The Broken Doll (Inheriting Evil Book 1)

by Paris Hansen

  Sloane didn’t know how to feel about Cade standing up to Reid for her. Not that she needed him to back her play, but she didn’t hate having someone on her side. She just needed to remember not to get used to it. He could just as quickly turn on her tomorrow.

  “Regardless of if I’m right about that or not, Tasha Simpson was taken far sooner after Sabrina Moreno than was typical for this unsub. And now it’s been nearly nine hours since her abduction, and we still don’t have a body. The longest he held onto anyone before now was four hours,” she said as she looked back up at the clock.

  “But that was Sabrina Moreno,” Reid pointed out. “Maybe he’s changing his game plan a bit. He still wants that baby inside of them, but maybe instead of rushing through things, which didn’t really pan out much the first time around, he’s taking his time. Maybe he has somewhere he can take them now, so he doesn’t have to worry about someone interrupting them.”

  Reid’s theory made a lot of sense, which helped staunch the worry seeping into her chest.

  “I want this to be the same guy. I’m just overthinking things,” she admitted.

  “Like we told Troy Simpson, we can’t afford to only focus on our original unsub,” Cade reminded her. “Limiting ourselves like that could let a bad guy get away. That’s why we have King and Gardner looking deeper into Tasha’s professional life. Without a body, we can’t get a warrant for her files or her client list, but we can hopefully implore her boss to be a little more forthcoming. You heard Gardner. They both thought she was holding something back. If we don’t have a body by the morning, she might be more apt to talk.”

  “Sorry, I think I’m just tired. I’ve been up since four, and it’s been a much more draining day than I’m used to,” she told them before stifling a yawn behind her hand.

  “Jeez, why so early?” Cade asked before stifling a yawn of his own. “Damn you for that one.”

  “Well, at least we know you aren’t a psychopath,” Sloane joked. “When I’m on deadline, I don’t sleep much.”

  “You never really slept much even before you turned to writing,” Reid reminded her, pulling her gaze away from Cade’s.

  Her ex didn’t seem to like her and Cade getting along, but she didn’t know if it was because he didn’t like Cade or something else. Reminding all of them he was familiar with her past sleeping habits was just a way for him to point out he knew Sloane better than Cade did. She wasn’t a big fan of macho posturing, especially when it was completely unwarranted.

  “True. It got a little better, though, after I left the city. It’s amazing what peace and quiet can do. Anyway, I got up at four, got some writing in, then went out with Apollo for a few hours to work out an issue I was having with a scene. I’d just gotten back in the groove of things when Reid showed up at my door...uninvited.”

  “I certainly wasn’t going to call ahead. You would’ve told me to go fuck myself. Figured that’d be harder to do if I was in your face.”

  “Eh. All you needed to do was say the right things. I would’ve listened if you’d started the conversation with our unsub being back. Then I probably would’ve told you to go fuck yourself just because it feels good to say it.”

  Cade laughed, the sound reminding Reid they weren’t alone. Sloane, on the other hand, couldn’t have forgotten Cade’s presence if she tried. She’d felt his eyes on her the entire time, and she’d enjoyed every second of his attention. The last thing she could afford to do was let her libido get the best of her. It might’ve been too damn long since she’d last been good and fucked, but it didn’t mean she had to break that fast while waist-deep in an investigation she couldn’t afford to be distracted from.

  “We should pick this up in the morning. I need to get home,” Reid said, interrupting her thoughts just as they were starting to get good. “I’ll drive you out to my sister’s.”

  “I can take her,” Cade said as he dropped his feet to the floor.

  “Your rental is only a few blocks away, San Anselmo’s on the other side of the bridge. It’s too far out of your way.”

  Sloane didn’t miss the snotty tone in Reid’s voice as he told Cade why he couldn’t take her home. Grabbing her phone, she pulled up the rideshare app she kept on it for her trips to the city. Parking in Seattle was a bitch and a half on a good day, and it usually wasn’t a good day when she had to go in. Before the pissing match could get any worse, she ordered a car to pick her up, then looked up to see Cade glare at Reid.

  “Isn’t your condo a few blocks away? Wouldn’t that make it too far out of your way also?”

  “But she’s my responsibility, and it’s my sister’s house. It just makes more sense for me to take her.”

  Gathering up the files in front of her, Sloane secured them in one arm while she bent over and grabbed her bag off the floor. She stood, her gaze dragging over each man as she smiled.

  “Since I’m a grown-ass woman, I’ll go ahead and take care of my own ride. But thank you both for the concern. I’ll see you bright and early in the morning. Please let me know if there are any changes in the case in the meantime.”

  With one last smile over her shoulder, she walked out of the room and to the elevator, thankful there was someone else there so she wouldn’t have to go back and get one of the pigheaded men in the conference room. The matching look of surprise on both their faces nearly had her in hysterics, but she held in the laughter until the elevator doors opened and she stepped inside. As they closed again, separating her from the ridiculousness she’d walked out on, she let the laughter loose. After the day she’d had, it felt good to have something else to focus on for a few minutes. It didn’t matter that her elevator partner was looking at her like she’d lost her mind.

  By the time the elevator hit the ground floor, she’d contained herself once again. By the time she slid into the backseat of her ride, she was back to focusing on the case and hopefully finding Tasha Simpson before it was too late. Even though she feared it already was.

  Chapter Eleven

  It had been far too long since she’d last sat on the couch with a friend and enjoyed a glass of wine. At least eight months or was it a year ago when Emily had last come to Washington, Sloane couldn’t remember. Although they did weekly video chats, they weren’t the same as being in the same place as each other. The hug Emily gave her the second she walked through her door was something Sloane hadn’t realized she’d needed until she was wrapped up in her friend’s arms.

  Living a solitary lifestyle was exactly what Sloane wanted, but she had to admit it was lonely more often than not. Which also made it safer in the long run. When you were alone, there was a lot less to worry about.

  “I’ve missed you, Lo.”

  Sloane bristled at the use of the nickname Reid had given her when they were together. She’d ignored his use of it earlier, but it had hit its mark. Now hearing his sister use it made her uneasy. Of course, she’d never tell Emily that. Being uncomfortable with a nickname wasn’t a good enough reason to upset her one and only close friend.

  “I’ve missed you, too. I’m bummed I didn’t get here soon enough to see Tally before she went to bed.”

  Emily’s face lit up at the mention of her four-year-old daughter. “She’s so excited to see you. I had to bribe her to get her to go to sleep. I probably shouldn’t have mentioned you were coming to see us until after you arrived, but it’s difficult to keep a secret from that one. She knew something was going on and kept staring at me with those big blue eyes and a pouty lip until I gave in.”

  “Oh man, Em, you’re in trouble. If you’re giving in now, how the hell are you going to stay strong as she gets older?”

  Shaking her head, Emily laughed. “I have no idea. I’m pretty much screwed.”

  They both laughed, then took large sips of their wine. Emily was already in her pajamas, making Sloane a little jealous. Her blonde hair was up in a bun that was both messy and stylish. She looked comfortable and happy, and it made Sloane’s heart feel like it was
growing in size to be in the same room as her best friend. She didn’t realize how much better being around Emily would make her feel.

  “I still can’t believe you’re here,” Emily said, the sudden change in subject causing the mood in the room to drop considerably.

  Sloane had always been adamant she’d never come back. She hadn’t even come back to town for Tally’s birth. Instead, she’d waited for Emily to come to her. Then a few times a year, they met in places halfway between Washington and California or in other destinations in the US so Sloane wouldn’t have to go back to the city where everything fell apart.

  The thought that Emily could have been a victim of the Mommy Murderer flashed before her eyes and not for the first time. If he hadn’t gone underground for five years, Emily could’ve ended up on his radar when she was pregnant with Tally. The thought had almost been enough to get Sloane to leave her sanctuary, but it had been far too soon after her meltdown, and she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to make the trip.

  But now, Sloane had the chance to make it right. She would find the man and make him pay before anyone else got hurt.

  “I couldn’t say no when your brother came to get me. I want to nail this guy, Em. I need closure.”

  “I’m sure you do. Is it weird, though, being around my stupid brother?”

  Sloane shrugged. “Not really. Maybe at first, but I have zero feelings where he’s concerned.”

  “Really?” Emily asked, her voice filled with skepticism.

  “Maybe not zero feelings. There’s still a bit of anger and resentment, but I didn’t miss him at all, and I’m definitely not still hung up on him. I’m glad he has a girlfriend.”

  Emily nearly choked on the sip of wine she’d taken while Sloane was talking. “Wait, he told you about Sara?”

  “Sorta, but only because he had to. She called while we were in the car. I know her name, but not much more than that. I told him I was happy he found someone, though. And I mean it. I only ever wanted your brother to be happy.”

  “I know.”

  “He seemed surprised I didn’t know he was still in San Francisco. You could’ve told me.”

  Emily sighed; her eyes glued on what little wine she had left in her glass. “I know. I just figured you didn’t want to know what he was up to, and I didn’t want to be in the middle of anything, so not talking about him at all seemed easier. Since you always said you weren’t coming back here, it didn’t seem to matter where Reid was in the long run.”

  With a shrug, Emily downed the rest of her wine, then set the glass on the coffee table. With her legs curled up beneath her and a fluffy blanket draped over her legs, she looked younger than her 34 years.

  “So, I know we just talked last week, but any news on the man front?” Emily waggled her eyebrows as she asked the question.

  Her friend had been trying to get Sloane to date for years. The pressure got even worse when Emily started dating Reid’s friend Cooper Alvarez a year earlier. Emily was the happiest Sloane had ever seen her, and she deserved it after what her ex, Tally’s father, had put her through. But while Emily might deserve happiness, Sloane wasn’t sure she did.

  There was so much about herself she’d never told Emily. Sure, her friend knew bits and pieces about her past and what her parents did, but that was it. She didn’t know about the darkness living inside Sloane. She didn’t know about everything Sloane repressed.

  “You know there’s not. You just want to bring up the subject. You know dating isn’t really on my list of things to do.”

  “Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Hell, to be honest, I’m not even talking about dating right now. We both know it’s been far too long since you’ve had sex. Maybe while you’re in town, you could get some action.”

  Sloane’s cheeks warmed as she thought about Cade and his broad shoulders, thick chest, and sexy as sin voice. There was a lot to be said about the way the man filled out a pair of slacks like they were tailor-made for his ass and thighs. When he rolled his shirt sleeves up to his elbows before they ate dinner, Sloane had to fight to keep herself from checking out his forearms, which then drew her attention to his hands.

  Shaking her head, she started to change the subject but was interrupted by Emily’s abrupt shout of aha.

  “You met someone already.”

  “No. I didn’t.”

  “Bullshit, it’s written all over your face. Is it another agent? I know you said no more agents, but he could be fun for a quick fuck, right?”

  “Jeezus Em. I’m not having a quick fuck with anyone while I’m in town,” Sloane said.

  “You want to, though. I can see it all over your face. Maybe I should ask my brother who else is working on the case. Once you guys catch the bad guy, you could celebrate.”

  “Do not bring your brother into this. Please, Emily, just stay out of it. I promise you if something happens, it happens. I’m not going to pursue it, but I won’t push him away either. Will that get you off my back?”

  Emily pretended to think about it for a moment, but then gave her a bright smile and nodded her head. “You better believe I’m going to be crossing my fingers, eyes, and toes that it happens.”

  “You’re so weird,” Sloane said before polishing off the last of her wine. “I should head to bed. I have to get back to the office early tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, I need to get to bed too. The wake-up time of a four-year-old is usually too-damn-early o’clock, but with you here, I can guarantee it’ll be even earlier. Will you have time for breakfast before you go?”

  “Absolutely. I would love to have breakfast with my two favorite girls.”

  They both stood up, folded up the blankets they’d been using, then turned to face each other. Before Sloane had a chance to stop her, Emily was wrapping her up in another hug.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” she whispered before letting Sloane go.

  “Me too,” Sloane said softly before giving Emily a genuine smile.

  As she followed her friend down the hall to the guest room, Sloane had to admit it felt good to be back in San Francisco and with her best friend. For so long, she’d thought it would be weird and awkward, but she’d been wrong. Maybe enough time had gone by for those feelings to dissipate. She wasn’t really sure.

  Maybe there’d be time after they solved the case for her to figure it all out.

  She just hoped another woman didn’t have to pay with her life before she got the chance.

  Chapter Twelve

  Being woken up by the news someone had found a dead body wasn’t the way Cade preferred to start his day, but too often, it came with the territory. Stifling a yawn behind his hand, he checked his blind spot before maneuvering his car into the right-hand lane. The built-in GPS let him know his next turn was in half a mile, so he slowed a bit to make sure he didn’t miss it.

  Though this wasn’t his first time in San Francisco, and he’d been there for nearly two weeks, he’d never been to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. If he hadn’t been tasked with picking up Sloane, he likely never would’ve had the chance to make the trip over the world-famous bridge.

  When he was on a case, getting out and exploring the area he was in usually wasn’t part of the plan. If he got the chance to see something other than the place he was staying and the FBI office he was working out of, it was because he was interviewing someone or checking out a body dump. Such was the glamorous life of a member of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.

  Nearing the end of his trip, he peered through the windshield, trying to make out the numbers on the houses as he drove by. Despite the ridiculousness of it, a part of him was nervous to see Sloane. She didn’t know he was coming to pick her up or that it would be just the two of them at the disposal site since Morgan was stuck in a meeting with SAC Jennings and her boss and her boss’s boss.

  “Your destination will be on the left,” the computerized voice said in a relatively convincing Australian accent.

  Cade hadn’t had the t
ime or the inclination to adjust the settings when he’d first noticed someone had changed the accent. Some people had far too much time on their hands, though he had to admit the voice was pretty easy on the ears.

  Pulling up to the curb in front of a quaint Craftsman-style home with a well-kept lawn, Cade checked the rearview mirror to make sure he looked okay, then chided himself for caring. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by Sloane Matthews, not when so much was on the line.

  As he continued to beat himself up for being stupid, he made his way up to the front door, then rang the doorbell. He cringed when he remembered Emily Morgan had a young daughter in the house and hoped his use of the doorbell before 8 am didn’t wake her up unnecessarily. In the eerily quiet morning, he could hear someone making their way through the house. He heard someone shush someone else before the locks were undone, and the door swung open.

  “Can I help you?”

  The blonde standing in the doorway had an equally blonde little girl on her hip, the door still in her hand like she was ready to close it on him at a moment’s notice. He could see the resemblance between Emily and her brother, though she was more fun to look at. She was soft, where her brother was hard, and it was obvious she’d never had her nose broken, unlike her sibling.

  “I’m Special Agent James Cade. I’m here to pick up Sloane.”

  He felt the little girl’s eyes on him while he spoke. She was giving him a once over, unsure about his presence at her door.

  “Do you put away bad guys like my uncle?” she asked him suddenly.

  He smiled at her, knowing exactly where she got her inquisitive nature from. Besides having an uncle in the FBI, her mother was a reporter for a San Francisco newspaper.

  “I do,” he answered as he pulled his badge off his belt and showed it to her.

  “And you’re here for my auntie?”

  “Yep. We have to get to work, and your uncle asked me to come get her.”