Secret Admirer

No, it was far from over. There was a shit ton of evidence to still collect and bag from Tiffany’s home and from the cemetery. There were reports to write. People to interview—people who’d lived near Tiffany. People who’d worked with her at the hospital. She was dead, but the case wasn’t closed, not yet.

“I’m so tired,” Alice added. And she looked it. Exhausted.

He hurried to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get a deputy to take you back to our place.” Our place. It wasn’t, but saying the words felt right. He could imagine having a place with Alice. He could imagine a whole life with her.

Maybe now, they’d get that chance.

“Thank you.” Her hand rose and curled over his. “For everything, Zander—just, thank you.” Her gaze held his. “I didn’t want you to kill for me. I never wanted that.”

There was so much he wanted to say to Alice, but his partner was watching every damn thing. Zander turned his head and glared at Randall.

Randall blinked. “Hey, um, you know what? I think I need to check on some files. Right now.” He saluted and hurried from the room. The door closed behind him with a soft click.

Then Zander did what he’d been aching to do. He pulled Alice out of the chair and into his arms. He buried his face in her hair, and he just held her.

She’d been shot. The vest had stopped the bullet, but his Alice had one hell of a bruise. The EMTs on scene had checked her out while he’d watched, unable to leave her side. Too fucking scared to leave her.

“You don’t get shot again,” he told her gruffly, as he finally forced his head to lift. “You don’t stalk into cemeteries at night, and you sure as hell don’t put your gun down before a face-off with a killer.”

Her head cocked to the side. “She was so believable on the phone. I thought the killer had her. That he was going to hurt her.” A faint line appeared between her eyebrows. “All of those phone calls—they were really always her? Because I could have sworn…” Her words trailed away.

“It makes sense,” Zander told her because he’d thought about this, too. “She used the voice distorter because she didn’t want you to know you were talking with a woman. She used the gun on Cara, used the stolen sedan to come after you—all of that was different from the original Secret Admirer.” His lips curled down. “She was a disturbed woman, Alice. But she’s gone, and she will never hurt anyone else again.”

Alice shivered. “Why doesn’t it feel over then?”

Because she’d lived with fear and pain for too long. Because he knew she’d spent the last year always looking over her shoulder. Always waiting for something else to happen. “Where do you want to go?” Zander asked, trying to distract her. Just wanting to make some of the shadows leave her eyes.

“Go?” She blinked. “I-I thought you were getting a deputy to take me home—”

“I mean on our date. You did promise we’d date, right? So you pick the place. Any place you want, I’ll take you there.” Baby, I’ll take you anywhere. I’ll give you anything.

Her lips curved a little bit, even if the smile never reached her eyes. “A promise is a promise.”

“Damn straight it is.” He had no intention of letting Alice go. He was about to begin the biggest operation of his life—getting her to stay with him. Forever. Because he didn’t want anything less from her. Zander kissed her. A slow and tender kiss. Unfortunately, when he kissed Alice, things never stayed slow. They got hot. Fast. And he got hungry for her. “Go home,” he rasped against her mouth. “Soak in a hot bath. Relax. And I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Her hands pressed to his chest. “I’ll go home, but I’ll wait on that soak…until you can join me.”

The woman knew exactly how to twist him up. Zander walked her out of the conference room. Their fingers twined together. They headed toward the general area of the station—

“Alice!” Jonathan jumped up from his chair as soon as he saw her. He rushed forward and pulled her into a big, tight hug. “Oh, God, is it true? That woman—she faked her own kidnapping? She tried to kill you?”

Zander sure as shit didn’t like the way the guy clung so tightly to Alice, but he was trying to keep his cool.

Alice pushed against Jonathan’s body, easing out of his hold. “It’s true.” Her voice was brittle, and she was still far too pale. “She’s…she’s dead, though, Jon. Before she could shoot at me again, Zander stopped her.”

Jonathan’s gaze flew to Zander. The other man stiffened but inclined his head as he said, “Thank you, Agent Todd. Alice is the only family I’ve got left. I couldn’t lose her.”

“I’m okay,” Alice told him quietly. “Just…I’m exhausted. I want to get out of here before the reporters start attacking.”

Face grim, Jonathan told her, “They’re lined up out front. I had to fight my way past them to get in the station.”

Zander motioned to the avidly watching deputy. A familiar fellow with bright, red hair. “Deputy Ross, I want you to take Alice back to my cabin—”

“I’ll take her!” Jonathan immediately offered. “The reporters will swarm on any official vehicle that leaves this place.” He slanted a fast glance at Alice. “I’ll move my car around to the back. You can slip out that way, and I’ll take you to the cabin.”

Zander tensed. “That’s not necessary. The deputy—”

Jonathan’s chin lifted. “I’m not my brother. I get it—you don’t trust me. Not one bit. But I’m not Hugh. And, shit, he wasn’t the man I thought, okay? I’m dealing with that the best I can. He was a monster. I didn’t want to see it, but that’s what he was.”

“It’s nothing personal,” Zander told him. And it wasn’t. This was about Alice’s safety. Her safety came before everything else. “But until this case is offic

ially closed, I want Alice to have either a deputy or an agent keeping watch on her.”

Alice’s eyes widened. “But—”

“There are a few questions left. Just a few.” He also couldn’t shake the knot of fear in his gut. He pointed to the deputy. “Deputy Greg Ross will take you to the cabin. He’ll stay with you until I get there.”

A muscle flexed in Jonathan’s jaw. “Then I’ll be following them because…” Now he turned to look at Alice. “We need to talk. To really talk. It’s been too long. And I just—you’re right. I need to stop pretending and face the past.” He straightened his spine. “Hugh Collins was a murderer. He killed six women.”

“Five,” Randall corrected as he approached their group. “Your brother killed five women.”

Jonathan blinked. “Five?” He shook his head. “That’s right. Just five.”

The deputy had collected his keys. He nodded to Alice. “You ready, Ms. May?”

“Yes.” Her gaze lingered on Zander. “I’ll see you soon.”

Zander pulled her into a hug. “Hell, yes, you will.” He held her a moment, then let her go. “Take her out the back,” he told the deputy. “I’ll go address the reporters and keep them busy so you can slip away.”

He watched as the deputy led her away. Then he took a step toward the station’s entrance.

But Jonathan moved into his path. “You…love her?”

He wasn’t going to deny that. He’d never deny Alice. “Yes.”

Anger flashed in Jonathan’s gaze. “You lied to her. You tricked her, and you think you get her now? You think that is how things will work out for you?”

“I think it’s not any of your business.” He gave Jonathan a cold smile. “Now, excuse me. I have reporters waiting.” Because if he didn’t distract them, they might find Alice. So he marched for the front glass doors. He shoved them open. Raised his hands. “The FBI would like to make an official statement…”

Immediately, the reporters rushed toward him.

***

“I’ll be right outside if you need me, Ms. May,” Deputy Ross said as he ducked his head and shoved his hands into his pockets.