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The night wind lifts the hem of my shirt, sending a cool, rain-damp breeze along the inflamed areas of my flesh. I hold the sides down as it howls into the night, and feel the abrasive rub of threads against my tender wrist.
I lift my hands and finger the thin link of rope, the one Colton tied there right before sleep took me. I’m not sure why he gave it to me, or what it represents; maybe a t
oken of his affection, or a sort of branding, a claim. Either way, the message is clear: I’m his.
A small smile tilts my lips as I push the pale rope along my wrist, finding myself not at all uncomfortable with that realization.
A beep interrupts my thoughts and I sigh, accepting the fact that it’s time to return to my world. I bring my phone up to respond to the text…and my heart stutters.
Unknown: Fitting, isn’t it? That technology should label my “name” so appropriately. Unknown Subject, or UNSUB…as you prefer to call me. But I know that’s only because you can’t let them become aware of us, our little secret. It won’t be long now, Sadie. Soon, you won’t have to hide who you are, just as I won’t have to lie about who I am. We’ll be together. And we’ll be unstoppable. Soon.
I read the message again, my hands trembling, thumbs shaky as they hover over the brightly lit screen. Before I can act or react, another text appears.
Unknown: White has never been my favorite color on you.
An eerie shiver slithers over my skin, and my head snaps up. He can see me… He’s watching right now. I glance around the complex, seeking a face—and a moment of doubt erodes the sturdy concrete beneath my bare feet.
Backing away from the railing, I keep my gaze aimed out over the lagoon, then quickly turn and slide the glass door open. I grab my gun from the holster lying on the floor and head to Colton’s room.
Door open, my back pressed to the wood, I peer around the corner. Colton’s shirtless backside faces me as he lies in bed, covers kicked down around his feet. A breath expels from my burning lungs. I lower the gun, then set it on the floor near the wall altogether.
My eyes scan the room, making sure it’s clear, that we’re still alone, then I push the door fully open and walk in. His shallow breaths are the only sound stirring the air as I carefully sit on the edge of the bed.
I reach out to run my fingers along what caught my attention before…but I stop my hand mid-air. Instead, my eyes trace the black ink swirling his back. Intricate designs depicting a Japanese-style dragon that curls down the stretch of his spine. It’s beautiful and tortured at the same time.
My job consists of knowing and anticipating those around me, yet in my personal life, I know very little about the man I just bared my soul to. I could spend tonight analyzing just that, or investigating his past…or I could get dressed and return to work. Where a blank profile grid awaits a new entry on the UNSUB.
As I stand, I allow my gaze to take in Colton a moment longer, then I put my head back in the game. There’s a message on my phone that needs to be traced. I walk toward my discarded jeans on the floor. Kneeling to pick them up, I spot Colton’s cell phone on the nightstand table near him plugged into its charger.
My breath halts, chest thumping as my heart picks up pace. I glance over at Colton, then again at the phone. I move forward, my feet leading me to that device of their own accord. I stare down at it, heartbeat pulsing in my throat. And for one, fleeting second, I’m tempted to look—to break the delicate trust we’ve just established. But at what cost?
The truth always reveals itself in time. And my truth—my own personal form of reality, no matter how skewed—is that right now, I need Colton Reed to not be my enemy. There may come a day when that’s not so, when we truly discover each other and come up wanting. But for this moment, I need him to remain worthy. I need him.
Simply, I’ve tasted enough evil in my short existence to be sated for a lifetime.
I turn away, and a warm hand wraps my wrist. I startle and try to pull free, but Colton tugs me down onto the bed. His arm anchors around my back as he brings my hand up, placing a soft kiss to my inner wrist, just below the link of rope.
His eyes study the features of my face intently. “Come back to me soon,” he says, then releases me from his hold.
As I place my palm to his chest, I note the accelerated pace of his heart, and I gulp down a breath. “I won’t be long,” I say, and push myself up to stand.
Stepping into the hallway, I close the door, grab my SIG, and then slip on my jeans, tucking Colton’s shirt into the waistband. His masculine scent presses against me as I clip my holster and rush out into the clear night.
It’s always clear after the storm.
“Quinn,” I say into my phone before he can get a word in. “I need you to get the task force techs to run a trace.”
His heavy sigh travels over the connection. “On who? And where the hell have you been?”
“Me,” I say, ignoring the irritation in his voice. “Get a trace on my phone.” I glance behind me, wondering if he’s following me now. “The UNSUB made contact.”
“Bonds,” Quinn says, a note of anger—that I long ago recognized with Quinn denotes fear—rumbles in his thick tone. “Get your ass to the station now.”
After I end the call, I yank my bag strap higher on my shoulder and walk with sure, determined steps. For the first time since I moved to this city, I feel like I know my place.
I requested the transfer and accepted a demoted position for reasons I’ve been trying to avoid, hopeful that the new location and practically nonexistent murder rate would be enough. That it would give me time to figure out the next part. To decide if the path I was on was truly the right course.
Well, we’re rarely given what we ask for.
