorknob and wasn’t surprised that it turned beneath his grasp. He waited but didn’t hear anything from within. Will palmed his gun, dropped to a crouch and eased into the dark room beyond. His eyes adjusted in

mere seconds as he found himself in a laundry room. Clothes were strewn about and there was no way to determine if Aya was messy or if someone had sifted through things. The only thing he knew for certain was there was no body. He craned his neck and could see the next room was the kitchen, and that too looked empty. He remained low to the ground and edged around the dryer. From here, he could see a chair over turned but again, no sign of a body. Will listened intently but couldn’t hear anything over the thundering of his own

heart. He entered the kitchen and took the long way around the table. Nothing else seemed to be disturbed until he got on the other side and saw a foot. He led with his gun and decided the hallway was clear. He duck walked over to the slumped figure, trying his best to miss the wet pool that surely must be blood underneath the victim. The pantsuit was clearly Carmen’s, and he swore inside at the stillness of her form. He reached for her wrist and it was several tense moments before he felt her pulse and could breathe again. It

was there but much too fast for the amount the amount of blood she seemed to be losing. Will slid his phone out while keeping his gaze tracking the two dark rooms beyond where he was. He slid back toward the kitchen though he was loath to leave her. He dialed 9-1-1 while keeping an eye on her as much as he could. “This is Detective Will Speedman. I’m at 1306 Whistler Court and I have an officer down. I need an ambulance ASAP.” He didn’t wait for the response and snapped his phone closed. Still no

sounds from the other rooms, but he clearly had to verify they were alone before he could help her. He ducked back into the hallway and forced his instincts to quiet as he stepped over Carmen and continued on. The room to the left was an office/guest room and a quick walk through showed it was empty and no one was under the bed. Will paused for several moments before he entered the living room. It seemed to take forever as he had to search behind every couch and in the closet. Only when he was sure the house was clear did he

go back to Carmen. Will tucked his gun in and rolled her over. There were cuts on her forearms and a shallow one on her neck, but what concerned him is the continuous gush of warm, wet blood that flowed from her midsection. Between the darkness and the amount of blood, he couldn’t tell how bad it was, but he stripped off his hoodie and applied pressure. Sirens wailed in the distance, and Will prayed they would get here soon. He pushed harder on her midsection and finally got a whimper out of Carmen.

“If you can hear me, Carmen, help is coming. We found you in time. You’re going to be okay.” The amount of blood soaking his hoodie called him a liar, but he kept up a steady stream of nonsense in case she could hear him. “I’ll get the bastard that hurt you.” The sirens cut off abruptly but the lights continued to twirl, bathing the scene in an eerie red and blue glow. “We’re in here. Door is open,” he called out but never left Carmen’s side. Paramedics rushed in and only then did Will let her go. He pushed to his feet and

met the chief outside. This time, he welcomed the cold rain that rinsed Carmen’s blood from his fingers. It would be a while before he no longer saw her blood coating his hands. “You want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Will ground his back teeth. He knew he owed the captain an explanation, but he also knew that he needed to get back to Aya. “Look, I can explain everything. I just need a minute.” “Carmen is bleeding and who knows if they’ll be able to save her. Our main

suspect is missing and you just somehow manage to get here well before anyone else.” Will pushed his hair back from his forehead and stared at his boss. “I’m asking you to give me a little time. I haven’t asked you for anything in a long time, and you owe me this.” Will continued when Dixon opened his mouth, “You owe Carmen that much.” “You telling me you can bring in the person responsible?” “I’m saying that Carmen isn’t dead yet. And we can get justice.” Will knew

he was skating a fine line nearly lying to his boss, but he would do whatever it took to get back to Aya. Whoever this guy was had been in her house. Had touched her things, and Will needed to see her and know that she was fine. His mind told him that she must be safe, that no one but Doc knew where she was, but now he didn’t even trust that. “Just… I need a little time.” Will swore silently as neighbors began gathering at the edge of the perimeter. Even from here, he could hear them asking questions, wondering if Aya

was the one who had been carried out on a stretcher. His head pounded, his eyes were gritty and he felt like he could sleep for the next six weeks and it wouldn’t be enough. “We don’t have time, Speedman. I need results, and I need them weeks ago when we found the first victim. If you know something that I need to know and you’re holding out on me, I swear you will find yourself shitcanned faster than you can blink.” Will moved past without saying another word. He knew his boss was

feeling the pressure more than anyone else, but he couldn’t let that influence him. Will avoided the gawkers and waited until he was down the block before he broke into a sprint for his car. Everything centered on Aya. Carmen was injured where she’d said, just like she’d predicted. But how could she have known? He drove to his house, ignoring the ringtone that signaled his boss was calling him. She’d dug at her scar like crazy, her body had seized, but what was the tie? How did she know what would happen

before it did? And more importantly, how long before whatever this was turned and destroyed her? Will remembered her sheer panic while locked in her vision and tromped on the gas.

Chapter Thirteen Thunder rolls and lightening jags across the sky. Icy drops slide down my neck, but I’m fine with that. I might be uncomfortable, but nothing will deter me from my goal. Way out here, where no one can hear her screams, I will claim the most important heart of all. Aya gasped for air, her back arching from the bed as if she’d been jolted with

a live wire. She panted for breath while her ears strained to hear anything over the pounding of her heart. Frantically, she yanked at her bonds though she still wasn’t sure what she sought to run from. She stilled and forced her breathing to slow. On her twelfth breath she again lost consciousness. Now that I am here, I want to prolong this meeting. I stomp through muddy puddles in the yard without a care. I will be gone long before anyone finds her but I wanted to watch her

more. Women were never more beautiful than when they were unaware. And never truthful when confronted. No doubt she will deny her behavior when all I want is to hear her beg for what she doesn’t deserve to have. I know I will have to kill her sooner than I want to. I face the upstairs room where the windows glow like a beacon to lead my blade home. What will it be like to remove her heart, the heart that pained me more than the others? Will I finally be at peace? For now, I watch

and wait. Aya surged back to consciousness, her eyes darting around the room. She collapsed with relief when she realized she was still alone. Her gaze went to the window that faced the empty lot. Was she actually alone? And would that remain for much longer? The sound of a car approached and fear was a living being, clawing at her sanity. Bile rose in her throat, but she forced herself to think. Her wrists ached and were starting to turn red. Aya flexed her fingers. It

wouldn’t be long before she lost feeling in them and would be truly screwed. She doubled her efforts to free herself as her vision waned and she fought for consciousness. The sound of an engine jolts me from my reverie. The small sedan isn’t the officer’s car, but I frown at the man who exits. It is another who needs to be punished. All actions have consequences. What a joke. His actions hadn’t had consequences before today, but they would now.

The doctor beats on the front door, yelling for someone. If he looks behind him, the lightning will show him my position. It is unlikely, but he might make it back to his vehicle alive before I do what needs to be done. The knife is a welcome weight in my hand as I slowly approach him. I won’t take his heart. No, not for him. This one time only, I will take a head. Aya’s scream brought her back around. Chest heaving, she expected to see someone in the room with her and

wilted when she realized she was alone. It took several precious moments for her brain to register that someone was pounding outside and calling her name. Not in her mind, not some vision of the future, but happening right now. “Oh God.” She recognized Doctor Easton’s voice and wanted to warn him, but what if her voice is what would set off the terrible series of events that would claim his life? Aya tugged again at the bonds, desperation giving her a strength she didn’t know she possessed. Her wrists

were slick with sweat and possibly blood, but she continued to fight. The tinkling of shattered glass reached her and she froze, trying to hear anything over the pounding of her heart. “Aya! If you can hear me, call out.” There came another crash and a shout that she couldn’t fully hear because Will’s alarm system kicked on. Blaring shrieks abounded, and no matter how hard she tried to hear over them, Aya couldn’t. She struggled more. One wrist came free as the edges of her vision folded in on herself. She gave one more

yank and the world went black. ***** Will’s phone rang and he frowned as he recognized the ringtone for his alarm company. He pressed the talk button and prayed it was an accident even though he knew in his gut it wasn’t. “Mr. Speedman, this is Judy with Basney Security Services. We show that your alarm went off five minutes ago and there has been no key entry to silent it. Are you having trouble or shall we dispatch emergency services?”

“Send them. Send cops, send ambulances, just send every fucking body.” He threw the phone and flicked on his sirens. He mashed the gas pedal and prayed he’d make it in time. I wait for the doctor to get up, to say something or fight for his life. It is more fun when they fight. And it proves that I’m worthy when I defeat them. Instead, he lies there blinking owlishly at me as if he isn’t sure what has happened. As many times as I have been in this

position, it never fails to surprise me the amount of people who think they can do whatever they want and no punishment will come to them. I turn the knife so it glints and the doctor can see the blood painting the blade. The doctor’s eyes widen but he remains silent. He thinks he can wait me out, but there is nothing that can save him tonight. My smile will be the last thing he will see. My words the last he will hear. It is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. I switch my grip on the knife. It was time to get up close

and personal. Aya choked back her scream. Pain tore through her scar and she gripped the side of her head as if she could rip the pain from existence. She thrashed as the pain threatened to consume her and her gaze blurred with tears. As suddenly as it started, it abruptly stopped. Aya panted and rolled to her knees. Her vision was doubled and bile rose in her throat. All she wanted to do was lie down and wait for it to be over, but something in her wouldn’t let it end

this way. She leaned heavily against the headboard and struggled until her other wrist was free. Blood ran from her nose and fell to her chest. Her shredded wrists dripped blood as well. No way she was responsible for what had happened downstairs, and while her visions often brought her unwelcome scenarios, there was never any overlap once she came back to herself. The blaring alarm was not a part of her lapse, and that meant she needed to move. She grasped the washcloth from

the bedside table and pressed it to her nose. Standing made the walls wobble, and it took several moments before she was able to get her bearings. What could she do? What should she do? She snatched up the cordless phone. Her hands shook as she dialed 9-1-1. Aya barely heard the dispatcher answer as she slunk over to the doorway and peeked down the stairwell. No one was visible at the bottom of the stairs but that wouldn’t remain. “Help me. Please. There’s someone in the house.”

“Okay, ma’am, just calm down. Can you speak a little louder and tell me where you are?” Tears dripped down her face as she realized she didn’t know Will’s address. She refused to talk any louder and give away position. “I don’t know where I am. You have to find me.” She threw the phone back toward the bed and left the line open. Maybe they could trace her. No way was she going to waste time finding out. Aya leaned out as far as she thought would be safe. Still no sign of anyone else, and the alarm continued to bleat.

She counted to ten before she edged out of the room. Back to the wall, she slowly walked to the next room and ducked inside. She should be scared of the dark cavern behind her, but it felt safe in a way the lighted bedroom did not. Somehow, she knew the person downstairs would be drawn to the light. Another crash sounded from downstairs and she jumped in spite of herself. Still no sign of who’d caused the noise, but as long as they stayed downstairs, she had to move. Holding her breath, she eased out of the room and

skirted the hall table to the next dark room. Heart in her throat, she strained to hear anything else from the commotion downstairs and tried to get her breathing under control. What had seemed like a charming home before now seemed like a gauntlet she wasn’t sure she could survive. How long would it take for the police to find her? Her knees wobbled and the walls seemed to pulse around her. Dear God, not now. Aya landed hard as the room spun and then disappeared from view.

The doctor plays coy until the last moment and kicks out. For that, I will make him bleed more. He crawls and I stab my knife into his calf. His howls drown out the damned alarm for a few precious moments, but it’s the blood that excites me. I let him go, let him wear himself out. All I have to do is follow the blood trail. Aya blinked several times before she realized that she was awake but in the dark. If she rolled her head to the side, she could see the light shining from

Will’s bedroom. She pushed to her hands and scooted until her back was against the wall. She could see the stairs but still not a single soul. Did she dare go downstairs? Was it safer to wait up here and hope the cops would come? Before she could decide, the top of a dark head became visible, but the length of hair let her know it wasn’t Will. A man rose into view as she watched, and she shrank back in the darkness and crammed her fingers against her mouth to hold back a whimper. Though she knew it was useless, she squeezed her eyes

shut. If death was coming for her, she didn’t want to see it. Several tense moments passed before she realized he’d paused in the doorway and then continued to the next room. Adrenaline surged through her and she was on her feet before she had even thought to move. She waited for him to step into the doorway two down from her and then she bolted for the stairs. Her legs shook and she felt sure he would hear her knock into the wall, but the same alarm that covered up his

movements shielded hers. She made it to the landing and edged backward. Could she get out through the garage? And if she could, where could she hide? But she didn’t dare stay in the house. Aya walked backward into one of the rooms they had passed earlier. Here, a light blinked in time with the blaring alarm and distracted her though she moved farther into the darkness. Her foot landed on a lump and she went down hard. It was warm and wet beneath her touch and she scrambled back, barely

biting back a scream as she realized it was a body. Doctor Easton’s head lay at an unnatural angle, his face caught in a look sheer terror. Aya sobbed and tried to get back to her feet, crashing into an end table and knocking over a lamp before she’d managed it. Her gaze bounced between the lump on the floor and the doorway, sure that the man would return. She had to get out of there. She bolted into the next room and bit back a cry when she ran into the dining table. Could she hide underneath it?

Aya froze as she thought she heard something from the room she’d just left. She hurried into the next room and ducked to a crouch. There was nowhere to hide in the kitchen and one half of it faced the stairway. Aya peeked around the island. She could see where her blood had dripped on the carpet as she’d come down the stairs, but there was no way to know if it had been disturbed after that. Her guts churned when she saw the very obvious red footprints she had tracked from the other room. She was

practically giving the guy a map to follow her. She snatched the dishtowel and walked over to the door that led to the garage. As quickly as she could, she wiped off her feet and darted through the patch of light into the next room. It took her eyes a while to adjust before she realized she was in an office and it was a one-way-in one-way-out room. Panic rolled in her guts and she made it to the window behind the desk chair before her vision blurred once again and the floor rose up to meet her.

I know that she’s heard me, knows I’m in the house. Probably knows she can’t escape me. I wait at the foot of the stairs for her to show herself, but she doesn’t. I don’t know if it’s arrogance or cowardice that hides her from me, but I do know that it won’t matter. Before the night is over, I will have her heart. I peer in the first room, nothing. The second, more of the same. I barely glance in the third room or the closet, though I do stop to inspect the bathroom. I pause, wishing I could hear

the panicked gasps of her breath. I want to savor this moment almost as much as I want to peel back her rib cage and pull out her blackened heart. I wish the alarm didn’t cover the sounds of my steps as I finally move into the bedroom. I want her to hear me coming for her. My eyes scan the room and I tighten my grip on the knife when I see blood on the sheets, but no woman. I check the adjacent bathroom —empty—and under the bed—also empty. The windows are closed and it’s a straight drop down. I walk back

toward the door and find the cordless phone on the phone, a tinny voice stating, “Ma’am? Can you hear me?” The bitch had called the cops on me. I hang up and there’s a crash downstairs. I can’t hide my grin and don’t want to. She may have ruined my reveal, but I will find her and get what I deserve before anyone else arrives. I toss the phone against the wall, comforted by the sound of destruction. She escaped me once before, but never again. I start down the stairs to collect from the biggest heartbreaker of them

all. Aya jerked upright and then froze. She couldn’t hear anything over the alarm, but that also meant he couldn’t hear her either. She scrambled to her knees and made a beeline for the window. With her gaze firmly pinned to the doorway, she struggled to unlock and then open the window. Terror made her fingers slow, but she didn’t dare look away from the doorway. After seeing Doctor Easton, she didn’t want to give that sick bastard the satisfaction of taking her without a

fight. Halfway up, the window got stuck, and Aya’s arms refused to push anymore. Rain lashed into the glass and soaked her shirt, but she barely noticed the cool air. There was no way to get out other than head first. Aya dropped to her knees and scooted out. Her hands squished in the mud and she gripped the earth like it alone could save her. She fought for purchase, dragging her upper body out in what seemed like slow motion. Any moment, she expected for him to grab her and slice her open the way Doctor

Easton had been. She shuddered as she recalled his grotesque face. She would not die like Easton. Her arms shook as she took all of her weight and panted from exertion. Her ears were so used to the sound of the alarm that it took her a moment to realize that what she now heard were sirens. But how far away were they? And how long could she wait before he realized she was no longer inside? With her legs free, she fell to the earth, the rain pelting her. Get up. Have to keep moving. She wanted to move, but her body wouldn’t

cooperate. She felt detached as she pressed to her feet and barely managed three steps before falling again. She heard but didn’t feel the impact. Mud, blood and tears mixed on her face, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Slowly, she edged toward the shadows of the house. Her scar rang with a tingling sensation, and this time she was ready for the darkness. She turned her head to the side and let it take her. I can see her blood trail leading

toward the living room. The table next to that damn doctor is askew. I chuckle as I realize she must have found him. Oh, it would have been sweet to see her face when she found that. Nothing increased terror more than seeing death and knowing it was coming for you. Some people vomited, some tried to bargain. I was willing to bet that she’d do both. I tap the good doctor’s head as I passed. Now here is someone I wish I could kill more than once. Her trail leads into the dining room, and even in

the dim moonlight, I can see the track of her blood. I sigh. She is making this far too easy. Aya blinked against the rain and coughed as more pushed into her throat. Chills racked her body and forced her to action. He would find her and he would kill her. Sooner if she didn’t figure out a plan. She scooted back until she reached the side of the house. She was so unbelievably tired and her brain kept running in circles. Pain in her scar made her groan, and

she clutched the side of her head. Tension built, and she wished she had some way to relieve the pressure in her skull. Her vision doubled, and then she heard the sound that had haunted her nightmares for years. “I know you’re out there, Aya Marie. I can feel your fear, can practically taste your panic. It’s delicious.” The voice was singsongy, and Aya wished the ground could open up and swallow her whole. She scrambled for a hold on the wall, fingernails tearing as she struggled to get a good grip on the

brick. She had to run. That voice meant run. Aya pushed off from the wall and fought to keep her legs underneath her. “Oh, and there is the little rabbit. Run little rabbit, don’t let me catch you!” His voice seemed to come from all angles, and Aya whimpered as she ran blindly into the field. Her scar throbbed, her nose bled and her heartbeat sounded louder and louder until all she could hear was its incessant thudding and his taunting words. Aya covered her heart, sure at any moment it would fly from her chest

before he could cut it out. The specter from her past walked behind her like something from a horror movie, just steadily walking in the wake of her panicked gait. “You’re right to run. Should be ashamed of yourself. You could have saved…well, not all of them, because face it, some of them needed to die. But if you had just come to me before this.” He tsked and Aya tripped and fell to her knees. She didn’t dare look up but continued crawling. His voice sounded closer, and she expected to feel his

hands any moment. “You could have avoided this.” The kick to her butt was unexpected, and Aya cried out as she landed in the mud. Her chest ached as she struggled to pull air. Stars flashed in front of her eyes and the pain in her scar was excruciating. Rough hands rolled her to her back, and Aya didn’t even bother to hide her fear. “Well, look who it is. We meet again, little sister.” Dennis leaned over her, and Aya saw her death in his eyes. It was not the first time they’d been in this position, but her

brain could barely process what she was seeing. One side of his face was pulled up in a permanent grimace by the mishmash of scar tissue. The shiny skin spoke of burns that hadn’t healed correctly, and Aya gasped. “You burned. No one survived.” “You did. Easton did. Why not me?” With blunt fingers, he pushed her hair off her face in a move that might be tender if it had come from someone like Will. Aya felt nothing but revulsion. Dennis circled her lips with his finger before he stroked her cheekbone. The sharp slap was a

shock to her system, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of begging. Their history together had proven he would show her no mercy. He reached toward her scar, and Aya fought to get away, but the blade against her neck stopped her cold. “There it is. Lovely bit of work that was.” Dennis dug his nails into the side of her scalp and nausea rose in her throat. Everywhere he touched her burned with a cold sort of fire that left her breathless. “I would have enjoyed giving you

more scars.” Dennis rubbed his burned cheek against his shoulder, and Aya hoped it still pained him. “Scars teach people lessons.” She wet her lips. “And what did you learn, Dennis? Did you learn that sometimes little boys burn?” Aya barely recognized the taunting voice as her own, but what did she have to lose at this point? Rain streamed into her eyes and she swiped a hand across her face to slick off the excess blood. “You never knew when to keep your mouth shut.” Dennis drew his arm back

and Aya was ready for whatever came next. “Freeze. Move and I’ll shoot.” Aya wilted in relief at Will’s voice. His presence made dying a little easier to take. She tilted her head back, desperate for a glimpse of him. He was the only good thing that had come of this whole mess, and again she wished she’d just had more time. Will edged into her line of vision, and she sighed. “You love him. How could you possibly love him when you’re supposed to love me?” He pressed the blade

against her chin and sliced and more blood flowed down her neck. Aya kept her gaze on Will. Dennis rocked the blade against her jaw, and she flinched against the pain but never broke eye contact with Will. “Put the knife down, back away and no one gets hurt.” “He’s good, your man. But I’m better.” His muscles bunched against her and Aya braced for the blow that never came. Several loud blasts filled the air. In slow motion, she watched Dennis’s wicked grin as he fell toward her, his

blade aimed at her chest. “No! Hold your fire,” Will called out to the other officers. He was in motion before the words cleared his throat. He forced himself to approach with caution. A quick press to the neck verified the perp was dead. Will hauled him off Aya. His heart stopped at the amount of blood on her. “I need a tech over here, now.” His fingers shook as he wrapped a hand around the gushing wound under her chin. Will held his breath as he lifted her

arm. The knife fell to the side and he nearly collapsed with relief that she hadn’t been stabbed when the killer fell over. Only when a medic elbowed him aside did he let go of her. “Isn’t that our suspect?” someone asked, and Will nodded. Reluctantly, he tore his gaze from the team that was furiously working on Aya. “I passed Easton’s car on the way in. We need to send someone inside to search the house. How’s Carmen?” “Holding steady. Want to tell me what the hell is going on?” Captain Dixon

asked. His gaze tracked Aya as they strapped her to a stretcher and rolled her into an ambulance. Will wanted nothing more than to jump inside, but he had things to do. His hands curled into fists and he finally looked at the captain. They had caught the bad guy, but he’d never felt like more of a failure. Matthews joined them, his skin gray and tight. Will’s gut clenched. No good news ever accompanied that look. “We found Easton.” “And?” Dixon asked.

Matthews shook his head. “Didn’t make it. Hell, he’s practically in pieces in there.” Will bit back a swear. As much as Easton had gotten on his nerves, he hadn’t deserved that. No one did. Then again, his sacrifice had probably saved Aya’s life, something the doctor probably would have appreciated. “Who is that guy?” Matthews asked. “I think it’s her brother.” He tripped over the next words but pushed on. “This was Easton’s idea. They were in an orphanage he worked in….and had a

connection. That’s how she knew.” Hearing it aloud made him want to cringe, but he kept going. Jenkins, Carmen’s counterpart, showed up to process the scene and it just seemed so wrong without Carmen here. “You want to tell me why I’ve got a dead consultant, a dead stranger and an injured suspect at your house?” Will opened his mouth and then snapped it closed. There was no way to explain this that didn’t end up as a total clusterfuck. “That’s what I thought.” Dixon

gestured to Matthews. “Get him out of here. Now.” Matthews looked like he didn’t want to do it, but Will understood. This was on his hands. “And I expect you down at the station when I get back there.” “Yes, sir.” Will walked past the rest of the crew, not meeting anyone’s gaze. Who knew what they would think, but it would get out that Easton was dead. His fucking house was a crime scene. “Look, Detective Speedman—” “It’s okay. You are doing your job.

And I shouldn’t be here right now.” They reached the squad car and Will opened the back door only to be surprised when Matthews closed it. “You’re not sitting in the back like a criminal, sir. You’re a hero.” “Two people are dead because of me, and two very special women are fighting for their lives. That doesn’t sound like the work of a hero to me.” The younger cop leveled him with a serious look. “My sister hasn’t felt safe enough to go to classes since this started up. My dad has kept both her and my

mom at home. It’s a damned shame about Dr. Easton, but you made a difference. Women can stop living in fear because of you.” Matthews opened the front door. “So please get in the car, sir, and I’ll take you where you need to go.” He didn’t smile, but for the first time since he’d left the station, he felt like maybe things might not be so bad. Matthews was silent as they drove through the streets and Will was glad. There were no words that felt right to say when Easton was dead and both

Carmen and Aya were in the hospital fighting for their lives. His mind drifted until he saw the hospital and asked to stop before they passed. Will curled his hands into fists. “Are you going inside?” How to answer that? He wanted to go in. He needed to know if Carmen would make it, if he’d gotten there in time. And he ached to see with his own eyes that Aya was going to make it. But did he deserve to? Was there something he could have done differently to spare them? If he’d hurried his time with Aya,

could he have saved Easton? “Look, it’s none of my business, but I think you need to go in there. So I’m going to put the car in park and sit here for a few minutes. If in that time you find your way into the building and check on a few new patients, well, that’s your business.” Will looked at Matthews. Guy would make a decent detective when it was time. Will slid out of the car and jogged into the ER. He knew he looked a mess, but as always, authority and a badge got him through.

Neither woman was in the ER anymore, and Will remained stoic as the nurse directed him to ICU. Will leaned against the elevator and tried to think positively. This was the same spot he’d been in with Aya, and she’d come home with him. And look how that had turned out. At this time of night, the doors were sealed and he had to be buzzed in. He punched the intercom. “Detective William Speedman to see patient Carmen Moyer.” “Detective Speedman, please hold your ID up to the camera.”

Will did so and was buzzed through. He waited for the door to close securely behind him before he met the nurse at the bay. “She’s down in third room. She looks good considering what she went through.” He knew that look she was giving him. He’d given it countless times in his career, and being on the receiving end crushed his guts. “And her prognosis?” “She’s stable. It looks like she suffered some blunt trauma and hasn’t regained consciousness since we

brought her up, but everything looks good for her to make a full recovery.” Left unsaid was what would happen if she had unforeseeable complications from her head injuries. “Can I see her?” “Sure. Just keep it positive and take a few minutes. If you notice anything just use the call button.” The nurse squeezed his forearm and Will nodded his appreciation. He turned and started down the hall when she called his name. “Tell me you caught the bastard.” “He’s dead.”

“Good.” Will walked down to Carmen’s room and watched her from the doorway. She looked frail, completely dwarfed in the bed beneath all the machines and bandages. It didn’t seem right that someone so animated could look so lifeless. He walked in and squeezed her toes. “Next time I see you, I expect to see those big brown eyes of yours.” He swallowed. “And I got him, Carmen. That son of a bitch is dead. So you don’t worry about anything but getting better,

okay?” He patted the bed and walked back to the nurses’ bay. “There was another woman who would have come through not too long ago. I need to get information about her.” He gave as many details about Aya as he could and tapped his foot until the nurse called up the info. “She’s still in surgery, Detective Speedman.” She hummed and he curled his fingers over the counter so he didn’t reach over and shake more information out of her. “Most likely for a few more hours. If you want to have a seat in the

visitor’s lounge around the corner, no one will be there and you can take as much time as you want.” He shook his head. “I better get going. Paperwork.” He dredged up a smile he didn’t feel, thanked her and left. It felt like he had unfinished business, but there was nothing for it. Will slid into the car next to Matthews and stared at the hospital for a few moments. Then he turned and faced the front. He felt Matthews’s gaze but kept his own forward until the cop put the car in gear. Will refused to look back as the car

slowly pulled away.

Chapter Fouteen Aya tightened her grip on the handle and fought the urge to rub her scar. She wanted to go inside the police station, felt like she needed to, but she’d been paralyzed in her car for the past thirty minutes trying to get up the courage. She was no longer plagued by horrible visions, nor was she under suspicion. But that didn’t stop her heart from

pounding furiously at the thought of walking into the police station again. She fought for a deep breath. It was the middle of the day and plenty of innocent people walked into police stations every day. Her fingers edged over her most recent scar. The surgeon had done what he could to minimize scarring, but she would always have a jagged ridge to remind her of the night her brother had once again tried to kill her. She closed her eyes. She was stronger than a scar, stronger than what her

brother had done, and it was now time to claim a life. Aya pushed the door open before she could think about it any longer. “I wondered if you were just going to sit there all day.” Aya jumped at the voice behind her and then nervously laughed when she saw it was Officer Matthews. He gave a small smile and remained standing where he was. He’d visited her a few times in the hospital, though he’d always managed to keep his distance. He gave her a nod as if to say he approved.

“I’m glad you came. He’s been a beast to work with. Pretty sure he misses you, though he won’t talk about it.” “I tried to talk to him after I got released but he wouldn’t return my calls.” Officer Matthews rubbed the side of his nose. “Well, clearly he’s also an idiot.” Aya laughed and felt something in her ease. She could be normal. She could recapture what she was before those images had left her lost in a world that was too violent and raw. She smiled.

“We thought he’d be better after the suspension or when Carmen came back, but he’s still a jerk. Get in there and kick his ass. And if he doesn’t come around, you have my number. I would love to take you to dinner.” Matthews leaned in and kissed the edge of her cheek and then walked away. Aya ghosted her fingers over the scar and waved when he drove past. Well. That was surprising. She smoothed a hand over her skirt and then crossed and climbed the stairs. The air conditioning brought goose

bumps to her skin, and she forced herself to keep going. Heads turned as she walked by, but she kept her gaze focused on the front desk. She was a different woman than the one they had seen the last time she’d come through these doors. She looked very ladylike in red in her polka-dotted dress and wedge sandals. Her hair shined from her recent salon appointment. She stopped at the front counter, coming face-to-face with the same man she’d initially confessed to a few weeks ago.

“Hi, I’m here to see Detective Speedman.” She gave her best smile and felt a surge of confidence when the man grinned back. She could do this. “Let me to call him.” “Can you tell him I have a confession to make?” The deskman’s grin dimmed a bit, but he dialed up Will. Aya turned her back as if she were giving privacy, but the truth was she didn’t want to see if Will would come to the front or ignore her. She pushed her hair back over her shoulder.

“What can I help you with, ma’am?” Aya looked over her shoulder and grinned at the pole-axed expression on Will’s face. “Well, I’ve been trying for weeks to get in touch with this guy I’m pretty much crazy about, but he won’t return my calls. And I must confess it’s got me tied up in knots.” Will nodded, his gaze traveling from the top of her head down to her poppycolored toenails. Aya felt his gaze like a physical touch and shivered. She turned so he could see the rest of her and

leaned against the desk. In his eyes, she saw her reflected desire, and the joy that she was okay. She sauntered forward and initially felt stupid and then vindicated when his gaze was glued to her hips. Yeah, this she could work with. She stopped when inches separated them. “I hear he might be avoiding me out of guilt, but he saved my life, and I’m thankful more than he could ever know. I just need him to know that if he wants me, I’m here. Do you think you could help me with that?”

He swallowed and rubbed the edge of her scar. “Well, that depends. I owe a very special lady an apology. I was so wrapped up in shame and guilt that I ignored her. I’m apparently not a very smart man. Do you think she can ever forgive me?” Aya grinned. “I can guarantee it.” “Then you’ve got yourself a deal.” “Should we shake on it?” Finally, there was some levity on his face. “I’ve got a better idea.” He pulled her close until their bodies touched. “I guess you’re taking this case,

Speedman?” the deskman asked. “Yes, this is one case I’ll be handling personally.” His lips descended on hers, his arms pulling her in tight. The foyer broke into applause and wolf whistles, but Aya didn’t care. Because her heart was being taken, and this time, she liked it.

About the Author I’m a Midwestern gal born and raised, and I currently live in the Chicagoland area. I’ve not yet found the villain who is using his time machine against me, but when I do, the battle will be epic. I’ve been writing stories in my head for as long as I can remember, but only recently started putting words on the

page. My current projects are firmly in the romance genre, even if they sometimes contain a dead body...or three. When not reading or writing, I can be found lurking in yarn shops. And I absolutely live on Twitter! Find me online: Website: www.sashadevlin.com Twitter: @SashaDevlin Facebook: www.facebook.com/sashadevlin

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eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B Cincinnati OH 45249 Heart Taker Copyright © 2015 by Sasha Devlin ISBN: 978-1-61923-267-9 Edited by Heidi Moore Cover by Syd Gill Designs All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: December 2015 www.samhainpublishing.com