Chapter 9
Gabriel sat in the worn leather chair in his office staring at the glowing logs crackling in the hearth.
A wood burning fire on a rainy day filled his head with inspiration.
The way the flames flicked into the air, morphing into new shapes— he’d yet to experience that same burn on flesh.
Of course, the screams would take away the relaxing ambiance, but oh how fun and interesting fire would be to play with.
He nestled his tumbler of scotch in the palm of his hand, swirling the thick glass to let the cubes of ice cool the amber liquid.
The storm would be in his home soon. He’d set everything in motion with the little mouse.
He hooked up the corner of his mouth and played the look on Evelyn’s face on repeat in his mind.
He could practically smell the fear in her wake as she’d fled the restaurant.
He couldn’t wait to touch her, to taste her...
couldn’t wait to show her what happened to little bitches who thought they were smarter than him.
His stomach muscles clenched, and desire flowed through his veins.
He rubbed his empty hand over his thigh, squeezing the thick fabric of his pants.
Closing his eyes, he imagined Evelyn’s long brown hair and wide dark eyes.
The pathetic dip of her pouty lips and air of uncertainty that clung to her like mud.
Like the flames, the picture in his head morphed, the hair more black than brown and the eyes a blue so vibrant they were almost violet.
The pouty lips flipped into a wide smile, and pain gripped Gabriel’s heart.
He wanted to open his eyes and chase away the image, but his memories were all he had left of her.
Even if they ended in disaster and despair and death.
Even if they ended in the only woman he ever loved, facedown in a river of blood.
Evelyn tried to keep her gaze from tracking Connor’s every move as he followed a worn path he’d made around her living room over the past twenty minutes.
Nervous energy vibrated his body, and if he didn’t stop and sit down soon, the carpet would forever show his trail behind the pale gray couch, in between the two floral armchairs, and in front of the gas fireplace.
She second-guessed her decision to ask him inside to wait for news of the warrant to search Gabriel’s home.
But she couldn’t let him go through the agony of waiting and wondering alone.
A part of her wanted to comfort him, to help him cope with the stress heaped on his broad shoulders.
A part of her she thought was long dead, killed by the cruelty of her parents.
And though it frightened her, a spark of hope lit inside her knowing this piece of her was still alive.
Lacey stood in the doorway carrying a wooden tray laden with coffee mugs, plates of snacks, and a white plastic carafe Evelyn didn’t even know they owned. Leave it to Lacey to leap into action and assume food would help everyone while they waited.
Ben lingered behind her, hovering like Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard. The two had passed timid smiles and quick glances ever since Connor and she had returned from the police station.
“I still can’t believe this is happening.” Lacey moved toward the round ottoman in the center of the room. The dishes rattled in her hands as she placed it on the stool. “I shouldn’t have told you I found Gabriel’s profile on EternalMatch. I never got a good vibe from him.”
“What do you mean?” Ben asked the question and reclaimed a spot on one of the chairs, leaving the refreshments untouched.
Lacey poured a giant mug with black coffee then took the vacant chair nestled close to Ben. She brought the cup to her lips and asked, “Did Evelyn tell you what happened to Gabriel’s friend?”
Connor finally halted, and the sapphire in his eyes burned like white fire. “I asked you about high school. You never mentioned anything.”
The hardness of his words made Evelyn’s mouth dry, and she hated herself for it. “When you and I spoke, nothing out of the ordinary came to mind. Lacey’s the one who reminded me about the accident. Even back then, I never imagined Gabriel was responsible for his friend getting hurt.”
“What happened?” Ben cut in, his accent thickening around the question.
Evelyn faced Ben. “A boy was hit by a car. The accident was a hit-and-run. Simon’s parents pulled him out of our school before he even left the hospital. Lacey overheard Gabriel talking about it one day.”
Lacey snorted. “More like laughing about it. What kind of person laughs about a friend being shoved into traffic and hit by a car?”
A chill swept down Evelyn’s spine, and she scooted to the edge of the sofa. “You never said shoved. How do you know that?”
Lacey shrugged and took another sip of coffee. “That’s the rumor I heard. He was shoved from behind into oncoming traffic. A car couldn’t stop, hit him, and then raced away.” Lacey lowered her cup and narrowed her eyes. “Are you all right?”
Evelyn fell back against the couch, the weight of the evening too much to shoulder.
“Someone pushed me tonight. Before dinner. I was shoved in the back and almost hit by a car, but Gabriel showed up just in time to pull me back to safety. I figured it was an accident. I completely forgot about it with everything else that happened.”
“Sonofabitch.” Anger radiated off Connor, but for once, it didn’t scare Evelyn. He cut through the center of the room and lowered himself onto the couch beside her. “He’s playing with you. Hell, he’s playing with both of us.”
Terror squeezed her gut. “Does that mean he’s suspicious of me?”
“Not necessarily,” Ben said. “He might have you lined up as his next victim. He and Monica never made plans to meet, but we know they talked for a couple weeks. She shared her daily routine, her work habits, her favorite places to shop. He knew a lot about where she’d be without having to set up an actual date.
If he wanted to strike again, it’d be smart to use the same approach. It’s harder to tie him to anyone.”
“That’s petrifying, but doesn’t that mean you can look at all the women he talked to and find a loose end?” Hope blossomed in her chest, beating back the fear gripping her heart.
Snowball appeared beside the couch and meowed, as if in agreement, and rubbed against Connor’s jean-clad legs. Evelyn grabbed the cat, placed the giant ball of fur in her lap, and ran her fingers through the long, silky strands. The humming purr helped to calm her frayed nerves.
“It’s not that simple. Ben and I have combed through every dating app and website we can find. EternalMatch was the only app Gabriel was registered with.” Connor held his hand in front of Snowball’s face, and the cat nudged against his long fingers.
“What about this Simon guy? Have either of you had any contact with him? Friends with him on social media?”
“No,” Evelyn said with a shake of her head. “I don’t have any social media accounts.”
“I belong to all of them,” Lacey said. “But I’m not friends with him. I’d forgotten all about him until last night.”
“Do you remember his last name?” Ben pressed. “I’d be interested in hearing his take on what happened. And if he was friends with Gabriel in high school, he might know something we could use.”
“Thompson?” Evelyn asked, her gaze locked with Lacey’s.
Lacey nodded. “Yes. That sounds right.”
Ben took out a notepad and scribbled something down. “Can you look into this guy? See if we can find him and ask him some questions?” Connor continued to scratch behind Snowball’s ears as he asked Ben the question.
“Yeah. I’ll start as soon as I get home.”
“Will we be safe here alone?” Lacey’s soft voice quieted the questions racing in Evelyn’s brain.
Connor and Ben locked eyes for a beat before Connor cleared his throat and let his gaze land on Lacey and then rest on her. “You have top-notch security. Leave your doors locked, don’t buzz anyone into the building, and try to stay home until we lock up this bastard.”
“If you don’t feel safe, I can always stay,” Ben said. “I could use your computer to look into Simon Thompson.”
A light blush stained Lacey’s cheeks.
A soft vibration sounded against Connor’s thigh.
He grabbed his phone, pressed his finger to the screen, and lifted it to his ear.
“Mitchel.” He puckered his brow. “Okay. I’ll meet you there.
Thank you.” He disconnected the call and jumped to his feet.
“Warrant came through. Sanders said to meet them at Gabriel’s townhouse in Brooklyn. ”
Evelyn sucked in a breath. This was it. The time had come to expose Gabriel for who he really was and bring Monica home.
“Want a ride?” Ben asked as he rose to his feet.
“No. You go home and let my dog out. I’ll grab a cab.” Connor made a beeline for the door.
Evelyn hurried after him, and a fist squeezed her gut.
She wanted Connor to find his sister more than anything but if he did, she’d have no reason to see him again. Courage overtook her, and she laid her hand on his back as he reached for the handle. Fire sparked in her veins. “Good luck.”
He turned toward her with a slight curve to his lips and hope shining from his eyes. “Thanks. Remember, stay inside. I’ll call when I can.”
As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn’t let Connor walk out of her life. He scared her in a much different way than Gabriel, but maybe for once in her life, he could be someone worth taking a chance on.
Black clouds covered what little light the distant stars usually shone down on the still-noisy streets of Brooklyn.
A light drizzle rained down on Connor as he joined the three uniformed officers on the stoop of the brick-faced townhouse.
He stopped on the side of the stairs and grabbed hold of the slippery black railing.
Monica could be on the other side of that door.
If he didn’t get to her in time, he’d never forgive himself.