Page 111 of Locked In Ice

Memphis Camden stood grinning at him.With a bottle of champagne clutched in his hand.“I am here to celebrate.”

Lane smiled at him.The smile didn’t feel so rusty any longer.Over the last few weeks, he’d smiled more and more.His body had healed from the injuries.He had a few new scars.Ophelia claimed the line on his face just made him look sexier and more dangerous.

Benedict hadn’t survived.Too much blood loss.Too many internal injuries.

Too fucking bad.

But the cops and Feds had uncovered the web of his kills.Benedicthadgotten Sam Hitchcock’s old journal.No one knew exactly what Sam’s wife had wanted Benedict to do with the journal.Ophelia swore the woman had probably wanted it turned over to the authorities.That she hadnotintended for Benedict to pick up where Sam had left off.

But Ophelia often looked for the good in people.Wasn’t that the reason she’d stared right at Benny, had the profile spot-on about him wanting justice for the dead, being mission oriented, but she’dmissedthat her friend was a killer?

Or hell, maybe after Sam, she just hadn’t wanted to think that someone close to her could be so evil.

As far as the motivations of Sam’s widow…Lane wasn’t sure what she’d wanted done with the evidence of her husband’s guilt.What hedidknow…Benedict had begun his kills after her suicide.Fentanyl had been his weapon of choice because no one hunted a murderer when a drug overdose was suspected.A smart way to dispatch the guilty.

Miles Dodge had been one of his victims.

So had Royce Nicholson.The “John Doe” that Benedict had casually mentioned to Lane?The one who needed identifying?That body had been hauled out of another cold storage locker.The John Doe had been Royce Nicholson.Dead of an overdose.

There had been seven other victims.All documented because Benedict had added their deaths to the old journal he’d been given.

He’d started tying the strings on their fingers as homage to Sam.

And he’d framed Beau LeBlanc.The bastard had included Gerald Baldwin in his kill list.The Feds figured Benedict had driven to Savannah—he’d been off work ever since Ophelia and Lane had left Atlanta.Benedict had only returned to work that morning.

Since Benedict had visited Ophelia at her office before, he’d become familiar with Beau.Beau even remembered the guy coming to his bar a few times.And a waiter had confessed thathegave Benedict the combination to Beau’s safe, in exchange for a grand.

Benedict had framed Beau.

And he tried to frame me, too.Benedict had been following Lane.He really thought we were the same.That I would help him hunt.Fuck that.

Benedict’s phone had been filled with surveillance pics of Lane.Older pics going back for weeks.And more recent images of Lane with Ophelia.

Apparently, the ME hadn’t liked it when Lane and Ophelia teamed up.So he’d killed Bass and played a game at framing Lane.Benedict’s masterplan had been to continue Sam’s punishment kills.

Ophelia thought he’d tied the string around Bass’s finger as a way of telling them that the hunt was on.It hadn’t just been a signature.It had been a taunt in Thomas Bass’s case.

But you’re the one in the ground, Benedict.You lost.

Lane and Ophelia were still standing.

“I’m assuming I will be the best man at the wedding?”Memphis demanded as he wiggled the champagne bottle.“Seeing as howIam the one who teamed up you and Ophelia?”

“I—”

“Is that…a cat?”A soft female voice asked in surprise.“Lane, are you holding a cat?”

Memphis stepped to the side.A grin tugged at his lips.“I didn’t come alone.”

Lane stared at his twin sister.Lark stood a few feet back, with her hands twisted in front of her.Of course, her husband, Oliver Foxx, was right at her side.Once upon a time, Lane had absolutely hated Oliver.The manhadbeen instrumental in getting Lane locked up for murders he hadn’t committed but…

Oliver had also worked desperately to free him, and Lane knew, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that Oliver would live and die for Lark.

Just like I would live and die for my Ophelia.

But this was the first time that Lark would officially meet Ophelia.The two most important women in his life, finally coming together.

Velma purred.

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