Mila was really dead.
She’d never get a chance to work things out with her sister and be as close as they’d been when they were little.
She looked at Nate, tears blurring her vision. “She’s gone. He killed her. I couldn’t save her.”
Nate didn't say anything, just came to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her firmly against his chest. Completely surprising herself Rylla burst into tears and clung to Nate like he was her lifeline.
* * * * *
5:12 P.M.
He was so excited.
It was hard to wait. Patience had never been a strong suit of his, but it was one he wanted to work on. It was equally as important to him that he be a good husband as it was that the woman he chose to be his wife be successful at it. As such, he knew that learning to be more patient was important. He had the feeling that teaching Detective Rylla Franklin how to be the perfect wife was going to be a great opportunity to work on his patience.
He knew things with Rylla would not be easy.
She would fight him. It was inevitable. Her inner strength would require her to do it even if her common sense told her she shouldn’t. But the payoff once he had educated her and turned her into a quiet, obedient, submissive partner would be unlike anything he could even imagine.
Rylla was everything he had been looking for, he was sure of it.
Now he just had to wait for the perfect opportunity to grab her.
He had been watching her house ever since he’d dumped Mila’s body in a parking lot outside a shopping center. He’d seen people arrive. Cops. He could tell that even from a distance.
They hadn’t stayed long.
Just minutes after walking in the front door they walked back out. Shortly after a pregnant woman and a man also walked out.
He hadn’t been sure if anyone else was in there, but two cars were parked in the driveway so he suspected that there might be. Although he wanted to go running—well sneaking—straight inside to take Rylla, he didn't. He played it smart. Just like he had with everything else so far, and it had paid off. So far, they had nothing on him. It was important that he kept that up.
Although it was hard, he had to stay here, keep watch on Rylla’s house, and wait for the perfect time to make his move.
He wasn't quite sure yet if it would be better to break into her house to get her, perhaps wait until night and then get her while she was sleeping, or whether he should wait until she came out. Both had their pros and cons.
Given that Rylla was a cop, grabbing her while she was in bed asleep would certainly make things easier. He wouldn’t have to worry about her pulling a weapon on him or managing to get out of his grasp if he tried to tackle her. He was a strong guy, but he wasn't proficient in self-defense so he didn't know what moves she might have up her sleeves.
On the other hand, if he took her in her house then she would have the home ground advantage. Sometimes that made all the difference. If he waited for her to come out, he could follow her and take her at the perfect moment. She had to know about her sister, he assumed that was why the cops had been there earlier, so she would be distracted, she might not even notice him coming up behind her until it was too late. Then he could tuck her safely away in his car and take her away to his castle and begin his training.
He couldn’t wait to have her all to himself. From what he knew, Rylla was every bit as beautiful as Mila. It was hard to wait till he could run his hands over all that soft milky white skin, let his fingers glide through those red curls, press his lips to her plump ones.
He drew in a deep breath and made himself stay put. He had to keep focusing on the big picture, if he made a play for Rylla right now it might not work out, he could even wind up arrested.
With just a little patience he would have her.
Maybe he should take a little break. He had been here for a good twelve hours, he didn't want anyone to get suspicious. He should go and get some dinner, get some fresh air, relax and stretch his stiff muscles, then once he was refreshed he could come back here, ready to lie in wait for the perfect opportunity to take Rylla home with him.
* * * * *
8:47 P.M.
She needed space, fresh air. She needed to move. She needed to do something that was going to distract her mind from constantly replaying memories over and over again tormenting her relentlessly.
Rylla felt like she was suffocating. She couldn’t spend another second trapped inside her house.
Well, she knew she wasn't really trapped but she just needed to get out.
Not that she didn't appreciated Nate being here with her because she did, shereallydid. He had let her cry all over him, he had stayed with her all day, he had made sure she ate, he had tried to keep her distracted and lift her spirits, he had been sensitive and compassionate and caring, he had comforted her, basically he had been perfect.