Page 198 of Perfect Pitch

His eyes narrow as he flips between the two sets of photographs. Then he slams the folder closed and a sigh heaves out of his chest.

Colby asks, “Do you have a profile yet, Clifton?”

“She’s a damn psychopath.”

Colby glares at me.

“Sorry. Not an official one.”

“Give me an unofficial one,” Caleb snaps.

“Mid to late twenties. Female. Wants to become Austyn which is both good and very dangerous.”

“Explain that,” comes her husky voice.

I direct all my attention to her. “It means that should something happen to you, she’s not out to kill you right away.”

“Christ, Clifton!” Beckett shouts as both his wife and daughter ashen.

“Do you want me to sugarcoat this, Beckett, or do you want me to keep her alive? Because that’s my primary objective.” I point at Austyn.

Austyn gets up and begins to pace. Obviously, she hasn’t had a chance to speak with her mother because Paige Kensington hisses, “None of which is a concern of yours, Mr. Clifton.”

I meet the eyes of the woman I love and decide I must have a death wish. “Except that it is, Dr. Kensington. Not just now, not until we catch this sick bitch, but for the rest of our lives—if she’ll have me—everything Austyn does is my business.”

“Mama, look at me.” Austyn forces her mother’s forehead into her own. “Trust me.”

She pulls away from her mother and confronts me head on. Her blue eyes gleam with the light of battle instead of the flashes of pain I’ve had a front seat to since I appeared in the suite in North Carolina. “If memory serves me correctly, you said you all wear body cameras. Right?”

“Right.”

She blows out a breath. “I think I need to be wired with one.”

Her mother immediately begins to protest, but Austyn holds up a hand. She peers down at the image of the destruction done to her condo. “If this bitch can get past the security at Dad’s building, I’m not going to feel safe unless I’m wired.”

“She’s right,” Caleb states from the corner. He lifts his phone and begins texting. “Sam’s putting some stuff together. We’ll have it ready in a few hours.”

She nods. Then I feel sick to my stomach when she announces, “And I want Mitch off my father’s detail.”

Silence fills the room until Colby probes, “Can I ask why? Mitch has shown exemplary work under difficult conditions.”

Austyn presses her hands on the table and meets Colby’s gaze head on. “I have a score to settle. I don’t want Mitch in my way.”

There are a few unmuffled chuckles around the room as Colby rises and mimics Austyn’s pose. “Not good enough.”

“Then try this one on for size.” Austyn speaks and the minute her words penetrate, I know I’ll never love again. The courage and heart of this woman are the beginning and the end for me. “I’ve had life stolen from me—physically taken from my body. I’ve spent months learning to believe I’m valuable after believing I lost it all—happiness, love, joy. If the people closest to me, people I love, are in any kind of danger, I want them as far away as possible.” She fires a glare at her parents. “That includes both of you.”

Beckett drawls laconically, “Nice try.”

Paige’s expression is as fierce as her daughter’s when she growls, “Not a chance.”

Austyn faces me to garner my reaction. The word “no” is torn from me.

Colby drops back into his chair as if to say, I rest my case.

Austyn glares around the room. “Then how do we do this?”

“First thing is you move into the penthouse,” Beckett says. Austyn starts to argue, but he holds up a hand. “We need one place to protect, Austyn. The place is almost impenetrable.”

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