Colby’s words echoed in her mind.
Terror is part of our new story.
Fight it.
Don’t let him win.
Was she thinking about Colby or Myatt?
Perhaps both. Myatt seemed to be an extension of Colby, a part of the evil. Colby might have been guiding him, but Myatt was his alter ego.
And that alter ego had killed a woman who was loved and needed by that poor child.
Sweet little Zoey, asleep in her bed, about to wake up to a world without her mother in it. There was no father in the picture, but at least she still had a loving home with two doting grandparents.
She finally stood upright. The cool night air felt good on her face. She took a few deep breaths.
“Better now?”
She turned. Lynch was standing outside the entrance, watching her.
“I’m fine. I just needed to get out of there.”
“They had no idea you knew her. I never would have let you go in there if I’d known.”
“You couldn’t have stopped me.”
His lips curved ruefully. “I believe that, but I’d have seen that you had warning.”
She pulled her jacket closer around her. “It doesn’t matter if I’m safe and secure in your fortress. Myatt can still get to the people in my life.”
He nodded. “You can’t protect everyone.”
“No, I can’t. And he knows it. Who would dream Myatt would choose to target a woman on the outskirts of my life just because he thought it might hurt? It’s what Colby meant when he said I’d know what it means to truly suffer.”
“Do you want off this case?”
“No. It wouldn’t make any difference. He’ll still come after me and the people I care about. I just wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop him.” She gazed up at the glowing neon lights above the club entrance. “It’s like I told you before. We need to find the link between Colby and this killer, Myatt. That’s the key.”
“The Bureau has already started going through all the information we got from the prison. They’ll dispatch agents to follow up on each and every lead that comes up.”
“Well, they can dispatch me, dammit.”
“We’ll see what they come up with. We may have some leads in just a few hours.”
“They’d better.” She turned to Griffin and Metcalf, who had just emerged from the club. “Griffin, I want my security detail back.”
Griffin motioned toward Lynch. “I thought he was your security detail now.” He smiled slyly. “Has he proved inadequate?”
“This isn’t for me. This is for my mother and my friend, Olivia. Myatt is obviously beginning to target me through the people in my life.”
“Why just those two? I’m sure you never would have suspected he’d murder the parent of one of your clients.”
“Of course not. But I can’t ask for special protection for every single person I know. You’d never give it to me. Olivia and my mother would be at the top of the list of people he might target to hurt me.”
“So you want two security details?”
“Just one. I’ll send them out of town together until this is over.”
“And they’ve agreed to this?”
“Not yet, but they will. I’ll see to it.” She made a face. “Though neither one of them is going to be pleased with me. Mom and Olivia care about each other, but they’re both too independent to be bosom buddies.”
“I don’t know, Kendra. We’re really not in the personal security business, and there is no proof that—”
“Stop arguing, Griffin. You know you’ll do it. If you did it for me, why not them? You just like the idea of wielding a club over my head.” Her lips firmed. “If you don’t agree, then I’ll take them out of town myself. If I’m forced to do that, I won’t be able to help you on this case any longer. Do you understand?”
Griffin gave her a sour look. “You’ve made yourself very clear. Where are you going to send them?”
“I’ll tell you once I know. In person. I’m not trusting phone lines right now.”
He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll work something out.”
“Thank you. I’m going to talk to them right now.”
Metcalf checked his watch. “It’s 4:40 A.M. They are going to be displeased with you.”
“This can’t wait. I need to take care of them before I do anything else. When can we expect some analysis of the prison logs?”
“Agent Reade went straight to the office with them after we landed. She was entering them into the case-file database until the wee hours, which is why I didn’t ask her to join us here.” Griffin started across the parking lot toward his car. “Meet us at the office after you’re through, and we’ll see where we stand.”