Chapter Two
Habit had Easton surveying the parking lot before he stepped out of the diner with Kinley. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood, making him take pause. He didn’t like the unease squirming beneath his skin, the aura of being watched. He kept his hand just behind the small of her back, never touching, just hovering there in case they had to move fast. Outwardly, Kinley’s movements were loose and relaxed as they crossed the parking lot, but her eyes gave her away—liquid gold. Scanning. Assessing. Everything about her had a gilded glow: her hair, the dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose. But her spine? That was made of steel. Thick gray clouds billowed in tufts across the sky, making the temperature seem ten degrees colder than a typical fall day.
“Humor me.” He stopped halfway across the parking lot. “Use your automatic start.”
Her brows winged up, but she pressed the button on her key fob. The car started without incident. Maybe he was overly cautious, but an explosive had been placed beneath his brother’s car a few months ago. He could’ve been gravely injured, but he’d come away with only a few scrapes.
“You’re not going to start treating me like a civilian, right? Telling me to be careful and to lock up at night?” Her dry tone made him want to chuckle, despite the severity of the situation. The urge to laugh wasn’t something that happened often. He didn’t try to let go of the nightmare of his past. It was part of who he was and why he’d chosen a career with the bureau. To rid the world of monsters—especially those who lurked behind familiar names and faces. Mother. Father. Uncle. Coach.
“During the day, too.” He gave Kinley a small smile to let her know he was joking. He respected the hell out of her. There was no doubt in his mind that she could take care of herself. The grin died on his lips when a flutter of white caught his eye. A piece of paper was stuck beneath his windshield wiper. He examined the parking lot. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Kinley had spotted the paper, too.
“Jesus loves you or two bucks off of your next oil change?” Her tone was easy sarcasm, but he didn’t miss the way her right hand hovered around her hip—where she positioned her weapon.
“Let’s take a look.” He rounded his black SUV. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he read the handwritten note clinging to the glass.
She was mine first.
He retrieved his cell phone and dialed his office. “This is Agent Adair. I need CSI down here.” After relaying the address and enough of the situation for the time being, he looked at Kinley. She’d gone a few shades paler, her eyes wide as she stared at the script.
“Car.” He shielded her with his frame. “CSI will see if they can pull anything from the scene. Maybe we’ll get a fingerprint or two.”
She nodded once and skirted around the back of her car to open the driver’s side. Giving the area one last look, he got in the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
“I’m being watched.” Her voice was void of emotion. “For how long, I wonder?”
“He’s getting bold. It’s broad daylight. Anyone could’ve driven past. I need to get to a computer.” The place he was most powerful was behind a monitor, hands on a keyboard. He could slip into the dark web, hack into any surveillance camera, and draw data from beneath every virtual stone. “We need to find a safe place for you, and I need to bring the FBI in on this.”
“I’m not hiding. If I can draw him out just by living my life, I’ll gladly try.” Her hand was poised to shift into reverse, eyes locked on the rearview mirror. Imagine trying to live while the whereabouts of your worst nightmare were unknown. How she’d not only survived but thrived was beyond him.
“Right now, I seem to be the focus. That means he’s not looking for another victim to snatch.”
Sirens wailed in the distance, easing some of the tension pinching his shoulder blades. “Did you come here from your apartment or the police barracks?”
Her frown deepened. “Apartment.”
“You said it yourself.” Two cruisers took a sharp left into the parking lot. He gave one of the officers a chin lift. “He followed you. Knows where you live. Whether it’s the Kingston Town Killer or some jackass looking to scare you, you’re not safe. Your location is compromised. Is there someone you’re close to? Friends, family in the area? Anyone you can hole up with for the time being?”
“And put someone else at risk?” Anger sparked in her eyes. “Not happening.”
Dammit. She was going to be stubborn. Isolating herself wasn’t going to help. He could reach out to Gus and Jules, two of his foster siblings, to see if she could crash there. A selfish part of him knew he could keep her safer. He glanced at her, such a fascinating combination of strength concealed by delicate features: the high porcelain cheeks, a petite upturned nose, lips set in a defiant scowl. Something surged to life inside him. Protective. Possessive. He was only feeling this way because she’d come to him for help. That was it.
Then, the solution hit him, settling comfortably into his gut. The only thing concerning about the idea was the instant sense of peace it gave him. He wasn’t going to think too hard about his feelings. Not now. “Okay. You’ll be safe enough with me.”
“Whoa.” She reared back, gaping at him. “Slow down. That’s not what I meant. I appreciate the gesture, but I have a job to do. Cases that aren’t just going to wait around while I hide in some safe room, leaving families to agonize over what happened to their loved ones. I have a place to go when I’m off the clock.”
He’d pissed her off. Color saturated her cheeks, and her glare was intense and unwavering. “We’ll swing by the barracks. Talk to the lieutenant and get whatever you need from your desk.”
“I need to talk to your investigators. Give them more background than what you relayed to your colleague so they understand the situation.” The guys from the FBI crime lab had arrived and were busy securing the scene.
“They can reach you at the barracks. The person you need to fill in now is your lieutenant.” He was an asshole for being pushy, but she needed her network to know what was happening. Needed additional eyes on the situation. Kinley needed allies. “The lieutenant might be close to retirement, but he won’t blow this off. He’ll make sure there is an additional layer of protection for you. Trust your team to have your back. I know Gus will.”
“I take care of myself. Have for a long time. I came to you first because this guy is probably using a self-destructing email account. With your reputation, if anyone could get additional information, it would be you. Please don’t mistake my asking for help in this one area as a cry for help in others.” She paused and took a shallow breath. “Do you want to talk to them?” She gestured toward the two local police officers. “Or should I drive?”
“Why don’t you stay put while I talk to the local guys? I’ll just be a minute.” He hated leaving her in the car, exposed. He searched the tree line across the road, looking for anyone who might be lying in the wait. No one popped out, but that didn’t mean whoever left the note wasn’t watching somewhere nearby.
He got out of the car and walked over to the investigators. “You didn’t waste any time getting here. Appreciate it.”
A man and a woman who he recognized from the lab turned as he approached. “We got on the road right before rush hour.” The woman surveyed the parking lot, eyes narrowed. “What’s going on? Someone giving you trouble?”