Page 16 of His to Possess

I’d seen dozens of them through the years. I’d arrested some of the most loathsome excuses for human beings on the face of the earth, the kind of vile creatures who deserved to burn in hell fire for centuries. Nothing disgusted me any longer.

Except for the sight of the two victims from the recent case I’d been assigned. The method of killing wasn’t just horrific. It was heinous. Now there was a third.

As I drove into the park, I realized my grip on the steering wheel was firmer than normal. Perhaps from terror of what I’d find. Or perhaps I was just frightening myself. I glanced into the rearview mirror and even though it was impossible to catch a glimpse of my eyes in the darkness, my gut told me they were laced with a haunting sadness.

Then for a fleeting moment, my thoughts drifted to two nights before. The same chill shifted down my spine as it had several times, creating a lump in my throat. I hadn’t planned on ending up at Maximillian’s apartment nor had I anticipated the rather perverse events that had occurred.

A damn spanking.

Then fucking like wild animals.

The arrogant man had made good on his promise, taking me in every manner he desired.

I took a deep whiff, realizing his scent still covered me even after a long, hot shower. Maybe my imagination was working overtime. My nipples hardened again, my legs trembling.

Maybe the entire ugliness was nothing but a rich fantasy brought on by one hefty bottle of cabernet. I could at least hope. Thank God, I never had to see him again. I thought about Amber’s encouragement and there was no denying I enjoyed the wicked tryst, but I couldn’t allow extreme pleasure to interfere with this case.

Lives were at stake.

My gut was screaming that the kills would soon escalate in both brutality as well as timing. The first murder had occurred a little over two weeks ago, the second nine days later. Now this one.

The beast is hungry.

I rolled my eyes, shoving the little voice back inside my head. A human was behind the heinous crimes.

The moment I shifted in my seat, I was given a harsh reminder of the punishment I’d endured from the rugged man. I was exhausted from lack of sleep, visions of his face filling my mind every time I closed my eyes. I’d been so damn attracted to him, more so than any man I’d been with my entire life.

As if I could actually remember what passion felt like before him.

A hoarse chuckle pushed past my lips, although the sound was hollow. My life was nothing more than long days hunting down suspects as well as the dreaded paperwork every officer of the law was required to do. I hadn’t even had time to unpack from my recent move and living out of boxes was getting old. I obviously had no business thinking about a man I hardly knew.

Last night had been particularly brutal; four arrests that had kept me working long into the wee hours of the morning. I wanted nothing more than a hot bath and a tall glass of bourbon.

That was going to have to wait. I was following a tip that no one else had taken seriously.

Except for me.

As I turned down the gravel road, heading toward the supposed scene of the latest murder, I couldn’t help but shudder given my own stupidity. I hadn’t even bothered to learn Maximillian’s last name, although there was no law enforcement officer located within the surrounding towns and cities by his name. He’d played me, making certain I’d seen his badge in an effort to seduce me—to make certain I felt safe with him.

I was hot with anger at myself for falling for his bullshit. The man could have killed me.

Instead of giving you several sizzling orgasms.

The inner voice needed to die a bloody stinking death. The man who called himself Maximillian had taken advantage of me in every manner. And I’d allowed it to happen.

I pulled the car to a stop, hesitating before killing the engine. Even with my powerful headlights, I could see nothing out of the ordinary. I’d driven way out of my jurisdiction but the closest officer on duty was several miles away. My cop instinct had asked if the second call made held any merit. The dispatcher had forwarded the message, raising my hackles. If the female caller was correct, the victim’s body was just over the knoll through the bank of trees. There was no way to get there from here other than on foot. The entire area was wet, the powerful storm from the night before leaving soaked terrain and a light fog in its passing. This wasn’t going to be a picnic by any means.

I had no business being here alone, but at least reinforcements were on their way. While technically I was off duty, this was my case and I refused to allow another precinct to interfere at this point. Sadly, even my partner was AWOL tonight. I only hoped Mark’s case of food poisoning or whatever had caused his medical emergency hadn’t landed him in the hospital.

I checked my weapon before grabbing my flashlight and exiting the vehicle, scanning the area before heading up the grassy patch. The wind was whipping through the trees, making every crack of a twig or rush of leaves larger than life. The pattern of the two previous kills had been the same, the victims found in a lonely, dark, and secluded area of town. I took several deep breaths, calming my nerves as I hunkered down, swinging my arms from right to left as I advanced.

Within minutes, I noticed what appeared to be a body and took another deep breath, preparing myself for what I might find. As I crept closer, the shimmer of the trees became more ominous, keeping me on edge. I flashed my light in a circle, searching for either broken limbs or another type of disturbance. There was nothing overt, indicating the perpetrator had been calculating in every manner.

I rubbed my eyes before crouching down, moving the beam from the flashlight up and down the length of the latest victim. The kill was fresh, only occurring within the last two hours. At least the department had gotten a tip for the first time, the poor girl who’d called in the attack hysterical. I’d been minutes away, attempting to grab a cup of coffee when the call had come in.

“Jesus Christ.” I swallowed hard, my nerves rattled. This attack seemed more violent than the others. Just as I’d envisioned. The stench was ungodly, a mixture of blood and gore along with… I forced myself to take another deep whiff, the acrid stench filling my nostrils. Animal. Almost like a wet damn dog. It was entirely possible the murder scene had been compromised. There were homeless cats and dogs all over the city. I rubbed my nose, struggling to keep the bile down.

Fuck.Fuck!

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