Page 13 of Their Haunted Hearts
“So, you can’t describe him, but you’d know him if he came by again?” Kane raised an eyebrow. “That seems a little strange.”
“I’m attracted to tall, broad men, so he caught my eye.” Alice smiled coyly. “I didn’t get close enough to get a good look at him. Next time I will.”
“Well, maybe you shouldn’t get too close, if he comes by again.” Kane’s mouth turned down. “We found the young woman dead this morning.”
“Oh, that’s not good.” Alice stared at Jenna. “Do you figure he’ll come back to hunt down more girls? Am I in danger?”
Jenna handed her a card. “Not unless you get into his vehicle. Be sure to call me, day or night, if he comes in again. We’ll be here right away.”
“Not a problem.” Alice slipped the card into the top pocket of her uniform. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help.” She reached for her sandwich.
Jenna stood and led the way back to the Beast. “Hmm, not much to go on but it’s something.”
“It’s a start. He’s in town if he killed the victim in the haunted house.” Kane slid behind the wheel and patted Duke on the head. “I wasn’t expecting another murder so soon. This guy is escalating fast. It seems to me the moment we stepped back into the office, the murder and mayhem starts again. I’m starting to wonder if we attract these monsters.”
Jenna shook her head. “No, it’s a coincidence. They had a rash of murders in Helena while we were away. Carter told me they were working there most of the year. It’s just our turn again, is all.” She cleared her throat. “They come out of the woodwork at Halloween. This must be a perfect setting for their murders and beating us is their ultimate fantasy—I blame the books. They believe now they can anticipate our every move.”
“Maybe.” Kane flicked her a glance. “That won’t stop us. We have a great team. We’ll catch him.”
A shiver slid down Jenna’s spine. “Or die trying.”
Thirteen
As they drove to the haunted house, Jenna called Raya to check on the boys. Tauri would be at school and he loved being there, but she missed being home with Jackson and needed to connect each day. Her baby was still a little boy and knowing all was well and he was happy was important. She disconnected and squeezed Kane’s leg. “He’s fine as usual. I’m surprised he is so calm.” She smiled at him. “He takes after you.”
Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage. “The Beast is a safe place for us to talk, isn’t it, and our phones and electronics are safe too, right?”
“What’s wrong, Jenna? You know you can ask me anything?” Kane flicked her a glance. “Yeah, it’s very safe. Ask away.”
A secret was gnawing at her and she couldn’t live with it any longer. The night she’d overheard Kane speaking to Jackson and telling him information she should never know. Keeping it from Kane for so long was eating her up. She hated not being truthful with him. “You know you can trust me, right? You should know that even if I was tortured, I’d never give you up.”
“Where is this leading, Jenna?” Kane pulled the truck off the road and turned in his seat to stare at her. “It’s not about you being tortured. I know you could endure that if necessary. You’ve been trained to withstand it but that’s not how my enemies act. They’d hurt the kids until you broke. That’s what these people do.” He ran a hand down his face and his eyes seemed to bore into her soul. “What have you done?”
Frightened, she took in his anguished expression. “I haven’t done anything but I need to tell you something. I can’t keep it to myself any longer. I’ve been deceiving you.”
“That’s impossible.” Kane shook his head.
Jenna swallowed hard. This wasn’t going to be easy. “I have and I’m sorry, but you need to know.”
Kane stared at her, his face like granite. “I never thought I’d hear a word like deceive come from your lips, Jenna.”
This was the closest she’d ever seen Kane get to becoming angry with her and she swallowed the lump in her throat. “I overheard you talking to Jackson when he was a newborn. You told him your name and the name of your father and grandfather. I’ve been afraid to tell you in case you told Wolfe and he took you away from us. I know your true name, Dave. I’m so sorry.”
“You do, huh?” Kane shook his head.
When Kane pulled out his phone, Jenna panicked. “Please don’t call Wolfe. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
“Look.” Kane held the phone in front of her nose. “There are approximately two hundred and seventy-three thousand males with the name Jackson in the USA alone, so finding me would be difficult. Okay, so it’s my first name and you need to forget it, but you don’t know my last name, do you? It’s not Daniel, and my middle name isn’t Daniel. I suggested the name Jackson in honor of my favorite uncle. In the military I was identified by my rank, initial, and last name. In the field by a code name.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I’m glad you told me. Next time, don’t wait so long. It’s all good, but remember, I’m Dave now. I’ve never responded to Jackson—it was always Junior—but keep that information away from Raven or he’ll get suspicious.”
Heart pounding, she blew out a long breath. “So, we’re good?”
“Yeah, but you had me worried there for a time.” Kane pulled the truck back onto the highway. “I can’t believe it took you fifteen months to get the courage to tell me.” He smiled at her. “Am I such an ogre?”
Jenna shook her head. “No, but I understand the implications and couldn’t stand the thought of losing you. I know you’d leave to protect me and the boys. I’m sorry.”
“I wouldn’t leave you and the boys. I’d rather tear out my soul.” Kane squeezed her hand. “We’d relocate, is all. Maybe find an island and spend the rest of our lives on the beach. Come what may, you’re stuck with me.” He shook his head slowly. “You pick the darndest times to confess. We’re on our way to a crime scene. What made you tell me this now?”
Relieved, Jenna leaned back in her seat. Her heart still pounded from his reaction. “It’s hard to get you alone, and in bed at night isn’t the place. I figured you’d get mad, pack your bags and leave, and I’d never see you again. You said that once, remember?”
