Page 11 of Saved By the Lieutenant

“We need to find a connection between the women,” I say, swallowing the fear that I have for the woman I love. “There has to be something.”

She shakes her head. “Honestly there isn’t. I’ve been working my ass off on this case since I uncovered it, Jake. I’ve looked into all the women’s backgrounds and have yet to uncover anything that could connect them all. It seems as though it’s random.”

There’s nothing random about this. There has to be something. Anything. My gut is screaming that there’s a connection.

Amanda sighs. “I’ve looked. At one point I thought it was that all the women had lost a parent, but then Liz was taken, and her parents are both alive. The same thought about being in foster care or were adopted, but both Liz and Monica weren’t. I’ve looked into their backgrounds, I truly have, but nothing has come up. This man is picking his victims at random.”

I’m silent, my mind reeling from her words. My gut is screaming that this is the right route to explore.

“You think I’ve missed something?” she asks, her words not filled with anger or hurt as I thought they’d be. Instead, they’re filled with questions. “Shit, did I miss something?”

“Amy, I’m not sure, but I have a feeling we need to dig deeper.”

She nods. “If I missed something…” she shakes her head. Her fingers typing furiously on the keyboard of her laptop.

I crouch down in front of her. “Hey,” I say, sliding my fingers along her cheeks, careful not to hurt her. “You’ve done more than anyone. You’re the reason that this animal is going to be found, that the victims are going to get justice. Trust me, baby, you’ve done so much for these women.”

“If there is a connection?—”

“Then we’ll find one,” I assure her. “Take a deep breath and another, you’ve done amazing so far, baby, I’m so proud of you.”

As Amanda gazes deeply into my eyes, her expression softens, and she tilts her head slightly. Her eyes wander down to my lips, and then back up to meet mine once again. Without hesitation, I lean forward, feeling the electric pull between us, and brush my lips against hers in a gentle kiss. A tingle shoots through me as she responds eagerly, our mouths molding together as the kiss turns frantic. The air around us seems to crackle with energy. It’s been two years since I last kissed her.

Feeling her lips on mine is like I’m back with her, like the last two years haven’t happened, I remember everything. Everytouch, every smell, every sensation seared into my memory. I pull back slightly, allowing myself a moment to take in Amanda's swollen lips and heated gaze. I lean in close, loving the way her body seeks me out. “We need to focus,” I say softly. “We’re going to find this asshole.”

My heart races as her eyes snap shut, the gentle warmth from just moments ago vanishing in an instant. A coldness settles over her features, a steely determination taking its place. “You're right,” she declares, rising to her feet. “We need to focus.” She pauses, her voice dropping to a deadly whisper. “I need to rest. And I promise you, Jake, that will never happen again.” Her words hang in the air like a warning, sending chills down my spine.

I can only watch as she walks toward her room. I’m so confused as to what’s happened. Why is she so angry? We shared an amazing kiss, something that I’ve missed.

God, did I just fuck up yet again?

5

AMANDA

My mind is screamingat me, begging me not to give in to Jake's charm once again. I know better than to kiss him, to let him back into my life after he destroyed me before. But the pull of his lips against mine was irresistible, so natural and passionate that it left me weak and wanting more. When he pulled away, I couldn't help but wonder where things could’ve ended up between us if he hadn't stopped. But I have to be strong, to keep my distance. My focus needs to be on finding the killer who has been able to stay under the radar for so long.

But as I try to push Jake out of my thoughts, the sting of his words linger. He wanted us to focus, his words were like an apology. It was like cold water being thrown on me. It was a quick way to bring me back to reality. It’s been two years, but he still holds the power to shatter me with just a few words or a simple touch. I need to be careful, I can’t afford to fall for him again.

I sink down onto the bed, tears stinging the back of my eyes. After everything that’s happened to me in the past twenty-four hours, I’m tired. God, I’m so damn tired, but sleeping is the farthest thing from my mind. The victims are what I need tofocus on. I know that Jake is sure that I’ve missed something and the thought that I have makes me want to throw up. I owe it to these women, these innocent women who lost their lives to this maniac, I owe it to them to uncover everything and bring them justice.

My mind whirls with all the information that I’ve uncovered so far and I know there’s still so much more to find. The killer is smart, they know what they’re doing. It makes it so much harder to uncover who is behind it all. But I know that I won’t stop until I do.

My eyes drift closed and I fight the pull of slumber. I’m so damn tired that it’s hard to fight it.

The feel of heavy breathing against my neck has my entire body breaking out in goosebumps. My heart is pounding like crazy and I'm struggling not to panic. He's right behind me, every step that I take he seems to be gaining on me. I know that he'll catch me at any moment. “No no no,” I chant, not wanting him to get me again. I can't allow him to do that, if he gets his hands on me this time, I'm going to die.

“You can’t run from me forever, Amanda,” he taunts, sounding closer than ever.

I push harder, needing to escape, I can’t let him do what he did to me the last time. No way, no how.

His hand clamps down onto my arms and he whirls me around. The darkness in his eyes has me shivering in fear. I've never seen someone look so sinister in my life.

“I've been waiting for you,” he growls, his hand tight around my bicep “You really should learn to mind your own business. Thanks to you, everyone knows about those damn prostitutes.”

His voice sounds familiar, though I can't quite place it. It's definitely someone I've heard speak before.

“You're a killer,” I rasp, not wanting to antagonize him but also wishing that I could escape. “You were never going to getaway with it. You were always going to get caught. You'd never be able to continue.”

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