Page 16 of Dangerous Lies

Rose,

We will meet in person one day, but until then, you can keep being a part of my creations. Iknowyou tape the scenes because you enjoy seeing what I did.It'sa shame you had to cleanitup, but you won't have to anymore when you're mine.

Instead, we will create masterpieces together. Just think of all the people who will pay under our touch. Did you like the last present I gave you? He took me many hours to find. Those were hours that took me away from searching for the next victim, but I think you are worthit.

You have always been in my sight, Rose. I remember you when you would huddle in the corner of the building off of fifth.Ittook years for our paths to cross again, butitonly tells me you are indeed the one person for me.

Even back then, you didn't shy away from me like others. Now you assist in what I was born to do. You've kept my secret so that I will give you another gift in return. Your next gift is an actual test, and if you pass, the world will not stop us.

I didn't want the police to find your present, so I hiditin the air vent.

XOXO

We will meet soon. Your one true love.

Her hands shook as she read the last line. None of the other letters ever said more than a few words. She hoped when she showed Detective Miller this time he believed her and didn’t say she made it up again.

She folded the note back up and stuckitin her pocket.

Rose grabbed the utility knife from her bag on the ground before she took a step toward the vent on the wall. Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she knelt. Only the top two screws were still intact. Inside was a box similar to the other ones he'd left at crime scenes.

Each time inside was a smaller box with an insect or spider. She shouldn't be excited toseewhat he got her because the man killed people, but she couldn't hold her curiosity back as she sliced the tape open. At the bottom of the package was a smaller container. She pulleditout, but there was a slight click before smoke escaped the box. Rose dropped the box and slid back, but she'd already inhaled some of the smoke. The world tilted. She reached for her phone but couldn'tgettoitas her vision faded.

7

GINGER

Ginger glanced at hiswatchwhenitvibrated and hoped Rose had finally texted him back, but insteaditwas his smartwatch reminding he’d sat for too long. He didn't need the damn thing to tell him he hadn't moved in the past hour.

Lucas had gotten intel on an underground plant located in the northern part of Alaska. They had headed down a rabbit hole of information, but Rose was still on his mind. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about her. She even haunted him in his dreams with her lush lips.

One kiss was all he’d allowed himself, anditwasn't enough. He couldn'tseea future in his life where Rose fit in. Once the mission was complete, she would go on with her life and he would...that was the damn problem. He had no clue what his life would entail after he finished this mission. Would he go back to the Army, Navy, or the CIA? Did he want to stay in the military? Currently, he wasn't under a contract. His deal was with the CIA, and they kept everything off the books.

Tyler’s eyes flashed though his mind. Lucas couldn’t find any records of Rose giving birth. He also couldn’t find a record of Brittany giving birth either, so was he making something up in his head. The boy was part of the reason he backed off Rose.

Each morning he took a cold shower.

But the second she would walk into the kitchen in the morning, he would forget every reason he should stay way. He’d almost thrownher over his shoulder this morning when she brushed up against him.

No intel pointed to Carter having men coming after her, so he let her do the job she was called into by herself. He’d taken Tyler to school for her. The little boy had looked up at him and asked if he was dating his mom. Ginger had told him no, and the little guy had sighed, saying she needed someone to protect her.

“Why don’t you just goseeher?” Lucas said, not looking up from his computer.

Damn, was he that obvious?

“She was supposed to be home by now. According to her, the job wasn’t very big.”

He was losing his ever-loving mind over a woman. When he’d dated Brittany, he hadn’t been this worried when she didn’t call the second she was late. But Rose? He couldn’tgetthe woman out of his mind.

She hadn’t answered the text he sent her. He was trying to not run every bad scenario through his mind but...”Can you hack her body cam?”

Lucas raised a brow in his direction. “You sure that’s what you want me to do, or do you want to call her again?”

“She would have gotten my text on herwatch.It’snot like her not to answer.”

They hadn’t spent much time apart, but when they had and he texted her, she got back to him right away.

His gut told him something was off.

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