Mine to Keep (Mine 2)

But Claire glanced around the penthouse, fear flashing in her gaze. “I can’t.” Whispered. “I just…can’t.”

Skye frowned at her. “We have an extra bedroom.” Four of them. “You’ll be safe here.”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t really…I’ve heard stories about Mr. Weston—”

“Trace?”

“He scares me. I used to ask Sara if he scared her.” Her lips twisted into a sad smile. “She said, ‘Every day. But that’s half the fun.’” Claire laughed then, and the sound was heavy with tears. “But Sara was lying to me, you see. I don’t think she was ever really afraid of anything. She isn’t like me.” Claire’s shoulders hunched.

Skye gazed at her, her heart aching. There was something about Claire that reminded her…

Of me.

“I’ll get a hotel. It’ll be fine.” Claire stood up. Squared her shoulders. “I don’t need—”

“There’s an apartment over my dance studio,” Skye said, rising with her. “You can stay there. No one will bother you.”

Claire’s lips trembled. “Th-thank you.” Then she paused. “I…know about what happened to you.”

At this point, Skye was sure most of the world did. She lifted her chin. “I didn’t—”

“Surviving is hard, isn’t it? But at least you know he’s not out there anymore, watching you.” Claire licked her lips. “That part is the scariest.”

Skye felt her heartbeat race. She’s speaking from experience.

“Never knowing…it’s the hardest.” Claire’s eyes squeezed shut, then she whispered, “It’s my fault that Sara is dead.”

“What?” Skye shook her head and then realized that Claire couldn’t see the move. “No, no, it isn’t.”

Claire’s body trembled. “He killed my parents, and he killed her, too.”

“Claire.” Skye snapped out her name. “What are you talking about?”

“My lover,” she said as her eyes opened. “My one and only. He said I was his forever, and he’s made sure that I am.”

Goosebumps rose on Skye’s arms.

I see me in her. The same fear. The terror that lurked in Claire’s eyes.

“I thought I’d escaped, just like you had. But I didn’t.” More tears slid down Claire’s cheeks. “And Sara is dead.”

“It wasn’t because of you.” Skye wanted to shake the other woman. So she did. Hard.

Claire blinked at her.

“I don’t know what happened to your parents or what happened to you, but Sara’s death isn’t on you.” Skye sucked in a sharp breath. “Someone is killing in this city. This is his third attack. The crimes are all the same. The victims are all—” Skye broke off, not wanting to reveal the gory details to Claire.

“Th-third attack?”

“Two men were killed before Sara.”

“You’re sure it’s the same killer?”

“Yes.” Because the killer was from Trace’s past.

“Why? Why would he go after my sister?”

“We think…” It was so hard to say this as she stared into those tear-filled eyes. “We think the killer was using her in order to get at Trace. And after he’d gotten what he needed from Sara…”

“He killed my sister.” Hollow words. Words that matched the look in Claire’s eyes.

Skye nodded. Claire deserved the truth, and she was determined to give it to her.

One survivor to another.

“I need to see her,” Claire said. “Please…”

The body had been transferred down to the coroner’s office hours before. Skye knew the ME wouldn’t be finished with the exam, not yet.

“I need to do it. I’m all that Sara has.”