Keep Me Safe(58)

“And that’s where we come in,” Eliza said in a calm, placating voice. “We put our best team on this. Make sure we have all the bases covered. She goes in, sees if she can pick up on anything and then we get out and hope we nail the bastard before he murders another innocent woman.”

“I agree,” Ramie said firmly.

She rose from her perch on the couch but went still when she swayed precariously. She let out a frustrated curse because everything had shifted around her the moment she stood. The effects of the medication Dane had given her hadn’t been pronounced until now. She was light-headed and the jackhammer in her head had subsided to a dull ache at the base of her skull.

“Are you okay?” Caleb asked anxiously.

“I’m fine, Caleb,” she confirmed. “I think the medication is kicking in, that’s all.”

Caleb’s expression was worried and grim. “I think you should go lie down for a while. God knows you’re going to need all the rest you can get if we’re even considering this fucked-up plan to let you go after a monster.”

She locked gazes with him and then she closed the distance separating them, taking the few steps to where Caleb had ended his last pacing session. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed in an effort to give him some reassurance.

Tension radiated from him in waves. His mind was a jumbled mass of chaotic thoughts and fears. She could feel how terrified he was that something would go wrong and that she would pay the ultimate price.

“I have to do this, Caleb, and you know it. I don’t relish the idea of immersing myself in a myriad of fear, pain, blood and violence, but if I don’t stop him, who will? Police always say eventually he’ll mess up and make a mistake but this guy hasn’t and won’t make that mistake. He’s too good. He’s the most dangerous sort of killer. Cold, calculating, patient and methodical in everything he does. If it takes the next five years, or even ten, he’ll wait for the time when I screw up and make a mistake or let my guard down. And I don’t want to live the next five to ten years constantly looking over my shoulder and allowing fear to control me. I’m ashamed it took me this long to come to this conclusion. A lot of women had to die to get me to this point but that’s something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. Taking him down for good will go a long way in easing some of the burden I bear.”

Caleb’s expression softened, his eyes losing some of the harsh glint. “Baby, you can’t save them all.”

He smoothed her hair back, framing her face in his hands. His eyes were such a rich shade of blue that it felt as though she were drowning in an ocean. They were warm with love but there was also a trace of fear. For her. That he would lose her.

“I’m afraid of losing you too,” she whispered. “Don’t you see? You worry about me and what happens if I fall back into his hands, but I worry that you or Tori or one of your brothers and even Dane and Eliza will pay the ultimate price for offering me protection. He’s ruthless and unfeeling. Murder and death amuse him. He’s convinced of his superiority and that’s why I’ve become an obsession with him. Because he didn’t best me, and I got too close to him. He considers that the ultimate insult.”

“Unbelievable,” Eliza said, incredulity in her voice. “You pegged him. You were word for word what his FBI profile came back with.”

“We need to get this sketch to the police and media,” Dane said. “The sooner we’re able to warn the public and heighten awareness of the fact a serial killer has taken up temporary residence in the Houston metropolitan area the sooner we can bring him to justice. Maybe we’ll get lucky and he’s taken down before he chooses his next victim.”

“Get on it then,” Caleb said. “I’m taking Ramie up so she can rest until her headache is better.”





TWENTY-FIVE




“IS this where I say sorry, honey, I’ve got a headache?” Ramie asked in a drowsy tone.

She yawned widely, her jaw popping with her effort before settling her cheek back onto Caleb’s bare chest, nuzzling sleepily into his arms. He laughed softly, his hand roaming up and down the slender arch of her body.

Her skin was baby soft, like the finest silk. He was thoroughly enjoying the simple pleasure of touching her, of having her in his arms and in his bed. He turned his head just enough that his lips pressed against the hairline of her forehead.

“I’ll let you get away with it. This time,” he said in amusement.

It suddenly struck him that for the space of a few stolen moments all was quiet. Peaceful. No intrusions from the outside world. Intimacy surrounded them, enfolding them both in its gentle embrace.