Page 31 of Locked In Ice

You won’t hurt anyone else.

He crouched over the sleeping man.Then slammed the pillow down against his face.Covering Thomas’s eyes.His nose.His mouth.

Thomas jolted.His hands flew out to try and pry away that pillow so he could pull in a breath.

But Thomas wasn’t dealing with a weakened and scared teenage girl.I’m not your usual prey.

The pillow stopped Thomas from making any sound.No cries for help.Help wouldn’t come.

Soon enough, the pillow stopped Thomas from living.

And it sent him straight to hell.

Chapter Seven

Lane slowly opened the hotel room door.His eyes went straight to the bed in the middle of the room.

Ophelia’s body was turned away from him.Her dark hair flowed over her pillow.She didn’t stir when he entered, and he held his breath as he pressed the door shut.

Snick.

He ditched his shoes and tugged his shirt over his head.His focus remained on Ophelia as he advanced toward the bed.She didn’t make a sound as he lifted up the covers and slid back into place beside her.

Mental note, Ophelia is a sound sleeper.

He reached out to touch her, but stopped himself.He stared at his hand as it hovered over her.

Don’t touch her.Not now.

His hand fisted and fell back down.He stretched out on his back and stared up at the ceiling.

It was a long time before he fell asleep.

***

Ophelia’s eyes opened.She eyed the bedside clock.

4:48 a.m.

She didn’t go back to sleep.At 6 a.m., she pushed the covers away and slipped from the bed.Tiptoed back to her room.Shut the connecting door behind her.

She’d just exited the shower when a fierce pounding had her whole body tensing.The pounding wasn’t coming from the connecting door.

Frowning, she headed for the main door.Ophelia put her eye to the keyhole.Surprise had her drawing back and flipping the locks.She opened the door and said, “Detective.”

Because Detective Shay O’Brien waited on the other side of that door.A way too early visit.

Ophelia tightened the belt of the lush, white bathrobe she wore.“Is there a problem?”Had to be.Why else would a cop be at her hotel room door so early?

Shay nodded once, and the small hoop earrings in her ears swayed.“Big problem.”

Crap.“It’s not Royce.Igaveyou evidence on him—”

“Royce is fine.He was in a different holding area.We’d secured Thomas Bass separately.Due to the nature of his crimes, we thought it best to keep him isolated.”Her lips thinned.“That certainly worked against us.”

Oh, bad feeling.Like she hadn’t gotten a bad feeling as soon as she’d seen the detective.“What’s happening?”

Before Shay could reply, the door to room four-oh-eight flew open.Lane surged outside.Lane, wearing just his jeans.

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