If You Hear Her: A Novel of Romantic Suspense by Shiloh Walker Page B

had heard her.
    As he stopped at the counter to pay for a Coke and gum—neither of which he needed—he heard Adrienne Cooper talking about it to Deb. He just barely managed to keep from snarling.
    Deb Sparks was more effective at getting news out than any modern media known to man. Tell her and in a matter of hours, people who no longer even lived in Ash, who hadn’t lived in Ash in twenty years, would hear about it. Family members who only visited every other year would hear about it.
    Hell, maybe the whole world.
    Not good.
    Not good at all.
    Judging by the strange glitter in Deb’s eye, she was miffed, too. Probably irritated that she hadn’t been the source of all the excitement instead of Lena.
    Too bad it wasn’t Deb.
    Too bad indeed. She might know how to spread the word, but she was also known for spreading … less than reliable words.
    Somebody called out his name and he only paused a moment in the swinging glass door. “I’ve got to get back, sorry!”
    Yes, he had to get back.
    Had to figure out what to do. Had to decide.
    The drive back to his place hadn’t yielded any miracle answer.
    Distracted, he paced the hard-packed dirt floor and studied his territory.
    It was dimly lit, the light provided by battery-powered torches or gaslights. Completely self-contained, completely his. He had spent a great deal of time in this place, perfecting it until it was exactly as he wanted it. Some of his tools and his toys he’d crafted with his own two hands.
    He took a great deal of pride in this place.
    His own little world.
    And he’d come close, too close to being discovered. If he was discovered … well, it had always been a risk, but he hadn’t exactly envisioned it being a risk quite like this. Hadn’t imagined it happening quite in this fashion.
    She was strapped down to the cot, her face slack, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm of deep, deep sleep.
    She’d tried to rouse twice, but he’d just given her more Valium. Right now, he needed her quiet. So he could think.
    He’d think easier away from here, but he couldn’t seem to pull back just yet.
    It was like a drug, he realized—an addictive, dangerous drug that was sure as shit going to fry his brain if he wasn’t careful.
    As close as he’d come to being caught, it had been such a thrill. And as chancy, as dicey as things were now, what was he doing? Cleaning up his trail? Getting rid of her?
    No. He was out here, all but whacking off and remembering it all over again.
    The hours he’d spent in town hadn’t helped him find answers, and while he’d intended to go home and clear his mind, he hadn’t been able to.
    What to do?
    Yes, somebody had heard her.
    But it wasn’t like it was the most reliable witness. Nobody had seen anything.
    This was new. Unusual for him. To feel so … unsure. And on the flip side, so exciting. Part of him raged at what she’d done. Part of him wanted her to do it all over again—so he could feel that rush, all over again.
    Mouth dry, he stopped in the middle of the floor and turned back to look at the door. Right there. He’d barely made it inside before the lust got control of him. Once he’d caught her and gotten her back here, all he had been able to think of was taking her—hard, fast, brutal. He hadn’t even attempted to bring a response from her this time.
    Once he’d gotten her back inside his spot, he’d slammed her against the dirt wall. With his hand over her mouth, he’d fucked her again, relishing every last struggle, every choked, muffled cry. She’d been unconscious when he was done, and as his mind cleared and his blood cooled, he realized he’d need to keep her that way for a while.
    Just in case.
    It had been a wise call.
    Even as he had gone about dumping her on the bed, he’d heard the distant wail of sirens.
    He hadn’t panicked. Even then, he hadn’t panicked. Panicking never served a wise man. Instead, he dealt with his girl, using a syringe to give her a heavy dose