around.”
“It could’ve been a woman.”
Parker grimaced and stuffed his wallet into his pants. “Then she might still be around.” He pulled on his jacket. “Sit tight. Can you do that?” Where was his shirt? He’d forgotten his stupid shirt. “Just sit tight.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you’d hurry, okay?”
Her voice sounded so tiny, so faint. She was afraid. Hanging up the phone was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. Breaking the connection, the link reassur ing him that she was safe, was all but impossible. Why she dredged such strong emotions from him, he didn’t know. Nor did he want to know. He just wanted to get to her. If he found a message—and no evidence that she’d planted it herself—then there was a case. Not necessarily a child abduction, but a case. Anyone could be after her. How many cases had she “helped” Sandy solve?
Because he should know the answer to that and he didn’t, Parker moved twice as fast. If anyone touched that woman, there’d be hell to pay. She was his, and if anyone was go ing to bring her down, it was going to be him.
Caron heard the knock. She couldn’t make herself touch that door. She wanted to, knew she needed to, but, staring at the dried blood, she couldn’t make herself do it. “Come in.”
Parker shoved open the door. “Come in? Good grief, Caron, I could be Jack the Ripper and you just invite me in?”
She stood motionless, her arms curled over her chest, staring blankly at the door. In her peripheral vision, she saw Parker. Where was his shirt?
He turned and looked at the message, then stepped close to her. “I thought you meant a note.”
Tears burning the backs of her eyes, she blinked hard and looked up at him.
His voice softened. “What’s that on your face?”
It was blood. From where she’d leaned against the door. Suddenly, she spun and fled to the bathroom. At the sink, she twisted on the tap and snatched up the soap, her hands shaking so hard she could barely keep hold of the bar. With harsh, grating swipes, she scrubbed her face till her skin burned, then kept on scrubbing. She wouldn’t look up, couldn’t look into the mirror until she felt clean again.
“Caron.” Parker stepped in and touched her shoulder.
“No!” She jerked away and kept scrubbing. “I have to get it off!”
“Caron!” he shouted. “Look at me!”
She did. Her eyes were wild. Certainty flooded through Parker. This incident wasn’t part of any con. The fear and shock in her were real. The air between them crackled with tension. He grabbed a towel hanging beside the sink and moved slowly toward her, speaking softly, in soothing tones. “It’s okay. Everything’s all right now.” Gently he wiped the lathered soap off of her face. “There, it’s gone.”
“It’s not gone,” she spat out.
He cupped her chin in his hand. “It’s over, Caron.”
“It’ll never be over.” Something flashed in her eyes. “You don’t understand!”
He held her face firmly, wet the edge of the towel, then rinsed her face. Her chin quivered, bumping the heel of his hand, tearing at his heartstrings. She was an emotional wreck, but more than just the message had done this to her. Forcing a calm he didn’t feel into his voice, he looked down at her. “Explain it to me, then. So I can understand.”
“I’ve been violated. A stranger has been in my home. He’s touched my things.” Her face drained of color. “My ...personal things.”
“What personal things?”
“He’ll be back, Parker.” She growled deep in her throat. “He’ll be back...and next time it’ll be my blood on the door.”
“No.” Pain wrenched in his chest.
“He will, damn it!” She shuddered. “I—I—”
“What?” Parker shook her shoulders. She was border ing on hysteria. “You what, Caron?”
“I...saw him.” Her head fell back, and she let out a guttural growl. “Oh, God, Parker, I saw him kill me!”
Her knees gave out. Parker
“It could’ve been a woman.”
Parker grimaced and stuffed his wallet into his pants. “Then she might still be around.” He pulled on his jacket. “Sit tight. Can you do that?” Where was his shirt? He’d forgotten his stupid shirt. “Just sit tight.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you’d hurry, okay?”
Her voice sounded so tiny, so faint. She was afraid. Hanging up the phone was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. Breaking the connection, the link reassur ing him that she was safe, was all but impossible. Why she dredged such strong emotions from him, he didn’t know. Nor did he want to know. He just wanted to get to her. If he found a message—and no evidence that she’d planted it herself—then there was a case. Not necessarily a child abduction, but a case. Anyone could be after her. How many cases had she “helped” Sandy solve?
Because he should know the answer to that and he didn’t, Parker moved twice as fast. If anyone touched that woman, there’d be hell to pay. She was his, and if anyone was go ing to bring her down, it was going to be him.
Caron heard the knock. She couldn’t make herself touch that door. She wanted to, knew she needed to, but, staring at the dried blood, she couldn’t make herself do it. “Come in.”
Parker shoved open the door. “Come in? Good grief, Caron, I could be Jack the Ripper and you just invite me in?”
She stood motionless, her arms curled over her chest, staring blankly at the door. In her peripheral vision, she saw Parker. Where was his shirt?
He turned and looked at the message, then stepped close to her. “I thought you meant a note.”
Tears burning the backs of her eyes, she blinked hard and looked up at him.
His voice softened. “What’s that on your face?”
It was blood. From where she’d leaned against the door. Suddenly, she spun and fled to the bathroom. At the sink, she twisted on the tap and snatched up the soap, her hands shaking so hard she could barely keep hold of the bar. With harsh, grating swipes, she scrubbed her face till her skin burned, then kept on scrubbing. She wouldn’t look up, couldn’t look into the mirror until she felt clean again.
“Caron.” Parker stepped in and touched her shoulder.
“No!” She jerked away and kept scrubbing. “I have to get it off!”
“Caron!” he shouted. “Look at me!”
She did. Her eyes were wild. Certainty flooded through Parker. This incident wasn’t part of any con. The fear and shock in her were real. The air between them crackled with tension. He grabbed a towel hanging beside the sink and moved slowly toward her, speaking softly, in soothing tones. “It’s okay. Everything’s all right now.” Gently he wiped the lathered soap off of her face. “There, it’s gone.”
“It’s not gone,” she spat out.
He cupped her chin in his hand. “It’s over, Caron.”
“It’ll never be over.” Something flashed in her eyes. “You don’t understand!”
He held her face firmly, wet the edge of the towel, then rinsed her face. Her chin quivered, bumping the heel of his hand, tearing at his heartstrings. She was an emotional wreck, but more than just the message had done this to her. Forcing a calm he didn’t feel into his voice, he looked down at her. “Explain it to me, then. So I can understand.”
“I’ve been violated. A stranger has been in my home. He’s touched my things.” Her face drained of color. “My ...personal things.”
“What personal things?”
“He’ll be back, Parker.” She growled deep in her throat. “He’ll be back...and next time it’ll be my blood on the door.”
“No.” Pain wrenched in his chest.
“He will, damn it!” She shuddered. “I—I—”
“What?” Parker shook her shoulders. She was border ing on hysteria. “You what, Caron?”
“I...saw him.” Her head fell back, and she let out a guttural growl. “Oh, God, Parker, I saw him kill me!”
Her knees gave out. Parker
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