Page 10 of Twisted Devil

“Scared,” I finally admitted, answering his initial question. “Angry. Disappointed.”

“Disappointed?” I could feel Jason studying me as I nodded. “Why are you disappointed?”

“Because.” I swallowed hard, the memory of leaving the coffee shop that night pressing in around me. “I should have asked her to stay. I never should have left alone. If I had just looked around, been a little more cautious—”

“Don't you dare take the blame for that.” Jason's voice brooked no argument. “He made those choices, not you.”

I lifted my eyes to his. “I know, but…”

Jason shook his head. “That could have happened to anyone. Hell, it could even happen to me.”

I was positive he was just trying to make me feel better, and I let out a little snort. “I seriously doubt that.”

“What I'm saying is, it's easy to take advantage of someone when you catch them by surprise. What matters is that you escaped. You stayed strong. You never gave in.”

His dark eyes drew me in, and I was helpless to resist. “I couldn't,” I whispered. “I knew if I stayed down there I would die. I kept looking at that disgusting mattress and wondering how many times he’d done it before. How many families are out there needing closure?”

Something flashed across Jason's face, and he scooted a fraction closer. “What you did is absolutely incredible. My team is working the scene right now to see if we can answer any of those questions.”

“Good. What happens next?” I asked.

He stared at me for a second, gauging my emotional stability. “I’m fine,” I assured him. “Knowing what to expect will help.”

He gave a little nod. “Right now he's over at County waiting for his arraignment.”

“What does that mean?”

Jason blew out a little breath. “Basically what happens is they'll take him to court and ask him to plead either innocent or guilty, then—”

“But he's guilty,” I cut in. “You know that. You literally saw me running away from the house.” My voice had raised several octaves with hysteria, but I couldn't help it.

“I know,” Jason said, “but that's how our justice system works. Everyone is given the benefit of the doubt. It's going to be a long process, and it will most likely get worse before it gets better.”

“I don't understand.” Tears burned my eyes. “You saw…”

My voice broke, and Jason leaned forward. “I know. And that's exactly why I'm going to do everything in my power to put that fucker away for the rest of his life.”

The fierceness in his tone and the promise in his eyes should have scared me. But it didn't. “Okay,” I whispered. “I trust you.”

Jason’s dark gaze swept over my face, searching my eyes before dropping lower. For a split second I thought he was going to kiss me. I watched his shoulders rise and fall on a deep breath before he sat back in his chair, and disappointment slammed into me. It was irrational I knew, but I couldn't help it.

After everything that had happened, I shouldn't want anyone to touch me. And truthfully, I didn't. But this man in front of me was so strong, so trustworthy. I knew I could depend on him. I swore I felt something between us, but I wasn't ready to act on it yet. Everything was still too fresh. I swallowed down my insecurities, shoving them aside to deal with later.

“Thank you... for everything.”

An emotion I didn’t recognize darkened his eyes. I felt the slight tug of the blankets as his fingers skimmed upward until they settled on my forearm, just above the bandages. I was transfixed by the sight of his skin against mine, the heat and the feel of him. A million emotions rocketed through my body. His fingers were long and strong, and I could feel the slightly hardened edge of the calluses tipping the ends. His touch was both unsettling and extremely comforting.

Jason gave an abbreviated shake of his head, but his hand stayed in place. “I was just doing my job.”

Was this part of his job to him? Stopping in to check on victims? The question got stuck on my tongue, and I swallowed it down. I wasn't sure I wanted the answer to that. I remembered the way he held me close after I’d escaped from that hell. He had been gentle and kind, and he hadn't left me until we reached the hospital and my family had arrived.

His fingers had curled into my forearm as he spoke, and I was acutely aware of his touch. Heat seeped into my body, coiling around my heart and warming me from the inside. I wanted to believe I was more than just a job, but I didn't dare ask.

Jason looked as conflicted as I felt. His fingers tightened infinitesimally, then slowly slipped away as he stood. “I should let you get some rest.”

“Okay.” I nodded, feeling an emptiness spreading through my chest.

I watched as he moved toward the door. Was this the last time I would ever see him? “Jason?”

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