To Save His Mate(13)

It was something new and wonderful, something that could become addictive and end up very painful in the end. She was leaving for home once this case ended, and she had no doubt her heart would be in pieces if she didn’t stop this now.

A nudge to her leg brought Lacy’s attention to the wolf now at her side, but that wasn’t where the panting was coming from. Between herself and Ethan, they were breathing as if they’d just finished a marathon.

“I’m not sure if I should apologize or kiss you again,” he admitted.

This brought a laugh from Lacy. “Neither. You should check your phone. I think she likes me now,” she assured him, patting the now docile animal. “How about you, big guy?”

“I like you just fine. I thought that would be obvious,” Ethan teased.

Blushing now, Lacy shot back, “I was talking to your other wolf. He’s just been staring at me this whole time.”

“He’s not really affectionate like his sister.”

Lacy couldn’t quite imagine cuddling up with the big gray wolf at her side. The image of her snarling face framed in the car window would likely keep Lacy up tonight as it was.

Ethan was typing in a message when she glanced back over. “I’ll explain things on the way, but we need to go,” she pointed out as she opened the back door and watched as the two wolves jumped in and seated themselves like well-trained pets instead of the wild animals they were.

“Yeah, Gus just arrived, so you’ll need to talk to him, too,” he replied as he made his way to the driver’s side. “I’m not a cop, so he’ll be your go-to guy.”

“It can only be him though. No models, photography crew or anyone else can know my real reason for being here. Only the people who are involved in this investigation.”

“Which is?”

Oh, yeah, she still hadn’t gotten to that. “I’m here to catch a murderer.” Lacy turned in her seat, so she was able to gauge his reaction. “This case went cold about five years ago when the killer just stopped. We have no idea if it’s male or female, no clues, either. Every killing appeared—to the casual observer—to be a freak accident.”

“Maybe, that’s why you haven’t caught the person yet, because they’re just accidents.” His suggestion would have made perfect sense if not for one tiny detail.

“There’s a distinct pattern. These murders always happen in the warmer months, and it’s always two females, one male. Accidents don’t come in neat little patterns,” Lacy pointed out.

“Agreed. So how did you end up with this job? It seems suicidal to make yourself into the very thing being targeted.”

“If he sticks to the pattern, then it’s a guy that’s next to die. Plus, I need to have access to all the places the models do.”

“Makes sense. So where’s your back-up?”

“Um, I’m looking at him?” Lacy had worked with Murphy long enough to know that if he gave the go-ahead for a civilian to assist, it was because they were capable of being an asset to the case, but in this instance, he was trusting her judgment. She had no doubt Ethan would be just that…if he agreed.

“Me? Lacy, I’m not a cop. I’m a firefighter and a forest ranger. You need Gus for something like this.”

“No, I need you,” she insisted. “This person is smart. They’ll know as soon as a cop sets foot in this area. You’re already here, and the killer won’t see you as a threat, but if a new model just shows up, he could pull back.”

“I see what you’re saying. We’ll need to let Gus in on things. He won’t do anything to blow your cover. On the contrary, he may be able to keep you from blowing it.”

“How do you figure?” She’d never blown her cover before.

“These attacks are happening when other models are around, so you can’t very well go over the scene without someone noticing. He can keep you filled in, and I could take you out on a ‘date’, but really bring you here.” Ethan gave her a quick smile, but Lacy caught the excited gleam in his eyes. “I guess you’ll be protecting me from the killer?”

“You’ll be the easiest for me to cover since we’ll be working together, but you’ll still need to watch your back,” she warned. “I’ll also need you to help me keep an eye on the other male models. These ‘accidents’ aren’t just happening at the shoots. The first one here happened at the hotel. We’re still not sure how he managed to electrocute himself like that. But what happened today?”

“Someone released bees into a dressing area. It appears to have happened just before one of the guys went inside. He’s allergic and began swelling. EMS is there now. One of the officers said that there are still quite a few buzzing around. His text a moment ago said that it was getting worse as they loaded him into the ambulance. Something about his breathing being minimal.”