Before the Dawn(34)

"What you're supposed to do is stay alive." Flat. Hard. His fingers closed around hers. "And I know you. I know you soul-fucking-deep. You're torn up right now because your friend is dead and you're putting the blame on yourself." He gave a grim shake of his head. "Not happening. He did this-some sick bastard who wants to be like the Iceman. And he did it deliberately." With his left hand, he gestured toward the reporters. "So they'd swarm in. So he'd get his fifteen minutes of fame at the cost of an innocent woman's life."

"You're profiling him." Because that was what he did now. He profiled killers.

Has he ever tried to profile me? If he really knew her "soul-fucking-deep" then he must have wondered about the dark spaces inside of her. Those yawning places that had grown over the years, after they'd been created by Jason.

And by Tucker.

Do you see what I've become?

"We're taking this one step at a time. Step one...let the crime scene guys do their job. We brought in backup from the local FBI and Detective Deveraux is on hand, too. They're securing the scene. And my job right now-my priority-is to protect you."

Not because of any personal reason, she got that. "You're supposed to protect the only surviving victim of the Iceman."

"And the next potential victim of this bastard."

She didn't flinch, but her heartbeat stuttered.

"Step two is getting you away from this scene. I know who you are...and any moment, one of those reporters will be figuring it out, too. They'll figure out your past."

Her anonymity would be blown to hell.

"They'll pull records on this building. They'll get your name. They'll make the connection. They wouldn't be worth their salt as reporters if they didn't." He looked toward his waiting SUV. "So come away with me now. Let's get away clean for the night. I'll take you away from the crowd, to a place where we can regroup for the night. By morning we'll have more evidence to follow. The rest of my team will be here. We can hit the ground running."

He kept using that tempting word, we. "You're going to let me help? No more trying to shut me out?"

"I'm going to make sure you're at my side. He's coming for you. I'm not going to bullshit and tell you that you're safe. We both know that's not true. So I figure the best place for you is with me. With my team. You proved today at the warehouse that you've got good instincts. I'm not going to shove you on the sidelines. I want you with me."


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That was where she wanted to be. It took two tries but Dawn swallowed the lump in her throat. "Jinx is-was-my friend." She didn't let too many people get close. Occupational hazard. "This shouldn't have happened." A tear leaked down her cheek. Her hand rose to brush it away, but Tucker beat her. His fingertips slid over her cheek.

"No," he said quietly. "It shouldn't have. But we're going to find the son of a bitch. We will stop him."

She nodded and peered up at him a moment longer. Dawn could feel stares on her. They'd already attracted attention from reporters. She knew he was right. Her identity would come out. With this case, with this situation, it would have to come out.

Without another word, she turned and headed for his SUV. Her clothes were upstairs. Her bag-upstairs. But all of that was part of a crime scene now.

How many times did he come in my home and I didn't know it?

Tucker opened the passenger door for her. She slid inside and when the door shut, she glanced back at the scene.

Was he there when I slept? Was that bastard right beside me and I didn't know it? He must have been. That was why she'd woken to his scent all around her.

Tucker slid into the driver's seat and slammed the door.

"This is different," she murmured. "Jason never broke into my room. He never came inside. I don't...I don't think he did that with any of his victims."

"This isn't Jason. It's some bastard who's obsessed with his crimes and living out a fantasy where he becomes the Iceman." He cranked the vehicle. "That fantasy is about to fucking end."

* * *

HIS DARKEST DREAM was finally a reality.

Dawn's home was lit up with the swirl of police lights. Uniforms made sure the crowd didn't get too close. Local FBI agents were all over the scene. And Jinx...

They found you. He'd hoped they'd make that discovery soon. He'd waited patiently for so long, but now everything was falling into place.

The Iceman lived again. The press would be spreading his story to the world. All eyes would be on him. They'd see just what he could do.