The Seventh Victim (Texas Rangers 1)

“What?”

“Do it.”

She knelt down and lifted the carpet with trembling hands and discovered a trapdoor. The wood of the floor looked old, but the lock and hinges were new and well oiled.

He knelt, wrapping his arms around her and whispering, “Each time I killed them, I was killing you.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Why not just kill me?”

“Anticipating a gift is always sweeter than the gift.” He looped his fingers through the latch and jerked open the door. Below was a dark black box. “When I put you in there, I’m going to shut the lid and then bring out that damn dog of yours. I want you to hear me kill him bit by bit.”

Sickened, panicked, and furious, she jerked at his hold. “Fuck you!”

He gripped a handful of her hair and jerked back until tears pooled in her eyes. He licked her cheek and then kissed her hard on the lips. “I dream about the night I fucked you over and over again.”

Images of Beck ran through her head. How many times had he told her to be careful? Raines had warned her. And she’d repeatedly said that she could take care of herself. Her foolish bravado triggered a wave of nervous laughter.

“What is so funny?” His tone was annoyed, confused.

“Nothing is funny,” she rasped. She craned her neck, trying to ease his grip and widened her smile. “Nothing.”

His hands released her neck and cupped her face. “Why are you laughing?” His eyes had grown black.

She kept smiling, knowing her amusement clawed at him. “It’s all so ridiculous.”

His face was inches from hers as his fingers bit deeper into her flesh. “What’s so funny?”

The tender flesh of her neck ached, and she could feel the bruises rising. “My grandmother sending you to save me. Were you in Seattle when she called you?”

His gaze narrowed. “Yes. I’d been at the airport ready to leave when my cell rang. She said you were panicked. Couldn’t remember. So I took a chance and went to see you.”

He’d lurked in her hospital doorway when he’d first arrived. “I’d thought you were afraid of my bruises and the way I looked. You were afraid. Of me remembering.”

Gently, he kissed her on the lips and slid his hands back to her neck. “And you didn’t.”

But she must have remembered on some level because she’d never been able to shake the growing panic no matter how much anyone tried to soothe her. “You are pathetic.”

His grip tightened more, and now she couldn’t breathe. “Bitch.”

Outside she heard the crunch of tire against gravel. She didn’t have the breath to call out and prayed who had shown would save her. Mere seconds remained before she passed out and her brain died.

God, save me.

The front door slammed open and she heard her name. The rough voice belonged to Raines. He moved forward quickly ordering Jonathan to let her go.

Jonathan, his gaze locked on Lara’s, squeezed tighter and tighter. “We die together.”

Her vision blurred and then darkened. She’d be dead in seconds.

And then there was the explosion of gunfire. Blood splattered her face. Jonathan jerked up, still gripping her neck before his fingers relaxed, and his dead weight collapsed on her body, pressing out what little air remained in her lungs.

She reached for his hands and pried them free just as Raines freed her of his weight. She coughed, gagged, and sucked in air as she collapsed against the floor. She mustered what strength she could and rolled on her back to find Raines kneeling beside her.

Raines’s expression was hard, unyielding. “Are you all right?”

She raised her hands to her throat, now bruised and raw. Wild hysteria rose in her throat. “How? How did you know?”

“I put the pieces together when we spoke last. But I had no proof so I’ve been following you. I knew he’d make a move soon. Today is June first. The anniversary.”

Tears streamed down her face, and she began to tremble. “Why not go to the cops? To Beck?”

He fished his phone out of his breast pocket. “I had no proof. Just pieces of a puzzle.”

“Beck would have listened.”

“Not without evidence.”

He dialed 911 and waited for the operator. “This is Mike Raines.” He gave their address and told him there’d been a shooting. “And let Sergeant Beck know about this call. He’s going to want to see this.” He hung up.

Lara clutched her throat and tried to let breath control the rising hysteria. The danger had passed and yet she wanted to scream.

“It’s okay,” Raines said. “He’s gone.”

She gaped at Jonathan’s face, staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Blood oozed from the holes in his chest and pooled on the floor. She looked up at Raines, who moved toward her with his hand extended.

She screamed.

Chapter 20

Friday, June 1, 4 PM

Beck was seconds away from Jonathan’s house. Tension clawed at his gut, goading him to drive faster. Dust kicked up along the sides of the rural road.

He’d been trying to reach Lara by her cell phone for the last half hour, but she’d not answered. He channeled his thoughts to the day he’d seen Jonathan talking to Lara at her gallery opening. She’d been relaxed around him. Her eyes had been bright, and she’d laughed often. And when Cassidy had called her and she’d turned to leave, she’d kissed him on the cheek. The kiss hadn’t appeared sexual in any way. In fact, his first thought had been that the guy was a relative, a cousin or brother. She might have thought of Jonathan as a brother, but he’d not seen her as a sister.

He rifled through his memory, trying to scrounge more facts on the guy. Construction. High-end. Like an artist. Successful. Paltry facts that told him little about the man who had pulled out a knife and sliced Lara’s tire. If not for today’s tape, there’d have been no evidence to link him to Lara and possibly murder.

When Beck arrived at Jonathan’s he found three cars in the driveway: a BMW, Lara’s dark truck, and a sedan with a rental sticker. Jonathan, Lara, and . . . Raines.

Beck parked behind the BMW and hustled out of his car, unclipping his holster as he moved toward the house.

Lara’s scream ricocheted from inside the house.

Heart thundering in his chest, he pushed the front door open to find her standing rigid, her face as pale as ash, her gaze darting between Jonathan’s body and the gun in Raines’s hand.

Beck drew his weapon, his attention one hundred percent on Raines. “Put the gun down.”

Raines’s gaze hardened for an instant, but then he nodded and slowly eased the gun to the floor. “I shot Jonathan Matthews. Three shots to the chest. Dead before he hit the ground.”

Beck’s gut twisted as he moved toward Raines and pulled cuffs from his belt. “Lara? Are you all right?”

She looked at him, her eyes bloodshot and teary. “Yes.”

Raines put his hands behind his back and waited patiently as Beck cuffed his hands. Ex-cop. Savior. Vigilante killer. Beck didn’t know what had driven Raines.

He guided Raines to a spot at the end of the entryway so that there was distance between them. He called DPS for backup and then for the first

time he looked at Lara. She went straight to him, and he held her trembling body close as he kept a watchful eye on Raines. She clutched fistfuls of his shirt in her hands and relaxed into his body. Seconds passed and all he did was hold her.

Finally, he found his voice under the emotion. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “I’m bruised, but I’m going to be fine.”

Raines shrugged his shoulders. “He was strangling her when I arrived.”

There’d be plenty of time later for details. For now he was simply grateful. “Thanks.”

“I’ve got to get Lincoln,” Lara said. “He’s not made a sound, and I think Jonathan hurt him.”

“Where is he?”

“Utility room.”

He holstered his gun as old images of mutilated animals flashed. “Stay here. Let me go check on the animal.”

“I want to come.”

“Stay.” It was a direct command that allowed no argument.

She stared at him, her terror-filled gaze knifing him. He turned and moved down the side hallway and opened the door. Lincoln lay on the floor as still as death. Beck crouched by the animal and touched his nose. “Lincoln,” he said.

The dog opened a lazy eye as his big tail thumped gently against the floor.

He patted the dog. “Looks like he drugged you both times.” And it made sense. Jonathan. Family friend. He would have known about the key under the pot at Lara’s house. “We’ll get you out of here.”

Beck found Lara standing in the hallway, her arms wrapped around her waist.

Raines stood ten feet behind her, watching. “I can hear the ambulance.”

Beck nodded, but his gaze stayed on Lara. “Good.” He wrapped his arms around Lara, not caring if Raines or the world saw. “Lincoln is fine. He’s drugged but fine. He’s sleeping it off.”

She gripped his shirt with her hands. “Jonathan drugged him.”

He rubbed her back, hoping to soothe her trembling. “Part of his game. I’ll call a vet, but he looks like he’ll be fine. I want the paramedics to check you out.”

“I’m fine,” she breathed against him. “He said he was going to kill Lincoln in front of me.”