Page 49 of Lovely Violent Things

The same deflection she once used with me. Effective, but the hard divot between Alister’s furrowed brows conveys he’s not impressed.

“We’re leaving.” I grab her wrist and tow her toward the doors as the relentless questions follow.

“Dr. St. James, can you give us any update on what the task force recently discovered at a crime scene?” a woman asks. “What this new evidence might mean?”

Halen’s steps falter, and her gaze snaps to Alister at the front of the room. “I haven’t been made aware of any discovered evidence at the newest scene.”

“Are you confirming there is a new crime scene, then? Has there been another murder?”

Alister makes an attempt to throttle the questions. “Dr. St. James is a psychologist and can only speak in a capacity relating to behavioral theories, not facts on the case.”

No one buys that line of bullshit. Especially not Halen as her eyes narrow on the agent.

A bold reporter cuts right through the murky tension. “Agent Alister, then what are the characteristics you’re looking at for the Hollow’s Row Mangler? What areas are you searching for leads on the suspect?”

Alister waves his hand. “Any leads are confidential, and so are any suspect profiles.”

That same reporter pivots to Halen. “Dr. St. James, it’s been rumored the town’s missing locals are being looked at as suspects. Are the victims being included in the profiles?”

Alister stares at Halen through the round of camera flashes that capture the animosity between the two task force members.

Halen gives the reporter an answer. “At the moment, the task force is only looking at the missing locals in connection to the suspect. Learning as much as we can about the victims may lead us to a suspect they were all connected to, that’s all.”

Despite her attempt to redirect the assumption, the reporters latch on to the juicy thread, pitching more questions in the same vein.

The squeak of Alister’s chair emits through the speakers, drawing the attention of the room as he stands. “The FBI are looking into every possible lead, and considering every angle in order to apprehend the perpetrators and find the victims. Thank you for your time. This concludes the meeting.”

As press reporters and journalists continue to demand answers, Halen ignores their barrage of questions and starts toward the other side of the room, Alister in her sights.

I circle an arm around her waist and pull her to a stop. “Not happening here.”

“He’s keeping information from us,” she says.

“We’ll get it soon enough.”

Agent Hernandez uses his girth to cut a path through the crush of bodies, and I guide Halen behind him until we exit into the hallway. I direct us farther down to escape the trailing members of press.

Halen pulls free of my hold. “Where are we going?”

I look at Hernandez. “What is it that you want?” I demand. “Recognition? Praise? Name in the papers?”

His features draw together, but he knows exactly what I’m talking about. “I want to work the case,” he says. “I want to know what you guys know about the crime scenes.”

I nod slowly. “You stop anyone from entering this room—” I point to the interrogation room “—and you have a deal.”

Halen forces a derisive laugh. “Be careful of making deals with the devil, agent.”

After I get the agent’s confirmation in a firm head nod, I say to him, “Call around to your fed friends and find out what this confidential evidence is.” Then I grab hold of my little muse and drag her into the room.

Halen tries to pull away, but I don’t let her escape.

Once I have the door closed, my hands are on her, trapping her face and pressing her against the wall where I claim her mouth with mine. I swallow her cries of protest, kissing her with the hunger eviscerating the burning pit of my stomach. I kiss her until she’s breathless, until the taste of her fear weakens beneath her yearning.

Breaking away, I say, “You need to steer clear of Alister.”

She drags in a breath, chest heaving. “But we need to know—”

“We do know,” I say, cutting her off. “In less than five minutes, Agent Hernandez is going to knock on that door and tell us the carving knife was recovered.”

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