Harlequin Intrigue April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Carol Ericson (short books to read TXT) 📖

that would explain the string of murders we’re connecting now. Although, how someone had survived all that...” The wheels visibly turned in his gaze as Dylan worked through the new information. He straightened. “That narrows the pool down to two possible suspects. Brett Smith and Tad Marrow.”

She didn’t miss the dip in his tone at the mention of the last victim, the one he’d failed to protect from the New Castle Killer, and her heart jerked in her chest. He still blamed himself for what’d happened to Tad Marrow, and despite her revelation that she wanted to be part of the solution—to be the one to help him move forward—she imagined he always would. “Unless there’s a fourth victim we don’t know about.”

“You think that’s a possibility?” Reed asked.

“At this point, we can’t...discount anything. He’s killed twenty-six people across the country. That takes a lot of time, a lot of planning and a lot of...patience.” She raised her gaze to Dylan’s, completely at ease as he studied her. He’d saved her life in those caves, even after she’d tried to attack him. That kind of debt couldn’t go unpaid. “He failed to kill us once. He’ll do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn’t...fail again.”

Reed uncrossed his arms as reality settled between the three of them. “You’ve got yourselves a unique kind of serial killer. He’s not doing this out of compulsion. There’s no MO connecting him to any of the murders he’s committed. No pattern that can predict his movements. This is straight-up retribution. Both of you need to get the hell out of Dodge.”

“Give us a minute, Reed. There’s something the chief and I need to talk about.” The weight of Dylan’s attention pressurized the air in her lungs. Hardness bled into his features, accentuating the muscle and veins under warm skin.

Remi felt raw. Exposed. Every inch of her insides ached. Her emotions had been stripped of the protective layer she’d built over the years. A killer had abducted, stabbed and nearly killed her. She’d almost died in those caves. Would have if it hadn’t been for Dylan.

Reed closed the door behind him, leaving her alone with Dylan and feelings she’d denied for years. Feeling climbed up her legs, and she internally panicked for the return of sweet numbness. Because without it, she feared the current of feelings she’d held back all these years would suck her under the surface and tear her apart. “There’s something you didn’t feel comfortable enough saying in front of Reed?”

“You were kidnapped, stabbed and tortured less than six hours ago, Remi.” The shock of her name on his lips tunneled beneath the heavy layer of emotional denial and straight into bone. His voice held nothing of the authoritative, aggressive deputy US marshal she’d hired six months ago, the one who’d sworn what they’d had together in Delaware wouldn’t affect their working relationship as marshals. This was the Dylan Cove who’d worked past her defenses so easily during the New Castle Killer case, they might as well not have been there at all. He closed the space between him and the edge of her bed, sliding the tips of his fingers against her wrist. “I’m the only one here. You don’t have to hide what you’re feeling from me. You can trust me.”

Tightness swelled in her throat, and she forced herself to focus on taking slow, even breaths to counter the effect. She bit the inside of her mouth to keep herself in the moment, to keep herself from constantly replaying the bone-shattering strikes from her attack. She’d done everything she could to stop the New Castle Killer during her time as sheriff, but it hadn’t been good enough. Neither had running. Now a killer had wiped out her entire former team and turned his sights on her and Dylan. Because she’d been too weak to stop him. “I’m fine.”

“You’re biting the inside of your mouth again. I can confidently say that’s not the case.” The mattress dipped under his weight as Dylan settled on the edge. Rough fingers speared through her hair at the back of her neck and urged her to look at him. “I’m here. Whatever you need to feel, whatever you need to process, don’t hold it in. It’s only going to tear you apart.”

“I can’t.” But those two small words weren’t enough to protect herself from the flood raging forward. No matter how hard she tried to stay in control. Tears burned in her eyes, and she clung to Dylan’s hand as hard as she could. He carefully tugged her upright into his chest, right over his heart, and...she shattered. “I can’t let you die because of me.”

DYLAN PUNCHED IN the code to the safe house door. The keypad beeped, the LED light blinked green and he pushed open the door. Shadows disappeared with a simple flick of the entryway light, and he motioned Remi past him inside. Mild concussion, twenty stitches in the back of her skull, even more in her side from the knife wound. She was lucky to be alive. If it hadn’t been for her determination to fight back, he wasn’t sure she would be, and damn, he admired the hell out of her for it. Not one of the investigators the killer had gone after had survived. No one but Remi.

“I’ll clear the back rooms. You take the kitchen and office.” She lowered her hand from her side as he closed the door behind them. Always the one to deny she was in pain, but Dylan knew the truth. She didn’t wait for him to answer, disappearing down the hall.

He did a quick sweep of the areas he’d been assigned and met her back in the entryway. Scrapes, bruises and outright exhaustion marred her perfect features, and he wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her again. “I had Watson stock the fridge and pantry and set up the bedrooms while you were recovering in the hospital. Why don’t