Chapter 31
31
ALTA
T he hostile silence that settled around me after admitting what happened last night churned my anxious stomach. Were they mad? Concerned? Didn’t give a rat’s heinie? Well, that last one wasn’t true; the pure hate and anger boiling out of Cas’s dark eyes told everyone he did care—maybe too much.
Which, with my past, should’ve scared me. I’d had too much attention, had someone care too much, but with Cas, he cared too much with my well-being in mind, not his. That was what I saw that first day and what I saw now—he was a protector, didn’t take advantage. Every cell in Cas’s body was geared to take care of someone else, and it seemed he’d finally found the person he wanted to take care of. The person who would allow it.
Me.
Heck yeah, I’d allow it. I savored it. I relished every second his alert eyes watched me. If I were honest with myself, I would admit that I wanted those watchful eyes on me every second of every day for the rest of my life. Wanted his body on mine, inside mine, until death did we part.
“It would make sense,” Chandler said reluctantly. “The way he’s able to do all this without a shred of evidence left behind. Someone must be cleaning up after him. And if he said ‘starting to enjoy the hunt,’ that means his partner is the one who does the watching.”
“Has that ever happened?” I asked, my eyes flicking between the two guys. “A killing duo?”
Chandler nodded, eyes unfocused on the wall. “Several. Couples.” Looking at the ceiling, he sighed. “Fuck, why didn’t I see this before? It’s probably why we haven’t found the bodies.” With a cringe, he looked to me. “They probably both use the women until they’re bored, and since there are two, they can bury the bodies where no one would find them. A dead body is easier to carry with a little help.”
Pushing up from his seat on the coffee table, Chandler took his phone from the front pocket of his jeans. “I need to make a few more calls before—” His eyes narrowed at the screen. “Your boy John is calling.”
“Not my boy.”
“Not her boy,” Cas and I said in unison.
With a smirk, Chandler rolled his eyes and slid his thumb across the screen. “Peters,” he said in a clipped tone. His eyes roamed around the room as he listened. “Interesting. Why don’t you two come by? Put the evidence in a plastic baggie of some kind.” Another beat of silence. “Great. See you in ten.”
After sliding the phone into his pocket, he smiled. “Seems our girl Sadie just eliminated herself from becoming suspect number one in our search for the bastard’s partner.”
“What?” Cas and I said, again in unison.
“Seems she ‘found’ a note from the serial abductor on her car this morning. He didn’t say much outside of that. Guess we’ll learn the details in a few.”
In a few. My eyes flew to Cas, who still sat on top of me, smirking.
“I’m good,” I said, squirming beneath him. “You can get off now.” I shoved against his legs, not getting anywhere.
“I’m quite comfortable.”
“Cas,” I pleaded as I shoved against his thick thighs again.
His eyebrows rose with a silent question.
“I just don’t want to make this worse,” I said. “He already hates you because of me… us, and I don’t want him finding you like this.”
He crossed his arms over his chest but didn’t make a move to climb off me. “Like what?”
Exasperated, I pressed my head into the couch cushion and rubbed my closed eyelids. “Cas Mathews. You know exactly like what. You’re straddling me. Now get off.”
Even though it was my request—demand, more like it—I immediately missed his heavy weight as he climbed off the couch. Standing across the room, he leaned against the window.
“There was a note in the cabin,” Cas said, his shoulders tense. “We didn’t figure out what it meant until we realized Benny was missing.”
A pulse of tension inched up the suspense as Cas took a deep breath.
“It said ‘one down, two to go.’”
One down, two to go.
One down, two to go…
Oh.
Oh.
“You think he’s coming after you now?” My voice was so high-pitched that even I didn’t recognize it.
The two exchanged a long look.
“We’re not sure,” Chandler said. “But we do know you’re in his sights, and he’s willing to take out anyone who stands in his way. I’m still waiting on all the files from your last year in the Smokies, but there has to be something there. Something that pushed this guy, this team, to want you specifically.”
“When I asked him why last night, he only said I wasn’t bright,” I murmured, thinking out loud. “So it has to be something obvious. Even though I can’t remember anything, it has to be something big to have gotten his attention.”
“Or not,” Cas cut in. “It could’ve been big to him. To you, it could’ve been you stopping him from littering, or warning him about getting too close to the animals.”
“That happens every day,” I groaned. Sitting up, I tucked my knees to my chest. “How will I ever distinguish between the ones who were pissed because a woman called them out, those who were pissed because they got caught, or those who were crazy enough to think it had something to do with them?”
A warm hand settled on my knee. Looking up, I found concern and sympathy in Chandler's eyes. “When we first met, I said you were perceptive, and of all the things you’ve brought to light in this case, you continue to back that up, so I have no doubt you’ll know the difference. It’s just about triggering your memory. You got this, Birdie.”
I nodded, hoping his confidence in me wasn’t entirely off base like I felt it was.
“You need to eat,” Cas said, his attention back on me. As if my stomach understood English, it growled in response, confirming his assumption. “We have food here, or I can run out and?—”
“Something here.” No way did I want him going out alone with a possible target on his back. Plus the thought of him leaving my side, me being vulnerable, made my pulse race. “Eggs?” I suggested, edging the word with a hint of hope.
“Eggs it is.” When he walked by, he paused behind the couch to press his lips to the top of my head. “Just so we’re on the same page,” he whispered. I glanced to Chandler, who was too busy doing something on his phone to pay us any attention. “If he gets within five feet of you, or says anything I take as offensive toward you, I won’t hold back as I’ve done in the past.”
I blinked. “Before was you holding back?”
“He’s not in the hospital, is he?”
I shook my head.
“Then yeah, that’s me holding back.”
For some messed-up reason, his words lit my blood on fire, making every inch of my body burn for his touch.
Behind me, pans and other things clanged around the kitchen.
Sensing my stare, Chandler looked up from his phone.
“Can you call Benny?”
His brows shot up. “You want me to call a dog?”
I rolled my eyes. “Call the hospital. I need to know if there are any updates. Is he okay? Does he miss me? Maybe I should take him his favorite bed or blanket?”
Chandler barked a laugh. “Only you, woman. Yes, I’ll call to see how he’s doing, but I’m not taking him his favorite squeaky toy.”
“Your phone is ringing, Alta,” Cas said as Chandler held his against his ear. “It’s been going off like crazy for a while.”
Pushing off the couch, I snagged the vibrating phone from the counter and swiped it open.
Dad’s voice boomed through the line. I pulled the phone back a few inches to keep from having my eardrum disintegrated.
“Where in the heck are you? I’ve been calling you all night,” he shouted. Zero anger laced his tone, only desperation and worry.
“Sorry,” I said. Pulling a stool over, I sat and not so lightly tapped my forehead against the counter in utter frustration—with Dad or me, I wasn’t sure. “Things are a little crazy around here.”
“Why does your GPS chip show you a few miles from your house? And you didn’t go running like normal today. You haven’t moved, at all. Alta Lady Johnson, what the hell is going on up there? I’ll jump in the truck right now, just say the emergency word.”
I cringed as Chandler and Cas stared me down. No doubt they heard every word. “No emergency word needed, Dad. I’m staying at a friend’s house for a few days, just right up the road. Don’t worry, okay? I’ll send you a new schedule soon.” Outside, a truck rumbled up the drive. “Listen, Dad, I gotta run. I’ll call you later and explain everything, okay?”
Not waiting for a reply, I hung up and tossed the phone on the counter.
“Emergency word? GPS chip?” Cas asked, sliding a plate of buttered toast and scrambled eggs in front of me.
Taking the fork from his hand, I dug in. “Yeah,” I sighed before taking a bite from the warm toast. “I have GPS chips in all my shoes. The signal and data are transmitted back to my parents in Texas, you know, to make sure nothing’s wrong. I don’t tell anyone because it makes me sound….” I wiggled the fork in the air as I searched for the right word. “Like the paranoid freak I am. Same with my emergency word in case they call and I’m in danger. Fireflies, by the way. That’s the SOS word.”
“You’re not a freak,” he said through gritted teeth, making me smile. He was even defending me against me. So cute. “What schedule do you send them?” Cas leaned across the counter, shortening the distance between us while sliding a bottle of water to me.
After twisting the cap off, I gulped down the room temperature water, savoring the way it seemed to clear the remaining haze from the earlier long nap. “At the beginning of every month, I send them my work schedule and running schedule. Since I don’t keep a normal routine, I like for someone to have all the information of when and where I’ll be somewhere. That way if anything goes wrong….” I shrugged and went back to devouring the delicious eggs. “Thank you for the food. I was starving.”
The pounding against the front door halted our conversation, even though I could tell Cas had more questions regarding everything he’d just learned. Chandler yanked the door open wide, allowing John to stalk through. His blue eyes searched the room until they landed on me. A strange expression creased his forehead and pinched his lips. I didn’t understand what had him so concerned until she walked in two steps behind him.
What. The. Hell.
No one said a word—heck, we maybe didn’t even breathe. Only her heeled boots stomping against the hard floor and the crackle of the fire sounded in the small room.
Turning from the smiling Sadie, I stared at my empty plate. My mind was playing tricks on me. There was no way Sadie was that crazy.
A glance over my shoulder confirmed it. I wasn’t crazy. Sadie had taken her near-black hair to a color somewhat matching mine. A bit more orange than my strawberry blonde, but there was no question the color she’d attempted.
“You like it, Birdie?” Sadie asked as she crossed the room.
My fingers tightened around the fork. It wasn’t much of weapon, but if I could make it to her neck…
Strong fingers wrapped around mine, easing my death grip on the thin metal. Glancing up, I shot Cas a glare, but he merely smiled and shook his head while withdrawing the fork.
“It’s different,” Cas said carefully.
“Let’s get to the note,” John snapped from where he paced in the middle of the room. If I were him, I’d be nervous too, though more about Sadie than the man hunting us. “Sadie found it on her car this morning.”
“Outside my apartment building,” she added, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “As soon as I saw it, I ran back upstairs to show John.”
My hands tucked into tight fists beneath the counter. It seemed she was more interested in letting me know John had stayed the night at her place than being worried about the note.
“Where is it?” Chandler asked, his face still locked in shock. “The note you found.”
John pulled a clear baggie from his jacket pocket and slapped it onto Chandler’s extended palm.
“Why haven’t you found this bastard yet?” John’s tone was full of accusation. He turned to focus on Cas. “If you were doing your job, maybe Sadie and Birdie wouldn’t be in danger.”
“I’m an excellent multitasker,” Cas responded with a slight lift of his shoulder. “And we are getting closer to finding this fucker, not that we’d tell you.”
“And until he’s caught,” Chandler cut in, “we’re keeping Birdie here, and I would suggest you get some protection detail for your girl here.”
Sadie’s eyes lit up at Chandler calling her John’s girl. “I think he has that handled,” she said, tucking herself under John’s arm and forcing him to wrap it around her shoulders. “Unlike other people, I’m grateful for his concern.”
I ground my teeth together to keep from lashing out.
“If Birdie is staying here, where’s Benny?” John asked, glancing around the cabin.
Tears welled, but somehow I kept them hidden and maintained my composure.
“Ugh,” Sadie scoffed. “Be glad he’s not here. That dog is mean and judgy. I don’t want him anywhere near me.”
That was enough.
I shoved away from the counter, the stool clattering to the floor as I ran to Cas’s bedroom. Only once the door was closed, my back pressed against the hard wood, did I take a full breath. It was too much. Sadie’s crazy, Benny hurt, Dad threatening to drive up, a killer after me and everyone I knew—all of it.
After hitting the light switch, dousing the room in complete darkness, I carefully shuffled to the bed and fell onto it face first. Sealing my eyes shut, I curled my knees and tucked an arm around my shins.
Their loud voices carried through the door. Grasping a pillow, I shoved it over my ear, blocking out their words.
It didn’t matter. None of this mattered.
I was a dead woman walking.
It was only a matter of time before this guy grew tired of the cat-and-mouse game he was playing and ended it.
With me.