AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Don’t worry.I’m going to make a few phone calls and the full force of the law will descend on this place in a few hours.I’m prepared to let them do the hard work.My job now is to get you—us—to safety.”
“But we could lose him.He’s a serial killer, Nico.And this is the closest any of us have been to catching him.”
“I know.And I don’t care.”There were some things in this world more important than doing his job.Lacey’s logic wasn’t going to sway him, not this time.He’d been wrong to let her convince him into bringing her on this mission and he was cursing himself not to have seen the danger before.
But Lacey wasn’t taking this news docilely, and she stepped in front of him, her blonde ponytail swinging from side to side in agitation.
“And what if Shadbolt takes you off the case?Are you prepared for the consequences of that?”She raised an inquiring eyebrow, and he knew where she was going with this conversation.
It wouldn’t beif,it’d bewhen.There was no way Shadbolt would let a conflict as big as this continue, not even for his star detective.But again, he was prepared to take the hit if he was to keep Lacey safe.A small voice—a very small voice—argued that if they didn’t call it in straight away, they could have a few hours leeway where they might get lucky and apprehend Serge on their own.How he’d love to be the one who brought Serge in.His fingers itched with the need to find that dirtbag father, take him down, cuff him, and drag him to the station.It would be his biggest triumph yet if he achieved the capture.To put Lacey in that much danger was unacceptable, however, and so he discarded the idea before it was even fully formed.
“Don’t argue with me on this one.”He stood his ground.“Or I’ll be forced to pull rank as your commanding officer.”He was also prepared to throw her over his shoulder, caveman style, if she refused to go, but he kept that bit to himself.
“But he is your father,” she tried once more.“I know you haven’t seen him in seventeen years.But don’t you want to… I don’t know, see him with your own eyes?Meet him face to face?Ask him why?I know I would.”
“No, I don’t,” Nico lied.God, yes, he wanted to confront his father.But not at the sake of putting her in more danger than she was already in.
She gave him an icy stare, and they locked gazes as they silently battled wills.Finally, her lips twitched up.Whether in agitation or amusement, he wasn’t sure, but she took a step back.
“All right.Back to Burnie it is.But you should at least get the local cops out hunting for him right now.”
He could hardly believe that Lacey was conceding defeat; stubborn was her middle name.But maybe she could see the fear he couldn’t quite hide in his eyes.Fear of what might happen to her or their baby if they didn’t play this one strictly by the book.
“I’m on it now,” he said pulling his phone out of his pocket.
“I’ll go and pack,” she said, skirting around him toward the bedroom.
But he snagged her elbow and pulled her into his chest.“Thank you, Lace.Thank you for being here for me.For being strong when I couldn’t.”
The lines around her mouth softened, and she melted into him for a moment.“You’re the best man I know, Nico Favreau.A lesser man wouldn’t have been able to get past this at all, never mind so quickly.I’m aware how soul destroying this must be, and I want you to know that I’m here for you.Whenever and wherever you need me.We’ll get through this together.”
Now he knew why she’d capitulated so quickly; she was concerned for his mental and emotional wellbeing.But right now, he’d take whatever he could get.
“I love you” was all he could think of to say.But the words just couldn’t convey how deeply he needed her.How much she affected him, right down to the core of his soul.And how madly he wanted to protect her.Because if something happened to her, he knew he’d never recover.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE TWO-HOUR trip back to Burnie was mainly spent with Nico filling Shadbolt in on the events of the day, and then directing his team via phone, while Lacey listened from the passenger seat.Shadbolt was yet to officially remove Nico from the investigation, and so he took as much advantage as he could of these precious few hours while he was still in charge.
They went straight to the station, not bothering to stop at home first, and when they arrived the place was buzzing like a human wasp nest.More units had been pulled in from Davenport and Launceston as Nico assembled a task force to flood Strahan with armed police officers.Two teams from Burnie, consisting of Gorman and Hickey, Tyrell and Linc, as well as Detective Saito, had already been dispatched to Strahan to help the local Sergeant Joe Jackson and his offsider.
As Nico skillfully maneuvered their car into a spot in the underground parking lot, Lacey let her hand rest on top of his.“How are you doing?”she asked.It was the first chance she’d had to ask this since their hurried departure from their accommodation.
He flashed her a look of surprise as if he’d been so caught up in the machinations of organizing a manhunt, he’d almost forgotten his own emotional pain.
“I’m okay,” he replied.“I just need to get through the next few hours.And then…”
“I know,” she replied, squeezing his hand.And then he could break apart, if that’s what he needed.“One more thing.”Her words stopped him just as he opened the car door.“Are we revealing my pregnancy yet?”She laid a protective hand over her abdomen.They’d agreed to tell their families this weekend.But she didn’t want the news escaping before they’d made those important phone calls.
After a moment’s hesitation, Nico replied, “No.Not unless we absolutely have to.”
“Good.”Her pregnancy should have no impact on this current investigation as far as she could tell, but she wanted confirmation from Nico.They walked hand in hand up the stairs leading from the parking lot to the main level.No words were required; they both knew they’d be walking into a shitstorm and this final few seconds of peace was welcome.They unlinked their hands as they passed through the door.
Jay Pederson stood waiting for Nico in the hallway outside the operations room, and Lacey held her breath, even though she knew what was coming.“Shadbolt’s appointed me as lead on this case.”His words weren’t spiteful or aggressive, but there was a certain authoritative ring that told everyone he wasn’t to be messed with.“You’re officially off the case,” he added, even though that point was already clear.
Nico merely nodded.
“But I could still use your input,” Pederson continued.“After all, you know this perp intimately.I’ll need everything you’ve got on him.”His tone was concise and to the point.There was no sympathy there.If he had any inkling of what Nico was going through, then he either wasn’t showing it, or wasn’t concerned.“And also to hear your account firsthand.”His gaze slid to Lacey, dark-brown eyes filled with what could only be called intense curiosity.And what good detective wouldn’t want the eyewitness account?“Come inside.”The tall indigenous man gestured with his arm, indicating they precede him into the room.
