Page 84 of Aftermath
Yet, it felt like I’d known her a lifetime.
Enough to make me question everything enough to drive any man to insanity. Maybe that was what this was: my mind finally turning on me, driving me slowly to madness. I knew everything about this was wrong, to be involved with someone so wrapped up in the case. It broke just about every rule, but I couldn’t help it.
“Hold me,” she said so softly, I thought I misheard.
“What?”
“Can you hold me? It helps knowing you’re there.”
I knew what she meant, just like my body craved her and knew it needed her to feel safe.
I moved closer, my arms wrapping around her, pulling her against my body. Everything in me should hate this, should know that this was wrong; instead, I felt peace from the nightmares. She relaxed in my arms, and her breathing became heavier. With each deep breath I took, I found myself inhaling the scent of sea salt and sage.
Not once did the nightmares come back for me.
* * *
My phone buzzed the next morning, Mags’ name flashing on the screen
“Hello?” I sleepily answered, crawling out of the bed before Len could wake.
“Stone?” she answered.
“What’s wrong, Mags?” I asked, getting worried.I hurried into the hall, away from Len.
“They’re on their way,” she warned.
“What? Who?” I asked.
“Agent Grey and the rest of the team. They got the call about the latest Coastal Killer victim and are heading there today,” Mags said, her voice steady. “Grey wanted me to call you.”
“Does he know I’m here?” I asked quickly, my heart dropping.
If he was on his way, the second he realized I’d been here, Grey would send me back to Quantico. He told me to leave this case alone, and I didn’t listen.
“No,” Mags said. “That’s part of why I ‘m calling. He wanted me to inform you they were heading to Briarport…”Her voice trailed off at the end.
“What is it, Mags?”
“He wants you to join them. He thinks it’s time you finally got back into the field,” she answered.
Oh, I was in so much more trouble than I originally calculated.
19
LENNY
Stone was goneby early morning, and I woke up to no one in the house. At first, I thought I was dreaming, hearing a noise downstairs, but then, another knock came to the door.
I knew Nelson fairly well. He visited the museum often, an old friend of Francis. If he was stopping by, the least I could do was answer. Stone clearly wasn’t around to do it.
I hurried downstairs, still in my pink fuzzy bathrobe, and opened the door. Instead of Nelson, I found Calvin grinning like a complete idiot in the doorway.
“Happy Birthday,” he said and pushed by me into the house.
I had no time to register what he was doing. He moved into the living room and plopped down on the couch, setting a tray of something he’d carried in aside.
“How did you know where to find me?” I asked.
