She flinched.
“It wasn’t loaded.” He’d told her this before. “Said he just used it to protect himself. That he didn’t like guns.”
She shoved the Shadow file back into the drawer.
“Was easy enough to get the gun away. His mistake was pulling it when I was so close to him.”
She bit her lower lip. “If he faked those pictures of me…” Her gaze darted to the filing cabinet. “Then maybe he’s faked a ton more. Maybe he’s ruined lives and never looked back.” She started thumbing through the files. “War.”
He jerked to attention at the alarm in her voice.
She looked at him. “Every single victim is here. He has a file on every victim that I know about.”
War moved closer to get a better look. A few moments later, he realized—yes, Rose was right. Gary had been hired to do surveillance work on the women who’d later been strangled. He’d been watching them, and they’d been found dead. “That is no coincidence.”
Rose backed up a step. “It’s a massive filing cabinet. I bet every drawer is full of cases.” Her voice thickened. “What if there are more victims?” Fear and horror had her paling. “War, what if there were more?”
Swearing, War pulled out his phone. The cops needed to be brought in, now. The phone rang, then, “Lynn? You need to bring in Gary Strom for questioning.”
“Ugh. Him. Why?”
Staring straight at Rose, War said, “Because an anonymous source just told you that Gary was hired to tail all of the murder victims on the case you’re working…”
***
“The cops are going to find him.” War killed the headlights and propped his arm on the steering wheel as he angled toward Rose. “This is the intel we needed, baby. They are going to get Gary, and the nightmare will be over.”
Freaking Gary Strom. Now that War looked back, it made sense. Gary had watched his victims, stalked them, and then killed them.
He’d kept the case files and all the photos like some kind of sick trophies.
The significant others who had hired Gary hadn’t told the police about him because they hadn’t wanted to air the dirty laundry about their dead. Or maybe they’d felt guilty for being suspicious in the first place. Whatever their reasons had been, their silence had allowed Gary to slip past detection.
He wasn’t slipping away any longer.
The cops were on their way to Gary’s house. War had wanted to be there, too, but Lynn had ordered him to stand down. She’d pulled the official police business card on him. That shit hadn’t been cool.
Nothing about this case had been cool.
“I could use a drink,” Rose told him. “What about you?”
Oh, he could use a few things. A drink. Her. Her answering the question that had been left hanging between them the last time they’d been at his house…
You have my ring, sweetheart. What can I do to have you?
He would be patient. He could do this. Use his self-control for something good. He’d woo her. He was pretty sure that was a thing. Take her out. Show her the time of her life. Make her forget every other jackass she’d ever known. Wooing.
“War? What is it?”
He shook his head. “Let’s get that drink.” He climbed from the car. The waves slammed into the shore, and the scent of the salt water teased his nose. Rose came to meet him, and his fingers curled with hers.
He loved this beach. Loved this place. After he’d entered civilian life, it had been a needed balm for his psyche. Nightmares had plagued him at first. Memories of people he couldn’t save. People he’d killed.
Some nights, he would even sleep on the beach. He’d stare up at the stars and dream of what life could be like.
His gaze drifted to Rose as he headed for the cabin.
I love this beach. I love this home. I love this woman.
“I’d like to finish our conversation from earlier,” Rose told him. “About the ring?”
The waves thundered. The water was rough that night. Loud. He could barely hear her over the crash of the waves.
“Because there is something you should know.” Rose turned toward him as they stood at the foot of the stairs that led up to his cabin.
He squared his shoulders. Waited.
“I want a life with you, War. I want to stay with you. Grow old with you. Have every crazy kind of adventure with you. I love you, and I want us to have a second chance.”
Fuck…yes. He wanted all of that. Every single thing. Mostly, he just wanted…her.
“This mess is almost over.” Her body moved closer to his. Pressed to his. “How about we start planning for our future? Let’s focus on the good things that will come.”
“You are the best thing in my life.” The thing that mattered most. His head lowered. His lips feathered over hers. As always, she tasted so sweet. So delicious. He wanted to eat her alive.
Rose said she loves me. She was giving them a second chance. Not slamming the door shut on the dreams he’d had. They could do this. It could all work out. Not turn to ashes in his hands.
“Let’s get inside.” Where it was safe. Where they could be alone because Odin was sleeping at the apartment above Armageddon. They could go inside where he could strip her and kiss every single inch of her body. Where he could have her…
Always.
Forever.
She eased back from him. “Everything is going to be okay now.”
Damn straight.
He threaded his fingers with hers. They climbed up the steps. His chest felt lighter. The heavy, pressing weight on his heart was finally gone. The cops would pick up Gary. Rose would be safe. He and Rose could start their new life.
Trust. Love. They had it all.
They hurried onto the screened-in porch. The light was shining there. Rose was smiling. A grin that bloomed on her face and lit her eyes. She was absolutely beautiful. She took his breath away. Commanded his heart.
She owned his heart, and there was nothing that he wouldn’t do for her. They rushed across the porch and were soon at the door that led inside. He unlocked it, and they stepped over the threshold. Rose was sliding her hand up his chest and smiling at him. So happy and beautiful, but—
Something was off.
The alarm? It hadn’t beeped.
“The gun’s loaded this time,” a rough, male voice announced.
He looked up and saw Gary sitting on the couch, with a gun aimed at War and Rose.
War shoved her behind him even as he heard the thunder of that weapon. Rose screamed. Fire burned in War’s chest, and he could feel the wetness of his blood.
Gary fired again.
“No!” Rose yelled.
War was sagging, his body falling. He…fuck. “Run,” he told Rose.
She shook her head. She grabbed for him.
The gun blasted again.
Chapter Twenty
Gary laughed even as more blood coated War’s chest. “Don’t worry, Rose. I don’t plan to use the gun on you. I hate guns. So impersonal. There is no pleasure in killing someone from a distance. Just doesn’t give you the same release.”
Rose had her hands pressed to War’s chest. Tears streamed down her face as she frantically tried to staunch the flow of blood.
Why the hell wasn’t she leaving? War’s breath sawed in and out. “Go.”