“I’m sort of stubborn like that. I won’t stop looking for him.”
“Cool.” Chloe swallowed. “He told my dad my mother had lied. That she wasn’t a very good wife, but I knew they were lies. He said he knew everything about us. Even about who we really were. That’s when they started yelling. There was the sound of a crash, and Dad shouted out the word.”
Thayne glared out the window. So the perp had been watching them, looking into their lives. “And you never noticed anyone hanging around your place who shouldn’t have been there?”
He looked back at Chloe, who shook her head.
Thayne focused on Riley’s intense gaze. He tried to see her thoughts. He’d learned a lot from her, and he had his own experiences with his SEAL team. So if Chloe didn’t see a drifter hanging around, then this appeared to be a pointed attack. But why? Riley believed the perp to be a serial killer. Serial killers had signatures. There was usually commonality in victims, so the killer would have to have a reason for picking the Jordans. But why? Because they were survivalists? They lived alone? It could be anything.
Riley drummed her fingers on the countertop, then glanced at Thayne with a small smile. She’d co-opted one of his moves. Another reason they belonged together? “When you were in the panic room, before you closed the door, did you peek out at all?”
“I wasn’t supposed to.”
“That’s not what I asked you,” Riley countered.
“It’s okay, Chloe.” Madison rubbed the girl’s back. “Tell Riley what you remember.”
“I didn’t look. I was supposed to close the door right away, but I was hoping they’d find a way to get away from him, and I didn’t want them locked out. My dad suddenly stopped talking, and my mom shouted for me, but she didn’t say the safe word, so I didn’t answer.” She bowed her head. “Maybe I should have.”
“You did the right thing, Chloe.” Madison gave her a quick hug. “None of this is your fault.”
“Is that everything?” Thayne asked. It was hardly front-page material. “Can you think of anything else? Did you hear anything odd or smell anything weird?”
Chloe chewed on her lip. “Well, I do remember that his feet pounded when he walked, like his boots were too heavy. When he first came in, my dad shouted at him to get out so he wouldn’t get oil all over Mom’s clean floor.” She paused, and a line burrowed into her forehead. “I j-just can’t remember anything else.” She gazed up. “Does that help?”
Riley gave Chloe’s shoulder a gentle pat. “That was perfect.”
Thayne’s mind whirled with possibilities. “Thank you.”
Thayne’s phone rang again, and he rose. “Excuse me.” He put the cell to his ear and left the room, and within seconds Riley followed him.
“Blackwood.”
He pressed the speakerphone button. “Quinn, you’ve got both me and Riley.”
“We finally got Andrews’s rental car and his body up,” the Singing River’s forensics lead said. “The remains are headed to DCI to be autopsied, but I can tell you right now this wasn’t an accident.”
Another murder made to look like an accident. “How do you know?”
“The guy was dead before he crashed his car. Someone bashed in the back of his skull.”
Granted, whoever did it had tried hard to make it seem like it happened during the crash. “How can you be sure it didn’t happen during the accident?”
“Not enough blood. His injuries would have caused massive bleeding if he’d have still been alive.”
Staying at the Blackwell Ranch had a comforting effect on Riley. It was a real home, with a warm, big family and a sense of security. She knew Madison, who was used to an active household, loved it, and secretly she did, too.
It was late and Cheyenne had just left after checking in on Chloe, and though twelve, the girl asked Madison to sit with her until she fell asleep. The entire house had grown quiet in the way that instilled a sense of peace. It made Riley believe that all was right and always would be. She tiptoed down the hall to Madison’s room and opened the door. Peeking inside, she saw Chloe asleep in one of the twin beds and Madison sitting on the floor between the beds with her hand clasped firmly in Chloe’s.
Riley motioned her sister out. Madison gave her a quick nod and eased her hand from Chloe’s before quietly leaving the bedroom and closing the door.
“Poor thing. She reminds me of . . .” Madison’s voice caught in her throat. “Heather. Except her hair color, of course.”
“I’m sorry.” Riley winced. Heather had been one of the children brought into the compound where Madison and more than a dozen other children had been held captive. The girl had been punished so severely she hadn’t survived, despite Madison’s doing everything she could to help her.
Maddy wrapped her arms around Riley. The two of them walked into the living room, where Thayne and Hudson were, and the two men looked up.
“You okay, Madison?” Hudson asked.
She nodded and then slowly shook her head, contradicting herself. “At least Chloe’s asleep.”
“I made some of my special hot chocolate, if you want some,” he offered.
“Thanks. That sounds delicious.”
Riley agreed. The pair settled on the sofa, and Hudson was gone and back before they knew it. All it took was one sip for her to know what made the hot chocolate unique. The man had a heavy hand with the whiskey. Before she could warn her sister, Madison tipped up her mug and took a deep sip. Her eyes widened, and she promptly coughed until her eyes watered. Gasping, she managed to say, “Oh my.”
Riley laughed and Hudson looked confused until Madison put him out of his misery. “I never learned to drink.” She placed the still-full mug on the coffee table. “I don’t wish to be rude, but it tastes like medicine.”
Thayne frowned at his own mug. “That’s Pops’s smoothest whiskey. He’ll be heartbroken you don’t approve.”
Madison winced and picked up her mug again. “Maybe it’ll grow on me.”
Shaking her head, Riley took the mug away from her sister. “If something has to grow on you, I’m not sure you should put it in your mouth. Take brussels sprouts, for example.”
“Excellent point,” Thayne agreed. “Though Gram’s got a recipe that actually convinced me they weren’t boiled socks in disguise.”
“What did Cheyenne say about Chloe?” Riley asked and tucked her feet underneath herself.
Madison stretched before placing her head on her sister’s shoulder. “That she’s healed nicely. She probably could’ve been released from the hospital yesterday.”
“That’s good.” Gram hadn’t done any damage by helping the girl escape.
Madison bit her lip. “What’s going to happen to her now?”
“She’s staying here,” Hudson said. “So we can keep an eye on her.”
“She is?” Thayne asked. “Who decided this?”
“I did. She needs to be around people she trusts.”
“We’ll have to get Child Protective Services involved at some point,” Thayne said with a grimace. “But for now, I have no problem placing her in protective custody. I’m assigning Deputy Ironcloud to primary guard duty here. He’ll switch up when he needs a break.”
“She can’t go anywhere alone,” Riley said firmly. “None of you should.”
“Which means you, too,” Thayne said.
Riley agreed. “What about Madison?”
“I can’t leave Chloe.” The desperation in her voice sounded loud and clear.
Hudson came out with a fresh cup of normal hot chocolate for Madison and a coffee for himself.
“What about us?” Thayne scowled at his brother, showing his empty mug.
“You’re not a guest. Get it yourself.” Hudson passed the cup over to Madison, his expression growing gentle.
He took a seat. “We have the house set up with pretty good surveillance to keep an eye on Gram, thanks to Brett’s brother. I usually don’t turn on the door tones unless it’s n
ight, but I can make them active. That way no one can come in a door or window without us knowing about it.”
Riley hadn’t realized they’d outfitted the house so well. Staying here would work until they could identify the killer. And she had an idea for that.
Thayne rose, picking up Riley’s recently drained mug. “Now’s the time I wish I had my teammates at the ready to watch our six, but it’ll have to do.” He paused and sent his brother a disgruntled look. “Since Hudson bites as a host, what would you like, Riley? Hot chocolate, a beer, or coffee?”
She glanced at Hudson. His entire focus was on Madison. “I’ll go with you.”
She followed Thayne into the kitchen.
“What’s your pleasure?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m not thirsty.” She bit her lip. “I’ve been thinking about what Chloe said. Oil on his boots. A roughneck would be a great job for a serial killer. Oil workers travel from job to job, blend in with a bunch of other strangers, and can pretty much leave anytime they want without attracting notice.”
Thayne pulled a beer from the refrigerator. “Okay. What are you suggesting?”
“The special agent for the FBI in me would suggest requesting information from coroners and police departments in areas where there are a lot of temporary oil jobs.” Riley sent him a wry look. “It could take a while.”
Thayne stroked his chin. “Are you suggesting I find someone who can work around the delay?”
She shrugged. “If Willow were interested, she could start with the surrounding states. Look for explained deaths that mention missing wedding rings or unusual circumstances. Maybe family members who are convinced there was foul play involved but the cops didn’t buy the story.”
“It’s a long shot.” Thayne took a long sip. “But we’re down to long shots unless he comes after you or Chloe.”
Hudson came out onto the porch looking disgusted. He handed his brother a beer and said, “I messed up.”
Thayne shot a quick glance at Riley, then took the bottle. “In what way?”
The light from the house highlighted Hudson’s misery as he turned to Riley. “You’d best go see your sister.”
Her sister? A twinge of panic caught in her throat. She raced inside, hearing Thayne ask, “Damn it, Hudson. What did you do?”
Madison sat in the corner of the sofa, curled into herself, her head bowed to her chest. As gently as possible, Riley sat next to her and rubbed her back. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s my fault,” came the soft admission that had Riley leaning closer. “I asked him to kiss me. And I kissed him back, but I shouldn’t have. It was wrong.” She twisted her fingers in her lap. “I’m broken, Riley. He deserves someone who . . . someone who can be his partner, not a needy head case.”
“Is that what he said?” Riley glanced at the men drinking just outside. She’d murder Hudson for being so callous.
“No. He said he’d wait for me. As long as it takes.”
Riley let her hand drop. “I have firsthand knowledge of the Blackwood persistence. If he says he’ll wait, he will.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s right.” Madison wiped a tear from her cheek. She looked wounded, but she lifted her chin. “I have to fix myself first, and that’s not going to be easy. Tell him he’s better off with someone else.” She stood, her face pinched from holding back another rush of tears. “He’ll only find loneliness waiting for me.”
Before Riley could say anything, Madison escaped to her bedroom.
The front door opened, and Thayne entered and locked it. She looked behind him, but Hudson wasn’t there. “Where’s your brother?”
“He’s bunking down at the stables. Don’t be mad at him, Riley. He said she asked.”
“I know. I’m not mad.” She glanced down the hall after her sister. “I just don’t understand. Loving someone shouldn’t be this hard. It should come naturally. Easily. But we make it difficult because we’re stubborn and selfish and—” She rose from the couch and stepped close to him. She was no longer talking about Hudson and Madison. This hit too close to home. Without asking, she wrapped her arms around him and sighed. “I’m tired of making it hard.”
She placed her cheek on his chest, and Thayne tilted her chin up. “We’re eyebrow deep in a complicated case again, Riley. The excitement of the hunt is a real thing.”
She didn’t want him to be reasonable. She wanted his passion. She wanted to feel loved. Cherished. Her voice grew thick with emotion. “I want you, Thayne. Not because of all this, but despite all this.”
He sighed. “We’ve been down this road before.”
“I know.” She leaned into him and breathed in his unique scent. His muscles bunched under her fingers as they played over his back.
“What happens when we solve the case? Do you fly back to DC to get your intellectual fix, then come home to Wyoming and use my body for a release?”
She leaned back and met his gaze. He wasn’t teasing. He was serious. She should have felt insulted, but if he truly believed that about her . . . “How can you say that? You mean more to me than that.”
“God, I hope so, but we’re heading into a pattern here, and I’m not sure I like it.”
He led her to the couch, put his beer bottle on the table, and pulled her down astride him on his lap. She could feel his desire pressing against her, exactly as he intended. It had been too long since they’d been together.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked down at him. His expression remained serious, even as his body seduced her with each small movement.
With a sigh, Riley stared into his gaze. “I’ve lost my way, but with you I feel home.”
“I know. I feel the same.” He circled his hands around her waist. “I feel lost, too. Half the time, I can’t believe I’m sheriff of this town. And the truth is, I shouldn’t be. What business do I have running an investigation on a murder case? Just because I’m prior military and made it through SEAL training doesn’t mean I’m qualified to be a law enforcement officer. Even if I did complete the training at DCI.”
“Do you want to go back to DC with me?” she asked. “It would solve all our problems.”
“You know I can’t. My family needs me here. And I need you.”
She groaned, thrilled to hear him say that but horrified by it just the same. “I love you, Thayne. I want more than anything to be with you, but what’s happening in Singing River right now is unusual. My job is important to me, and this place can’t supply a never-ending stream of deviants for me to analyze and arrest. As sick as that sounds, that’s my job, and I’m damn good at it.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and Riley rested her chin on top of his head, his hair tickling her skin. She pressed closer. His hands slipped from her waist to knead her hips. His heartbeat thudded against her, racing in reaction to their close proximity. She’d kept control of her emotions, suppressing her needs since before she’d left for DC. Why were they torturing themselves? She didn’t want to hold back any longer.
She missed him. She wanted him. More than ever. She moved his hand to her breast and ran her lips down his neck. It was all about him. It was all about her. Simple.
Why couldn’t life be simple?
She cupped his cheeks and captured his mouth for a long, slow, deep kiss. Heaven waited in his kisses. She pulled away and sighed. “We’ll figure something out. Right?”
“Yes,” he growled as he pulled her close. “I’ll think of a way we can be together.” His lips slid over her skin to her collarbone.
“It’s late.”
“It’s not that late,” he corrected, his hot breath tickling her skin. “For now, everyone is safe. I want to make love to you, Riley.”
“Yes,” she sighed and threw her head back as he gently raked his teeth along the sweet spot near her shoulder. “All night long.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The beer stayed on the coffee table. Thayne rose from the couch, and Riley wrapped her legs around his wais
t, clinging to him as if she’d never let go, and his arms refused to let her leave. Her lips were soft and familiar and so very missed. They locked onto his as he made his way down the hall to his childhood room.
He shifted Riley, groping for the handle so he could open the door. With a quick twist, the door sprang open and they stumbled inside. He kicked it closed and shuffled to the bed as one button fell open on his shirt and then two. She had nimble fingers.
She slid down his body, exploring every inch of him, touching him in places that made him harden with need. While he could still think, he removed his weapon and placed it beside hers on the bedside table.
“I won’t give you up without a fight,” he said softly. “Remember that.”
She pulled his head down, and her mouth opened in welcome under his. They hadn’t kissed this way—as two lovers—in far too long.
Thinking could be highly overrated. Tonight, Thayne would forget the problems. He would only feel.
He slipped his hands beneath her shirt and caressed her, pulling her close, pressing her up against him, leg to leg, hip to hip. She belonged in his arms. She always had. She always would. She was soft where it mattered and strong where it counted. She made him weak at the same time she strengthened him. They made a good team. And not only in the bedroom.
His heart thudded with urgency. He couldn’t wait. It had been too long. With ease he pulled her shirt off, threw it on the ground, and followed with his own. Neither of them was in any mood for slow and sweet. He could tell by the clutch of her hands on his back that she needed strong and fast.
He shoved her pants off and soon they were both nude. He clasped her close and, unwilling to lose the contact of skin to skin, walked her backward to the bed. She tumbled onto the soft mattress, pulling him on top of her. She cradled him against her hips, hugging him close, entwining her legs with his.
“Now,” she muttered against his lips. Her hands roamed up and down his back to his hips. She demanded everything from him. “I want you now.”
He could never deny her. He shifted away and rolled on a condom before hesitating for one moment. He looked into her passion-filled eyes. He could never give her up. His gaze held her captive and he thrust inside her, taking her with all the pent-up needs he’d coiled away in his heart. In this there were no doubts, no hesitation. They belonged together.
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