“Can you please sit down?”
“I’m fine where I’m at, thanks.”
“Okay, fine, I’ll come clean. I’ve been wanting to tell you things…for a long time now. I just don’t know…well, everything is so complicated.” Damien ran his fingers through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. When Kelsey remained silent, he continued, “There are things you don’t know about me, and I can’t tell you. It’s for your own good.”
“What does that even mean?” Kelsey was becoming frustrated. “You know I’ve searched for answers for four years? I’ve searched for you for four years. There was no trace of you. You simply disappeared. Where have you been?”
Damien sighed. Rubbing his face, he once again turned to look at her. “Nowhere, Kelsey. I’ve been in New York all this time.”
“What? But you said you’ve been out of town,” Kelsey said, her eyes wide.
“I know…umm I lied. I didn’t know what to say.” Damien shrugged his shoulders and flashed her an apologetic smile.
“Okay, I’m even more annoyed now. Do you have a wife and kids? Did you cheat on your wife with me that night years ago and then your guilt made you do the right thing? Look, Damien, I have no idea what you’re doing here, but you need to go back home to her.” The thought of Damien being married shattered her heart, but she refused to acknowledge the pain.
“I am not married. I’m not involved with any girl, trust me.”
“Are you involved with a guy? Are you gay?” Kelsey asked, bracing herself for the answer.
“What? Where are you even getting that from?” Damien raised back up, approaching her. Standing before her, he lifted her face to look at him. “Trust me, I’m nowhere near gay. You should know that.”
Kelsey fought hard not to lose herself into his spell. For some reason, he had the power of awakening senses in her that she wasn’t prepared for.
“Kelsey, there’s so much you don’t know. So much I wish I could tell you,” he whispered.
The depth of his brown eyes hypnotized her. She was powerless, as she was unable to move or look away.
Damien lowered his head, his lips inches from her. “I’ve known you for a long time. Even before we officially met. I’ve tried to stay away for your own safety…I’ve fought so long, Kelsey. But I can’t do it anymore. If I’m going to be damned for my actions, so be it.”
Need like she’d never known consumed her. She craved to be near him, to kiss him, to hold him. She needed him. Right now.
“And placing yourself out there in that danger…not a good idea. Kelsey, the thought of something happening to you…no, I won’t allow it. Sammy died, but that could have been you.”
Hearing Sammy’s name snapped her back to reality. Pushing Damien away, Kelsey ducked past him. Clearing her throat, she said, “That should have been me, not Sammy. Now, his wife is without a husband and his daughter is without a father.”
“Don’t say that. Your life is just as important as Sammy’s.” He tried to reach for her, but Kelsey stepped back.
“Damien, no it’s not. Nobody is dependent on me, except maybe Tom. I’m telling you, the wrong person got shot that night. I tried to get the guy, I swear. I even chased him, but he was too fast.” When her voice started to quiver, Kelsey turned away from him. She absolutely refused to fall apart in front of Damien again. She had to stop thinking about that night and Sammy.
“It’s okay to hurt, Kelsey. It’s okay to talk about your pain.” Damien’s soft voice echoed in the room.
Taking a deep breath, Kelsey closed her eyes. Yes, it hurt, damn it! She couldn’t save her family long ago, and she couldn’t save Sammy. When she felt Damien’s hands on her shoulders, she didn’t resist. Slowly, he pulled her against him so her back was resting on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, making her feel safe and protected.
“I am so sorry, Kelsey. If only I could have been there that night…”
Kelsey turned to face him. “Be there? What could you have done? The guy had a gun for Pete’s sake.”
“I would have protected you. And I would have protected Sammy.”
Kelsey knew what he was saying was completely irrational, but somehow hearing that gave her some sense of security. Allowing herself to rest her head on his chest, she inhaled deeply. His masculine scent radiated with power.
“What did you mean when you said you’ve known me for a long time? Even before we met?” Kelsey asked.
Damien sighed, holding her tighter against him. “That’s a story for another day, Kelsey.”
“Why do I feel like I know you so well, yet I don’t know you at all? Why do my instincts scream to run, but my heart tells me to stay? Why is it that a part of me knows you’re dangerous, yet I’ve never felt safer than when I’m with you?” Kelsey’s voice was raspy as tears thickened her throat.
Damien grabbed her face and stared into her eyes, searching for answers. Unable to stop himself, his lips found hers. With desperate hunger, he devoured her.
Kelsey’s heart exploded from her chest as soon as their lips touched. Instantly, her desire for him rose, and she met his kiss with just as much passion. Tension built up within her, a feeling both exhilarating and terrifying. She knew only one man had the power to have her lose all control, and at this moment in time, she would do anything he asked of her—even if he was nothing more than a mere stranger. As he crushed her against his body, she could feel he was aroused. Trying to catch her breath, she began to unbutton his shirt.
“I want you, Damien,” she whispered, losing all ability to think rationally.
When her hands found his bare skin, her body trembled as she felt his smooth, hard chest. How could anybody be so perfect?
“Kelsey,” he said, his voice hoarse. “No, this is not good.”
“Yes, it’s very good,” she whispered, pouring seductive kisses all over his chest.
“No, please, Kelsey, stop.” Damien grabbed her shoulders to create some distance between them.
“What’s wrong?” Kelsey asked, feeling hurt at the rejection.
“It’s not you. Please don’t look at me like that. Trust me when I say that I’ve never wanted anything more than how much I want you.”
“I want you, too, Damien. Why are you being like this? I wish you would just tell me.”
“It’s not right. I care about you way too much to hurt you, Kelsey. Trust me, this is hard for me, but I have to do the right thing here.”
Kelsey had no idea what Damien was talking about, but she knew he wasn’t ready to share his secrets with her. Defeated, she stepped away. “Okay, it’s fine. I don’t know why I behaved like that. I’m glad one of us is thinking clearly.”
“Come here,” Damien drawled. Reaching his hand, he pulled her back into his arms. “I want us to get to know one another more. I want to be able to come over.”
“How can I get to know you when you’re so secretive? You know so much about me, and all I know is that your name is Damien.”
Planting a tender kiss on her forehead, he said, “One day, maybe I can share everything with you. But today is not the day. Now, tell me where you were heading at this time of night? I see you’re dressed as if you were about to go stalk somebody.”
“Um, nowhere.” Kelsey tried to play it off since he apparently was too damn observant.
“Kelsey? You’re acting guilty.”
She sighed and finally said, “I want to find Sammy’s killer. I was planning on driving by the crime scene.”
“What?” Damien yelled. “What can you possibly accomplish from that? It’s almost midnight. You, of all people, should know how dangerous it is out there. And now that you’re practically inviting this crazy guy to come after you…Honestly, Kelsey, after all these years, you still have a death wish.”
“I don’t! I just want to find the son of a bitch who’s been torturing and killing these innocent women. You don’t know what he’s been doing to them. I’m the one who has seen the aftereffects of his mess.
Don’t forget, he took my Sammy away.”
“Kelsey, for God’s sake!” Damien stepped away from her, frustrated. “This is absolutely foolish. You’re not thinking rationally.”
“I’m going, Damien, no matter what you say. I’d rather zero in on this guy instead of wait here like a sitting duck. Don’t you think that’s worse?”
Turning to face her, he said, “Fine, I’ll give that to you, but I’m going with you. Any type of investigation you want to do, especially in the middle of the night and when you’re off duty, I’m going.”
“No, no, no!” Kelsey exclaimed, shaking her head. “I won’t allow it.”
“Too bad. I’m going with you.” Damien was already moving toward the door.
“I don’t like it.” She frowned and then sighed in defeat. “I want no responsibility for your life. If something should happen to you—”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine. Now, you ready to go?” Damien already had the door open, waiting on her to follow him.
Fourteen
Kelsey wasn’t surprised to see the crime scene roped off. When they didn’t notice any activity, she parked the car a couple of blocks away.
Turning to Damien, she said, “I want to go in there to see if I can find anything.”
“You know they’ve probably investigated the scene with a fine-toothed comb, right?” Damien asked.
“I don’t care. I have to satisfy my curiosity.”
“You sure you’re up for it?”
“I’m fine,” she replied stubbornly. “I want you to stay here. I’ll be back.”
“Nope, no way. I’m going with you. That was the deal, remember?”
Kelsey sighed, knowing Damien wasn’t going to change his mind. “Fine, just try to stay quiet and follow my lead.”
Once they approached the warehouse, they decided to sneak in from one of the back windows in case there was surveillance monitoring the door. The place was pitch dark, and instantly, the memories from the last time she was in the building had her heart racing. Bile rose as visions of the naked girl in a pool of blood and Sammy’s dead body flashed before her eyes.
As if sensing her panic, Damien grabbed her arm. “Hey, I’m right here. You okay? We don’t have to do this.”
Closing her eyes, she pushed the images away. “No, I want to see if we can find anything.”
“What are we looking for?” he whispered.
“I don’t know. Anything…lock of hair, clothing, ID?” she whispered back.
“Yeah, don’t you wish. Come on.”
Both searched every inch of the area, even in other rooms to look for clues. Within twenty minutes, they heard voices outside. Grabbing her arm, Damien pulled her behind a dark corner.
“How’s it going here, Fritz? Anything?” Kelsey immediately recognized Kevin’s voice.
“No, sir. I’ve been monitoring the building, and there has been no activity,” Officer Fritz answered. Kelsey figured he must be assigned to the watch, although they hadn’t noticed him when they’d approached. He obviously wasn’t doing a very good job at monitoring since they were easily able to sneak inside undetected. She definitely didn’t want to get caught by her captain, though. He would not be happy at all with her interfering the investigation.
“That’s too bad. Most of the time, the killer doesn’t return to the scene of the crime, but you never know. He was forced out of here unexpectedly, so maybe he’d want to come back to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything,” Kevin said. “I’m gonna walk around for a few moments in here, Fritz. Why don’t you go back out and keep an eye on things?”
“Yes, sir.”
When she heard Fritz’s footsteps further off in the distance, Kelsey silently prayed that Kevin didn’t head their way. This was a bad situation, and there was no way she could explain what she was doing there. When Damien squeezed her hand, she somehow felt his reassurance, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
She could make out Kevin’s shadow around the corner, but he was still far away from them. All too soon, though, he began shuffling his way through the warehouse, inspecting the dark corners.
Damien and Kelsey sank deeper into their hiding spot, hoping to somehow make themselves invisible in the blackness, especially as Kevin’s footsteps became louder. Squeezing Damien’s hand with all her might, Kelsey held her breath when Kevin stopped near them. Why was he just standing there? Did he notice them?
Kelsey heard Kevin fiddling around with something, and when she saw the glow from his cigarette, she realized he must have been getting it out. Silently, he took puffs, and all the while, Kelsey and Damien remained motionless. He must have been less than twenty feet away, and Kelsey knew that even the slightest motion would echo into the deathly silence.
Kevin remained standing there and took several more puffs before finally turning around and retreating back toward the front door.
Kelsey nearly collapsed when she heard him leave, the tension finally easing. “Damn, that was close,” she whispered. “That was my boss.”
“I know. We gotta get out of here. Let’s slip out of the back window.” Damien held her hand the entire time until they got into the safety of her car and drove away.
When back in her apartment, Damien said, “I don’t think we should go there again. You could have gotten caught, and you probably would have lost your job.”
“I know. I just gotta get some kind of lead on this guy.”
“Your boss seems a bit strange.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“Who just stands around in the dark smoking? That’s a little odd. It was almost like he knew we were there and was daring us to come out.”
“He is actually a very nice guy.” Kelsey defended him. She knew Kevin was probably at the crime scene doing the same thing as Kelsey, hoping to find some clues. “He’s a very good cop, too. To be honest, he’s been very supportive about this whole thing. He gave me couple of weeks off to get my shit together. Even came here to check on me.”
“Didn’t realize you knew him that well. You’re sure defending him like you guys are close,” Damien said with a slight frown. When Kelsey remained silent, he continued, “I guess the guy seemed like he had a lot on his mind. But then again, when you’ve got a serial killer on the loose, you would have a lot on your mind.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he’s stressed. Listen, do you want something to eat? Drink? Beer or something? I’m about to have a glass of wine. My nerves are messed up from our little adventure.” Kelsey stepped into the kitchen.
“No, I’m good.” Damien approached her. “It’s getting late. Easily past three in the morning. You need to rest. Will you promise me something? Will you promise me that you’ll wait for me before going on any nightly escapades?”
“Damien, I can’t. I don’t get close to people because somehow something terrible happens to them. If you come to harm because of my decisions…No, I’d never forgive myself.”
Pulling her into his arms, he whispered, “I promise you, I won’t be going anywhere. Please believe me.”
“Mmm, you feel good.” She pressed tighter against him, savoring the feeling. “I don’t want you to go now. Feel like crashing here?”
“I wish I could, but I have to leave.” Ever so gently, Damien’s lips played with hers.
Kelsey pouted. “I don’t understand. Why do you have to leave?”
Flashing her a sly grin, he replied, “I gotta work tomorrow, sweetheart. I gotta get some sleep and then head out.”
“What do you do anyway? Where do you work?”
“Oh, this and that. Now, go get some sleep. I’ll be thinking about you until tomorrow night. In the meantime, please stay out of trouble.”
Before she could reply, Damien kissed her one more time and disappeared through her front door. Kelsey was left wondering what the hell she was doing, allowing him to sneak back into her life. She knew she was playing with fire and could only hope she was strong enough
when he decided to vanish again.
Fifteen
Although Kelsey was technically on leave, she went back into the office the next day, making an excuse that she needed some things from her desk and computer. When she walked in, her colleagues were acting like they weren’t sure how to act around her. She then remembered that they hadn’t seen her since Sammy’s funeral.
“Hey, guys!” she said, breaking the ice.
They all hurdled around her, hugging her and giving her words of encouragement.
“Don’t worry, Kelsey, we’ll get him.”
“Nobody goes after one of our own.”
“The bastard’s not gonna get away with it.”
When she realized her captain was off that day, Kelsey quickly headed to her connections in the force. She handed Damien’s picture and fingerprints to Officer Jared Keen to check if it came up in their database.
Just as Damien had predicted, she found out within couple of hours that there was nothing on him. No records of anything. At least she now knew he was never arrested for anything.
Frustrated, Kelsey left the station to visit Lisa. As much as she enjoyed helping Lisa find her strength again, Kelsey was disappointed that Lisa wasn’t able to share any more information. She knew that Lisa had already been drilled a thousand times by the FBI. The poor girl was drained from answering the same questions.
That night, when Damien returned, she said, “Well, you were right. I couldn’t find anything on you. Guess you’ll remain a mystery until you decide to share your secrets with me.”
Damien sighed. “Don’t be mad, Kelsey. I’m already working on things, and I promise you, I’ll fix all this.”
“Whatever, Damien. If you need your time, that’s fine. In my heart, I know you’re a good person, and I guess for now, that’s enough.”
Strolling toward her, he twirled her hair in his fingers. “This is why you’re pretty awesome, Miss Kelsey Taylor.”
She rolled her eyes, but smiled. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”
For the rest of the week, Kelsey’s days were filled with visiting Lisa, and her nights were filled with Damien. To her disappointment, he kept his distance from her physically except for occasional hugs and sporadic, tender kisses to her cheek or forehead. The fact that she was starting to become too attached to his visits scared the hell out of her. Deliberately pushing any warnings from her head away, Kelsey cherished their time together.
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