Page 11 of Drowning in Darkness

FIVE

JAMES

The most dangerous thing about a monster isn’t what he’ll do to his enemies, it’s what he’ll do for the one person he loves.

Debriefing with the FBI is about as fun as it sounds. At least we’re doing this in the back of a surveillance van with Camryn and Agent Thompson and not in a chilly interrogation room with nothing but cold coffee and even icier stares. I point at the mug shots of the men present tonight and consider telling them that Graydon might be an issue, but decide against it.

Camryn needs plausible deniability when his body turns up.

“The case against Owen depends on the girls’ statements,” Agent Thompson states.

“If you need my help, let me know,” I say.

He nods once. Camryn’s eyes narrow. She hates the reminder of who I am when she sees me softer than anyone should. I could spend the rest of my years committing good deeds every single day, and it still wouldn’t tip the scales in favor of my soul being considered for Heaven.

“Anything in the witness statements tonight against you that is going to cause us a problem?” Camryn wonders.

“Tonight? No, the only woman I touched was Willa.” I’m leading a rotten organization to the pits of Hell, and I’ll be dragging these abhorrent men with me. No one will miss them. It’s a service to humanity.

Agent Thompson frowns at his phone and passes it to Camryn as I lean back against the side of the van and fold my arms, the restraints long since gone. They don’t see me as a threat, which is a fair assessment when they’re holding enough evidence to deliver my heart to a jury who won’t hesitate to deliver the death penalty. Still, they possess a hidden advantage. My clever sister, hacker extraordinaire, is on their radar after what went down onboard the ship where Jonathan took his last breath.

I have no regrets about that. He needed to die, and if it hadn’t been that night, it would have been another soon after. He took Eleanor—the one thing keeping me under his thumb—threatened her life, and tied it with Stephanie’s, bonding us all in trauma.

But now I’ve swapped a narcissist for the FBI, and if I fuck up, they’ll arrest her. I’m not convinced they possess enough to get a conviction, but I’ve spent my life protecting her, and I’m not about to stop now.

Camryn’s stare bores into mine. “We have a potential woman Burnside has set his sights on.”

“That was quick,” I murmur. Although it’s rare he’s without one, he likes the hunt and isn’t one to delegate it. Christopher gets off on the fear as much as the eventual pain. He sometimes love bombs his victims, making them depend on him so when his true nature comes out, they’re so wrapped up in the nice version of him they fell for that they are trapped. Other times he stalks them. He once sent a woman a bouquet every Friday for six months with violent threats laced into each message before abducting her. He delights in the way they startle at every shadow.

If he’s found someone this fast, it’s the latter.

“He’s going to stalk her,” I tell them. “The best way to catch him is to watch her.”

Camryn glances at her colleague, then back at the phone. “You’re suggesting bait?” she checks.

“It’s risky, but yes, if you can guarantee you’ll have eyes on her. He’ll circle her for a few weeks while enjoying picking her confidence apart. You could approach her and explain, but that might scare him away and you’d be back to him selecting another girl.”

“Do you think he’d move on?” Agent Thompson checks.

I shrug. “Depends on how invested he is.”

I’m no profiler, but my entire life has been spent around men like Christopher. My survival depended on reading their intentions with precision. I trust my instincts. They’ve never led me wrong so far.

Camryn’s lips twist to the side. “How would you measure that?”

“How long has he been tracking her? How much research has he done? The deeper he sinks into the fantasy, the more difficult it will be for him to let go.”

Camryn sighs. “By the looks of it, weeks.”

“How do you know?”

“Confidential source sent us a file with all the intel Christopher has already gathered.”

I’m not stupid enough to think I’m the only one working both sides, but hearing it makes me both happy and anxious. I’m not caught in this game alone, but the danger of playing both sides is insurmountable.

“Are you going to show me?” I ask.

They share a look that has my body tensing, and Camryn takes a moment to decide one way or another before handing me the phone.