Page 18 of The Girl He Claimed

Paige hesitated for a moment, notknowing how much she should say, then decided to tell her mother everything.She couldn't keep hiding the truth from her family, not when their lives werein danger.

There was a slight pause on theother end of the line before her mother spoke again. "Is everything okay,Paige? You sound upset."

"It's Adam Riker."

There was no easy way to say thosewords, no way to build up to them gently, not after everything he had done tohurt the pair of them. He had obsessed over Paige, trying to force her tobecome a killer like him. Then he had tried to kill her mother.

Paige's mother gasped. "Paige,if this is anything to do with him, you need to be careful. What's goingon?"

"He escaped," Paige said."We don't know how yet, but I'm working with Christopher... AgentMarriott, to find him before he can hurt anyone else. Please, mom, staysomewhere else tonight. I'll make sure you're safe."

"How did this happen?"her mother asked.

"We're still not sure,"Paige said. "We're trying to find him, but my priority right now is tomake sure that you're safe."

Her mother hesitated for a moment,then sighed. "Okay, Paige. I'll go to a hotel. But you need to promise methat you'll be careful, too."

"I will," Paige promised,feeling a lump form in her throat. She wasn't sure how careful she could beright then. "I'll do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't hurtanyone else."

"A part of me wishes thatyou'd shot him through the head rather than the shoulder back when he wastrying to kill me," her mother said.

Paige knew that her mother wasstill struggling with the trauma of what Adam had done to her, and her wordswere a sign of that. Paige couldn't blame her for feeling that way, but shealso knew that killing Adam back then wouldn't have solved anything.

It would have given him exactlywhat he wanted. It would have made Paige into a killer, and she would have hadto deal with that. She didn't think that it would have turned her into amonster like him, but she was glad that she didn't have to find out.

"I know," Paige saidsoftly. "But it's too late for that. I have to focus on finding him now.Can you text me once you're settled somewhere safe?"

"Yes, I will," her mothersaid. "Please, Paige... be careful."

"I will," Paige saidagain before hanging up.

She turned to Christopher, who waswatching her with concern. "She's going to a hotel for the night. I'll gocheck on her once we're done here."

Christopher reached out, his handbrushing her cheek gently. It was only then that Paige realized that her cheekswere wet with tears. She hated Adam for being able to do that to her, to beable to make her cry just with the fear and the pressure of what he might do.

"You're doing everything youcan, Paige," Christopher said softly, wrapping his arms around her."We'll find him, and we'll make sure that he can't hurt anyoneagain."

Paige leaned into him, feeling thewarmth and solidity of his body, his presence like a rock beside her. She hadalways felt safe when she was with Christopher, even when the world around themwas falling apart.

Christopher had become a rock forher in the time since she had started working with him. She had never expectedto find herself falling for him, but there was something about him that drewher in. Something that made her feel safe even in the midst of chaos.

She tilted her head up, her lipsfinding his blindly, automatically. They were alone in the library, and Paigedidn't care then that they were in the middle of a case. She needed thereassurance of that moment, that kiss.

Christopher's lips were warm and softagainst hers, and Paige melted into his embrace. She felt his hands move downto her waist, pulling her closer to him.

They broke the kiss, breathlessafter several seconds, just looking at one another. Paige knew, as Christophermust know that it would be a bad idea to do anything more now, here, like this.There were still security cameras, and they were meant to be FBI agents in themiddle of an investigation.

On the other hand, Christopher hadbeen the one suggesting that they should call it a day.

"Maybe we should go back to myplace," Paige said. It wasn't just that she wanted to be with him, shedidn't want to be alone right then. There was as much of a chance that Adammight try to strike at her as at her mother.

Christopher nodded. "If you'resure?"

Paige was about to tell him thatshe absolutely was, that she'd never been as sure about anything in her life,but in that moment, she was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. Eventhen, a part of her wanted to ignore it, but she knew that she couldn't. Whatif it was her mother? What if she was in danger? What if someone had spottedAdam Riker, and they had a chance to catch him?

Paige saw Agent Sauer's name on thescreen. It caught Paige a little by surprise because why would her boss becalling this late? Was he just calling for an update? She answered the phonehurriedly, taking a breath to try not to sound too flustered after what hadjust happened with Christopher.

"Sir? Is everything allright?"

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