Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 4

BRICE

I sure as shit hadn’t expected that! Damn! This wasn’t in the least good.

I’d read in Rylee’s file what her former leader had written, of how she’d awoken from surgery screaming, and the words she had said. Of how he had referred her to the agency’s psychologist as a result. I knew Rylee, and she wasn’t one who would want the attention, in fact she was the exact opposite. Something else had happened during those lost moments. She had been through hell, who wouldn’t be a little wonky. However, one thing I knew for certain, whatever she had experienced, had changed her. She wasn’t the girl I had known before I’d taken off for college. Her words when she had come out of surgery revealed she had been enduring this sick bastard’s killings for quite some time. But the when and how didn’t matter, he had sucked onto her like a leach and wasn’t letting go. Now, upon finding out the son-of-a-bitch was watching us work the scene through her, I knew I had to remove her from the case. I had no choice. I didn’t want the nutter to know anything, but mostly I removed her because it was too fucking dangerous for her to remain working it.

As I worked, I couldn’t keep my mind off the fact Rylee was engaging with a killer. Why, specifically, had he picked her? Did they, or had they known one another? I gave my head a small shake. I had to give it to the woman. She had shown no signs of fear. Instead, she rolled with the punches and dug in like a pit-bull to the case, and it was going to be like taking a bone from the snarling, snapping jaws of a canine to get her to stay off of it. I knew, as well, when I walked out of this house, she was going to be all over my ass—so would my unit chief, but I would go toe to toe with him over her removal. I had little doubt I was facing zillions of questions that I didn’t feel I could truthfully answer. How could I? But we had a department for this very type of phenomenon, as well for other forms, and it would be like placing her on a plate and handing her to them, and I had little doubt she would be put under a microscope and made to feel like a germ on a petri dish. Telepathy, though becoming more and more a possibility within the scientific world, had still not been accepted. The government had a variety of fields they kept under wraps. The men in black? Well, all I can say is the next time you see two or more men wearing black suits and sunglasses, as well moving with determination, don’t rule out the possibility of who they are.

I was shaken out of my thoughts, when from beside me, Courtney stated, “She is going to pitch one hell of a fit when the shock wears off.”

I nodded. “Yes, sir, that she will.”

RYLEE

Momma always told me if I didn’t have anything nice to say, to not to say anything at all—I always was rebellious. I didn’t have anything nice to say, but I sure as shit wasn’t saying nothing at all! No, this needed to be addressed and the sooner, the better. Brice couldn’t just kick me off the case! Well, okay, he could, but dammit!

The crowd outside had dwindled to just a few lookie-loos and for that, I was thankful. I was not in a crowd pleasing mood. I should be in there, helping, not out here trying to decide if I loved the gnome in the flower garden or loathed it. In the mood I was in, loathing would be easiest, but the bugger was kinda cute. Heaving a breath, I turned from the gnome, realizing somehow its presence had calmed me. Oh, I was far from being in a forgiving mood. But I no longer wanted to rip Brice’s head off and shove it where the sun doesn’t shine. No, now, I might be able to manage an actual conversation, rather than pulling on my boxing gloves and going to town on his face. Maybe.

As I watched the M.E. arrive, I knew Brice and Jordan should have the scene wrapped up soon, so I sat down on the curb, and picking up a twig, I began drawing in the dirt on the street. Waiting.

Fifteen minutes had passed when, out of the corner of my eye, I finally caught Brice exiting through the front door. Lightly springing to my feet, I stood waiting. He would have to come to me! I was not seeking him for an apology. He’d caused the brewing argument, so he could come to me to resolve it. As I watched him glance around, then his eyes land on me, I saw a look of resignation slide across his features. Yeah, damn right mister, we are discussing this.

As he neared where I stood, he grabbed my arm, but kept walking. When we reached his pickup and he silently held open the door for me I snorted.

Without a word, I climbed in and settled onto the seat, revving up my engines for battle.

Climbing in right behind me, Brice turned to face me. “Not a fucking word.” Then, arms shooting out, he pulled me across the seat before tipping my head back, he buried my mouth beneath his. When he finally lifted his mouth from mine, and shifted back around, he growled, “If you think there is anything you can say that will make me put you back on this case, knowing that parasite is feeding you, and feeding off you, you are way the fuck off the mark!”

Lord, God almighty could the man kiss, I couldn’t help thinking before my mind resettled on why I was mad. If he thought kissing me into oblivion was going to make me forgive him. Weeelll, I’d show him just how wrong he was!

“Look asshole,” I snapped. “So yeah, you distracted me there for a second, but I’m not going to let you keep me off the case. He came to me, remember? Obviously he wants me to see what he is doing. Some sick fetish? Who the fuck knows. But as long as he is leading us to corpses, I’m going to keep chasing until I get this bastard. And either we can do this together, or I do it alone, but I’m not stopping!”

Brice sat quietly for a moment, the truck idling as he considered my words. “Not even if I told you I’m falling for you, and that I’m afraid of screwing something up and getting you killed because of it?” he finally asked.

Drat the man!

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter