Keep Me Safe (Slow Burn 1)

Caleb’s pulse leapt in alarm. “She’s not doing this. Are you insane? He’s setting her up. Ramie, you can’t do this.”

“When did he call it in?” Ramie asked. “How did he call it in? How do you know it’s him?”

Dane grimaced. “This morning. He called the Houston police. Left a message for you.”

Ramie stared back at Dane in shock.

“It’s why I wanted to get a sketch artist to draw his face,” Eliza said. “Leak it to the press. Post it on the Internet. Get people looking for him. Houston’s a big city. We don’t even know that he’s here, only that he called the downtown precinct and told them to let Ramie St. Claire know that she couldn’t hide from him forever and that he was waiting for her and until then he’d found someone else to entertain him.”

“Detective Ramirez wanted to bring Ramie in,” Dane said. “We told him we were sitting on you and that he was trying to draw you out.”

“You have to beat him at his own game, Ramie,” Eliza said, her gaze sharp and piercing.

Ramie slowly swiveled her head in Caleb’s direction, question in her eyes. Not a question of whether she should do it or not. But the question of whether he was with her. Whether he’d be here for her.

He sat next to her and slid his hand over her leg to catch her fingers between her knees. He laced their fingers together and squeezed reassuringly, even though the last thing he felt was confident.

He hadn’t felt so much fear since the day Tori had been abducted. Nor as helpless. He wasn’t used to having so little power or control over his surroundings. He was always in command but over the last year, he’d been anything but.

“I’ll be here, Ramie,” he murmured. “I’m not going anywhere. But I need you to promise me something.”

“What?” she asked, her eyes never leaving his face.

“I don’t really know how to say what I’m thinking because I don’t truly understand how your powers work, but if it gets bad, promise me you’ll pull back. Don’t stay there with him. Come back to me.”

She sucked in a breath. “I’ll try.”

He didn’t like how unconfident she sounded. How uncertain. And how afraid. Her voice trembled, her lips quivering slightly. She tucked her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing nervously at the tender flesh.

He thumbed her lip from her teeth and soothed the ravaged skin. Then he leaned in and brushed a kiss over her mouth.

“I’ll be here the entire time.”

Ramie closed her eyes, relief settling over her features. She leaned toward him, resting her forehead against his. He framed her face with his palms and then moved his lips up to press another kiss over her brow.

For several minutes, they sat that way, their breaths mingling and mixing. He stroked a hand down her hair, soothing her or perhaps himself.

“What the hell is going on?”

Caleb turned to see Quinn standing in the doorway to the living room, Beau right behind, coming to stand next to him. They were both wearing frowns and Beau’s gaze darted between Caleb and Ramie. His frown deepened as though he sensed the heavy undercurrent in the room.

“Caleb?” Beau queried. “I just left Tori’s room. She’s upset. You should go up and talk to her.”

Caleb felt Ramie stiffen next to him, and he cursed under his breath. Beau and Quinn both didn’t want Ramie here. Not when it upset Tori so badly. But there was no way in hell he was leaving her to shoulder her burden alone. Especially not when she was going back into the mind of a victim and a killer.

Eliza stood, crossing her arms as she stepped between Ramie and Caleb’s brothers as if shielding her from their disapproval.

“HPD is coming in,” Dane interrupted as he glanced down at his phone. “You’ll need to let them past security.”

Ramie seemed to make herself even smaller next to Caleb.

“What the hell is the Houston police doing here?” Quinn asked. “We aren’t in the city limits here.”

“Ramie is helping them,” Caleb said evenly. “Let them through.”

Beau’s gaze narrowed and he studied Ramie in silence, finally allowing his gaze to drift back to Caleb. “If it’s so damn hard on her, then why is she agreeing to do it again?”

Caleb could see Ramie’s nostrils flare from the corner of his eye. Her fingers curled into tight fists and she stared down at the floor, so quiet he couldn’t even hear her breathe.

Finally she raised her head up and Eliza stepped to the side as Ramie stared his brothers down.

“I guess you’ll be the judge of how hard it is on me,” she said evenly.

“I’ll get the door,” Quinn said, stepping back.

“You need to back off, Beau. You and Quinn both,” Caleb said, anger bristling over him. “Tori isn’t the only victim here.”

“That’s strange. I’m pretty sure Ramie was nowhere near the place where Tori was held captive. Maybe you’ve forgotten your priorities but Quinn and I haven’t,” Beau said in an equally angry tone.

“Stop it, both of you,” Eliza snapped. “She’s not a piece of raw meat for two dogs to fight over. And Beau, Tori isn’t the only woman who’s suffered. There are a hell of a lot of others out there, and Ramie is seeking justice for all of them. Your sister included.”

Ramie sent Eliza a look of gratitude. Her jaw was clenched tightly, and she refused to even look at Caleb. Damn it. Before Caleb could respond or try to smooth things over with Ramie, Quinn returned to the living room, two men on his heels.