The Girl Next Door (Shadow Agents 6)

“Of course, after what happened to you on that last mission, maybe you should be talking to her,” Deuce mused. “How many of your captors did you kill? And all without even a single weapon.”

She shouldn’t be hearing this. She should be rushing for the elevator and hurrying up to see Mercer.

Instead, Noelle found it hard to look away from that man’s golden eyes. She frowned at him, a pulse of recognition st

irring within her. “Have we met before, agent?”

His lips curved in the faintest of smiles. “I’ve seen you, but I don’t think you’ve seen me, Doctor.”

Then he turned around and headed down the hallway. His movements were absolutely soundless, and he moved with an easy, catlike grace.

Deuce came to her side. “Be careful with him,” he murmured. “I mean it, Agent Evers. I’ve never seen a more deadly agent, and I’ve been here for almost seven years now. That guy doesn’t get close to anyone, and when he kills...” His breath rushed out. “We’re supposed to have remorse, aren’t we? We’re supposed to be more than just machines, following orders.” His hands shoved into his pockets. “People should matter more than just mission orders.”

Yes, they should.

She cleared her throat and hurried for the elevator. Noelle slipped inside.

She wasn’t in that elevator alone.

The man Deuce had called “Dragon” was there. He didn’t speak as they rode up that elevator together.

Goose bumps rose on her arms.

There was something about him.

One look, and he’d scared her.

One look, and he’d—

The elevator chimed. The doors opened. Noelle nearly tripped as she rushed out and toward the desk of Mercer’s assistant.

Before she could even ask to see the director, he was there, frowning at her. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

It wasn’t what had already happened that made her fear so much.

They went back into Mercer’s office. He closed the door, sealing them inside. She tried to calm her racing heartbeat. “Kylie Archer was involved with Keith Lockwood.”

His brow furrowed. “I already told you—”

“Your rogue killed her in order to get at Lockwood. She was the easy kill, the one who wouldn’t expect his attack. Then, while Lockwood was grieving, while he was weak with his loss, the killer went after him.”

The pairs made so much sense to her now. Once she’d realized that the first two victims were also intimately connected, she understood why the rogue was taking out the women first. Because he wants the men to suffer more. He wants them to mourn for what they’ve lost.

Mercer’s expression tightened. “He did the same thing with Melanie and Van.”

Yes, he had. “He’s killing the women, almost executing them, and I think he is doing it just to make their lovers suffer. He wants them to hurt, to grieve. When they’re broken, then he goes in—”

“—for the kill,” Mercer finished.

“He’s doing it again. It’s already in motion. I can see it now.” Her words were coming out too fast, so she tried to slow them down. “Gabrielle Harper. He’s not talking to her because she’s the reporter investigating his kills. He’s focused on her because of her relationship to Cooper.” A very personal relationship, judging by what she’d just seen in that interrogation room. “He’s already told us—we just didn’t realize—Gabrielle is his next target. And, once she’s dead...”

His voice and face grim, Mercer said, “He’ll go after Cooper.”

Chapter Ten

He shouldn’t be kissing her. He should be taking things slower, trying to soothe her. Trying to mend the fences that he’d destroyed.

But he needed her. So much.