Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98819 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
His voice comes muffled through the door. “Your life is in danger. I can’t let you leave.”
“Are you serious right now?” I shout, even as my organs turn to concrete. He’s lost it. He’s finally gone too far. “You can’t do this.”
I wait for an answer, and there’s only silence.
The realization that he can do whatever he likes hits me. “You won’t get away with it,” I yell. But he will. He’s rich and powerful enough to make anyone disappear. That he’s doing it out of some misguided attempt to preserve my life doesn’t reassure me.
I forgot that Rex isn’t an ordinary, rational man who plays by the rules. He’ll do anything to get what he wants, the law be damned.
“Please don’t do this to me.” I’m begging, and I don’t care. The weight of what’s happening hits me, and I slump against the door. If Rex wants to keep me here, he can. He can lock me up for a long, long time.
Who knows how many lives the Bondage Killer will destroy if I don’t stop him?
“I have to.” His voice is firm, even muffled by the door. “I just got you. I’m not letting you go.”
He thinks he owns me. I thought we had something, but he only saw me as a possession. Something he can lock away whenever it suits him. He never considered me his equal. I was nothing but a trophy to him, a toy.
And that hurts more than anything.
Rex
* * *
I watch Inara lean against the door like it’s the only thing keeping her upright. The room is secure and outfitted with cameras that will allow me to keep an eye on her.
Her hand is planted on the door, and I press my own palm opposite hers, imagining I can feel her warmth through the thick surface.
I’m not sorry to lock her up. She’ll hate me for it, but it’s for the best. One day she’ll forgive me, but even if she never does, I stand by my decision. I’ll do anything to keep her safe.
When I return to the cave, Hamish lifts his head from the microscope.
“Have you found anything?” I ask.
“The paper is old and dates to the time the Bondage Killer was last active.”
“Really?”
“Yes, and I have a theory about the smoky quality of the paper. It might have been from the killer’s personal supplies in the warehouse.”
“How is that possible?”
“He could’ve slipped back in to salvage his possessions after he was presumed dead.”
I curse. Damn this serial killer for returning to haunt Inara decades later. “Or it’s a copycat. Someone who was obsessed with the original Bondage Killer and decided to hunt down the one person who escaped him.”
Hamish inclines his head. “Another excellent theory. There’s no way to conclusively confirm it without more evidence.”
I have a thought. “You said the NRPD found a letter at the scene of the latest murder. Can we test that letter against these?”
“I’ll see what I can do.” He’ll have to use his contacts to obtain a sample from the evidence locker. Not legal, but necessary. And right now, time is of the essence. Even now, the killer could be choosing his next victims.
“Has Detective Ramos left?” Hamish asks.
“No, there’s been a change of plans.” There’s a little stone in the pit of my stomach, the tiniest regret. I wish I didn’t have to lock Inara up. But it only takes a second of imagining what will happen to her if the Bondage Killer gets her in his clutches to harden my resolve.
Hamish has paused his work, waiting for me to explain further. He’s not going to like this, but I tell him anyway. “She’ll remain here as our guest while the killer is at large.”
Hamish’s eyes narrow. He knows when I’m glossing over the truth. “As a guest? Or a prisoner?”
“I prefer to think of her as a reluctant guest. Her unwillingness is temporary. She’ll come around.”
Hamish sighs. “I see.” Over the years, I’ve grown used to his unspoken disapproval. He supports a certain amount of lawbreaking in the name of justice, but there are moral lines he won’t cross, especially when it comes to torture and murder. I keep those activities off-site.
He doesn’t approve of locking up a woman for any reason. But he understands how important she is to me and how I’d do anything to keep her alive.
“Sir, if I may give you some advice—”
“I don’t want a lecture, Hamish.”
He gives me his silence instead, which is worse than a lecture. Finally, I groan, “Say your piece.”
“I know you’ve searched for her for a long time. But now that your search has borne fruit, you would do well to put some thought into how you will keep her by your side.”
“Right now, under lock and key.”
“I can’t imagine she’s happy with that.”