“Goodnight, Sean.”
“... and the Sheriff’s Department is not releasing any more information about the homicides at this time, but we will continue to keep the public updated. This is Jessica Daly for the Channel Four evening news.”
George Wallace hummed under his breath as the screen shifted back to the male anchor, who moved on to some forgettable story about a city council budget dispute.
His attention had already drifted. A slow smile spread across his face as he cut another bite from the Salisbury steak on his TV tray. So, he’d made the news. It was about time.
The thought sent a warm rush through him, one that made his pulse quicken with quiet satisfaction. For years, his work had gone unnoticed. Ignored. Dismissed by a world too blind to recognize what needed to be done.
Now people were paying attention. Soon enough, they would understand.
He wasn’t some monster lurking in the dark, no matter what those fools at the sheriff’s department wanted the public to believe. He was doing what no one else had the courage to do—cleaning up the rot by removing women who contributed nothing more to society but poison and decay.
His smile widened.
They’d figure it out in time.
Taking another bite, he leaned back in his recliner and let his mind drift toward future possibilities. The next one would have to be chosen with care. The attention brought risk, but it also brought opportunity.
Outside, darkness pressed against the windows. But inside, George felt nothing but contentment.
Life was good—at least for him.
Chapter Ten
The next morning, Sean sat in the conference room staring at the N-DEx program glowing on his laptop screen, though the words and search parameters kept blurring together. No matter how many times he forced his focus back to the case, his mind drifted to Grace and the kiss they’d shared at her front door. Brief as it had been, it had left him restless for half the night. He’d been so worked up when he got home that sleep had been impossible until he’d stood under a hot shower and burned off enough tension to crawl into bed. Even then, his dreams had brought her right back to him—soft lips, warm breath, the faint scent of her perfume—and he’d ended up awake again before sunrise, standing beneath a stream of cold water and cursing his own lack of control.
The kiss had affected them both. He’d seen it in her eyes. That same flash of stunned desire had been reflected in her expression, matching the heat still burned into his memory. Yet the more he replayed the moment, the more doubt crept in.
What if crossing that line ruined what they already had?
It had been years since they’d spent any real time together, but some part of their old connection remained. Being with her had felt easy in a way that caught him off guard, as though fourteen years hadn’t passed at all. But fourteen years changed people. The girl he’d once known and the woman she’d become weren’t the same person, and he couldn’t pretend otherwise. He wasn’t the same either.
Then there was Bonnie and Uncle Dan. Would they be thrilled by the idea of him and Grace finding their way to each other, or would they think it was a mistake waiting to fall apart?
He was so lost in thought that he never heard the conference room door open. Pain snapped through his left ear, and Sean shot out of his chair, spinning around before his brain caught up with what had happened.
“Screw you, man. Haven’t you learned yet not to do that to someone carrying a gun?”
Brian doubled over laughing, the sound filling the room. “Been flicking your ear since we were little, and I still get away with it. You make it too easy being off in la-la land. What were you thinking about?”
If his brother had any clue where his thoughts had been, Sean would never hear the end of it.
“Nothing really.” He dropped back into his seat and pulled his laptop closer. “Just trying to wrap my head around this serial.”
“What time is your profiler getting here?” Rafe asked as he crossed to the whiteboards. “I’ve never had the opportunity to work with one before, and I’m actually looking forward to it. Should be interesting after all the reading I’ve done on the subject.”
“Around two, I think. Suki’s gonna call from the road when she gets closer.”
Rafe’s brows rose. “Suki? Interesting name. Asian?”
“She’s originally from Hawaii, but I think she mentioned there was Korean in her family background.” He pointed a warning look at both men. “Oh, and do me a favor, guys—don’t hit on her.”
Brian dropped into the chair across from him, a wicked grin already spreading across his face. “Ah, she’s hot then.”
Letting out an exasperated breath, he shook his head. “Yes, she’s good-looking, but she’s also a good friend of mine and a respected federal agent with a doctorate, so show her some respect while she’s here. Okay?”
“If you insist.”
