Chapter 24 #2
“Were you involved with Bridget Russell? She was an attractive woman. She lived in the town where you have your primary residence. I’m sure your paths crossed.”
“Actually, they didn’t.”
But Gage merely arched his eyebrows. “So when we search her house, we won’t find anything connecting you to her?”
“I have no connection to her.” Preston had no idea what they’d find at her home.
“Are you certain there is no link? After you escaped, perhaps the killer decided to hurt you…by going after the people close to you. They do that, you know.” Quiet. Hard. “Target the weaknesses you have in this world.”
The person closest to me…
Preston’s gaze cut to Sloane. A pacing Sloane
Somehow, so fast, she’d become the person who meant the most to him. She knew him best. His tie to her was the strongest. “I have no connection to Bridget Russell,” Preston responded, to be clear. “I am very sorry for her death, and I think the bastard who hurt her should pay.”
A rumble came from Gage’s throat. “She texted several friends after you were pulled out of the ground. She gushed about how handsome you were. About meeting a billionaire. About how incredible you were.”
In the ambulance ride away from his grave site, he’d only been aware of Sloane. He’d been focused completely on Sloane. On getting her checked out. On staying close to her. “I had no relationship with Bridget.” How many times would he need to say those words for the Fed?
“I’d like to see Bridget’s home.” From Sloane.
Gage’s mouth tightened. He gave a hard, negative shake of his head. “Not gonna happen, Sloane. As I’ve told you and Lily before, you’re not part of the FBI.”
Anger flashed on her face. Preston could see it burning in her dark eyes. He could—
“Oh, suck it, Gage,” she snapped at the Fed.
Preston blinked. He also smiled. He liked her fire.
Her hands balled into fists on her hips.
“We both know that you’ve let Lily look at tons of crime scenes.
She’s the one who finds the evidence that you miss.
She’s the one that gave you evidence and leads for too many cases.
Now, I want to see Bridget’s place. I want to take a look at things.
Because, as painful as this is for me to admit, I think you might actually be on to something. ”
He was?
“The victims are important.” Sloane’s pacing had brought her back to Preston.
“In this case, very important to our perp. I think he has a connection to all of them. We find those connections, and we find him.” Brisk.
Her dark stare swept toward Preston. “The way that he is killing means he has to be connected to the Last Breath Killer. He knows things that he shouldn’t. ”
Now Dominic seemed curious. “Things like…what?”
Her lips pressed together. She wasn’t going to reveal anything that she thought was too personal for Preston.
So Preston was the one to tell Dominic, “Things like the Last Breath Killer’s final taunts to his victims. What he’d say when they were in the coffins.
Right before he covered them up.” He’d clenched his hands into fists.
Deliberately, Preston relaxed his fingers.
“He knows exactly what the Last Breath Killer told his victims.”
“How?” Dominic demanded.
Sloane was close to Preston. His left hand extended. Slid down her back.
She edged closer to him.
“And just what the hell would he say?” Gage asked at the same time.
“‘Take a deep breath. Pray it’s not your last.’”
“That’s a fun greeting card quote.” Dominic’s dark brows pulled low. “What an asshole.”
Yes, the Last Breath Killer had been an asshole.
“You got guards on her?” A snap from Gage. A jerk of his fingers toward Sloane. “Sloane has been pulled into your nightmare. Now you’re fucking her. Tell me that she at least has good protection in place.”
Sloane gasped. “You have no idea what—”
“Sloane, his gaze won’t leave you.” Gage rolled his eyes.
“He looks at other people, then goes right back to you. Every single time. You’re in his house.
And you’re not scared of him when you should be.
Obviously, you’re fucking him. He’s fucking you.
I’m a freaking behavioral expert, I notice these things.
” His nostrils flared. “So let me repeat, do you need federal protection, or do you have guards on Sloane?”
“I have guards,” Preston said.
Gage grunted. “You don’t mean Frankie Belmont, do you? Because that bastard did five years for assault. I don’t trust him anywhere near Sloane.”
And they were right back to the Fed’s research into Preston’s life. “I trust Frankie.”
“You hire an ex-con to be your driver and your guard, fine, that’s your business—your business when he’s just watching out for you.
However, now we’re talking about Sloane.
Considering that Frankie nearly beat a man to death, he raises more than a few red flags for me.
I don’t happen to think he’s the best person to have around Sloane.
” A deliberate pause. “Sloane has a history with violent men.”
“We are done.” Sloane clapped her hands together.
Three, angry claps. One punctuating each word.
We. Clap. Are. Clap. Done. Clap. “Hoped you’d offer us something useful today.
Nope. Not happening. You’re just jumping to conclusions and trying to drive some kind of wedge between me and Preston, and it just does not make sense to me—”
Gage lunged to stand toe to toe with her.
“I couldn’t believe it when I found out that you’d been buried alive, Sloane.
How many times do you think you can play with monsters before they drag you down with them?
I had to watch while Lily tied herself to Atlas Bennett, and now, you’re doing the same damn thing. I know what Preston Byron is.”
“Preston Byron is right here,” Preston noted. His hand was still at Sloane’s back, and he could feel the tension pouring through her. “He’s getting increasingly annoyed, and he’s decided that Sloane was correct with her initial assessment. You are a dick.”
Dominic snorted. “Everyone always comes to that conclusion. Sooner or later.”
“Frankie is a violent offender,” Gage gritted out. “And your other guard? Noble?” His angry stare swept to Sloane. “Do you have any idea how many men he killed?”
Preston eyed Dominic. The small amount of patience that Preston had previously held was long gone. “So, if you two knew about the primary guards I have in place, then why did he even ask the question?”
“It’s a technique he has,” Dominic explained.
“Douchey, but, sometimes, it works. Gage thinks that he’ll get you to slip up and reveal some kind of detail that he might be able to use.
See, he’s currently working on the assumption that someone very close to you committed the attacks.
You happen to have two violent men—men who could easily carry and bury a victim—working for you.
So he’s attempting to discover if Noble Garrison or Frankie Belmont could be the perp we’re after. ”
Gage gaped at him. “I don’t want you as my partner.”
“Same.” A fast response from Dominic. “Look how we are agreeing on things! That is team work.”
“Why the hell did I get assigned to you?” Gage wanted to know.
“Because no one else would have you. Because you make enemies right and left. Because I’m a ray of sunshine, and I agreed to take the job no one else wanted.
I made the big sacrifice for the good of the whole Bureau.
” Dominic’s lips pursed. “Glad that’s all out in the open, so, yeah, let’s just all cut the bullshit, shall we? Move along to more important matters?”
Yes, Preston could certainly see why Sloane liked Dominic better.
“Tell us about Frankie,” Dominic directed. “Tell me why you trust him.”