solidified that. Everything about her was kind and pure. Need burned low in his belly and more than anything, he wanted to wrap his arms around Lilly and ease the pain she must be in.
“Is there someone you want us to call? You shouldn’t be alone right now,” Lilly said.
“My daughter—other daughter—and my son. They live in the next county. I don’t know how I’m going to tell them their sister is—”
“I’ll do it. Do you have their numbers written down anywhere?” Lilly’s voice seemed to have a calming effect.
Eileen swiped at her tears and nodded. “On the fridge. Their names are Max and Aurora.”
“You just wait right here.” Lilly disappeared and Braden suddenly felt very inadequate.
From the other room, he could hear the low murmur of Lilly’s voice. He wasn’t great at the comforting thing. Never had been. He opened his mouth a couple times but anything he came up with seemed to fall pitifully short. He’d lost a lot of friends to violence, but the situation had been different. They’d been in a warzone. And telling this woman he knew how she felt wouldn’t help anything anyway. Hell, it’d probably upset her even more.
Still, he crouched down next to her and held her hand. A waterfall of tears rolled down her cheeks but she didn’t sob. Just quietly cried. Braden tightened his grip on her hand and allowed the anger that had been building inside him to course freely.
Two women—three counting Lilly’s therapist—all murdered so closely together. Whoever this guy was, he’d make a mistake. He had to. Striking in the middle of the day meant he was getting braver. Arrogant.
No matter what happened, Braden was going to bring this guy down.
“Thank you for what you did back there.” Braden kicked his truck into park a few houses down from the only yellow house on Cedar Street. After leaving Mrs. Spinoza’s, he’d immediately called the station and gotten an address on Daniel Walker. The guy had a long rap sheet, including past instances of domestic violence.
Lilly shrugged. “I have a little experience with it. Like I said, I…lost a couple friends in Africa and I went to see their families afterward. There’s not a lot you can do other than listen.”
“I know, but still, thank you.”
Her cheeks tinged a light shade of pink, but she didn’t respond.
Braden looked at his watch, then in the rearview mirror. “Where the hell is Perry?” he muttered. His detective should be here by now. Braden hadn’t wanted to waste time dropping Lilly off at the station when he could be picking up their first good suspect.
“Uh, Braden…” He followed Lilly’s nod.
A blond haired man wearing a brown hoodie and jeans had walked into the front yard and was smoking a cigarette. They were too far to make a positive ID, but compared to the picture Perry had sent to his phone, it looked like their guy.
“I’ve got my weapon if you don’t want to wait for backup,” Lilly said.
Braden pulled his gun out of its holster but didn’t make a move to get out. He wanted this guy but he couldn’t put Lilly’s life at risk. “How much training do you have, exactly?” After seeing the way she handled a weapon it was obvious she knew what she was doing but he needed more information.
“I have a Master’s in criminology, which you might already know. I have experience in prisoner handling, tactical evasive driving. I’ve been on numerous domestic and international anti-terrorism operations working with various joint task-forces involving the FBI, CIA and the DEA. Uh, I’m also trained in reconnaissance and surveillance, foreign weapons and communications, and I have current DOD top secret clearance. There’s more, but that’s the basics.”
The Department of Defense clearance was good but it was her mention of weapons experience and prisoner handling that convinced him. “Come on. We’re not waiting any longer. I’ll cross the street. You head down this side, cut across
“Is there someone you want us to call? You shouldn’t be alone right now,” Lilly said.
“My daughter—other daughter—and my son. They live in the next county. I don’t know how I’m going to tell them their sister is—”
“I’ll do it. Do you have their numbers written down anywhere?” Lilly’s voice seemed to have a calming effect.
Eileen swiped at her tears and nodded. “On the fridge. Their names are Max and Aurora.”
“You just wait right here.” Lilly disappeared and Braden suddenly felt very inadequate.
From the other room, he could hear the low murmur of Lilly’s voice. He wasn’t great at the comforting thing. Never had been. He opened his mouth a couple times but anything he came up with seemed to fall pitifully short. He’d lost a lot of friends to violence, but the situation had been different. They’d been in a warzone. And telling this woman he knew how she felt wouldn’t help anything anyway. Hell, it’d probably upset her even more.
Still, he crouched down next to her and held her hand. A waterfall of tears rolled down her cheeks but she didn’t sob. Just quietly cried. Braden tightened his grip on her hand and allowed the anger that had been building inside him to course freely.
Two women—three counting Lilly’s therapist—all murdered so closely together. Whoever this guy was, he’d make a mistake. He had to. Striking in the middle of the day meant he was getting braver. Arrogant.
No matter what happened, Braden was going to bring this guy down.
“Thank you for what you did back there.” Braden kicked his truck into park a few houses down from the only yellow house on Cedar Street. After leaving Mrs. Spinoza’s, he’d immediately called the station and gotten an address on Daniel Walker. The guy had a long rap sheet, including past instances of domestic violence.
Lilly shrugged. “I have a little experience with it. Like I said, I…lost a couple friends in Africa and I went to see their families afterward. There’s not a lot you can do other than listen.”
“I know, but still, thank you.”
Her cheeks tinged a light shade of pink, but she didn’t respond.
Braden looked at his watch, then in the rearview mirror. “Where the hell is Perry?” he muttered. His detective should be here by now. Braden hadn’t wanted to waste time dropping Lilly off at the station when he could be picking up their first good suspect.
“Uh, Braden…” He followed Lilly’s nod.
A blond haired man wearing a brown hoodie and jeans had walked into the front yard and was smoking a cigarette. They were too far to make a positive ID, but compared to the picture Perry had sent to his phone, it looked like their guy.
“I’ve got my weapon if you don’t want to wait for backup,” Lilly said.
Braden pulled his gun out of its holster but didn’t make a move to get out. He wanted this guy but he couldn’t put Lilly’s life at risk. “How much training do you have, exactly?” After seeing the way she handled a weapon it was obvious she knew what she was doing but he needed more information.
“I have a Master’s in criminology, which you might already know. I have experience in prisoner handling, tactical evasive driving. I’ve been on numerous domestic and international anti-terrorism operations working with various joint task-forces involving the FBI, CIA and the DEA. Uh, I’m also trained in reconnaissance and surveillance, foreign weapons and communications, and I have current DOD top secret clearance. There’s more, but that’s the basics.”
The Department of Defense clearance was good but it was her mention of weapons experience and prisoner handling that convinced him. “Come on. We’re not waiting any longer. I’ll cross the street. You head down this side, cut across
Similar Books
