Page 72 of Shielding Aubree

"You don't know a damn thing, Off-i-cer."

She glared at him and his smile broadened.

"So you're a fighter."

She moved her arms and tested the tape that was wrapped around her wrists. It was still too damn secure for her to try to tear it off. "You can take the tape off and give me a fighting chance against you."

"This isn't about giving you anything." He lifted a brow and shook his head. "This is about me, finishing what I started."

She dragged in a deep breath readying herself to scream but he shook his head. "You scream, bitch, and I'll end this now." He reached across his body and gripped the butt of his pistol. "I'll put a fucking bullet in your head."

"Yeah," she grumbled, not quite under her breath, "real big man."

"You'll see," his eyes were cold, "you'll see."

Ruben jumpedout of the passenger side of Finn's truck and met Aubree's mother at the door. "Any news?"

He already knew the answer for that since he hadn't received a call or text from Antonio, but it was more of a reflexive action. Something he just had to do to keep himself sane.

"They've set up in one of the conference rooms inside. It's like someone kicked a hornet's nest."

He reached out to her and Aubree's mother took his hand. "That's good. That's really good. We'll get her back."

Liria stopped short, her hand squeezing his like a lifeline. "We have to. I can't... I can't lose another child."

Ruben pulled her into his embrace and hugged her tight, not just for her but for himself as well. "You're not going to lose her. Not now. Not while I have breath in my lungs."

Liria sighed and leaned into his shoulder. "From your lips to God's ears."

"We'll get her back."

She leaned back and managed an almost smile. "I'm trying to keep the faith."

"Faith is good," he agreed, "but you raised a fighter. She'll come back because she doesn't know how to give up."

Aubree felther stomach turn as soon as he explained where they were.

She knew the area surrounding Los Alamos and Espanola. Working and living in the area for her whole life gave her a vast amount of knowledge about the surrounding area, especially as she worked in law enforcement. Working for the state, she'd also spent a good amount of time on the roads.

The location as he described to her made sense. He'd wanted a secluded area.

Well, he picked a damn good one.

Granted, she couldn't see the full area around the car, but if he was telling the truth, they were out in the middle of nowhere with a chaser of nowhere to boot.

"Up until me," she was trying to boost his ego a bit, "you've only done two killings in each state. Is this just because I drove up to check on you?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Is that what they're saying about me? Just two in each state?"

Aubree felt her heart clench in her chest. "Are there more?"

"Kills? Sure, but it's not the only kinds of crimes I've done."

She nodded. "Okay..."

"They are the most satisfying crimes, though. The most memorable."

"So what can I do," she swallowed down the bile that washed up onto the back of her tongue, "to make things better for you."

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