Page 61 of Fatal Attraction

Felix sadly nodded and then spun around in his chair, facing his computer desk. “It’ll take some time.”

“How long?”

“An hour.”

“Fine,” Cap nodded. “Just get it done.” To my partner and I, he said, “Check in with Charlotte and Carter. Make sure they made it back safely. Go home after that. Just in case tonight isn’t a complete bust, multiple units have been assigned to keep watch over the four of you. If the bastard tries anything, we’ll get ‘em.”

“Heard, Cap,” Phoenix said before I could dare get a word out. “What will you do?”

“I’ll stay here and make sure Felix cooperates. Kendall, Chief, and the other detectives have gone home for the evening. We’ll startpilfering through the footage tomorrow morning. Get some rest and be at the precinct by 9am sharp.”

Charlotte wouldn’t answer the phone. This was my fourth time trying to reach her since we left ten minutes ago, and she should’ve called back by now.

Maybe she fell asleep?

No, she couldn’t have. She left the sanctum barely an hour ago and knew we’d be dropping by.

Unless she was in the shower?

Yeah. That had to be it. She was probably shampooing her hair and washing away all traces of the hot and wild sex we just had.

“She’s probably in the shower,” Phoenix said thoughtfully, having somehow read my mind. “Do you have Carter’s number?”

“Yeah,” I quickly answered, feeling like an idiot for not remembering that sooner. “I’ll call and tell him we’re on the way.”

I waited and waited and then waited some more, but like with Charlotte, Carter wouldn’t answer. My brows furrowed when I tried a second and third time just for the line to instantly dispatch to his voicemail.

“Cap didn’t mention which officers were patrolling Charlotte’s house, did he?”

Phoenix shook his head, his eyes padlocked on the road. “He didn’t. Why? Is Carter not answering?”

“No, he isn’t. Which is weird because Carter left before the rest of us did.”

A look that matched the tightness in my chest crossed my best friends’ face. Peering away from the road long enough to retrieve his phone out ofthe small console below the dash, he tapped a few buttons and placed the device to his ear.

“Who are you calling?”

“Captain Burgess.”

Phoenix put the device on speakerphone, sharing my sigh of relief when Cap’s voice greeted us after the third ring. Phoenix explained the situation, and after requesting Cap reach out to our coworkers and have them check in on Charlotte and Carter, he agreed, telling us to sit tight for a minute or two.

About five minutes passed by before he called back and urgently informed us that neither officer were answering their phones.

“Call Chief and Harley and get the team out to Charlotte’s house NOW!” Phoenix hung up and then activated the hazards, his grip tightening knuckle white against the wheel. He stomped the gas and as he flew straight through a red light, my heart dropped like a stone in my stomach at the SUV speeding across the intersection. We’d crash if Phoenix nor the other driver didn’t swerve out of the way andfast.

“PHOENIX!” I dropped the phone in my lap and grabbed theOh Shithandle with both hands, bracing for impact.

But by the grace of a fucking miracle, Phoenix slung the wheel hard and managed to dodge T-boning the other car. The tires violently screeched against the pavement as the vehicle spun in an ugly circle behind us.

Jesus, fuck, that was close!

“My gun is in the glove compartment. There should be some ammo in there too. Check my rounds and top off the clip. Same with yours if you need it.”

He slammed the pedal so hard the engine frantically roared in response.

“Phoenix—”

“Something iswrong, Spike.” His green eyes darkened when they fastened on me. “Tell me you don’t feel the same.”

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