Page 48 of Mine to Protect

I studiedthe valentine on the coffee table, rereading the inscription on the back for the thousandth time since I’d walked through the door over an hour ago.

Can’t wait to see you! We’ll have so much fun.

Promise, Birdie.

The gun resting on my thigh trembled in my sweaty palm.

This couldn’t be happening, not again. Nothing would process except for the replay of memories over and over in my mind. Notes, stalking, fear it was all happening again. Benny’s wet nose nudged my thigh, trying to get my free hand on top of his massive head.

This wasn’treal,right? Maybe Cas or Chandler thought it would be funny to—no, neither would do that. But they were the only two who knew about the serial abductor’s signature of leaving notes. Well, them and John, but he was inside with me when Sadie found it. If shedidfind it.

But what would that mean? That Sadie was the person we were after? It made no sense considering we were profiling the person to be a weak male who targeted the wives of strong men. And there was no way Sadie’s tiny frame could carry a grown woman’s limp body; hell, she looked like she could barely carry her own weight.

After setting the gun on the table, I ground the heels of my palms against my eyes.

Thought my friend was stalking me.

Suspended from work.

Cornered by a weirdo.

And had a creepy note left by a suspected serial killer.

Today wasnotmy day.

A pounding knock, so hard the entire cabin rattled, pulled Benny away from my side to trot to the front door, tail wagging. With that kind of reaction, there was no doubt who I would find on the other side.

“Alta. Open the door, would ya?”

Halfway to the front door, I bolted back to the coffee table, snagged the creepy note and tucked it into the side pocket of my running jacket. No need for him to know about it when I didn’t even know what it meant.

The moment the last lock clicked free, the door swung open, revealing a frowning Cas.

“Where were you?” he asked after shouldering past me to squat in front of an eager Benny.

“Um, where was I supposed to be?” Behind me, my concealed fingers worked double time on shredding the cuticles.

“Our place for us to discuss the case and any updates.” Looking up from where he knelt on the floor petting Benny, those dark eyes bored into mine. “Your face doesn’t look as bad as I thought it would. What did you run into anyway? I never asked last night.”

“A tree,” I grumbled, making a smirk curl his lips up. “Shut it. Little tip—don’t run through the woods at night without your flashlight on. You can run into a tree, or two.” His deep, carefree chuckle set the day's worries on the back burner. Smiling, I turned for the living room. “I had a visitor this morning, then—”

“Was it him?” he seethed against my ear, his hot breath sending a wave of heat through me.

I stumbled against the armrest, putting distance between us. “What is it with you two?”

Hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans, Cas paused inches from where I sat. “He’s jealous that I get to touch you without you pulling away. Jealous that you look at me like you want me to touch you. Jealous because that’s the way he looks at you.”

Nibbling the side of my thumb, I avoided his searching eyes. “He suspended me. For disobeying a direct order.”

“When did you do that?” he prodded. A pair of black hiking boots moved into my line of sight on the floor.

I shrugged and maneuvered to stand, but two hands rested on my shoulders, keeping me in place.

“Last night,” I huffed and pressed both palms to my flaming cheeks. “I was responding to a call about illegal camping when he came over the radio, ordering me to stay put and wait for back-up. But then I heard the gunshot and—”

Warm tingles erupted along the skin of my neck as his hot palm wrapped around it. Thumb beneath my chin, he tilted my face to meet his burning gaze. “You did what?”

“I heard the shot and knew what he was doing, so… so I turned off my radio and went up the trail alone.”

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