Page 5 of His Relentless Mate

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the message, a sense of unease creeping into her chest. This wasn’t the first time she had received threats in her line of work, but this felt different. More personal. More immediate.

Trevor noticed her sudden change in demeanor and frowned. “Annika? Everything okay?”

She swallowed hard, her mind racing. “I... I’m not sure,” she admitted, showing him the message.

He read it quickly, his expression darkening. “That’s not something to take lightly. Do you have any idea who it could be?”

“No,” she replied, her voice shaky despite her efforts to keep it steady. “But whoever it is, they don’t want us digging into this case.”

Trevor leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing in thought. “You’re sure this is connected to the case?”

“I don’t see how it could be anything else,” Annika said, her mind spinning. “I’ve only been back in town for a few days. The only thing I’m working on is this cold case. Whoever sent this message knows what we’re doing, and they don’t want us to continue.”

Trevor was silent for a moment, then he nodded, his expression resolute. “We can’t let this scare us off. If anything, it means we’re on the right track. But you should tell Trace about this. He needs to know.”

Annika hesitated; her emotions in turmoil. The idea of confiding in Trace, of revealing that she was being threatened, made her feel vulnerable in a way she hadn’t in years. But Trevor was right. She couldn’t keep this to herself, not for long any way, not if it meant putting the investigation—and herself—in danger.

“You’re right,” she finally said, her voice firmer. “I’ll tell him, but not right now—not when we’re just getting started.”

“I don’t know that I think waiting is a good idea, Annika,” Trevor said, standing up.

“I can understand where you’re coming from. But I’d like to keep this between us at least for a few days. I don’t want to cause any unnecessary worry, and I’d like to see if keeping it quiet provokes anything. Just a day or two.”

“Well…” he hedged. Annika could tell he was weakening.

“Trevor, I know you don’t know me, but I’m a good cop. I’ll tell Trace, but I just want to see what happens.”

“All right, but be careful, Annika. Whoever sent that message isn’t messing around.”

“Agreed. I’ll be careful,” she promised, though the knot of fear in her stomach remained. “Thanks, Trevor.”

With a nod, he left the room, leaving Annika alone with her thoughts. She stared at the message again, her mind racing with possibilities. Who could have sent this? And why were they so desperate to keep the past buried?

Shaking off her unease, Annika grabbed her phone and headed for Trace’s office. She’d asked Trevor for a day or two, but she knew in her heart she could trust Trace. She’d only asked for time because she didn’t want to face Trace—didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that nothing had really changed for her. She had to tell him about the threat, no matter how much it pained her to admit that she needed his help.

Deep in her heart, she knew there was no way he could be a part of whatever was going on. Regardless of their inability to make a go of it, she knew he was one of the best and most honorable people she’d ever known. As she walked through the station, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her, that unseen eyes were tracking her every move.

Trace was sitting at his desk when she knocked on the doorframe. He looked up, his expression unreadable, though she thought she saw a flicker of concern in his eyes when he saw her. “Annika,” he said, standing up. “What’s wrong?”

She took a deep breath, steeling herself and handing him her phone. “I just received a threat. Someone doesn’t want us looking into the case.”

His eyes narrowed as he took the phone from her hand, reading the message. The muscles in his jaw tightened as he handed it back to her. “Did you recognize the number?”

“No,” she said, her voice steadier now that she had made the decision to involve him. “It’s anonymous, and they knew what they were doing.”

Trace exhaled slowly; his gaze locked on hers. “We need to take this seriously, Annika. If someone’s willing to threaten you, they might be willing to do more.”

“I know,” she replied, a shiver running down her spine at the thought. “But I’m not going to be scared off. Whoever this is, they’re scared, which means we’re getting close to something important.”

He studied her for a moment, then nodded, his expression determined. “We’ll keep this quiet for now. Does anyone else know?”

“Just Trevor.”

Trace nodded. “Trevor is good people, and he wasn’t here when the original murder occurred. No need to alert the whole town until we know more. But I’m increasing security measures. I’ll have someone watching you at all times, and we’ll keep a closer eye on anyone connected to the case.”

Annika nodded, grateful for his support even as she struggled to keep her emotions in check. She wasn’t used to feeling this vulnerable, this exposed. But with Trace by her side, she felt a little more secure, a little less alone.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, meeting his gaze. “I’m not used to asking for help, but... I’m glad you’re here.”