Before the Dawn (Killer Instinct 2)

And once more, Tucker just waited for the guy to continue. Silence was key.

“I wanted to see what it was like.” Anthony dipped his head forward. “To take a life. I wanted to see if I could get away with it. Being a cop...it was training for me. I learned about the crime scenes. I learned about investigations. I learned how to make evidence go away.” He gave a whistle. “I also learned which prey to use. If you don’t want to catch attention, don’t go for the pretty college coed. Go for the people who live in the shadows. The ones no one will miss.”

Tucker’s gut clenched. “How many have you killed?”

Anthony widened his eyes. “I’m not saying that I’ve killed anyone during those seven years. But if I had killed, I would have chosen prey that lived on the edges of society. The useless addicts. The ones who wouldn’t even have the sense to fight back.”

“Addicts...like your mother?”

“My mother died of a drug overdose.” Anthony shrugged. “That happens with addicts.”

“Just like it happened with Rowan Jacobs.”

Another shrug.

“Bullshit.” Anger seethed in him, but Tucker didn’t let that rage out. He wasn’t the one who was going to break in this interview. “You killed Rowan, when you were supposed to be guarding him. You were afraid the guy would be able to tell everyone that you were the one who paid him to shoot at me, so you got a needle and you pumped that kid’s veins full, didn’t you? Julia found the needle mark. She checked his blood, she knows—”

“So glad she survived her attack,” Anthony murmured. “Always rather liked her.”

“You liked her so much that you hit her over the head and threw her in a body locker.”

Anthony’s cuffed hands lifted as he rubbed his chin. “Why did Jason choose the freezers? I’ve always wondered that. Doesn’t make sense... I mean, Louisiana is fucking hot. Why go cold with the kills?”

“Because our father left us in that heat. For days and days. We’d sweat and we’d vomit and we’d be sure that we were going to die. Jason talked to me during that time. He’d talk to me for hours—until his voice was gone. He’d tell me that we didn’t really feel all that heat. That it was mind over matter. That we were in ice. Protected. Forever safe...in the ice.”

Anthony didn’t blink. “Sounds like your brother loved you.”

“He did, as much as he was able to love anyone.”

“And you still killed him.”

Tucker looked over Anthony’s shoulder. A one-way mirror was there, and his reflection peered back at him. For a moment, he saw Jason.

Maybe I will always see him. “Yes, I still killed him.” Time to take off the fucking gloves. Tucker leaned forward. His voice dropped. “Just like I would have killed you.”

Anthony swallowed and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “I heard...heard you saved me. You stopped me from bleeding out.”

“Because Dawn didn’t want me killing another brother. She thought I couldn’t live with that on my soul.” He smiled. In the mirror, his dimple flashed. Jason’s dimple. “But I’ll tell you a secret.”

Anthony’s eyes gleamed. “Please do...”

“I don’t give a fuck about you. If I hadn’t been so fixed on getting to Dawn, on saving her, I would have used my knife to cut your throat wide-open. I would have stared down at you and watched as you choked on your blood.”

Anthony’s eyes weren’t gleaming any longer.

“You made a mistake. You went after Dawn. No one does that. She is my family. You really should have learned from Jason’s mistake.”

The guard was watching them. Tucker and Anthony were both still in their seats. It was hot in the room. Too hot.

Imagine we’re in ice. Safe, so far away...

“You’re going to spend the rest of your life in a cage.” And, once more, Jason’s voice drifted through Tucker’s mind. You don’t want me in a cell? A cage? We’ve both been in a cage before. We swore neither of us would go back.

It was Anthony’s turn to go in the cage.

“We’ve got you on the murder of Detective Ronald Torez. We have you on the murder of Jinx Donahue and Rowan Jacobs. On the attempted murder of Dr. Julia Bradford. And thanks to your not-so-clever ass leaving your gloves and DNA at Heather Hartley’s crime scene, we have you for her death, too.”

“I wanted you to know I was out there. Another brother, hunting. Another brother, killing.”

“Don’t worry, I know. The whole world knows.” He stood up. “Hope you enjoy them all knowing...while you’re living in a cell. Though if I were you, I’d be watching my back. Once you get sentenced and head off to Angola Prison, you’re in for real hell. The inmates there don’t take too kindly to cops, especially the killing kind.” Tucker turned away.

“What the fuck was so special about you?”

Tucker rolled his shoulders and turned back to stare at the man who was his half brother.

“You got close to Dawn. You had his face and she still loved you. But I go to her...and she wouldn’t give me the time of day. I was a cop, I should’ve been a freaking hero in her eyes...and she shut me down.”

And that had been when the Iceman game began. Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. “I’m not special. I am lucky. A very lucky bastard because she loved me back then...and she loves me now.”

“Fucker.”

Tucker smiled. “I thought she was afraid of my darkness, but she wasn’t. The first time I saw her, I wanted to protect her. She seemed so delicate and perfect. An angel in my hell.”

Anthony’s face twisted in disgust.

“Then I realized she was so much more. Dawn made me want to be a better man. She brought me into her light. She filled the holes that I had inside.” And the darkness had eased. “She fit me.” He’d been unfinished and then Dawn had changed him.

Made him into a better man.

Hell, yes, he’d kill to protect her.

Once more, he turned away. Another deliberate tactic. He took a few steps toward the door.

“You’re a killer, too! Deep inside! I know you are! I know you have to be! I read about what you did while you were a SEAL. Your confirmed kills. You liked it, didn’t you? You liked that rush, you liked—”

“No, I didn’t. I never enjoyed taking a life.” He glanced back. “Because I’m not you and I’m not Jason and I’m not fucked in the head.”

Anthony jumped to his feet. The guard tensed.

“We found your case files, by the way,” Tucker said.

Anthony paled.

“Did you think you were clever, hiding them at Torez’s cabin? I mean...he was selling the place to you. Probably thought it was the perfect spot, didn’t you? A cabin in the swamp, one just like the one Jason had used.” Disgust tightened his mouth. “Case files,” he said again, shaking his head. “As if those poor people were criminals. You took their pictures, you listed their death dates... I counted five of them. Five kids, all just like Rowan. Drug addicts. People who—when their bodies were discovered—didn’t even have autopsies performed on them because you were the investigating detective and you ruled them as ODs.”

“I got away with killing them,” Anthony boasted. “For years. Not like Jason. I was better. I killed them and no one noticed. I—”

He’d gotten a confession for those five victims. He’d done his job. “You’re not better than Jason. That’s what’s sad. You could have been. But you’re just as screwed up as he was. You’re just as much of a monster.” And there was nothing else to say. This time, when he turned away, it was because he truly was done.

Tucker headed for the door.

“So are you!” Anthony yelled after him. “You can pretend all you want...but I know the truth! You’re just like me! You’re a killer inside! You’re a monster! The Frost curse! We??

?re all fucking monsters! So. Are. You! You think you get to live happily-fucking-after with Dawn? What if you have a kid? Huh? What then? The baby would wind up like me—or Jason! You’re one of us. You can’t ever escape that!”

Tucker entered the hallway. He heard a door open a few feet away, and Samantha appeared. She came toward him, her heels clicking on the floor. “You all right?”

“Of course. Never better. I got the confession, didn’t I?”

She nodded.

“Then I’m done for now. I’ll be taking the vacation time I have coming.” And he’d be spending that time with Dawn. Away from killers and crime scenes. He started to walk away, but Samantha moved into his path.

He stilled.

“You know he was wrong.”

Do I? “Nature or nurture,” he murmured. “The eternal debate. What makes a killer? Sometimes, though, it can be both. Nature and nurture, and when you’ve got both working against you, is there even a fighting chance?”

“There is. Absolutely there is. Look at you. You put killers away. You help people. Nature, nurture...maybe it’s more about the soul inside. And your soul, Tucker? It’s a good one. I could see it the first time I met you.”

She sounded as if she meant that. “Thanks, Samantha.”

Her expression didn’t lighten. “If you ever need a friend to talk with, I hope you know I’m here. Everyone faces the darkness sometimes. It’s just easier when you know you’re not alone in those shadows.”

Yeah, it was easier. He’d realized that truth when he’d met Dawn.

Tucker didn’t rush out of that jail. He took his time, collected his weapon and then he headed outside. He drove back through New Orleans and parked across the street from Dawn’s PI office. He climbed from his SUV, the heat from the city immediately surrounding him, and he turned to look over at the big stone building.

A man was in front of that building, a man close to Tucker’s height, with his build and with his dark hair.

The man was turned away from Tucker, but he seemed so familiar in that instant...

Jason?

Tucker stepped forward but a car horn honked, blasting loudly, and he realized he’d nearly gone straight into the street. At that horn, the man glanced up.

And it wasn’t Jason. It was a stranger.

Because his brother was dead. The nightmare was over.

* * *

DAWN WAS SLEEPING in his arms. She was soft against him. Warm. Her hand was over his heart, just where it belonged.

His fingers slid over the silk of her arm. She was so perfect to him. When he thought of losing her, every muscle in his body tensed. Tucker didn’t want to think of a life that didn’t include Dawn.

“It’s your fault this is happening to her.” The voice came from the darkness near the foot of the bed.

“You knew it would happen,” Jason said. Jason. That was Jason’s voice. “Only a matter of time, for us both. The urge was always there. The violence—it’s a rush, isn’t it?”

No, it wasn’t a fucking rush. And this wasn’t happening.

“You won’t believe what I’ve learned. I want to show it to you. Share it with you.”

“Get...out...” Tucker growled. The sound of his own voice was off...odd.

“She’s messing things up.”

No, Dawn was making his life better.

“So it’s time I killed her. Long past time...” And Jason lunged toward Dawn.

* * *

“NO!” TUCKER SHOUTED and he surged up, ready to fight and attack, ready to destroy. He jumped out of the bed and took a few frantic steps forward.

But Jason didn’t wait at the foot of the bed. No monster was there.

Dawn turned on the light and the shadows vanished.

Sweat covered Tucker’s body and his breath surged in and out, burning his lungs.

“Are you okay?” Her husky voice, pulling him back from the edge.

Tucker glanced at her, ashamed. “Bad dream.”

She patted the bed beside her. “I’ve got a lot of experience with those.”

So did he, unfortunately.

“Maybe we can help each other to have better dreams.”

He slid back into the bed. She curled around him. Her hand went back to its place over his heart. “I should turn off the light,” Tucker muttered.

“No, let’s leave it on. Because of you, I’ve started to like the light.”

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I wish so many times...that you’d never been hurt. I’m so fucking sorry. I let you down.” He’d failed her. And wasn’t that what his nightmares were about? Not keeping her safe? Not stopping the threat.

She slid even closer to him. “You didn’t let me down, Tucker. You never have. You never will.”

Her faith in him... God, did she have any clue just how much she owned his very soul? “Will you...will you come with me back to DC?” But even as he asked the question, he hesitated. “No, wait, I can transfer down here if you want to stay in New Orleans. I can join the local FBI branch and—”

“I think a new city would be good for us both.” Her breath stirred lightly against his neck. “And I’m sure there will be plenty of cases that a good PI can solve in DC.”

She was going to come with him. Hell, yes. His heart thundered in his chest.

“I want us to have a chance, Tucker. Me and you...the future that we used to talk about. I want to try for that.”

He did, too. So much. He turned and put his hand under her chin, tipping her head back. “I would give you anything.”

“I know.”

He kissed her, carefully, tenderly. “I love you, Dawn.”

His Dawn. He finally had her back in his arms, and he wasn’t going to lose her again—not to a killer in the shadows, not to a monster in his mind. He’d fight for their future. He’d fight for their life.

And he’d fight for the happy ending that she deserved. No more pain.

Just hope.

EPILOGUE

Six months later...

“TUCKER... I NEED a word.”

Tucker glanced up at Bowen, impatient. “My bride is about to walk down the aisle. This is not the time for a word.”

But Bowen’s face was serious. “There’s something... Shit, no, you’re right. This isn’t the time. Never mind. I’ll tell you when you get back from the honeymoon.” Bowen turned away.

But Tucker snagged his arm. “What’s happening?”

Bowen’s mouth tightened. “They found him.”

“Who?” He was lost.

“Jason Frost. His remains were found off the coast of Biloxi by some divers. There wasn’t much left, not after all this time, but...he was positively identified this morning.”

Jason Frost.

“I just... I got the call a few minutes ago and I thought you would want to know right away.” But Bowen raked a hand over his face. “I should have waited. Shit. I have terrible timing. You know that. You—”

Tucker clapped his hand over Bowen’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend. And thank you.” He eased out a breath and it just seemed...it seemed as if his shoulders felt lighter.

They found Jason.

He heard the wedding music begin to play. Music for him. Music for Dawn.

He took his place near the minister. Bowen followed at his side.

They found Jason. After all of those years, now Dawn would finally have the proof that Jason would never come after her again. She was safe. Their past was truly dead.

Dawn appeared, wearing her dress of white, a big smile on her face, and her gaze locked solely on him.

And he forgot about Jason, just as he knew Dawn had...she didn’t see the ghost of his brother any longer. Neither did he.

He just saw his future.

And it was fucking beautiful.

* * * * *