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Before she woke fully, several aches and pains made themselves known, particularly her shoulders and hips. Between her thighs…
Zeke was asleep on his stomach, his leg hooked over hers, and his arm thrown across her belly to keep her close. She loved how relaxed he was, his face rugged yet untroubled as he slept. There were years’ worth of living etched into his features, some good and more bad, but she was drawn to the stories still untold in words.
Loving him came easily; a strong statement, considering she’d never loved anything but her mom and her work, but it was true. Being assigned to watch over him in the hospital had been a godsend, and now that their love was expanding physically, she realized she’d been waiting for him without knowing it.
He was well worth the wait.
Moaning under her breath, she stretched, trying not to disturb him. She was warm and comfortable, in no rush to move aside from the vague warning issued by her bladder, but she had a little leeway before vague became insistent.
Content to drift away again for a few more minutes, she shifted slightly, then froze as her tired eyes focused on the shape at the end of the bed. The hazy peace of waking shattered in an instant, her breath sucking in to scream bloody murder.
The woman sitting cross-legged just inches away from Olivia’s feet shook her red-and-blonde head, lifting her index finger to glossy pink lips and tapping them to indicate silence. She resembled a freaking candy cane; the white-blonde of Jasper’s family genetics clashing with the unnatural shade of bright red, but the overall effect waspretty cool.
“Tabitha?” Olivia hissed, once her heart started beating again at a normal rate.
“Expecting someone else?” Flipping a sharp blade between the fingers of her other hand nonchalantly, Jasper’s half-sister lifted a sleek eyebrow in question.
“I wasn’t expectingyou,” was all she managed to splutter. “I… we…”
“No need to be embarrassed. Sex is a natural function.” Slim shoulders shrugged as keen blue eyes perused Olivia’s face intently. “About time you took an interest in doing the nasty. A thirty-year-old virgin is no fun at all.”
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
The blade stopped flipping, jabbing in Zeke’s direction. “I like him. Had to do some digging, make sure he wasn’t hooking up with an idiot.”
What the hell was happening here? Had the universe folded in on itself while she slept, transporting her to an alternative dimension where insane assassins just dropped in for an early morning chat?
“You are an enigma. Mysteries give me a thrill, almost as much as killing people.” The easy, no-fucks-given tone spoke volumes about the woman. “Excellent at your job, not so hot at socializing with anyone on this side of a computer screen. Reminds me of me, somewhat.” The blade began moving again. “Got my brother to do some hacking. Ashford is like you; he doesn’t stop hunting until he finds what he needs.”
“Ah… okay?”
“Do you understand how lucky you are, Olivia?”
Immediately, her eyes flicked to Zeke. Warmth filled her, comforting and sweet. God knew she needed the bolstering strength when faced with a self-admitted killer. “Yeah.”
Tsking, Tabitha rolled her eyes. “Not with him, although you did fall on your feet there. I’m talking about your stepfather.”
Cold slithered into the equation, battling with the warmth of her emotions. “Jared?”
“Mmm-hmm. Zeke was right to bring me into the game. I play it much better than Jared ever could. I found his playroom.” Disgust emanated from her, and Olivia decided she didn’t want to know what had the power to turn a killer’s stomach. “He’s dead now.”
Olivia choked loudly enough to wake Zeke. His fingers flexed against her hip, but her attention was locked on Tabitha. Horror and relief, and all manner of emotions she couldn’t name in that instant flooded her.
“Livvy?”
“Shush, Zeke. The girls are talking,” Tabitha chastised.
“Tabitha?” Blinking sleepily, he frowned. “What the hell?”
“Shush,” she repeated, irritably this time. “You’ll get a phone call sometime over the next few days, I imagine. I left enough clues to lead the Nevada cops to Jared’s playroom. As much as I prefer my kills to escape the attention of local authorities, what he did warrants explanation.”
Zeke grunted and rolled onto his back, dragging himself into a sitting position against the headboard. His hand reached out and linked with Olivia’s, forming a connection she was incredibly grateful for right now. “He was saving her for last?”
Tabitha pursed her lips. “Perhaps not the last, but she was next. The cops will discover the remains of several bodies. Fortunately, Jared made it easy for them to identify his victims. Heads in jars are tacky mementos of a kill,” she muttered, obviously unimpressed. “I did my own check of missing girls in the county and matched six out of six.”
Bile rose in Olivia’s throat. “He was murdering girls?”
“For a drunk and an addict, he was surprisingly adept at it. They all had similar features to you. The shrine he kept on the wall was dedicated to you, but I made sure he confirmed his plans before I… well, perhaps you shouldn’t know the details. It wouldn’t be wise for you to let anything slip about the manner of his demise to the cops when they talk to you.” The smile curving those pink lips was blood-curdling. “He was planning on grabbing you once the medical bills for your mother were paid off. He saw no point in cutting off your financial input, even though he’d lusted after you for years.”
