He smiled. “You’re still not comfortable with the idea?”
“No.”
“Trust me. I’m a good roommate.” He went for the stairs. “I would put you in another agent’s room, but I don’t think anyone will protect you as good as me.”
I grinned.
“You think that’s funny?”
“No. I’m grateful,” I admitted. “And. . .”
“Yes?”
“Shocked and scared.”
“That makes sense. You’ve watched someone die in front of you tonight. Now, as we try to find a serial killer, he has apparently found you. You’re going to be mentally out of it a little.”
“At least you’ll be around to provide more hugs.”
“Yes. Indeed.”
We climbed the stairs.
I went back to my room. Alexander walked through the space, probably checking to make sure no one had entered. I packed my stuff up. He called and woke up Stein updating him on everything. When I finished Stein passed the door and headed downstairs.
I turned back to Alexander. “Is Brett going to check on the cameras?”
“Yes.” Alexander grabbed one of my suitcases and handed me his gun. “For now, I only trust a few people on this.”
I tried to get my suitcase. “Thank you, but I can take my bags.”
“Not on my watch.” He took the other one from my hand and left the room. “You can hold my gun.”
“Oh, can I?”
“Be happy, Agent Barron. I never let anyone hold my gun.”
Shaking my head, I turned off the lights, shut the door, and locked it.
This is going to be a long week. We have to find this psycho.
Alexander carried my bags to his room, put them down, and unlocked the door. “Luckily, I’ve been keeping this place clean. I had no idea I would have an unexpected guest.”
I walked in after him as he brought my luggage inside.
“You can take up as much space as you need to be comfortable.” He grabbed a pillow from the bed, went to the closet, and pulled out a blanket. “Do you snore?”
“No.” I set our guns on the nightstand. “Do you sleep naked?”
“I will, if you request it.”
I drank him in. His muscular chest was a beautiful image to behold. Every chiseled layer was accounted for. Meanwhile, his pajama pants did nothing to hide his cock. While I didn’t know the length or thickness, I knew it was long and big. It kept swinging against the thin material.
Clearing my throat, I went back to the bed, wondering what the hell I was doing or thinking before I looked at him.
Alexander’s deep voice sounded behind me. “No answer?”
“Sorry.” I blushed in embarrassment. “What was the question again?”
“Does milady request her knight’s nudity?”
My mouth curved into a smile. “No, kind sir. I’ve been through enough tonight.”
“Well, I’m here if you need me.” He yawned. “By the way, you had your pants off when you came into the hallway.”
Pulling back the blankets, I climbed into the bed. “Yes. I did.”
“That leads me to assume that you sleep with no pants on.”
“You’re correct.”
“Feel free to get as comfortable as you need.”
Only he could make me laugh after such a crazy evening. “That’s fine, but I’m sleeping with my pants on.”
“As milady pleases.” He bowed and then walked over to the light switch. “We should get some sleep. We have lots to do tomorrow. I want to check out the deputy’s house. He’s not our Unsub, but we should check on it just in case. Are you up for another field trip to Colesville?”
“Yes.”
He flipped the switch.
Darkness filled the room wherever moonlight didn’t touch it.
I lay down in the bed that he’d just been sleeping in. His masculine scent surrounded me. His cologne was still on the pillow. I remembered the strength of Alexander’s touch, closed my eyes, and inhaled. It was like he was closer, wrapping his arms around my body and protecting me.
All thoughts of the Angel Maker or even the dead deputy’s face disappeared.
Alexander’s deep voice carried through the moonlit room. “Haven?”
“Yes.”
“Let me know if you need anything. I joke a lot, but I’m here for you.”
“I know you are. You’ve done more than enough. I don’t know many supervising agents that would give up their bed. Most would’ve just thrown me in another room.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you. Do you remember what I said when I first met you?”
“Yes,” I whispered. “You said that you had enough nightmares and my death was not another one you wanted to add to the list.”
“I meant that.”
“I know you did. I’ll do my best, not to be a new nightmare.”
“Good.”
“Thank you.”
“No. Thank you. I like having a beautiful woman in my bed.”
Always the flirt.
Relaxing, I closed my eyes and sank deep into his scent.
Chapter 18
Dead Ends
Alexander
I went to sleep with Haven in my room, knowing it was the safest place she could be. Surely, when my father heard about this arrangement, he would lose his mind. If Haven was a man, it wouldn’t raise questions. But she was an attractive woman, and I had placed her in my suite, directly in my bed. And I didn’t care one bit about the repercussions that could come my way.
I needed Haven safe. I put her in my bed, and I told myself that it was mainly because she had been significant to bringing us closer to the Unsub. So close that even the Angel Maker had contacted her himself, attempting to scare her away.
But the real reason was that I liked Haven. It wasn’t a fall over heels, madly in love sort of way. But there was something underneath my flesh—desire, hunger, a yearning for more in life—and it was longing to break free. I wanted to explore this feeling with Haven, once this case was over. And I couldn’t do that with some mad man threatening and trying to kill her.
Additionally, I didn’t trust no one else to protect her as good as me.
So, she would stay in my suite until the case ended.
I’ll deal with the shit storm when it comes.
The next day was Saturday. We returned to Colesville and checked out Deputy Martelle’s apartment, poking through his possessions with gloved hands and rifling through what was left of his life.
A Colesville deputy’s salary must not have been much. The place was a small one-bedroom apartment. It took Haven and I barely ten minutes to explore the living room and kitchen.
Stein had researched Deputy Greg Martelle. The man had been thirty-eight years old. No kids. No marriage. No affiliation with any church. He belonged to a bowling team that had lost their championship for the past six years. His mother told Stein that the deputy struggled with drug addiction and went to Narcotics Anonymous meetings for three years. Stein and Richards were across town, checking out his NA meeting attendance. If he was in a meeting during the time one of the girls was kidnapped, he probably would be innocent.