Page 4 of The Girl He Claimed

"I did," Paige said, butthat wasn't what she wanted there. What she wanted was both more important andmuch more dangerous.

"I want to talk to AdamRiker," she said.

Adam Riker was the serial killerPaige had studied at the end of her doctorate. His escape from the facility andPaige's involvement in the hunt for him had precipitated her change of careerto become an FBI agent.

Adam was deadly, careful, andintelligent. He'd been obsessed with Paige. He also claimed to know theidentity of the Exsanguination Killer, the individual who had murdered Paige'sfather more than a decade ago now.

He'd demanded an impossible pricefor the information: he'd wanted Paige to kill someone because he was convincedthat she was just like him deep down. He'd thought that he could change herinto someone like him: a psychopath without a hint of remorse.

After everything that had happenedon the roof, Paige could legitimately claim that she'd met his price.

She knew that was a horrible way tothink about the events up there, but it was the only faint glimmer of hope inthe midst of the darkness of it all. Paige finally had a chance to seekjustice, not just for her father, but for all the Exsanguination Killer'svictims, including the wife of her partner, Agent Christopher Marriott.

Dr. Neil was already shaking hishead, though. "No, absolutely not. Every time you have spoken to Adamsince his escape, it has left him angry and violent. He has lashed out at staffmembers and other patients here. I cannot allow it."

"The FBI could put in a formalrequest to question him," Paige said. "We'll get a warrant if we haveto."

"Then I suggest you doso," Dr. Neil said. "Until then, the disruption would be too great.For now, I believe your session here is concluded."

Paige knew better than to try toargue. She left the St Just Institute, grateful to be able to step out into thelate afternoon sunlight. She headed over to her small car, deciding to headback to the FBI's offices. She was cleared for duty, and Paige was determinedto make the most of it.

Paige called ahead. Agent Saueranswered, ”Agent King, how did your session go?"

"Dr. Chang cleared me forduty, sir."

There was a brief pause, presumablyas Sauer dealt with his surprise at that.

"Good. Get here as soon as youcan then. I have a case for you and Marriott. The Exsanguination Killer haskilled again."

CHAPTER THREE

Paige could feel her heart beatingfaster as she made her way into the FBI building, wondering what the case wouldbe Sauer had for her.

She'd been here many times before;she worked here when she wasn't out on a case, but now, the reason she'd beencalled in was one that made her nerves twitch with anticipation.

The Exsanguination Killer was thereason Paige had joined the FBI, the reason that Paige had studied serialkillers for so long before that. It was a puzzle that she couldn't solve, amystery that she couldn't unravel. And now, after all these years, she finallyhad a chance to hunt the killer who had murdered her father.

At least, she hoped that she did.Previously, Agent Sauer had been clear that she and Christopher wouldn't be theones trying to track down the Exsanguination Killer. The serial killer hadmurdered Paige's father and Christopher's wife. He'd decided that they wereboth too close to the case to investigate it objectively.

Paige wondered what had changed.

Paige found Agent ChristopherMarriott already in the conference room, poring over files and evidence. Helooked up as she entered, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips ashe saw her.

It was impossible not to thinkabout how great he looked sitting there. He was six feet tall, with boyishfeatures and slightly out-of-control sandy hair. His frame was heavily muscledand strong—his dark suit barely seeming to contain it.

A part of Paige longed to simplywalk over to him and kiss him, but she knew that she couldn't, not in themiddle of the FBI's offices. Not that it stopped her in other places. Paige’snear-death experience on their last case had shown them both how much theycared about one another and, even if they were taking things slowly, at leastthey were trying to make something of the complicated feelings that ran betweenthe two of them.

"Welcome back, Paige," hesaid, nodding toward the empty seat beside him. "Did your assessment atthe institute go okay?"

Paige nodded. "It was fine. Ihave to see a therapist, but what's new there? Other than that, I'm cleared forwork."

Christopher gave her a slightlymore pointed look then. "And are you actually okay?"

Paige almost respondedautomatically to that, but Christopher wasn't just any coworker. He was herpartner, more than that now, and the only person who had witnessed everythingthat had happened on the roof. She knew he cared, but at the same time, shedidn't want to burden him with her problems.

"I'm fine," Paige saidinstead, trying to sound convincing. "At least, I will be."

Christopher didn't look entirelyconvinced, but he didn't push it. Maybe that was just because there wasn't anytime to do so.

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