Page 106 of Shadows of You

The vet forced his eyes toward my brother. “Of course. These wounds are a little different. Deeper. But there are too many similarities for it to be a coincidence.”

Lawson glanced at Nash and me.

“He’s angrier,” I said. “Maybe he knows the victim?”

Nash pulled an evidence bag out of his pocket. “Got her ID. Marci Peters from Montana.”

I tapped my fingers against the side of my thigh. “I don’t recognize her. Tourist?”

“Most likely,” Lawson agreed. “I’ll have an officer call around to the local hotels and rental companies, see if we can figure out where she was staying.”

“There’s a large lump on the back of her head. Some blood,” Luisa said. “She was struck from behind. Probably unconscious before she hit the ground.”

“Small mercies,” Nash muttered.

I didn’t disagree. At least she hadn’t felt the torture that came afterward.

Lawson stared down at the woman for a moment. “We were right.”

Nash sent him a quizzical look.

“Someone was practicing,” Lawson explained.

My back teeth ground together. “That means they won’t stop here.”

32

ASPEN

The bed dipped,and I jerked upright, coming out of a sound sleep. I reached for the Taser on my nightstand, but a hand clamped around my wrist.

“Just me.”

My entire body sagged at Roan’s voice. “Hell. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

He pulled me against him. “Sorry. Didn’t know you had some of that demon cat in you.”

I frowned in the dark. “Pirate isn’t a demon. She’s just playful.”

“Tell that to my almost decapitated toe.”

“So dramatic.”

Roan nuzzled his face into my neck, breathing deeply.

My body began to come alive, but I shut that shit down fast. “Cady’s down the hall.”

“I know,” he whispered, his voice gruff. “Just need to hold you for a few minutes.”

My hands closed around his arms. “Was it bad?”

“Young woman’s dead. That’s always bad.”

My fingers gripped him harder. “You okay?”

“I’ve got you in my arms.”

“That’s not an answer.”

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