Page 2 of Phoenix Rising

Before she could implement any of the moves, a sharp pain in her neck had her hand flying to the sting, leaving her gasping for breath. “What did you do?”

“Just a little cocktail to relax you, Paige Stockton. You aren’t the only detective around. I know who you are, and you see, you are correct. You cracked the case. Good job. Too bad no one will ever know.”

Paige wanted to slap herself. She had been stupidly confident, and it was going to bite her in the ass. From the time she started her career, she’d been told that her recklessness would catch up with her. She should’ve listened to her critics. It looked as if the time had come.

As her vision blurred, Paige mourned the things she hadn’t had the time to do while chasing the next big story: fall in love, get married, have babies, get a dog. She’d never told her friends she loved them. She prayed that her sacrifice hadn’t been in vain. All she’d wanted to do was bring down a criminal. She hadn’t wanted him to get away with another crime, but now she was afraid she would be his next victim.

Paige crumpled to the floor, and her last thought was that she hoped someone would avenge her death.

#

The man stared at the woman lying at his feet. The sedative had only knocked her out. Now he had to kill her. Well, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t done it before. And, strangely enough, it excited him. He discovered that killing was a rush as titillating as the most spectacular climax. He grabbed a pillow off the leather sofa and held it against her mouth and nose until she shuddered and her breathing stopped.

Hum,he reflected,not nearly as exciting as when they knew what was about to happen.

Now, he had to figure out how to dispose of the body. Getting her out of here with no one noticing wouldn’t be easy. He left her where she lay while he retreated to the security room to turn off the cameras. He would need something to carry her. Depositing her in the desert was his only option.

The coyotes and javelina would be eating meat for dinner tonight, he thought with a macabre chuckle.

The man found a large duffle in the storage room. It should be big enough. He managed to stuff her arms and legs in, not caring if he broke bones. Before he zipped the bag closed, he removed Paige’s necklace and slid it into his pocket. Crouching, he slipped the strap over his shoulder and stood . . . or he tried to. Despite her only weighing one-ten or one-fifteen, he didn’t work out. He’d have to drag her instead.

Pissed that his evening had been ruined, he yanked the strap, almost pulling his arms from the sockets when she didn’t budge. Why was dead weight so heavy? How would he get her outside and into his vehicle? An image of the flatbed dolly used to tote merchandise in the supply room popped into his head, and he hurried to get it, wincing when the wheels squeaked loudly. He wasn’t the only one around, so he had to slow his progress.

It took some pushing, tugging, and cursing, but finally, she was on board. He left the office and headed down the hall.

“What do you have there?”

The man gasped and spun around at the voice. Why the hell was Riva awake? It was almost two in the morning. The staff who lived on the premises were all early-to-bed, early-to-rise people.

“Uh, just moving some things to my car.”

“At this hour?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I’m getting some work done.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t either. Do you need help?”

She reached for the bag, and he smacked her hand away, eliciting a sharp gasp.

“No, I’ve got it. Thanks.”

With a look of hurt, she lumbered off. He waited until she was out of sight to continue toward the parking lot. It wasn’t until he’d managed, with lots of groaning and swearing, to stuff the reporter into the back seat that he realized he had a big problem. When news came out of the missing woman, Riva might remember him carting a load out of the building and his brusque refusal of her assistance. Plus, Paige had a phone, and the authorities might trace her here when she was reported missing.

“Damn it.”

The man slammed the door and stomped back inside. He found Riva in the kitchen, making a cup of tea. “Hey, Riva, sorry I was abrupt earlier. I was in a bad mood and took it out on you. How about we run to that all-night coffee shop with the mouthwatering scones?” She looked conflicted. He must’ve hurt her feelings. If that’s all it took, she was too sensitive for her own good. “Please? Take it as my apology.”

That seemed to cheer her up. “Okay. I’ll save this for later.” Riva turned off the burner beneath the teakettle and followed him outside.

Little did she know, she would not be returning. Ever.

Chapter One

Reese Reneau hadn’t wanted to leave Miami Beach, Florida. It had meant saying goodbye to Audria Giroux, and the thought of not seeing her again caused an ache deep in his belly. He’d enjoyed working with her on the last case. Instead of his subordinate, she’d been an equal, a dynamic they hadn’t experienced before. He’d liked it—a lot. Audria was intelligent, capable, and so incredibly beautiful. He trusted her to have his back.

Reese had to admit he’d been supremely disappointed when he learned Audria had accepted a job with COBRA Securities. While a member of his FBI team, she’d been forced to take the life of a grieving mother, and it had changed her. He understood the trauma she’d experienced and had encouraged her to take time off to reevaluate her decision to continue as a special agent. He’d told her she had a job to return to, but she’d taken one with a private company instead. The news had felt like a bucking horse kicking his solar plexus. She was so good at her job, his top team member. He’d had no reason to doubt she’d come back, only she didn’t.

Suddenly, after working with Audria and COBRA Securities, returning to Quantico and going through the grind didn’t seem as appealing. He’d missed her when she’d left. For five years, he’d had her around. For three and a half of those, he’d been married. Reese would never have cheated on Genevieve, even though the marriage had been over for quite a while. Back then, seeing Audria each day had gotten him through some of the most challenging times in his life.

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