Page 6 of Security Breach

“Your sole motivation is making your case. Why has Emma been in hiding for the past 18 months?”

“The man who killed her family is scouring the country for her. He wants to finish what he started.”

“Explain.”

“The killer was interrupted before he finished the job on Emma. He wants to remedy that failure.”

Finish the job? Rage flooded his veins. The killer had hurt Emma. David closed his eyes for a second. When he got his hands on the killer, he’d regret touching Emma. Catching this guy and putting him in prison or in the ground was going to be David’s new mission in life.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jordan continued. “I want to make my case and put this creep behind bars. I also want to keep your girlfriend alive. This man is a stone-cold killer, Montgomery. He enjoys stalking and killing his prey. The reason we haven’t caught him before now is he doesn’t leave witnesses behind.” He inclined his head toward Emma. “Your girl is the only victim to survive his attack. He won’t stop coming after Emma until he silences her permanently.”

CHAPTER THREE

The knot in David’s gut drew tighter with each of Agent Jordan’s revelations. “Who is he?”

“We call him the Butcher. The perp beats his victims until they’re unconscious, then stabs them to death.”

Frowning, he studied the agent. “If you had her tucked away somewhere safe, why is Emma here now?”

Emma shuddered. “He found me again.”

Again? David stiffened. The Butcher had found Emma in WITSEC? “You saw him, Em?”

She shook her head. “Someone broke into my safe house while I was sleeping. I escaped and called my handler for an extraction. When he arrived, Marshal Rafferty was gunned down in front of me. With his dying breath, he told me to run. I took his car and fled, then called the FBI for help. Agent Jordan came with a team of agents to meet me and bring me here.”

“Why are you here instead of another safe house?”

“I refused to cooperate unless I saw or talked to you.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I missed you so much.”

Unable to resist, David brushed her lips with his. Although relieved to know she was still alive, the risk Emma took worried him. She was lucky the killer didn’t attempt to take her out before the FBI team showed up.

Jordan cleared his throat. “We don’t have time for this. I secured another safe house for you, Ms. Tucker. We need to leave before the sun rises.”

Emma shook her head. “I need more time with David. Please.”

“You don’t have it. I’m trying to keep you alive. You’re not helping yourself or my team.”

“Give us a few minutes,” David said when Emma’s eyes filled with tears. Those tears gutted him. “You can wait ten minutes.”

The agent glowered at both of them, then stood. “Fine. Ten minutes, but not one second more. I’m not running a dating service. I have a job to do, and your lady isn’t making my task easy.” He strode from the room and locked the door behind him.

David tugged Emma to her feet and gathered her into his arms. She held him tight. “Are you okay?” he murmured.

She shook her head. “I don’t want to leave you.”

“You can stay with me.”

Her head popped up. “Are you serious?”

“Do you want to be with me?”

“I’ve thought of nothing else since I went into hiding.” Her shoulders slumped. “I can’t, though.”

“Why not?”

“The Butcher will find me again. He always does. I don’t want him to hurt you.”

“I can take care of myself and you.”

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