Chapter Thirty-One #2
Before she could process the adrenaline dumping into her system, the front door burst open with a crash.
Rags charged into the room, Glock in hand, eyes steely, scanning for danger.
He skidded to a stop. His gaze snapped down to Devin bleeding on the floor, then tracked up to the revolver still gripped in her hands. then at her.
“You okay?” His voice was raw.
Casey nodded once. “Yeah.”
Something like awe cut through the fury on his face. Rags let out a breath that sounded like it had been tearing him apart from the inside. He stepped closer and gently lowered her weapon. “Remind me to never piss you off,” he said, voice low and rough.
“Rags.” Her voice hitched as she slumped against him.
“It’s okay. I’m here now.”
“How did you know?”
“You didn’t answer your phone.”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
Casey closed her eyes briefly. “Someone called the cops,” she murmured.
Rags glanced toward the window. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “They did.”
Devin groaned on the floor.
She glanced at him. “I shot him.”
“You defended yourself,” Rags corrected.
“I still shot him,” she whispered. “He’s the killer. Devin, who I thought was my friend.”
“I thought you would be my forever princess,” Devin groaned.
“Shut the fuck up or I’ll finish you off,” Rags said, taking a step toward him.
“The cops. Don’t complicate this,” Casey said, tugging him back to her.
“I didn’t know my woman packed a weapon.” His arm wrapped around her, drawing her closer against him. “I find it sexy as hell, babe.” He kissed the top of her head.
She pulled away at the sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs. “You should leave. You know how they are with you and your club.”
“There’s no fuckin’ way I’m slithering outta here like a damned pussy. I’ve got you.”
Before she could respond, several officers rushed in with guns drawn.
“What’s going on here?” one of the cops asked, his gaze locked on Rags.
Casey pointed at Devin. “He tried to kill me. I defended myself.”
“You?” one of the policemen said. He stared at Rags. “Are you sure you didn’t have a hand in this?”
“He just came in. He had nothing to do with this.” Casey tilted her head toward the killer. “He’s the one who’s been strangling all the women. He wanted me to be his next victim.”
The wail of more sirens echoed in the night.
“The paramedics are on their way,” said one of the deputies.
“You should check the backyard or basement at his house for the bodies of his mother and sister. Based on what he was saying, you’ll probably find them there.”
“Did you know him?” the deputy whose badge read Officer Hughes asked.
“I thought I did,” Casey said. “He works at the Frontier Museum. I can’t believe Devin did all those horrible things.”
“Casey, why are you lying to the cops?” Devin said.
Casey felt Rags stiffen against her, and she dug her nails into his skin so he wouldn’t do something that would make this disaster any worse than it already was.
Then the paramedics rushed in with a stretcher, hoisted Devin on it, and rolled him away as Sheriff Bridges entered the townhouse. He glanced at Rags, then at the large pool of blood on the floor.
“You involved in this?” he asked.
Rags didn’t answer, his face a stoic mask.
“No, he’s not,” Casey said. “I’m the one Devin was after. He’s the strangler. He came here to kill me.” Her voice hitched.
“Why’re you here?” Bridges asked Rags.
No answer.
“He’s my boyfriend,” Casey said. “He was worried when I didn’t answer the phone.”
Bridges darted his gaze from Rags to Casey, then back to Rags. “Is that true?”
“She’s my woman,” Rags growled.
“All right. Why don’t the two of you come to my office and I’ll take your statements.”
Nodding, Casey asked, “Can I get my coat?”
Ten minutes later, she and Rags followed the patrol car to the sheriff’s office.
“You’ll do fine. Don’t worry. Just tell them what happened,” Rags said.
“I will. I don’t want them pulling you into this.”
“The badge is okay.”
“Why did you think I was in trouble when I didn’t answer the phone? I have the alarm system.”
“I had a vibe,” Rags said. “Hawk sent me a list, and I spotted the fucker’s last name on it. The first name was a woman, so that threw me for a second.”
“I bet he’s been renewing his mother’s registration tags for years. I still can’t believe it was Devin.”
“I know, babe. I’m sorry it turned out to be a friend of yours.”
“I thought it was that weirdo Curtis. A friend of mine’s husband.”
“A lot of times it’s the ones we least suspect. Just tell the badge everything that happened.”
“Okay.”
They pulled in front of the three-story building. As she reached for the door handle, Rags cupped her chin and kissed her hard. “I love you, Case.”
“I love you too, Rags.”
They stepped out of her SUV, and the cold air bit into their lungs.
Heavy flakes pelted them in the wind, stinging their eyes.
Rags looped his arm around her and she moved in closer to him as they crunched across the concrete toward the glowing glass doors of the building, their breath pluming in the dark.
Casey sighed when Rags opened the door, a wave of heat encasing her.
This is going to be a long night.