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Only not ready enough because the sonofabitch still got killing close.I walked away, and he attacked her.
I will not be walking away again.
In his head, he could still hear that sudden honking of her horn.
Jase sidled closer and asked, “You really think this is our guy?”
Theo angled closer, too.Rain had soaked his slicker.Theo and Oliver both wore the FBI issued slickers.
“Is this him?”Jase asked.He hadn’t bothered with a slicker or umbrella.His clothes had been soaked.“Is her brother innocent?”
Oliver didn’t know what the fuck they were dealing with, not yet.Could be just some freak who’d been drawn to Lark because of her story on the news.He wasn’t prepared to make any judgments yet.“We’re going to find the bastard.”Yeah, he got that didn’t sound professional.Too bad.He wasn’t feeling professional.This was personal.She was personal.“Then we’re going to nail his ass to the wall.”
The vehicle that had nearly mowed him down had been exceedingly distinct, even with the license plate removed.A hulking Cadillac Escalade.The grill had gleamed between the bright lights.Oliver wasn’t sure about the color of the ride.Could have been black.Could have been blue.Just—dark.“Get access to all the street cams.If you can’t find the vehicle on them, then we’ll hit the stores in the area.I want to know where this vehicle is ASAP, got me?”
“On it,” Jase assured him.
Theo nodded.“You can count on us.”
Jase and Theo had been assigned to his task force shortly after he’d taken over the investigation into the Vegas murders and abductions.Currently, there were two more members on his primary team, Shannon Steele and Everett Callen.Agents tended to rotate in and out with him as they finished their training and got firsthand experience with serials.That was one of the things he was supposed to do, after all.Train more agents to hunt monsters.Then send them out on their own to track killers.No agents ever stayed on a permanent rotation with Oliver.
There was a saying at the Bureau…When you pull duty with Oliver, you’re in for a dark ride to hell and back.But that ride would sure as shit teach you about the twisted nature of killers.
His crew had worked hard on the Bridal Killer investigation.When Lane Lawson had been arrested, they’d all thought the nightmare was over.A trip back from hell.Because the case had seemed over.
And now this had fucking happened.
“Ah, boss, not to speak out of turn…” Jase cleared his throat.“Not trying to piss you off or anything…”
Clearly you are about to piss me off.No one said words like that unless they were, indeed, about to piss off someone.And Oliver had told the man not to call him “boss” multiple times.Jase was new to the Bureau.Not quite steady on the lingo yet.He’d been a lawyer before joining.Had practiced at a high-priced law office.Only he’d gotten tired of defending the criminals, and, at twenty-nine, he’d made a huge life change.
Welcome to the Bureau.
“But, ah…were you on a date with Lark Lawson?”
No.“We happened to be at the same place.”Because I was tailing her sweet ass.
“I get that you were working a cover before…” Jase added quickly.
Of course—of fuckingcourse—Lark would have chosen that moment to walk closer.And Jase had a loud-ass voice.
Oliver growled.
But Lark was behind Jase, and he just kept running his mouth.“You did what you had to do,” Jase told him.“I admired that.But…with her brother getting ready for his trial, should you be—”
“Keeping a victim safe?”Oliver threw back.“Yes, yes, I absolutely should.And that’s what I’m doing.I will be escorting Lark Lawson back to her home.I will be making sure that she is protected, you can rest assured of that.”He took a step to the side so that Lark would see him clearly.“Everyonecan be assured of that.”And by everyone, he meant her.
You are not getting away from me, sweetheart.
“Ready to go, Lark?”he asked.
She twirled her umbrella.A deliberate twirl that sent an extra cascade of water toward Jase.“Shockingly, yes, I am eager to get out of the parking lot where I was nearly abducted.”A pause.Then, voice louder, she added, “By the man whoactuallyabducted and murdered those other three women.The real killer.I told you he was out there.”Her gaze slid to each FBI agent’s face.Then lingered on Oliver.“Now, I guess you have to believe me.”
Chapter Three
“Why do you live…here?”Oliver glowered at the small apartment complex.He leaned over the steering wheel to peer out of the windshield.“No security.Easy access to every room.Hell, I’m betting one kick, and the front door of any apartment in the place will go flying inward.”
She unhooked her seatbelt.“Thanks for the reassuring pep talk.I’m so glad that you enjoy my new home.I can only assure you that I love it just as much as you do.”
