Page 58 of Gunner

“Baby? You want to come with me in case she gets upset?” I suggested, wrapping my arm around her waist.

I knew women could lose it when faced with their attacker, even if it was just a picture of them. I wanted Haizley there for Aspen. And I wanted her away from the fucking deputy.

“Sure.” She smiled at Blackwater again, then turned toward me. As she walked past me, she mumbled, “Just pee on me already.”

“Don’t fucking tempt me,” I said and smacked her ass.

She turned and glared at me, her mouth hanging open.

Leaning in so no one heard me, I whispered, “Is that open mouth an invitation? If not, you better close it before I forget there are people around and stuff my cock in it.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth clamped closed.

I laughed and followed her into church, sitting down with Aspen and Amber.

Almost two hours had passed by the time Aspen finished describing the fucker that attacked her. I showed it to Sam, and she agreed. It was the same ‘Greg’ that had approached her months ago.

That meant this fucker had been doing this for way too long. There was no guessing how many women had fallen victim to him and whoever he was working with.

Haizley and Amber took Aspen upstairs to get her settled in her room. King called the officers into church, along with Declan and Blackwater, since he was still there.

I gave Nav the sketch, and he scanned it into his computer and put it up on the screen at the front of the room.

“Sam confirmed this was the guy who approached her at the bar back in October.”

“Son of a bitch,” Jack cursed.

He still hadn’t forgiven himself for walking away from her and leaving Jingles to bring her home from the hospital.

“Does anyone recognize him?” Declan asked.

“He looks familiar, but I can’t quite place him.” Deputy Blackwater walked closer to the screen, scrutinizing the image.

“What is it?” Cash asked.

I was surprised to see him sober enough to be in here. Not that he hadn’t been drinking already today.

“I don’t know.” Blackwater shook his head like he was trying to knock something loose.

I could help him with that if he touched my woman again.

Focus, asshole.

“There’s definitely something familiar,” Jingles confirmed.

“I bet we’ve all seen him at the bar or in town. We just didn’t know who we were looking for until now,” Ghost added, while he too stared at the screen.

“Dec, you said you found another body?” King asked, moving our focus from the man on the screen.

“Yea, another body found on the Powell Ranch. Before you shit a brick, I asked them not to tell Win. I know you trust him, and Grayson does, too. But I can’t have everyone knowing what is going on. Not yet.”

“So, is this guy only killing certain victims or what?” Blade asked.

“I don’t think it’s the same guy,” Dec explained. “The second body I found was a female, brunette. She had that in common with the first victim. She was also twenty-three. Whoever is killing these women is beginning to develop a pattern, but it doesn’t match the rape victims. The rapes have no pattern. They are a crime of opportunity. Some of the women have blonde hair, some red, as well as brunette. That leads me to believe these are two separate crimes. Whoever is killing these women is planning the abductions. Whether he is killing them on purpose, I don’t know yet. So far, the elements have killed both victims. Powell’s cattle trampled the first woman. The second woman fell from an outcropping of rocks. Like she had climbed up there and lost her footing.”

“Except she was naked,” King surmised.

“Except she was naked,” Dec confirmed.

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