Page 115 of Mine to Share
“How could you be with a man who rapes women?” Beth shouted in the hostage’s ear, making her whimper and attempt to pull away from the arm keeping her in place.
It all clicked then.
How could I be so fucking dumb?
Beth is our unsub.
Our serial killer is Beth.
And I am in so, so,somuch shit.
The strap of my purse slid down to the crook of my elbow, reminding me I had a lifeline in its deep depths. If I could get to my phone, then I could call for help to get me out of yet another shitty situation.
This was really becoming a trend, and I did not like it one bit.
“Listen,” I said slowly, mimicking the tone Jameson used the other day on Josh. I shivered just remembering the helpless feeling of standing there with a gun pointed at me. And that was exactly how Beth’s hostage felt, and who knew for how long. “Let me just call someone—”
“No,” Beth screeched, jerking the woman in her arm, which made her scream.
Which mademescream.
If the cops weren’t on their way, they had to be now.
Surely the neighbors knew a group of women screaming wasn’t the norm. Or maybe it was and—
The insistent vibration in my purse stopped my tornado thoughts. I wasn’t sure how, but I knew that constant buzzing meanttheyknew.
My guys knew I was in trouble.
Now I once again had to keep my shit together long enough to be saved.
Maybe Beth and her hostage like dead people jokes.
35
SLADE
We parked three houses down from the one Savage and Rain were holed up inside. Eyes on the location, I secured my vest while Jameson and Mott did the same. The LA fucker tagged along, jumping in my car without a word before I took off from the station. Which didn’t bother me, considering he looked like he could not only hold his own no matter the situation but possibly the whole county too.
The fucker radiated deadly.
Exactly what we needed since Jameson and I were floundering, too emotionally invested in this to think clearly. Our girl was inside that house, and we were helpless. Again.
I fucking hated this. I should’ve pieced it all together sooner, known that the damn killer was one of us from the start. I felt like a damn fool letting Savage get away with literal murder right under my nose for months.
“Hey.” Jameson slammed his fist against my shoulder hard, jerking me out of my head. “There was no way we could’ve known. None of us. Now that we have all the information and see how the profile fits Savage, of course all the clues make sense and point to her. But we didn’t, and now we move fucking forward and get everyone out of this alive.”
His features pulled into a grimace while he tightened the Velcro strap around his chest, reminding me that he’d walked into the line of fire last time. It was my turn to face the unknown and save our girl.
“I’m going in this time,” I demanded, mind already made up. Hopefully, this ball of guilt would go the fuck away if I was in there with her. I’d put myself between her and the danger, no matter the risk to myself. “You went in first last time and—”
“Don’t go all Donkey Kong on me, big guy, but you’re actually not.” I shot him my signature glare. “Oh no, that doesn’t work on me anymore. You’ve shown me your softer side, so I know you’re just a big ole cinnamon roll inside that giant, tough exterior.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Mott asked, looking between us, thumbs hooked into his vest. “Because that’s my partner and friend in there, and I don’t want you trigger-happy fuckers anywhere around her.” He leveled me with a cocky smirk. “I’m going in.”
I stretched my neck one way and then the other, preparing to fight the asshole for the right to go in first. Though this might be the first time in my life that I doubted I’d be the winner. “It’s our girl in there, so—”
“Our?” He pointed to me and Jameson in question. “Nice. Congrats. But that doesn’t change a single fucking thing. You’re both too emotionally invested in this for all the wrong reasons for my liking. You’ll shoot first and ask questions later.”