Page 77 of Locked In Ice

Two different women.Two women he would die to protect.

And that realization cut to the bone.

“I chased after Gerald, but he had a motorcycle waiting down the street.”

“Do not tell me he got away.”

“He got away.”

He’d just said for her not to tell him those words.“Dammit.”

“And he’s been in the wind since then.”

Sonofabitch.

“I suspect he moved on to another target.He knew Isabelle wasn’t going to marry him.The con he was running with her just wasn’t going to work.But the thing with guys like him—guys who were never real in the first place—is that they can change their identities far too easily.New name.New hair.New eye color.Change their style, their walk, everything.So if you don’t know what to look for, you can meet them again and have zero clue of who you are actually talking to.”

“And that’s why Isabelle wants you at her engagement party.”

A nod.“She’s worried he’ll appear.If anything could draw him out, it would be the engagement party.I agreed to come and search the crowd.”She turned the vehicle to the left.“Isabelle simply wants to be happy.Iwant to help give her that happy ending.”Her attention was on the road ahead of her.“The promise I made to Isabelle is the whole reason I left Atlanta.”

“Uh, you mean when you wereescortedout of town?”He’d thought the escort had something to do with her leaving.

“I had to take care of Isabelle.”Another determined nod.“After we finish tonight, I plan to go back to Atlanta.I think the key is there.”

“Looks to me like the sonofabitch we’re after ishere,”Lane argued.Or, at least the flowers were.Flowers that Lane suspected had been personally delivered.

Ophelia had called around to some florists while they waited for the Feds to finish at her office.No one had taken credit for the Forget-Me-Nots.

“I want to see more of Thomas Bass’s life,” Ophelia said.“You were hunting Thomas.I was hunting him.I suspected, at first, that our perp killed Thomas because we brought him in, but what if…what if the perp was hunting Thomas, too?There could be clues we need in his life.”Her delicate jaw set.“I want to search Thomas’s home.”

“The cops already did that.The place is a crime scene.”And that meant they didn’t just get to waltz inside and search the home at will.

“The jewelry and photos of his vics were too easy to find.They were just right inside the nightstand.”

“Maybe because the prick liked to relive his crimes easily.”Wasn’t that the whole point in keeping souvenirs for killers?

“Or maybe someone wanted to make sure they were found easily.I just—I need to go back.I have to be sure.And maybe Benny has discovered something useful on the body.”

A rough laugh.“Sweetness, your buddy Benny isn’t going to tell you a damn thing.”But he liked her optimism.

He pretty much liked everything about her.

“Don’t be too sure.I’m usually pretty good at getting people to cooperate.”

“Because I’m starting to think everyone owes you.”

A shrug of one shoulder.

“You told Benny his debt was paid,” Lane reminded her.He was highly curious about Benny’s debt.And about Beau’s.

“True, I did.So maybe Benny will help out of the goodness of his heart.”

“Don’t count on it,” he groused.Lane bent and picked up his phone.His fingers typed out a quick text.Need help from the Ice Breakers.Will call when Ophelia isn’t around.

Three dots appeared in response to his text, and he knew that Memphis was replying.

“You have to stop thinking everyone is full of darkness, Lane.There are some good people in the world.A lot of them, in fact.”

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