Chapter 6 #2
As I walked their trail back once more, all the way to where she’d run out into the road, I noticed something. Magnus’s footprints had wiped away Delaney’s as he ran directly after her. Until a few yards from the highway. There, Delany’s tracks were clearer the closer she’d gotten to the road.
Why had he stopped following so closely behind?
Magnus had been seconds from catching her. Just moments away from dragging her back to the nightmare she’d escaped.
Then it hit me. He knew she’d been close to the highway, and he must have heard the rumble of my engine headed this way. He’d most likely changed course to see if he could head her off at another point, and then when she ran straight into the road, he couldn’t follow.
Shit. He had to have seen me take Delaney away. Which meant he probably knew exactly who had her.
“Fucker was close,” Fury muttered darkly beside me.
My jaw clenched, tension rippling beneath my skin. “Too damn close.”
We stayed for several more minutes, carefully documenting everything we could find before finally returning to our bikes.
My head was spinning now, planning how to handle Magnus.
Cold fury simmered steadily beneath the surface, but it remained directed on how to take him down swiftly and permanently.
Once back at the compound, I went straight to my room.
When I opened the door, the tension that had been coiling tighter and tighter finally eased at the sight of Delaney awake, curled up on my bed, reading a novel I’d left on the nightstand.
She sat up when she saw me, her eyes wide and vulnerable, relief washing visibly across her face.
Seeing how she felt safe here with me hit harder than I expected.
“You’re back,” she murmured, her voice hoarse but relieved as she set down the book. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” I moved toward her without hesitation, sinking down beside her. “How do you feel?”
She gave me a small smile. “Better, now that you’re here.”
I reached out, brushing my knuckles across her cheek. “Same.”
Pink dusted her cheeks, and her eyes dropped to my chest for a moment. When they lifted to meet mine again, wary curiosity swirled in the hazel depths. “Can I…am I allowed to ask where you went?”
I appreciated her respect of the club’s boundaries, but Kane had always made it clear that if club business directly involved our woman, we could share a certain amount of information with her.
“Went back to where you ran out in front of me.”
Her expression turned cautious, her eyes searching my face carefully. “Did you find anything?”
I didn’t sugarcoat it, though I didn’t give her the worst details. “Magnus was closer than I liked.”
Her face paled visibly at my words, her breathing quickening.
“Pretty sure he saw me take you, angel.”
Fear flickered briefly across her face, but I tightened my hold, pulling her fully against my front. “Listen to me. He won’t ever get his fucking hands on you again. You understand me?”
She nodded slowly, her body relaxing at the rough certainty in my voice.
“Should we go to the police?” she asked carefully.
I shook my head, my tone firm and unwavering. “This has escalated beyond that, angel. You’re mine. I’ll handle this shit. The Kings will make sure that Magnus faces consequences no police can deliver. Trust me.”
Her eyes widened just a bit, but she nodded again, seeming to accept it. “I trust you.”
I cupped her jaw, running my thumb slowly across her cheek. “Good. But until this is settled, you’re staying here at the compound. It’s the safest place for you.”
She nodded again without hesitation. “As long as I can stay in contact with my parents and make excuses why I can’t see them right now, so they won’t get suspicious or worried. At least for a couple of weeks until it’s Christmas.”
“That’s fine.” I settled against the headboard and pulled her fully onto my lap. “Jax can get you a new phone and make calls look like they’re coming from your number in a couple of hours.”
I could tell that had piqued her interest, but instead of asking questions, she relaxed more, clearly relieved. I brushed my knuckles over her cheek again, then tilted her chin upward, holding her gaze. “You should shower and change. You’ll feel better. Gonna go get you some food.”
She smiled softly. “Okay.”
I climbed out of the bed and walked to my dresser, reaching into a drawer to pull out a black T-shirt. When I handed it to her, our fingers brushed and warmth sparked up my arm at even the small contact. “Here, you can wear this until we get you some clothes.”
She took the shirt carefully, the corners of her lips tilting slightly. “Thanks.”
When she disappeared into the bathroom, my mind involuntarily jumped to the image of her stripping off her clothes then stepping under the water, her smooth skin slick and flushed from the heat.
My pulse kicked at the vivid thought of stepping in behind her and sliding my hands over every bare inch of her body.
Son of a bitch. I dragged a rough breath through my teeth, fighting down the arousal. I had to regain some damn control.
I forced myself to leave the room and thanked my lucky fucking stars when no one was in the kitchen. Brothers giving me shit about the hard-on I sported while walking around the clubhouse wouldn’t help my already shitty mood.
However, I had to send a thought of silent gratitude to their old ladies for keeping the fridge stocked. I quickly put together a couple of sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, and several waters since I didn’t want Delaney becoming dehydrated again.
When she stepped out of the bathroom a short time later, her damp hair tumbling around her shoulders and wearing nothing but my oversized black T-shirt, my breath got stuck in my chest. She was sexy as fuck. Every inch of me wanted her, and desire hit me like a fucking freight train.
She was nearly irresistible, but I sensed she needed something normal right now. A moment of peace after everything she’d endured. And that helped me to get a grip on my sanity.
“C’mere, angel.” My voice came out rougher than intended, but she approached without hesitation, her gaze trusting and open.
“Pick a movie.” I motioned toward the TV hanging on the wall. “Let’s just relax for a while.”
She smiled, warmth flickering in her eyes as she sat and leaned against me on the couch.
As the movie started, I encouraged her to eat her sandwich and kept offering her sips of water until she’d downed an entire bottle.
Once she’d eaten a few pieces of fruit, she giggled and pushed my hand away, insisting she was full.
I eyed her skeptically, sure she needed to eat more after what she’d been through.
“Seriously, Soren. I can’t eat another bite. But I promise I’ll nibble more if I get hungry again.”
Hearing her use my real name and the genuinely happy smile on her perfect lips convinced me to let it go for the moment. She turned to watch the movie and gradually sank against my chest, her body relaxing fully against mine until her breathing evened out and her eyes drifted closed.
My gaze was on the screen, but I wasn’t watching it.
My mind was at work, building the killer’s profile.
Parsing every detail of her abduction and analyzing the things Delaney remembered about Magnus and the site she’d escaped from.
The other victim. The interruption of the ritual, control language, and ritualistic phrasing.
This was my specialty—human patterns, behavioral analysis, and predator psychology. The abduction style, restraint method, victim selection, and how Magnus had staged everything told a story. One question burned in my mind…what exactly were we dealing with?
I didn’t have enough details to know if Magnus was an isolated ritual killer, an obsessive academic predator, an organized murderer, a wealthy psychopathic collector, a human trafficker, or a ritualist connected to a cult.
I was frustrated as fuck at all the options I could be looking at.
I needed clarity on the scale and patterns of his actions to understand who and what he was.
It was clear Magnus Kinghorn wasn’t just a random offender, though. He had purpose, structure, and clear rituals. I needed to uncover exactly what made him tick so we could hunt him down and end this.
Because now, he was no longer just some faceless predator. He was the bastard who’d dared to hurt what belonged to me, and I wouldn’t stop until I took him apart, piece by fucking piece.