Page 59 of The Sinner's Touch

“You’re not having very much luck with that, are you?” Angel regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. He was doing everything he could, and she knew that. She was just frustrated. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“We’re doing everything we can, Angel. He’s making mistakes, and that’s how we catch him.”

“What mistakes?”

Kade stood and reached a hand down to her. “I have a lot to tell you, and I’d rather do it someplace other than a bathroom reeking of vomit.”

She curled her nose and took his hand but stopped long enough to flush the toilet and rinse out her mouth. Stinky breath was not on the agenda. Angel assumed they’d go downstairs, but he dropped down on the bed and motioned for her to join him. She hesitated. Maybe being on the bed wasn’t such a good idea. Especially with him half naked.

“I’m not going to jump you,moye serdtse.” Kade scooted all the way to the bottom of the bed and flashed her an infectious smile. “I’ll be down here, well out of bone-jumping distance.”

Why did he have to be charming? Half-naked and charming was not a good mix. She couldn’t stand there looking like an idiot, so she sat at the head of the bed, as far away from him as she could get.

Kade only smirked. How could he be smirking in that sexy way of his when the situation was so dire? After those awful photos? How? Was it some kind of trick they learned in the FBI? He worked for the Behavioral Analysis Unit. She watchedCriminal Minds, and she knew he tracked down serial killers. Maybe he had to learn to do it to stay sane after seeing what he must see on the daily.

“Hey. Earth to Angelique…come in, Angelique.”

She smiled despite herself. Maybe he was being charming to take her mind off that awful photo. If that was the case, it was working, and allowed her to put aside some of the mind-numbing fear that photo induced. It allowed her to speak without screaming. “So, what do I need to know, Kincaid?”

His expression became more serious, and he lay back, staring at the ceiling. “The call I got last night was Bailey telling methey found the body of Julie Helton, the girl our unsub took two nights ago.”

“That’s too soon,” she whispered. “He always keeps them longer than that.”

“He’s sped up his timeline, which means he’s escalating, making mistakes. The bodies are usually clean, but they found motor oil under one of her fingernails. He usually takes his time and scrubs them down, but he missed a spot this time.”

“Those photos…I think she was in a garage.” She made herself not flinch as the image swam up into focus. Yes, she was sure of it. The background had been some kind of garage, a professional garage.

“I know. I already told Jeremy. They’re looking into places that might be abandoned in Boston. Sending you those photos was his third mistake. We’ll find him, Angel. There’s no need to put yourself in danger. He’s not getting away this time. I promise.”

“What if he takes someone else, though?” She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. “Then thatismy fault.”

“No, it’s not.” He rolled over to face her, propping his head up on his hand. “None of this is your fault. Please believe that.”

She shook her head. He didn’t understand. Kade was in a position to actually do something, while she had to sit and wait. It made her feel helpless.

“Tell me about what you did after you left Miami.” She needed to distract herself, and talking about anything except the serial killer fit the bill.

Kade regarded her curiously. She’d just done another one-eighty on him. “What do you want to know?”

“Anything and everything, as long as it’s the truth.”

Her head was on her knees, and she was curled up so tight, she might snap. Talking about his past might not be the bestthing, but it might distract her from blaming herself for things she had no control over.

“The next police academy class didn’t start for two weeks, which meant I didn’t go to Georgia right away like I said. I went to my uncle’s house in Virginia first. Dimitri was there, and he kept me company. Kept me out of trouble, too. I think I stayed drunk the entire time I was home. I spent six weeks at the police academy in Georgia, and then I was assigned to one of the precincts in Atlanta.”

“Why Georgia?”

“Why not Georgia?” He rolled onto his back, pulling his knees up. “They asked me where I wanted to go, and that popped out of my mouth. I don’t know why. I graduated in Atlanta and spent two years on the force there before I applied to the Bureau. Given my success record undercover and the work I’d done in Atlanta, it didn’t take them long to accept me. I passed my tests, took the classes needed to work in the Behavioral Analysis Unit, and I’ve been there since.”

“That’s the most watered-down version of events I’ve ever heard.”

“That’s the gist of it. What else do you want to know?”

“I don’t know. Did you have any serious girlfriends?”

He tensed. Not a question he wanted to answer. “Did you?”

“Have a serious girlfriend? Nah.”

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